Tag Archives: Florida

Birdwatching Trip – Lake Hollingsworth 2/28

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White Pelican

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Our latest bird watching trip was last Thursday, the 28th, to Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland. It turned out to be an interesting time. The true birder came out in us, because it was COLD. It was 45 degrees when we got there around 10:00 am and the wind was whipping off of the lake. I mean, this is Florida, you know! We were bundled-up, while there were some visitors walking around the lake in SHORTS (You know, the ones from Canada and Wisconsin, etc.); some of the “Floridarized” residents even had gloves on. Well, anyway, while we were taking pictures of a group of White Pelicans, a photographer was taking a picture of us. We ended up in Saturday’s “The Ledger,”our local newspaper. You never know what will happen when you go birding.
Article from the Lakeland, FL Ledger

Article from the Lakeland, FL Ledger

In between shivers, we watched the White Pelicans and got some good pictures. One of my favorite finds was to see a Black-crowned Night-Heron. It was the closest I have ever gotten to one. The rest of the birds seen were: Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Heron, Coots, Common Moorhens, Purple Gallinules, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebe, Tree Swallows, Redwings, Ospreys, and the normal bunch of Grackles and Vultures. Not a bad day, considering how Cold it was.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Roseate Spoonbills

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We were on the way to birding in Lakeland and had stopped by the Southeastern University for breakfast, when we spotted these three Roseate Spoonbills feeding in their lake. (Feb 2008)

Trip to Fort DeSoto Park 2-20-08

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Today we drove to Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas county to “add birds to my life list.” Well, it turned out that as we drove over there, the clouds kept multiplying more and more. So, with overcast skies and a windy temp of 63 degrees, we found very few birds who wanted to have their picture taken or even be seen. We took a few pictures and then stopped by the Gandy causeway to feed some gulls and grackles.

Here is a list of today’s birds:

  • Going and coming home – Ospreys, Cattle Egrets, Mockingbird, Boat-tailed Grackles, Ring-billed Gulls, Turkey Vultures, Brown Pelican, Rock Doves(pigeons), Double-crested Cormorants sitting on the light posts on the bridge across Tampa Bay, Mourning Doves, Great Egret, and a Loggerhead Shrike, Ibises, and several UFO (unidentified flying objects-“birds”)
  • At Fort DeSoto – Brown Pelicans, Great Egret, Mourning Moves, 5 Black-hooded Parakeets, Loggerhead Shrike, Killdeer, Kingfisher, 2 American Kestrel, Reddish Egret, Ring-billed and Laughing gulls. We spotted an Ospreys’ nest and saw the baby stick it’s head up several times. Got one picture of it. Also have pictures, that I need to figure out what I saw. Stay tuned.
  • On Gandy Causeway – Fed ring-billed and laughing gulls, boat-tailed grackles and saw royal terns and some more that I still need to ID.

Not too bad of a day, in spite of the overcast skies.