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Sparrows and Little Birds at Oakland Nature Preserve

Posted Friday, February 19, 2021Saturday, February 13, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Oakland Nature Preserve

Reports of a Yellow-breasted Chat at Oakland Nature Preserve took me to the Red Trail with my camera. The chat eluded me, but I did see plenty of sparrows and little birds.

I spotted a Grasshopper Sparrow perched out on a pile of brush. This isn’t one of the highly-endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, but a more common wintering visitor. Arrive early if you want to spot one of these guys. They are easiest to find in the first hour or so after sunrise.

Later I spotted this Field Sparrow in a tree at the edge of the trail. Two Field Sparrows have been regular visitors to Oakland Nature Preserve for the past couple of years. They are uncommon winter visitors in Central Florida.

Throughout the fields, I heard the happy calls of American Goldfinches in the treetops. Finally one came close enough to photograph.

The Grasshopper Sparrow wasn’t the one fan of the big brush pile. This House Wren find a high perch to sing his heart out. For such a small bird, he made such a big noise!

The fields were alive with the calls of little birds. Sparrows, warblers, and buntings. I finally spotted a Painted Bunting “greenie” in the same tree as the Field Sparrow.

Overhead was a Common Ground Dove. I heard this bird before I saw him. The little rustling sound in their wings is unmistakable.

As I wandered around the trail, this Red-bellied Woodpecker flew in front of me and landed on a tree trunk. He said that not all birds are as elusive as the chat!

Wading Birds at Lust Road

Posted Tuesday, February 16, 2021Tuesday, February 9, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

On my last visit to Lake Apopka, I birded the Lust Road entrance for a while, then decided to stretch my legs and walk to the Crazy U. This turned out to be a little annoying with all the cars on the drive. Still, it was a beautiful morning, and I saw lots of great birds.

LAWD-Canal — Lust Road Canal under Beautiful Blue Sky

I haven’t posted a photo of a coot this year! Long-time readers of my blog will remember that I post my first-of-fall coot as a hint of coming winter birds.

Blue-winged Teal mixed in with the coots and Common Gallinules along the Lust Road canal. The male Blue-winged Teal is so pretty, especially when the sun hits his feathers to reveal an irridescent glow…

Perched in the cattails, a Boat-tailed Grackle threw his head bang and sang. I noticed that the Red-winged Blackbirds seemed to be starting to stake out their nesting territories too. The early spring months are my favorites, with the winter migrants still here and the local birds starting to nest.

A Double-crested Cormorant caught a fish, then swam in circles with it trying to drown it into submission. It’s much easier to swallow a fish who isn’t fighting back. What’s neat about this next picture is the cormorant’s bright blue eye and a hint of blue mouth, another sign of breeding plumage on the way.

I spotted one of the Gray-headed Swamphens out in the open, a bit before the Crazy U. The bird was wading for his breakfast. Every once in a while he’d pull up vegetation with his feet, then pick it out from his “fingers” and eat it. What big feet he has! His purple and blue feathers glistened in the sunlight. Such a pretty bird!

He didn’t get to enjoy his breakfast for very long. As I watched him through the viewfinder, he became very suspicious and started watching carefully over his shoulder. Then I noticed the alligator swimming by. All the birds seemed to give the alligator some extra room as he made his way through them.

Quick Glimpses of Birds and More at Lust Road

Posted Saturday, February 13, 2021Tuesday, February 9, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Backyard photography, Lake Apopka

On a visit to Lake Apopka in early February, I didn’t feel like driving the whole wildlife drive. So I birded the Lust Road entrance. There are ton of birds in the bushes and trees, but you have to be fast on the camera trigger finger to get photos of some of them.

When I first arrived, I noticed this Common Ground Dove perched in the bushes. He looks cold! The sun was just beginning to shine and it warmed us both.

I finally saw one of the Song Sparrows who hang out in the bushes behind the entrance kiosk!! I’ve looked for these birds on multiple visits. They are harder to find than the more common (and similar-looking) Savannah Sparrows. I lucked out and saw the Song Sparrow perched out in the open when I first walked up. Then he dove into the bushes and hid for the rest of the morning.

A Swamp Sparrow rooted in the underbrush nearby. Every once in a while he would pop out, giving me a quick glimpse before he disappeared again.

The Northern Cardinals were busy, darting in and out of the bushes. The female is starting to look spiffy in her breeding colors. She brought in a snail to show off for the camera.

Across the canal, a juvenile Common Yellowthroat hopped along the rocks. His face is starting to darken as he gets his adult plumage with black mask. He popped out momentarily and then dove back into the bushes.

Another quick visitor was this little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. He hopped up onto the fence, posed for a second, then darted along. It must be hard to find breakfast bugs on colder mornings.

The last visitor of the morning wasn’t a bird, but he was fast to appear and disappear! This otter charmed the photographers by swimming down the canal, offering a quick glimpse before he disappeared. What a fun way to start the day!