2016 Orlando Wetlands Festival, Pt. 2

We continue our hike where we left off in Part 1. At this part of the walk we had a lot of LBJs (Little Brown Jobs) fluttering past near the shore. They would disappear into the grasses. Every now and then one would hop out into the open like this lovely Savannah Sparrow.



Ankle deep in the water were a few Glossy Ibis.



A few yards away, a Great Egret prepares to snag a snack.



The Snowy Egrets were using the vegetation to skip across the water in search of a quick meal.



There was a nice surprise near our destination (searching for a Flycatcher) at the far side of the park. Shifting near the opposite shore was a nice, pink Roseate Spoonbill.



We could not find the flycatcher but there was a perfectly posed Wood Stork up in a Pine Tree.



Did we mention that Purple Gallinules were all over the place today?



This American Alligator was practically asking for its picture to be taken. OK.



Another nice surprise today were many American White Pelicans on the property. One flock of juveniles was right along the berm scooping out fish left and right.



They would often form a line and herd the fish toward the shallower waters.



Spring must be closer than it seems. This Palm Warbler was molting into breeding plumage already.



This is a blurry photo but an ID shot was in order since we don't see too many Caspian Terns this far inland. It was flying almost as fast as the Tree Swallows!



Back in the reeds, a tiny bird was flitting about just out of sight. Eventually we got some good views of a male Common Yellowthroat.



As we got closer to the banding table Maria spotted something moving near the reeds. Turns out it was an American Bittern! Usually, these birds stay hidden in the reeds and can often be mistaken for them. Oddly, this bird was in the open and moving towards us...



We took 60 photos of this beautiful American Bittern and helped a birding hike group spot it as they passed by. Might never get this opportunity again.



By the time we got back to the banding table we could tell the day was shifting. The wind had picked up so our chances of getting many more birds had now dropped.



The hiking group we helped spot the Bittern paid us back by alerting us to a bird in the nets. An Ovenbird. A common bird during migration but not out here at this time of year.



A very elated visitor got to release the Ovenbird.



Even if the catch rates were down we had birds at the right time most of the time when groups stopped by.



Another visitor gets to release a Gray Catbird.



Our nets this years stretched just around the corner but is was a good thing we checked all the way around. At the very end of the net we had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Probably the same one that had been flying back and forth around the banding table all morning. Andrew was asked to go onto a passing tour bus to explain banding and to let visitors get some photos.



Another Myrtle Warbler is added to the day's tally.



Our final capture of the day was a Palm Warbler. The earlier photo out on the berms was a Western Palm but this was an Eastern, or Yellow Palm, also molting into its Spring plumage.



One more happy child gets to release our Palm Warbler.



Lynn captured a perfectly posed Gray Catbird that avoided our nets but it is a good representative photo since we heard so many today.



Overall, all reports were very positive about the day and the overall event. This was our 3rd best catch rate at the Orlando Wetlands Festival and we all had a great time. Back to home next Sunday. Might be a little chilly, but not too bad.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 28th.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

2013 Orlando Wetlands Festival

Word of the day quickly became: Wind. Gusting winds increased all day making it a little more difficult to capture birds but we soldiered on. We have gathered a ton of photos to cover the entire day so sit back and enjoy.



One of the best discoveries of the morning was seting up the poles at dawn and then beginning to hear American Goldfinches which began to come down to the feeders next to the education center.



Earlier years have revealed Goldfinch flyovers but we have never had a full day of their cheery calls and whistles. Unfortunately, none of the Goldfinches landed in the nets to become our first-ever banded ones.



The crew got everything set-up before the crowds began to arrive.



A couple of Common Ground Doves flew into and out of the nets but we soon had a Northern Cardinal in hand.



She was a beautiful bird and it appears she is getting ready for breeding as her brood patch is easy to see.



Maria took a brief walk around the close ponds and made some nice discoveries like this Purple Gallinule.



Always lurking nearby are many very large American Alligators that call the wetlands home.



We were lucky enough to catch other birds when visitors were around. Not too long after getting the Cardinal, we captured a couple of Myrtle Warblers, commonly called Yelow-rumped Warblers.



The crowd watches as the next bird gets weighed before receiving a band.



An added interruption to our day was the hay rides which rolled through every 15 minutes



Down near our nets, a group of visitors gathers to listen to the rangers as they scoop out critters from the waters.



At the other end of the nets, a Pearl Crescent flutters around in its typical spot.



Down near the fresh water we find a lot of blooming Bay Lobeilia.



Richard spent a lot of time talking to interested visitors about banding, native plants, and the evils of St. Augustine lawns.



The wind got very strong and we were considering closing for the day when a Gray Catbird flew into the nets. One more species added. Maria found a dragonfly down in one net.



We called it a day and decided to get in some bird watching before the end of the day. Right around the corner, Blue-winged Teal were resting in the vegetation.



A Glossy Ibis almost posed for a nice photos but jumped up to fly away at the last second.



Another American Alligator glides through the water along the berm road bearing a toothy grin before submerging beneath the waves.



American Coots gathered and fed in large rafts in several locations throughout the wetlands.



Out in the open, the wind was really howling. It was still pretty though. Tree Swallows skimmed the water but were still too fast for any good shots.



Out of seemingly nowhere, a Savannah Sparrow emerged from the reeds and posed for a moment before racing back into hidding.



A couple of American Coot split off from the bigger flocks and chomped on the vegetation floating on the surface of the water.



The main target of this bird walk, however, was the Vermillion Flycatcher that has returned again this year. There are thoughts that there actually might be 3 out here this year. Problem is, most of the time they stay way out in the cypress trees far from shore. You still can't miss that bright spot of red sitting on the branches..



Once our attention was torn from the flycatcher, on the path back was a bunch of blue flowers. Gorgeous.



A little research led to the discovery of their name. Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass. Other Blue-eyed Grass is smaller and paler but this blue is amazing.



Time to head back. Bracing against the wind made it difficult to be too quick on the draw as an Osprey flies by with a snack.



The gator that smiled at us earlier made its way to the other side of the road and settled in for a rest.



We were missing our pool full of baby alligator that we had next to the banding area last. On the way back to the parking lot we found one in another section of the marsh. A good way to end just like we did last year.



The following morning was too cold and windy to band so we slept in for once. Weather willing, we will be back out next Sunday.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 24th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.