I birded Gemini Springs 5 times in June, finding just 39 different species. This is a huge improvement over the measly 27 species I found there last June (in just two outings). I was deep into my first June Challenge in 2012, which is why I kind of neglected my local patch last year. This year I kind of neglected birding altogether and just succumbed to the heat. BAD BIRDER!! Anyway, my total June 2013 list is at the end of this post. And I was able to add a new species to my Gemini Springs list. Early in the month I heard an Eastern Towhee calling close to the bike trail access parking lot.

Anhinga | 02-JUN-13

Red-bellied Woodpecker at nest cavity | 02-JUN-13

On June 2nd I stopped at one of the bridges to chat with a couple that was walking a pair of dogs. The friendly woman pointed out a basking Red-eared Slider to me and mentioned that she never saw turtles at the park — and that she was there several times a week. This was really surprising to me as I would estimate that I see turtles 95% of the time I visit Gemini Springs. I don’t often see them basking like this one and I hardly ever photograph them.

Red-eared Slider | 02-JUN-13

The most interesting find for the month was a pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks I was surprised to find standing on the fishing pier early in the month. This was the third time I’ve seen this species at the park; the previous sightings were in August 2011 and August 2012.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck | 04-JUN-13

American Alligator | 04-JUN-13

Little Blue Heron | 04-JUN-13

Spicebush Swallowtail | 04-JUN-13

Boat-tailed Grackle relaxing on the fishing pier | 16-JUN-13

Preening Common Gallinule | 16-JUN-13

Begging baby Fish Crows | 16-JUN-13

Summer is a traditional time for birders to start paying attention to local odes. Odes is short for odonates, which is the taxonomical order of dragonflies and damselflies. It’s true, the odes (and leps) were calling in June.

Eastern Pondhawk male | 28-JUN-13

Golden-winged Skimmer | 28-JUN-13

Gulf Fritillary | 28-JUN-13

Muscovy Duck in rushing spring water | 28-JUN-13

Mourning Dove & Carolina Wren in tree | 28-JUN-13

June 2013 bird list, Gemini Springs

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis
Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata
Anhinga – Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias
Great Egret – Ardea alba
Snowy Egret – Egretta thula
Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea
Tricolored Heron – Egretta tricolor
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis
Green Heron – Butorides virescens
White Ibis – Eudocimus albus
Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura
Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis
Common Gallinule – Gallinula galeata
American Coot – Fulica americana
Sandhill Crane – Grus canadensis
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura
Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerina
Barred Owl – Strix varia
Chimney Swift – Chaetura pelagica
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
Great Crested Flycatcher – Myiarchus crinitus
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Eastern Towhee – Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Boat-tailed Grackle – Quiscalus major

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I was out of town for almost a week, but I still managed to bird Gemini Springs 7 times in May, coming up with a total of 45 species. That’s the same amount of species I saw there during May 2012, although only 32 are on both lists. The complete list of species for May 2013 is at the end of this post.

The last spring migrants pushed through the park during the month, though I feel like I missed most of them. In May Gemini Springs was full of growing babies. I finally found baby Barred Owls in two different parts of the park. The baby Red-shouldered Hawks continued to hang around their nest tree, and dark-billed baby Northern Cardinals were all over the place.

A lousy photo but only my 3rd Gemini Springs Painted Bunting [still looking for a male] | 03-MAY-13

Wet Barred Owl | 03-MAY-13

Limpkin | 04-MAY-13

Marsh Rabbit | 07-MAY-13

Northern Cardinal, 2013 ed. | 07-MAY-13

Green Anole | 10-MAY-13

Passiflora incarnata, a host plant for Zebra Longwing butterflies | 10-MAY-13

Barred Owl, 2013 ed. | 10-MAY-13

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | 10-MAY-13

The obligatory Tricolored Heron photo | 10-MAY-13

lantana sp | 10-MAY-13

A Wild Turkey high up in an oak tree | 10-MAY-13

Eastern Grey Squirrel | 13-MAY-13

small/youngish American Alligator | 28-MAY-13

Great Blue Heron… this is what happened next | 28-MAY-13

Northern Cardinal on the singing snag | 28-MAY-13

Red-shouldered Hawk, 2013 ed. | 28-MAY-13

May 2013 bird list, Gemini Springs

Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata
Northern Bobwhite – Colinus virginianus
Wild Turkey – Meleagris gallopavo
Anhinga – Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias
Snowy Egret – Egretta thula
Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea
Tricolored Heron – Egretta tricolor
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis
White Ibis – Eudocimus albus
Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus
Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis
Common Gallinule – Gallinula galeata
American Coot – Fulica americana
Limpkin – Aramus guarauna
Spotted Sandpiper – Actitis macularius
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura
Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerina
Barred Owl – Strix varia
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Archilochus colubris
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
American Kestrel – Falco sparverius
Great Crested Flycatcher – Myiarchus crinitus
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Carolina Chickadee – Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos
Brown Thrasher – Toxostoma rufum
Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas
American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis
Painted Bunting – Passerina ciris
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Boat-tailed Grackle – Quiscalus major

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