TAS Trip to North Florida, 1/16-1/19


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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 20:49:51 01/20/09

Ten hardy south Floridians joined Paul Bithorn and me this weekend for the annual TAS trip to north Florida. Birding in occasionally sub-freezing temperatures and on Sunday afternoon, intermittent downpours, we still managed to tally a respectable 157 species.

Highlights included:
On Ranch Road in Astatula, Lake County, the SAY S PHOEBE.
On the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, the HARRIS S SPARROW, plus White-crowned, White-throated, Song and Vesper Sparrows, two American Bittern, two Whooping Cranes and many, many Sandhill Cranes.
In Apalachicola National Forest, in wet savannah at the bridge about five miles north of Sumatra on CR 379, a YELLOW RAIL and a HENSLOW S SPARROW. On Forest Road 123, three Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. We were assisted in the national forest by guest birders Greg Greer and Gary Ludi, visiting from the Atlanta area.
At Torreya State Park, a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, plus many, many Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
At the canoe launch in Florida Caverns State Park, a WINTER WREN, BROWN CREEPER and several more Golden-crowned Kinglets. We were joined at the canoe launch by special guest birder Alex Harper and his girlfriend, who found for us most of the aforementioned species, and tagged along for most of the remaining locations.
At Three Rivers State Park, another Winter Wren, plus many, many Canvasbacks.
At St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, COMMON GOLDENEYE, plus several other duck species, VIRGINIA RAIL and both NELSON S and SALT MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, plus both Marsh and Sedge Wren.
At Alligator Point, American Oystercatcher and Horned Grebe.
At Bald Point State Park, more Common Goldeneyes, plus Northern Gannet and several shorebird species.
At Bottoms Road in Panacea, VIRGINIA RAIL and CLAPPER RAIL, seen feeding side by side, plus more Sedge Wrens.
At Tall Timbers Research Station, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, plus Red-headed Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Field Sparrow and House Finch.
At the home of Fran Rutkovsky (as always, thanks, Fran!), BULLOCK S ORIOLE and PINE SISKIN, plus several Baltimore Orioles.

The list (some species seen en route):
Canada Goose
Muscovy Duck
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Yellow Rail
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Whooping Crane
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson s Snipe
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Royal Tern
Forster s Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Great Horned Owl (heard)
Barred Owl (heard)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (heard)
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Say s Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Henslow s Sparrow
Nelson s Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock s Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow



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