It’s been awhile since my last post, and while things have quickly quieted down into a more “summer” pattern here along the Space Coast (especially with the way above average temperatures), the last few weeks haven’t been without some birding drama.
It started with a report from Mitchell Harris, via eBird and the Brdbrains listserv of a potential Bahama Woodstar hummingbird at a local sanctuary. There had been only 2 “official” state records of this bird since the 1970s, and since many female and juvenile North American hummingbirds look quite alike, there was a brief collective pause as the data and photographs were evaluated. The sighting was quickly confirmed, and birders from all over the state and the country descended upon the oft-overlooked Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, south of Melbourne Beach.
Myself included, after a few days of anxiety over missing it due to work obligations. I managed to get there super early one day and, along with 25 or so other birders, got a nice look at this rare gem of a bird. Enjoy these few photos.
The rufous “armpits” are a good indicator this is a Bahama Woodstar.The bill is a bit stouter than that of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (it also looks like the bill was damaged or deformed a little at some point).Although not well pictured here (or above) the tail pattern – rufous outside of green central tail feathers – was seen as the bird occasional spread its tail.The bird would rest for several minutes before heading back to forage, primarily among honeysuckle flowers. When the flowers began to wilt and fall off, the bird must have gone on its way.
Having likely been transported over water from the Bahamas via the continuing, strong south and southeastern winds this spring, this hummingbird used the time to rest and refuel while waiting for conditions to allow it to return to it’s usual range. After being seen consistently for four or five days, once the honeysuckle ran out and the winds calmed down, the reports stopped.
A rare and exciting find, and by chance my 300th Florida life bird!
They say patience is a virtue, so you may understand that many of us birders along the Space Coast have felt seriously virtuous this Spring. It was long overdue for something more serious to happen, along with the fall-outs at the end of April (see previous blog entries).
The last few weeks have seen some of the best birding around parts of the Space Coast in years, though in perhaps a different manner than one might expect. While it’s true that not all warblers migrate at the same time, it’s more typical for several species to come through an area at a time. For example, years past it was normal for Blackpoll Warbler and American Redstarts to come through Turkey Creek Sanctuary around the same time each year.
This time, we seem to have gotten specific warbler days, with dozens (and in one case I’ve heard, hundreds) of one species to fall out for a couple of days, to be replaced by another after that species moved out.
It started with a “Black-and-White Warbler Day”, in which dozens of that species were moving through most of the park.
A Winter resident in Florida, the Black-and-White Warblers were fueling up on tiny insects in preparation for migration and breeding.
The very next day was a “Blackpoll Warbler Day”. The Black-and-White Warblers were still numerous, but the Blackpolls outnumbered them almost 3-to-1.
A Blackpoll male, showing his distinctive black cap (or “poll”) and characteristic orange legs and feet.
Of course, other birds were also present, though in smaller numbers. There have been steady trickles of Worm-eating, Cape May and Black-throated Blue Warblers all through these fall-outs.
After a dip in activity, another weather system moved through and we had two “American Redstart Days”, where many dozen of these quite active birds were flying all through the area parks.
Many redstarts were first-year males, just starting to get black feathers, and displaying their flashy tails, even while grabbing a drink of water.
Later in the week, Tom Ledford and others reported hundreds of Common Yellowthroats (a year-round resident in Florida, though the population changes as birds fly in and through from South America) along the coastal areas. There were still quite a few at the Maritime Hammock Sanctuary this week.
Some off-the-beaten-path birding was in the offing, too. Having heard reports of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the residential areas near Turkey Creek, Camille and I took a quick look into an area north of the park in hopes of seeing it. We struck out on the cuckoo, but wound up seeing a small mixed flock of warblers that included Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Yellow-throated Warblers.
All this activity culminated in a surprise sighting for me this week.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been part of a Kirtland’s Warbler survey, using eBird to try and get a better handle on the migratory habits and travels of this species. Just a couple of decades ago, the Kirtland’s Warbler was on the brink of extinction as its breeding grounds were disappearing. With a better understanding of what is needed to manage it (fire, as it turns out), the population is rebounding. The entire population of this bird winters in the Bahamas, and we know where the birds should travel to get to their breeding grounds (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario), but they are almost never seen en route.
So far, the suggested survey points have not shown any Kirtland’s Warblers, and as the end of the survey period is approaching, I was resigned to the fact that I’d not be seeing this bird this year (or probably at all).
While birding the Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, I so happened to turn to face some scrub vegetation near a pond while searching for a Great Crested Flycatcher I heard nearby, when out popped a Kirtland’s Warbler! It stayed well in the open for several seconds, even bobbing its tail several times (a trait the species shares with just a few other North American warblers). My photos, however, are not so grand. I was so shocked to see the bird that I watched it in stunned silence in binoculars before it occurred to me to take a photo.
Maybe just enough to see the gray face and white eye-ring?Gray back with black streaks are a species fieldmark.
I tried using the survey audio to call the bird back, but to no avail. As I’ve said, it is extremely rare to see this species in migration. I felt honored and privileged to get just a few precious seconds with this bird.
As a final note, I also finally got my Yellow-billed Cuckoo for the county this Spring. I’ve been sort of chasing this species for the last few weeks, with sightings reported just hours after a leaving a park.
Sitting high in a tree, this Yellow-billed Cuckoo was also calling out, which is the first clear vocalization from this species I’ve heard since my early birding days in Massachusetts.
Here are the various eBird lists, since April, documenting the Spring migration as it nears its end.
There are sure to be a few more migrants coming through the rest of the month, but the bulk of the season is over. Strong southerly winds for much of the Spring probably caused most of the Hooded and Prothonotary Warblers (among others) to overshoot our area. And you know, that’s fine. The birds take advantage of any energy saving method to get them to their breeding ground in peak condition. If that means they overfly the parks around my home, I’m glad they made the safe journey. It’ll try to catch up with them in the Fall.
Lonely Birder 