Birds & Words: Ding Darling NWR

Showing posts with label Ding Darling NWR. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Florida List & Index

Brown Pelican, sunrise Pt Ybel

Shari & I went to Sanibel Island with Mike & Chris last week. It was our 3rd trip down there probably the 8th time there for Mike & Chris. We birded almost all the hot spots in the area, starting and ending the trip at Ding Darling. We hit Corkscrew Swamp, went looking for rarities in Cape Coral, met up with our friends Karmela & Sue for some intensive birding at Harns Marsh and Babcock-Webb WMA and generally had a great time. We even found a couple of Wawas down there. Shari & I got 3 life birds, or 4 if I want to ignore the Jersey sighting of Muscovy Duck last month.
Here are the links to our adventures:

Sanibel 12/11--Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Pileated Woodpecker

Ding Darling 12/11--Mottled Duck, Roseate Spoonbill

Harns Marsh 12/12--Wood Stork, GRAY-HEADED SWAMPHEN, Limpkin

Babcock-Webb WMA 12/12--RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER, Loggerhead Shrike

Sanibel Beach 12/13--Sandwich Tern

Corkscrew Swamp 12/13--Short-tailed Hawk

Bunche Beach 12/14--Wilson's Plover

Cape Coral 12/14--Muscovy Duck

Cape Coral 12/14--FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY

Pelican Blvd Baseball Fields 12/14--Burrowing Owl

Little Estero Lagoon 12/16

Pond Apple Park Trail 12/16-17

Our list 117 species.

Counties birded: Charlotte, Collier, Lee

Species First Sighting

Muscovy Duck Fort Myers-McGregor Blvd

Mottled Duck J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Blue-winged Teal J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Ring-necked Duck Harns Marsh

Black Scoter Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Hooded Merganser J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Pied-billed Grebe J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Wood Stork Harns Marsh

Magnificent Frigatebird East Gulf Drive

Double-crested Cormorant East Gulf Drive

Anhinga J. N. Ding Darling NWR

American White Pelican J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Brown Pelican Sanibel Beach

American Bittern Babcock-Webb WMA

Great Blue Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Great Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Snowy Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Little Blue Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Tricolored Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Reddish Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Cattle Egret Harns Marsh

Green Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Black-crowned Night-Heron Babcock-Webb WMA

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

White Ibis J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Glossy Ibis Harns Marsh

Roseate Spoonbill J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Black Vulture Harns Marsh

Turkey Vulture East Gulf Drive

Osprey Sanibel Beach

Snail Kite Harns Marsh

Cooper's Hawk East Gulf Drive

Bald Eagle J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Red-shouldered Hawk Harns Marsh

Short-tailed Hawk Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

GRAY-HEADED SWAMPHEN Harns Marsh

Common Gallinule J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

American Coot J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Limpkin Harns Marsh

Sandhill Crane Harns Marsh

American Avocet Little Estero Lagoon

American Oystercatcher Little Estero Lagoon

Black-bellied Plover Sanibel Beach

Wilson's Plover Bunche Beach Preserve

Semipalmated Plover J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Piping Plover Bunche Beach Preserve

Killdeer J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Marbled Godwit Bunche Beach Preserve

Ruddy Turnstone Sanibel Beach

Red Knot Bunche Beach Preserve

Sanderling Sanibel Beach

Dunlin J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Least Sandpiper J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Western Sandpiper Bunche Beach Preserve

Short-billed Dowitcher J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Spotted Sandpiper J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Greater Yellowlegs J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Willet Sanibel Beach

Laughing Gull J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Ring-billed Gull J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Herring Gull Sanibel Beach

Lesser Black-backed Gull Sanibel Beach

Common Tern Bunche Beach Preserve

Forster's Tern Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Royal Tern Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Sandwich Tern Sanibel Beach

Black Skimmer Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Eurasian Collared-Dove Sanibel

Common Ground-Dove Sanibel Captiva Rd

Mourning Dove East Gulf Drive

Eastern Screech-Owl Sanibel Inn

Burrowing Owl Pelican Blvd. Baseball Fields

Belted Kingfisher J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Red-bellied Woodpecker East Gulf Drive

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Babcock-Webb WMA

Downy Woodpecker Babcock-Webb WMA

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER Babcock-Webb WMA

Northern Flicker Babcock-Webb WMA

Pileated Woodpecker East Gulf Drive

American Kestrel East Gulf Drive

Monk Parakeet Pelican Blvd. Baseball Fields

Eastern Phoebe J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Great Crested Flycatcher Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Loggerhead Shrike Babcock-Webb WMA

White-eyed Vireo Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Blue-headed Vireo Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Blue Jay Harns Marsh

FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY Cape Coral

American Crow John Street Public Beach

Fish Crow East Gulf Drive

Tree Swallow Harns Marsh

House Wren Sanibel Beach

Marsh Wren Naples Botanical Garden

Carolina Wren Periwinkle Way

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher East Gulf Drive

Eastern Bluebird Babcock-Webb WMA

American Robin J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Gray Catbird East Gulf Drive

Northern Mockingbird East Gulf Drive

European Starling East Gulf Drive

Black-and-white Warbler Manatee Park

Common Yellowthroat Sanibel Beach

Northern Parula Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Palm Warbler Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park

Pine Warbler Babcock-Webb WMA

Yellow-rumped Warbler East Gulf Drive

Yellow-throated Warbler East Gulf Drive

Prairie Warbler J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Savannah Sparrow Harns Marsh

Swamp Sparrow J. N. Ding Darling NWR--Bailey Tract

Eastern Towhee Babcock-Webb WMA

Northern Cardinal Periwinkle Way - 26.4509x-82.0236

Red-winged Blackbird Babcock-Webb WMA

Eastern Meadowlark Babcock-Webb WMA

Common Grackle East Gulf Drive

Boat-tailed Grackle Fort Myers

American Goldfinch Harns Marsh

Sanibel 12/11--Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker, E. Gulf Drive, Sanibel

Mike & I instituted a routine the first morning on Sanibel, meeting at 6:30, well before sunrise, for a walk on the beach. We did this each morning, though once we drove over to Pt Ybel Lighthouse with Shari and on our last day there Shari came with us to walk a trail that circled the Sanibel settling ponds (sunrise over "reclaimed water" is so romantic), but the point was to get an early start to the day.

On our first walk along the beach we picked up the four shorebirds we'd expect--Black-bellied Plover, Willet (of the Western persuasion), Ruddy Turnstone, and, of course, Sanderlings, as well as a Brown Pelican, but surprisingly, no terns or gulls. We walked about a mile then, with the sun up, cut over to E. Gulf Drive to walk back to our hotel. It was there that we saw the more "interesting" birds, including my first Pileated Woodpecker of the year. What an impressive bird, with a beak like a hatchet. I think of Pileateds as more a hardwood forest bird, but palm trees seem pretty attractive to it also.

Turning around from the woodpecker, Mike found the first of many American Kestrels we'd see in Florida, this one atop a utility pole, eating a bug.

American Kestrel

We also came across two Yellow-throated Warblers just outside the entrance to our hotel, but they were jumping around too much for photography.

Sanibel Beach

7 species
Brown Pelican 1
Osprey 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 8
Willet (Western) 2
Common Yellowthroat 1

East Gulf Drive
18 species
Magnificent Frigatebird 1
Double-crested Cormorant 4
Brown Pelican 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 6
Cooper's Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 18
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Kestrel 1
Fish Crow 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Heard
Gray Catbird 1 Heard
Northern Mockingbird 1 Heard
European Starling 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Yellow-throated Warbler 2
Common Grackle 25

After breakfast we headed over to Ding Darling. On the way there we picked up our first Eurasian Collared-Dove, which is almost like listing pigeon (which I actually didn't this trip, nor House Sparrow). On the way out of Ding, Chris picked up two smaller doves on the side of the rooad and after we swung around they turned out to be, appropriately, a pair of Common Ground-Doves.

The Magnificent Frigatbird we listed flew over the street toward the Gulf.

Ding Darling 12/11--Mottled Duck, Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

I always say that when we go to Florida, we see all the waders in we see in NJ in the summer plus a couple of others. But the couple of others are spectacular. Reddish Egret is one of the attractions, but I had already seen one in NJ this year, the rarity that turned up at Island Beach. However, I did not get a chance to see a Reddish Egret this well:

Reddish Egret

The other spectacular bird is up top, the extraordinary Roseate Spoonbill. The viewing at Ding Darling of the waders and shorebirds is a pleasure; somehow the sun always seems to be at the right angle. The Wildlife Drive is about 4 miles long, a paved road with a couple of side trails, and depending on the tide, the number of White Ibis (of which my first sighting this year was on our stopover Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Trinidad) can number in the hundreds along with dozens of the more common egrets and herons. And then there are the American White Pelicans:

American White Pelican

Again, this is a bird I already "had" in NJ, but at a distance, a mere tick on the list. Here were well over a hundred, sitting on sandbars, posing for the masses. Going to Ding is not so much bird watching as bird viewing. There isn't a lot of skill required; it is simply the luxuriant pleasure of seeing lots of beautiful birds.

There aren't a lot of ducks in Florida and the only one we really sought could be easily mistaken for a Mallard in eclipse or a Black Duck, to which the Mottled Duck is closely related (and some would argue, no different at this point in their gene pool history) but until the AOU declares a species called "Duck" this is a new one for the year.

Mottled Duck

A few other pleasure along the 4 mile drive:

White Ibis
Photo: Shari Zirlin

Anhinga (saw one in Trinidad)

Roseate Spoonbill again

Because of the dearth of ducks and passerines, we only had 30 species with our two passes through the refuge, but again, Ding isn't about ticking them off the list (I'm almost biting my tongue as I write this) but about the sheer delight of seeing great birds in great light in great company.
30 species
Mottled Duck 10
Pied-billed Grebe 21
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Anhinga 5
American White Pelican 60
Brown Pelican 15
Great Egret 7
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 15
Tricolored Heron 4
Reddish Egret 4
Green Heron 2
White Ibis 125
Roseate Spoonbill 2
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 1
Black-bellied Plover 6
Semipalmated Plover 10
Killdeer 5
Ruddy Turnstone 20
Dunlin 35
Least Sandpiper 15
Short-billed Dowitcher 20
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Willet 100
Laughing Gull 4
Ring-billed Gull 2
Fish Crow 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1

Pond Apple Park Trail 12/16-17

No vacation is complete without a trip to a water treatment facility, so when we got back onto Sanibel Island from Fort Myers Beach we headed over to the Bailey Homestead which has a trail that leads to gray water ponds of Sanibel. There were explanatory signs around about how the whole system worked hydroponically or something to that effect. All I cared about was that it didn't stink and that there were plenty of birds around.

We were pleased to find Wood Storks hanging on the cross-dike along with one Brown Pelican who seemed out of place. Plenty of cormorants, egrets, and herons. We liked it so much there that we decided that our final sunrise walk would be there instead of the beach. When Shari heard about the place she decided to come with us and forgo an extra hour of sleep.

No new trip birds were added at this site. Our last trip bird came later on Saturday, on our final run through Ding Darling--a lone drake Hooded Merganser was our 117th species for the week.

Wood Stork, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, White Ibis, Brown Pelican

Then it was a long 12 hour trip back to New Jersey, due to inclement weather in the east and mid-west.

Wood Stork

12/16

28 species
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Wood Stork 4
Double-crested Cormorant 25
Anhinga 1
Brown Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
White Ibis 13
Osprey 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Common Gallinule 2
Killdeer 11
Mourning Dove 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Heard
Fish Crow 2
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Heard
Gray Catbird 3 Heard
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Common Grackle 1 Heard

12/17

30 species
Mottled Duck 6
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 23
Anhinga 3
Brown Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 3
Little Blue Heron 2
Tricolored Heron 2
Reddish Egret 1
Green Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
White Ibis 16
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Common Gallinule 1
Mourning Dove 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Fish Crow 6
House Wren 2 Heard
Carolina Wren 3 Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Gray Catbird 4
Palm Warbler 4
Northern Cardinal 1
Common Grackle 27

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

December Wrap-up and List

Redhead, Manasquan Reservoir

I ended the month of December with 162 species, my 2nd best month of the year after May's 180 count. Significantly both months had large blocks of birding time in states far from NJ--this month's trip to Florida gave us lots of birds we hadn't seen since summer, and of course, lots of birds we'd only see down south.

While we didn't do any field trips this month, we did spend a lot of time birding with others, including our first Christmas Bird Count in which we wound through the suburban streets and parks of Toms River and Brick Township on "official Audubon business." We did bird a lot with friends, both up here in NJ and even down in Florida where we met some pals from the north who also happened to be in the area. While I like birding with others (and it has the advantage of there almost always being a better set of eyes and ears on the trip), I did miss the solitude of birding alone, walking long miles through quiet (but please, not too quiet) woods or along Whitesbog's impoundments.

The week in Florida did help to take the edge off the cold weather we've encountered of late. But now, with the distractions of the holidays out of the way, I realize that this cold weather is here for a long time. My last birding of the month and year was spent on a windy dune crossing at Island Beach SP. The sun was setting behind me, and even though the wind was at my back, it seemed like a good time and place to wrap up the year. What was the last bird I saw this year? Probably a Long-tailed Duck.

This month's list.

Bold italics=FOY. BOLD CAPS=Life bird

Species First Sighting

Snow Goose Brigantine

Brant Brigantine

Canada Goose Brigantine

Mute Swan Brigantine

Trumpeter Swan Assunpink WMA

Tundra Swan Brigantine

Gadwall Brigantine

American Wigeon Brigantine

American Black Duck Brigantine

Mallard Brigantine

Mottled Duck J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Northern Shoveler Brigantine

Northern Pintail Brigantine

Green-winged Teal Brigantine

Canvasback Manasquan Reservoir IBA

Redhead Brigantine

Ring-necked Duck Brigantine

Lesser Scaup Assunpink WMA

Common Eider Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter Barnegat Lighthouse SP

White-winged Scoter Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Black Scoter Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Long-tailed Duck Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Bufflehead Brigantine

Hooded Merganser Brigantine

Red-breasted Merganser Point Ybel Lighthouse Park

Ruddy Duck Brigantine

Wild Turkey 35 Sunset Rd

Red-throated Loon Great Bay Blvd

Common Loon Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Pied-billed Grebe J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Horned Grebe Great Bay Blvd

Wood Stork J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Magnificent Frigatebird Song of the Sea Beach

Northern Gannet Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Double-crested Cormorant Song of the Sea Beach

Great Cormorant Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Anhinga J. N. Ding Darling NWR

American White Pelican J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Brown Pelican Song of the Sea Beach

Great Blue Heron Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530

Great Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Snowy Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Little Blue Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Tricolored Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Reddish Egret J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Cattle Egret Immokalee Rd

Green Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Black-crowned Night-Heron Six Mile Cypress Slough

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron J. N. Ding Darling NWR

White Ibis J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Glossy Ibis Harns Marsh Preserve

Roseate Spoonbill J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Black Vulture Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Turkey Vulture Brigantine

Osprey Song of the Sea Beach

Snail Kite Harns Marsh Preserve

Northern Harrier Brigantine

Sharp-shinned Hawk 35 Sunset Rd

Cooper's Hawk 35 Sunset Rd

Bald Eagle Brigantine

Red-shouldered Hawk Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Short-tailed Hawk Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Red-tailed Hawk Brigantine

Common Gallinule Harns Marsh Preserve

American Coot Brigantine

Limpkin Harns Marsh Preserve

Sandhill Crane Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

American Oystercatcher Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Black-bellied Plover Brigantine

Wilson's Plover Bunche Beach

Semipalmated Plover J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Piping Plover Bunche Beach

Killdeer Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve

Spotted Sandpiper J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Greater Yellowlegs J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Willet Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Marbled Godwit Bunche Beach

Ruddy Turnstone Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Red Knot Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Dunlin Brigantine

Purple Sandpiper Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Least Sandpiper J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Western Sandpiper J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Short-billed Dowitcher J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Long-billed Dowitcher Bunche Beach

Wilson's Snipe Harns Marsh Preserve

Bonaparte's Gull Manasquan Inlet North Side

Laughing Gull Song of the Sea Beach

Ring-billed Gull Brigantine

Herring Gull Brigantine

ICELAND GULL Manasquan Inlet North Side

Lesser Black-backed Gull Song of the Sea Beach

Great Black-backed Gull Brigantine

Caspian Tern Bunche Beach

Forster's Tern Song of the Sea Beach

Royal Tern Song of the Sea Beach

Sandwich Tern Song of the Sea Beach

Black Skimmer Bunche Beach

Rock Pigeon Southwest Florida International Airport

Eurasian Collared-Dove J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Mourning Dove Crestwood Village

Common Ground-Dove Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Snowy Owl Brigantine

Burrowing Owl Cape Coral Public Library

Belted Kingfisher J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Red-bellied Woodpecker Horicon Lake

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Downy Woodpecker Brigantine

Hairy Woodpecker Riverwood Park

Northern Flicker Toms River

Pileated Woodpecker Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Merlin Brigantine

Peregrine Falcon Brigantine

Eastern Phoebe Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve

Great Crested Flycatcher Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Loggerhead Shrike Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve

White-eyed Vireo Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Blue-headed Vireo Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Blue Jay 35 Sunset Rd

American Crow Brigantine

Fish Crow East Gulf Drive

Carolina Chickadee 35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse 35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch 35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper Winding River Park

House Wren Song of the Sea Beach

Winter Wren Riverwood Park

Carolina Wren 35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher J. N. Ding Darling NWR

Golden-crowned Kinglet Brigantine

Eastern Bluebird Brigantine

Hermit Thrush Crestwood Village

American Robin Brigantine

Gray Catbird Brigantine

Northern Mockingbird Horicon Lake

European Starling Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530

Cedar Waxwing Brigantine

Snow Bunting Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Black-and-white Warbler Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Common Yellowthroat Great Bay Blvd

Palm Warbler Song of the Sea Beach

Pine Warbler Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Yellow-rumped Warbler Brigantine

Yellow-throated Warbler J. N. Ding Darling NWR

American Tree Sparrow Colliers Mills WMA

Chipping Sparrow Ocean County Memorial Park

Field Sparrow N Bay Av Power Line Cut

Savannah Sparrow Brigantine

Song Sparrow Brigantine

Swamp Sparrow Brigantine

White-throated Sparrow Horicon Lake

Dark-eyed Junco 35 Sunset Rd

Northern Cardinal Horicon Lake

Painted Bunting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Common Grackle Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Boat-tailed Grackle Harns Marsh Preserve

House Finch 35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch 35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow Jerry's Supermarket