Posted by Brian Rapoza on February 14, 2003 at 06:57:27:
Robin Diaz, Mickey Wheeler, Jill Rosenfield and I spent a very successful day yesterday birding in
Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Sarasota Counties. First to Honeymoon Island, where we all saw
the Green-tailed Towhee between 10 and 11 AM. Then on to Holiday in west Pasco for the
Brewer's Blackbird reported by Ken Tracey on 2/11. This lonely bird is still on Olde Farm Road.
From US 19 in Holiday, take Sunray Blvd east about 2.5 miles (the road's name changes to
Perrine Ranch Road after crossing the Anclote River), turn right on Olde Farm Road. We saw the
bird on dirt piles in the area under construction. Look for the small bill, square tail, and small size
(smaller than the Killdeer that walked beside it)to avoid confusing it with a Common Grackle.
After lunch, we headed to Hernando Beach, where we had several Budgies on Flamingo Blvd.
Finally, we stopped at the Celery Fields in Sarasota County, where, on Center Road we had the
2 Lincoln's Sparrows, along with Field, Vesper, White-crowned, Song, Swamp and Savannah
Sparrows. As the sun was setting, we found a Grasshopper Sparrow at the gazebo at the
intersection of Center and Palmer Blvd. All in all, an exhausting but extremely productive day.