I returned to Church Road on the morning of 11 March 2014 to conclude observations at this remarkable venue for the time being.
The sunrise above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
Seven trips to this SW Florida venue, a relative stone's throw from the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, were made in all with four morning visits and three afternoon arrivals. Fog was commonplace in the mornings due in part to cooler temperatures than at the coast.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The 11 March visit would prove to be as enjoyable and interesting as all the others. The Crested Caracaras were roosting in trees to the east of the gates, so were not a focus this day with the sub family of falcon between me and the rising sun.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
I was extremely entertained by the song of the wildlife that began an hour before sunrise. Yes, I was that early, with the calls coming from every direction. An even more rewarding experience it would have been if I were confident in identifying them.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
Since my last report, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted a review of bird call APPS for cell phones which may be found
here. I am currently using the 2011 version of the Audubon Field Guide to Birds which I consider good.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
As the sun began to rise at Church Road I made an attempt to photograph the smaller birds that were working the remaining berries along the border of the orange grove. It was with surprise to encounter birds that sported irregularity.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Common Yellowthroat above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Common Yellowthroat above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Common Yellowthroat above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Common Yellowthroat above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
On rare occasions I have seen small birds with deformity of their feet either caused by their environment or through an accident. It was on this visit to Church Road that I observed birds with beaks that were abnormal for the first time.
The Common Yellowthroat above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Gray Catbird above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Gray Catbird above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Gray Catbird above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Gray Catbird above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
It turns out that such a thing is unfortunately commonplace through reports from birders in the region. I am grateful to
Dr. Peter May for answering my inquiry about the phenomenon, and who just happens to write an awesome wildlife blog.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Palm Warbler above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
After my initial report made to the message boards on 14 March noting bill deformities, Bob Stalnaker made an immediate reply noting that a Palm Warbler was observed with a deformed bill and was falling over during the bird's approach toward him.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
Gray Catbirds were present this particular morning and offered me the best opportunity I have had to photograph them. It seemed very unusual to see them in the wide open like they were. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was fun to observe feeding.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
Towards the end of my visit this day a Western Kingbird was seen in the field to the south. I thought it a remnant of the larger numbers of the species seen previously, with the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher completely absent for two consecutive visits.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Black Vulture above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Blue Jay above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
As a pair of Wild Turkeys made their way east to west in the field, a pair of raccoons were observed foraging nearby. Northern Rough-winged Swallows were still present and appeared to be making bonding arrangements before takeoff to their next destination.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
Flight activity along the treeline to the south caught my attention. Four more Western Kingbirds were observed perched high above the ground as a Red-shouldered Hawk made a flyby which was pursued by a Red-winged Blackbird.
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Wild Turkey above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
The Western Kingbird above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
In the final moment before packing it up, a Northern Harrier made a brief flyby at this beautiful venue though was unfortunately too distant for a photo-op.
The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Church Road in March 2014.
With thanks to Pete, I have added a link in the right sidebar of the blog to report birds with deformed bills which I hope you don't have to use.
What a fantastic close up shot of the Swallow-tailed Kite! Love it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very close call, France. No mating of the kites observed at this venue as you had seen on Sanibel Island recently.
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