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Posted by Wil Domke on 16:22:32 02/12/08
Jody and I had an opportunity to do some birding in Citrus and Hernando County last week. American Robins and Yellow Rumps were everywhere. Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Carolina Chickadee were spotted on several trails. Some of the highlights for us were:
Inglis Dam had hundreds of American Coots and dozens of Great-crested Cormorants, a few Brown Pelicans, one Pied-billed Grebe, and a couple of Blue-winged Teals. Walking the trail at Inglis Dam we were pleased to see Pileated Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadee, Solitary and White-eyed Vireo, a Red-shouldered Hawk, an American Kestrel, a Least Flycatcher, and several more common birds. More than 26 species were spotted.
Two trips to the Withlacoochee Bay Trail gave us a Carolina Wren, Eastern Towhee, American Oystercatcher, Caspian and Royal Terns, and several Brown Pelicans feeding in the river.
A couple of trips to Echo Walk didn t produce anything new. There were many Yellow Rumps and American Robins, a few Northern Cardinals, and an Eastern Phoebe.
Ft. Island Gulf Beach gave us a couple of Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers, Lesser Scaups, a Spotted Sandpiper in the mud by the pier, as well as the usual group of Black Skimmers and Laughing Gulls at the beach.
A quick stop at Fort Island Trail Park produced a couple of Yellow-crowned Night Herons and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
We spotted a Downy Woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse at the Chassahowitzka WMA.
At McKethan Lake Nature Trail, we spotted several Carolina Chickadees, a couple of Sandhill Cranes dancing, and a House Wren. We also heard the familiar who cooks for you in the distance.
At the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area we spotted another White-eyed Vireo and a Downy Woodpecker, a couple of Sandhill Cranes, and a couple of Red-headed Woodpeckers.
Although one of my goals was to find a Red-cockaded Woodpecker, I guess we never got up early enough in the morning, or stayed late enough in the afternoon to see these guys around their nests. We also didn t see any Hairy Woodpeckers.
The picture of the spiny lizard was taken at McKethan Lake Nature Trail. I ve been searching the web and going through my books to get an id. There were two lizards together on the tree. They looked totally out of place. I would expect to see them in the desert. The closest thing that I can find is what is known as a Clark s Spiny Lizard. Does anybody have any clue what these guys are?
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