Final Church Road Winter Observations

A pair of visits to Church Road in Felda, Florida were made 21 and 25 February 2015 to close out winter season observations there.

The crop duster aircraft above (image 1) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The former visit allowed me to again meet Doctor Gail Bisson visiting from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Gail was photographing a perched Crested Caracara when I arrived where I typically see a Red-shouldered Hawk.

The Crested Caracara above (image 2) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Crested Caracara above (image 3) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

Gail is an extremely talented wildlife photographer. Be sure to investigate her imagery. The observations at Church Road this day were otherwise unexpectedly disappointing, hopefully not turning Gail off to this typically great venue.

The Crested Caracara above (image 4) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Wild Turkey above (image 5) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The 25 February trip to Church Road was made with Francois Constantin visiting from Québec. Frank's photography must be investigated as well.

The Sandhill Crane above (image 6) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 7) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

Frank informed me of his seemingly preferred method of photography at Church Road using his car as a blind.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above (image 8) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Fish Crow above (image 9) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

On the day of our visit we found a Turkey Vulture (Florida Roadkill) in the middle of a road, using it with hopes of attracting other birds away from danger with a possible meal for them.

The Fish Crow above (image 10) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Black Vulture above (image 11) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

Highly dedicated wildlife observer and photographer Donna McMurrer was a visitor to Church Road this day to additionally observe the bird's lack of interest in the "bait."

The Swallow-tailed Kite above (image 12) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above (image 13) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

A highlight was my first observation of Swallow-tailed Kite of the season. There were three kites seen very actively feeding though unfortunately at a great distance.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 14) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

Church Road is a great venue to observe Crested Caracara and Swallow-tailed Kite in the spring and summer months.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 15) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

Search previous Church Road posts from this blog to see many other rewarding possibilities at this inland venue.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 16) was photographed at Church Road in February 2015.

With the opportunity, I want to extend a very Happy 50th Birthday greeting to my sister Nancy!

Crop Duster Wins At Church Road

A 15 November trip to Felda's Church Road was my last effort to observe the specialties through this publication.

The sunrise above (image 1) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

Though I missed the Western Kingbird and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher once again, Tom Wymelenberg got them the next day. A most interesting experience was had with overflights of a crop duster during my visit.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 2) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Killdeer above (image 3) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The crop duster aircraft above (image 4) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The coyote above (image 5) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Fish Crow above (image 6) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The crop duster aircraft above (image 7) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The plane made several approaches toward me from the orange groves it was treating. Before I got a whiff of the chemical resulting in my immediate departure a coyote was flushed from one side of the canal to the other.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 8) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The crop duster aircraft above (image 9) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The crop duster aircraft above (image 10) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 11) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Lesser Yellowlegs above (image 12) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Sandhill Crane above (image 13) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

I had adjusted the camera aperture setting to accommodate a slow shutter speed to allow a blur of the plane's propeller. When photographing the coyote the result was that it was almost blurred beyond recognition unfortunately.

The Loggerhead Shrike above (image 14) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Palm Warbler above (image 15) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Great Egret above (image 16) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Wood Stork with Roseate Spoonbill above (image 17) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Wood Stork above (image 18) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Wood Stork above (image 19) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

Onward to the west I was compelled to stop for further observations. I'm quite sure a Snipe was inadvertently flushed while walking along the roadside. The bird landed close but well beyond my unaided eye.

The Wood Stork above (image 20) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Roseate Spoonbill with Wood Stork above (image 21) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Anhinga above (image 22) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 23) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 24) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 25) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

Crested Caracara that had disappeared completely from view on my previous visit to Church Road allowed two birds for observation this trip. Visual differences between them are interesting here.

The Crested Caracara above (image 26) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 27) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Crested Caracara above (image 28) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The mature Crested Caracara above (image 29) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The immature Crested Caracara above (image 30) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

The Tree Swallow above (image 31) was photographed at Church Road in November 2014.

I devoted quite a bit of time attempting to photograph an abundant number of Tree Swallow that appeared to be in a flock of about 100. The most recent local reports put them in much greater numbers.

The American Kestrel above (image 32) was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2014.

The American Kestrel seen above was in the area near Harns Marsh Preserve while looking for a Fox Squirrel.

A Red-necked Stint And The Cat And Mouse

The birding community was abuzz with the discovery of a Red-necked Stint at Boca Chica Key Beach by Swedish birders Viktor Nilsson-Örtman and Håkan Örtmanat this past week.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

With a Red-necked Stint never reported to have been observed in Florida before, and the species classified as "Code 3: Rare" by the American Birding Association, I could not resist a chance to observe this bird when I was able.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Willet above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

Michael Brothers' reported sighting of the stint on Day Two was comforting that the long drive from Fort Myers on Day Three might be worthwhile. I got on the road after work and arrived at Boca Chica Key a little after 0500. I immediately found some aggressive mosquitoes as the air was still.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

A handful of cars began to trickle in at about 0600 when the first signs of daylight appeared in the moderately overcast sky. Word about the Red-necked Stint was certainly circulating with a news reporter met who noted birders from Ohio having made a trip to observe the stint on Day Two only to miss the species before flying back home.

The Willet above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

It was an unexpected treat to be looking for the stint on Day Three with Wes Biggs and Doug Weidemann near the place the bird had first been reported and seen the previous day. I thought Wes should be booked as a standup comic while waiting for the stint to make its appearance.

Wes Biggs above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Northrop F-5N Tiger II 761574 aircraft (103) flown by Lt. Cmdr Dan Hannum "Blue" above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

Boca Chica Key Beach is immediately adjacent to NAS Key West. The Naval Air Station is undergoing some grounds keeping work which did not interfere with the use of the runways.

The Northrop F-5N Tiger II 761571 aircraft (113) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Northrop F-5N Tiger II 761531 aircraft (101) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Red-necked Stint was ultimately not seen on Day Three (18 July 2014). It happened not to be observed or at least reported the next day as well. The Red-necked Stint made a reappearance on Day Five and remained through 24 July, the day before this publication. A Red-necked Stint was observed in California and another in Connecticut on 24 July 2014.

The Northrop F-5N Tiger II 761554 aircraft (106) flown by Lt. Cmdr Rob Ceravolo "Rocko" above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (256) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

Another sighting may come sooner than expected with a greater scrutiny of shorebirds by those now more familiar with the stint's appearance. While I enjoyed the company of Wes and Doug, I was also entertained with the NAS Key West Navy F-5 and F/A 18 aircraft making maneuvers after the runways were cleared of potentially dangerous wading birds.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (256) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (134) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

I am grateful to Greg Clarkson for his insight into the F/A 18 prior to my research of the aircraft highlighted here. A website recommended to occupy your spare time, if you have any, is jetphotos.net.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (362) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (362) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

It was learned through my research of the National Air Station Key West that VFC-111 flying the older F-5N aircraft are the prey of the trainees flying the VFA-106 F/A 18-F Super Hornets. There were more aircraft overhead than I was able to photograph.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (263) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

With the opportunity I recommended to Wes that he add a day or more to his Dry Tortugas Birding Tours. He told me that I was the first to make the request and that he would investigate the idea.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (215) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (264) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.

I regret my inability to include a photo of the stint in this article.

The Boeing F/A 18-F Super Hornet aircraft (266) above was photographed at Boca Chica Key Beach in July 2014.