A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. I

The creation of a sanctuary for birds with a few feeders offering a variety of food to sustain them in the winter months was actually an afterthought.

The Brown Creeper above (image 1) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

This was when flowering plants and shrubs were planted in the late Fall at the Almeida residence among native Mountain Laurel in Killingworth, Connecticut, a town named in 1667. A few bird feeders were hung among the plants and trees, and dozens of birds responded.

The Dark-eyed Junco above (image 2) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Eastern Bluebird above (image 3) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Dark-eyed Junco above (image 4) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Tufted Titmouse above (image 5) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

In fact, hundreds of birds hung around through the Winter with their numbers increasing as more feeders were added. Upwards of 90 American Goldfinch were observed at one time at their peak presence primarily feeding on Nyjer seed made available to them.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 6) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The American Goldfinch above (image 7) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The White-breasted Nuthatch above (image 8) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Tufted Titmouse above (image 9) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

Predation was an eventuality and it was observed a few times. There was one occasion when a bird was seen actually taken down. A Sharp-shinned Hawk engaged a Dark-eyed Junco in a spruce tree in the area of the feeders. An extraordinary sight it was to see the hawk in action.

The Brown Creeper above (image 10) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The House Finch above (image 11) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Black-capped Chickadee above (image 11) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The American Goldfinch above (image 12) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

A variety of sustenance provided in the feeders included the Nyjer seed, suet, an all purpose mix and dried mealworms with the Brown Creeper the only species seen with regularity not attracted to any of them. 400 pounds of Nyjer seed was consumed in a few months. For a bird attracted to it that weighs less than an ounce, the goldfinch (for the most part) went through it amazingly quickly.

The Mourning Dove above (image 13) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The White-breasted Nuthatch above (image 14) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 15) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 16) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

Problems began to arise shortly after Black Oil sunflower seed feeders were added with extremely effective countermeasures to be mentioned in the next post.

The Northern Flicker above (image 17) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

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The Eastern Bluebird above (image 18) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. II
Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. III
Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. IV

Feature: Sawgrass Lake Park Pt. I

It required a single visit to Sawgrass Lake Park in Pinellas County to consider it one of my favorite wildlife venues in Florida.

The Anhinga above (image 1) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Sawgrass Lake Park, north of downtown St. Petersburg and southwest of Tampa, was created primarily to manage stormwater flooding in the adjacent city of Pinellas Park. A small waterfall in fact could be seen flowing into Sawgrass Lake while looking in the direction of Pinellas Park from the lake's observation tower.

The Blackburnian Warbler with prey above (image 2) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 3) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Common Grackle above (image 4) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

This park was not originally on my radar in early planning for a Fall migration trip from Fort Myers with birding bud, Tom Obrock. The initial thought was to make a trip to Miami's A. D. Barnes Park with unfavorable weather persistent, and then Fort De Soto Park considered with hopes of seeing migrating birds.

The Blackburnian Warbler above (image 5) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Blackburnian Warbler above (image 6) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Prairie Warbler above (image 7) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Trumpeter Swan, reported earlier at Eagle Lake Park immediately southeast of Clearwater, was on my mind when deciding at the last minute to make Sawgrass Lake Park the primary destination with its potential for something unusual. Hurricane Hermine had made impressive checklists at Sawgrass Lake Park in the days preceding our visit.

The Prairie Warbler above (image 8) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Prairie Warbler above (image 9) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Northern Parula above (image 10) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

It required a 5:00am departure from Fort Myers for Tom and I to arrive at the park shortly after sunrise. The traffic on I-75 seemed unusually heavy to me on this 6 September journey. Shortly before arriving at the park we approached what could have become a catastrophic accident on the interstate. I will be getting a dashcam soon.

The Black-and-white Warbler above (image 11) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Yellow Warbler above (image 12) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Northern Parula with prey above (image 13) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

There were already a few cars parked at the visitor's facilities when we arrived. I noticed that a couple of people with binoculars and cameras were walking back toward the entrance to the park. They obviously knew something that we didn't.

The Northern Parula with prey above (image 14) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Northern Parula above (image 15) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Tufted Titmouse above (image 16) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Tom and I opted to traverse the boardwalk that meanders into the Red Maple swamp first. We soon found that the Maple Trail portion of the boardwalk was closed perhaps due to storm damage from Hurricane Hermine. A park worker advised that entering the closed area would result in a one year banishment from the park if caught.

The Worm-eating Warbler above (image 17) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Worm-eating Warbler above (image 18) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 19) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Shortly after passing the intersection of the Sawgrass and Maple Trails we encountered birds. Mainly Blackburnian Warbler which was a life bird for me. A Golden Silk Orb-weaver was motionless in its web in this area as well.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 20) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 21) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 22) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Continuing on to the observation tower resulted in an unexpectedly quiet walk. There was also a near complete absence of birds flying over the lake although many waders could be seen foraging on the far side with a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks perched on a distant fence. A scope would have been useful here.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 23) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Hooded Warbler above (image 24) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

The Red-eyed Vireo above (image 25) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

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The Summer Tanager above (image 26) was photographed at Sawgrass Lake Park in September 2016.

Please also see Feature: Sawgrass Lake Park Part II

North Florida Winter Trip: Part I

With what was certainly a tremendous amount of effort, bud Tom Obrock created an itinerary for our annual North Florida birding trip that was almost as much fun to read as making the trip itself.

The Laughing Gull above (image 1) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

Tom and I met as scheduled at 5:30am to head north from Fort Myers on 1 February. Tom had recommended that we make seven stops on the first day of travel. The arrival at Hernando County's Bystre Lake, our first stop, was delayed by several hours due to a flat tire. A very brief visit at this beautiful venue unfortunately did not afford any photo-ops.

The scene above (image 2) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Osprey above (image 3) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Common Loon above (image 4) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The scene above (image 5) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

Our next stop was Bayport Park north of Tampa where the diminutive Weeki Wachee River spills into the Gulf of Mexico. Virtually all the birds seen at this venue were distant enough to require binoculars to get great views of them save a small number of Ring-billed Gulls that pursued one of their own with a fish. The action was too quick and close to photograph, but I tried.

The Little Blue Heron above (image 6) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Laughing Gull above (image 7) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 8) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Ruddy Turnstone above (image 9) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The walk under the magnificent oak trees laden with Spanish Moss at Tuscawilla Preserve was a reminder of the deep old south. This venue looked ridiculously dry while considering the abundant rainfall which is attributed to the 2015 El Niño weather event. There was a lot of poison ivy seen here.

The Horned Grebe above (image 10) was photographed at Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Eastern Bluebird above (image 11) was photographed near Bayport Park in February 2016.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler above (image 12) was photographed at Tuscawilla Preserve in February 2016.

The American Goldfinch above (image 13) was photographed at Tuscawilla Preserve in February 2016.

In advance of a storm approaching the southeast, a first visit was made at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville, Florida. This magnificent place was previously known as the Paynes Prairie Sheet Flow Restoration Project. Tom and I explored a very small footprint of what can be seen along the 3.5 miles of boardwalk and trails available at this jewel.

The Blue-winged Teal above (image 14) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Sora above (image 15) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Wilson's Snipe above (image 16) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Limpkin with prey above (image 17) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

With daylight waning, we made our way toward the University of Florida where a potential life bird for the both of us had been seen reliably at Dauer Hall. It seemed we might miss this species similar to Chimney Swift as it didn't appear at the time when last reported.

The Blue-winged Teal above (image 18) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above (image 19) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above (image 20) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Glossy Ibis above (image 21) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

My photos of the Vaux's Swifts at and after sunset were captured at double my normal maximum ISO setting of 1600 with a shutter speed of 1/200. It was remarkable nonetheless observing the Vaux's Swift enter the chimneys of the residence hall where they would roost overnight. It was a great end to the day while missing only two stops. No photo pun intended.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above (image 22) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Eastern Phoebe above (image 23) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The American Coot above (image 24) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

The Common Gallinule above (image 25) was photographed at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in February 2016.

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The Tufted Titmouse above (image 26) was photographed at the University of Florida (Dauer Hall) in February 2016.

The Vaux's Swift above (image 26) was photographed at the University of Florida (Dauer Hall) in February 2016.

Please also see North Florida Winter Trip: Part II