Some outtakes from Turkey Creek Sanctuary yesterday (Sunday October 6th).
Click to enlarge and browse.
I’ve always wanted to say that, just not while birding, and especially during the fall migration! Turkey Creek Sanctuary was a bust today, in those terms. Oh, there were birds, but the anticipated migration season has been very poor so far.
I bumped into Shirley Hills, who has been birding at Turkey Creek for 20 years, and she said that hands down, today was the worst day during October she remembers. The story is the same all over the Space Coast. Either the birds are finding other stop-overs, or something drastic is going on. Maybe the birds are delayed, maybe their numbers are way down, it is hard to know.
Here’s my list for today. No pics for this post this time, folks. Sorry.
Shirley said that typically this time of year there are at least a dozen or more warbler species moving through the Sanctuary. I can’t vouch for that personally, but my warbler ID had never been very good.
I’d like to be able to sneak off work this week to see if I catch anything, but that’s likely not realistic, so we’ll see what happens next time I get out.
One of the benefits of lonely birding is flexibility and last minute changes without having to negotiate or “vote” on anything. I originally planned on just heading straight to Turkey Creek Sanctuary, but at the last second (literally) I decided to head a little bit more up the road and head in to northwestern-most part of the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, then over to the portion of Turkey Creek Sanctuary across the creek from the boardwalk. This proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought, as that portion of the parks is more primitive. It did yield up a Yellow-throated Warbler and some American Redstarts, though.
A lot of Blue Jays were present, and this juvenile went through a whole gamut of imitation calls. First, it tried to scare me off with a Red-shouldered Hawk call. Then it started in with what sounded like a vireo or warbler. When that got old, it started with grackle-like clicks and “chucks”. Then it sounded like a giant Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (which was interesting because there were actual gnatcatchers in the vicinity at that point. Then it just let loose with some honest-to-goodness Blue Jay calls before flying off.
The Talented Mr. Blue Jay.
I worked my way to the creek itself, on the opposite side from the boardwalk, but aside from some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, it was fairly quiet (except for insect noise, lots and lots of insect noise). I backtracked and then went down some other paths, seeing some Northern Cardinals and more Yellow-throated Warblers. The warblers were always single individuals; I did not see any more than one at a time. By the time I came to the kayak launch area, the sun had come out from the earlier morning fog, and there were butterflies just about everywhere. This beautiful specimen landed on the mud by the launch ramp presumably to drink up some moisture and minerals.
Large Eastern Black Swallowtail taking a breather…or maybe a mudder…
Eventually I worked my way to the boardwalk and did a loop, with a diversion out toward the weir and Scrub Trail. The gnatcatchers were here in force, as well as more cardinals. At one point they all scattered when an Osprey soared overhead.
At the weir there were a number of different heron species. I saw several Little Blue Herons, a Green Heron,a Tri-colored Heron, a Snowy Egret and Great Egret. There were a couple of Anhingas swimming after fish, and a pair of American Coots foraging nearby as well.
There were some more Yellow-throated Warblers, and a Black-and-white Warbler as well. On the way toward McKinnon’s Way I heard a very resonant drumming. This Pileated Woodpecker was at first hammering on a utility pole (which was really carrying the sound. It sounded like a motorcycle), then hopped onto a palm tree.
Pilated Woodpecker, a.k.a. Mr. Jack Hammer
After getting back on the boardwalk, I saw another Pileated Woodpecker foraging on some logs off the side and below the boardwalk.
Further along the boardwalk I did finally see some Northern Parulas (I had heard them earlier). On the way toward the exit, there were more Yellow-throated Warblers, as well as a White-eyed Vireo. The vireo even flew right over my head, but I was unable, again, to get any photograph of it. Trying to get a decent photograph of a White-eyed Vireo is becoming a quest at this point.
With the noticeably cooler weather, there were a lot more families and groups coming into the Sanctuary, and it was near noon. I headed out and for home.
Something I’d noticed earlier this year, was a cell tower that was cleverly disguised as a large conifer. Here’s the effort:
C is for Conifer, over 500 kinds.
Palm Bay now has a metal Sequoia?
I don’t know what the birds think of it, but it does manage to blend in fairly well, all things considered.
Hi! My binoculars (which I bought earlier this year after my Bushnell BirdLife 8x42s were retired after 15 years) are Carson Optical XM 8×42. Here’s a link to my blog entry about them.
My Carson Optical XM 8×42 bins.
These are my first in-line bins. It’s a little odd since they are longer than my Bushnells are, but with a harness they aren’t too heavy.
I suggest getting the most expensive ones you can afford, from a “reputable” brand. The optics quality matters a lot. Good quality and coated lenses can help with eye fatigue and headaches. Also try for the widest field of view you can get. I use 8×42 because 10xanythings are just too heavy for me and the 42 objective size gives me a decent field of view.
Hope this helps! Thanks for following my blog.
Hi! My binoculars (which I bought earlier this year after my Bushnell BirdLife 8x42s were retired after 15 years) are Carson Optical XM 8×42. Here’s a link to my blog entry about them.
My Carson Optical XM 8×42 bins.
These are my first in-line bins. It’s a little odd since they are longer than my Bushnells are, but with a harness they aren’t too heavy.
I suggest getting the most expensive ones you can afford, from a “reputable” brand. The optics quality matters a lot. Good quality and coated lenses can help with eye fatigue and headaches. Also try for the widest field of view you can get. I use 8×42 because 10xanythings are just too heavy for me and the 42 objective size gives me a decent field of view.
Hope this helps! Thanks for following my blog.
So far this year I have “officially” sighted 138 bird species.
In my last post I mentioned seeing a Lesser Yellowlegs near the weir at Turkey Creek Sanctuary. Upon further research it turns out that bird was a Solitary Sandpiper. Either one would have been a first for this year, so the count stays the same. I don’t feel too bad about the misidentification, as the two species are often listed as “similar” or “confusing” in field guides.
I regret I am unable to definitively say what warbler I saw toward the start of my morning. I conferred with fellow birders and did further research in my guides and online, but I can’t quite say for sure what I saw. I am leaning toward a Canada Warbler, but officially I will not count this bird this year (or for my life list).
Solitary Sandpiper
Migration season is heating up for sure at Turkey Creek Sanctuary. It wasn’t the best day for photographs, but I did get a few here and there. Right off the bat (it IS baseball playoff seaon after all), I saw 2 Cooper’s Hawks in the parking area. I don’t have any definitive proof, but I believe these are the same hawks I saw as juveniles a couple of months ago (the size and behaviors seem very similar). They now have their adult plumage. This one was persistently calling out to it’s companion.
Surveying the domain.
“Hey, sib! Look at this crazy human with the camera!”
Most of the way down the Sand Pine Trail I heard some commotion amongst the backdrop of Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals that were making the usual racket. In some of the thick brush I could hear some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (which seem to have taken over as the Sanctuary mascot from the White-eyed Vireos), some blackbirds (not sure what species) and some more generic call notes. I caught partial glimpses of a warbler that I have not been able to ID. It was definitely yellow with black streaking on the breast and throat. However, it also had no clear wing bars, a mostly plain face and head, and maybe white outer tail edges. The two closest birds, based on my Peterson’s guide are either a Canada Warbler or a Yellow-rumped Warbler. But neither seems particularly satifying to me as an ID.
As I rounded the end of the trail towards the boardwalk, an Ovenbird (year’s first) popped out into the open for a few seconds, then dashed off.
The creek overlooks were fairly quiet, but as I neared the far end toward the Hammock Loop, I saw a couple of armadillos. Here’s a short video of one foraging by the boardwalk. Armadillos have very sharp claws and have no problem shoving their heads down into the soil to snap up various insects. My apologies for the loud camera zoom motor.
Along the Hammock Loop I again noticed some gnatcatchers in the understory. Experience has taught me (and my friend Laura Erickson reminded me this past winter) that where there is one species present, there is often another. Sure enough, I saw some larger movement and caught a male Hooded Warbler square in my binocs! I tried to snap a photograph, but he was too fidgety and flew off.
Somewhere along this stretch I did hear the morning’s single White-eyed Vireo, so I know they haven’t completely left the Sanctuary. I also heard quite a few Downy Woodpeckers today, and managed to sight a few (I’ve embedded a video of one further down).
I went by the canoe deck and out to McKinnon’s Way backwards from the way I normally go, and went out toward the weir and canal. As was the case 2 weeks ago, there were a lot of butterflies throughtout the Sanctuary today. Here’s a White Peacock that stopped long enough for a nice shot.
Proud as a Peacock
Down at the weir were the usual suspects: a Little Blue Heron, an American Coot and a Spotted Sandpiper (in unspotted plumage). I did notice a Solitary Sandpiper there as well today. [Edit: I originally misidentified the Solitary Sandpiper as a Lesser Yellowlegs. Further research in my field and desk guides, as well as the Internet has clarified it for me.]
In the area near the Harris radio tower, I saw another Ovenbird near more Northern Cardinals, but most of the rest of the morning was quiet as the sun rode higher and the temperature climbed. On the way out of the Scrub Trail toward the Sanctuary exit I saw this Downy Woodpecker on the stem of a palm frond.
I did another loop from the boardwalk to the Sand Pine Trail, but there wasn’t much to see, so I headed out and for home.
Despite the ambiguous warbler ID at that start, I was pleased with this outing. October is shaping up to be quite nice, I think.
Wonderful Willets!
Small collection of Willet photographs from this summer.
[Click to enlarge and browse]
Still shots at Bicentennial Park Beach. The top 3 are of an immature Black-bellied Plover. The bottom three are the same Sanderilng I took a video of here.
Lonely Birder 