I submitted 15 checklists from Gemini Springs to eBird in March. Wow! I didn’t realize I visited so often… but I know April will be a super-busy month so I guess I tried to squeeze in a lot of birding before the chaos begins. 🙂 I ended up seeing 79 species (but still no Limpkin!) — see the full list at the end of this post.
New to my all-time Gemini Springs list were House Finch, Sedge Wren, and Lesser Scaup.
![American Robin](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8612179390_e06c577b91_z.jpg)
American Robin | 02-MAR-13
I spent some time in the early part of the month looking for the Fox Sparrow I first spotted on February 25th. I learned from other observers that the area where the bird was hanging was a sinkhole, not a “marshy area” as I had described. Anyway, I was only able to find the Fox Sparrow one more time, on March 9th. According to eBird, our avian northern visitor was last seen by anyone on March 10th.
![Birders](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8253/8612179092_53170f9fe2_z.jpg)
Birders seeking Fox Sparrow | 02-MAR-13
![Fox Sparrow](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8611068157_3a6437d815_z.jpg)
My last look at the Fox Sparrow | 09-MAR-13
I found Barred Owls in a part of the park I don’t usually visit. I managed to spot a roosting owl in the same spot a few more times in the month. I’ve been looking and listening in a few spots for signs of babies, but no luck so far.
![Barred Owl](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8542/8611071305_61b3e73b85_z.jpg)
Barred Owl | 05-MAR-13
![Boat-tailed Grackles](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8611071067_c2680ebd6b_c.jpg)
Boat-tailed Grackles | 05-MAR-13
![Live Oak with Spanish Moss](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8253/8612177802_39c9719cda_c.jpg)
Live Oak with Spanish Moss | 05-MAR-13
![Great Blue Heron](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8612176222_9eec8c7c2a_c.jpg)
Great Blue Heron | 06-MAR-13
![looking up](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8611069299_4ea6ea9d43_c.jpg)
Pied-billed Grebe looking up | 06-MAR-13
![Eastern Grey Squirrel](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8612175166_febfe9aea2_c.jpg)
omnomnom | 06-MAR-13
![Nine-banded Armadillo](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8611067877_ff046765fb_c.jpg)
Nine-banded Armadillo | 11-MAR-13
![Northern Cardinal](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8612173886_d720b89eee_c.jpg)
Northern Cardinal | 12-MAR-13
I saw the Bald Eagle pair off their nest quite a lot, and I saw juvenile birds soaring over Gemini Springs a few times this month. I hope this means the eagles have successfully raised a chick or two or three to fledge. I am kind of frustrated that I have not been able to find their nest. Keeping in mind that males are smaller than females, can you tell who is who in the photo below?
![Bald Eagle pair](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8611067673_a8de715878_c.jpg)
Bald Eagles at dusk | 12-MAR-13
![sunset](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8533/8612173568_3b1d002f8b_c.jpg)
sunset | 12-MAR-13
![grasshopper](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8400/8611066595_332ba2a0b9_c.jpg)
grasshopper sp | 13-MAR-13
![Common Gallinule](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8612171518_590e43587b_c.jpg)
Common Gallinule in the fog | 15-MAR-13
![Anhinga](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8611065315_8c6a26d139_c.jpg)
Anhinga preening | 15-MAR-13
![Great Blue Heron](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8611064609_af53bc5c3a_c.jpg)
Great Blue Heron | 15-MAR-13
![Gemini Springs](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8612170844_eda0730116_c.jpg)
Gemini Springs | 15-MAR-13
![Northern Mockingbird](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8611064153_e6ddfd0b24_c.jpg)
Northern Mockingbird | 15-MAR-13
![Black Vulture](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8612170160_cfa0826747_c.jpg)
Black Vulture on the fishing pier | 18-MAR-13
![Chipping Sparrow](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8612169952_bae10f2506_c.jpg)
Chipping Sparrow in the sinkhole | 18-MAR-13
![Blue Jay](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8611073557_abb7e9c246_c.jpg)
Blue Jay gathering nesting material | 26-MAR-13
![Red-shouldered Hawk](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8611073257_ae3396ff29_c.jpg)
Red-shouldered Hawk | 26-MAR-13
I had two surprises towards the end of the month. I found a Black-crowned Night-Heron standing across from the fishing pier on March 26th, my second ever at Gemini Springs. The next day I found a totally unexpected Lesser Scaup swimming on the spring side of the dam, my first ever at the park.
![Black-crowned Night-Heron](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8542/8612180782_c1e69240a5_c.jpg)
Black-crowned Night-Heron | 26-MAR-13
![Lesser Scaup](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8612179890_c6c7e2ea0c_c.jpg)
Lesser Scaup | 27-MAR-13
![rodent ?](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8612179622_0d2d3548ef_c.jpg)
rodent, species unknown | 27-MAR-13
Thanks for checking out this post! If you are a fan of Gemini Springs, please become a Fan of Gemini Springs on Facebook!
![Gemini Springs logo](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8522145113_60c105c3fb_z.jpg)
Gemini Springs logo
Gemini Springs, March 2013 month bird list
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) – Cairina moschata (Domestic type)
Blue-winged Teal – Anas discors
Lesser Scaup – Aythya affinis
Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps
Wood Stork – Mycteria americana
Double-crested Cormorant – Phalacrocorax auritus
Anhinga – Anhinga anhinga
American Bittern – Botaurus lentiginosus
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
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Nycticorax nycticorax
White Ibis – Eudocimus albus
Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus
Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura
Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
Swallow-tailed Kite – Elanoides forficatus
Northern Harrier – Circus cyaneus
Cooper’s Hawk – Accipiter cooperii
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
Killdeer – Charadrius vociferus
Black-necked Stilt – Himantopus mexicanus
Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis
Caspian Tern – Hydroprogne caspia
Forster’s Tern – Sterna forsteri
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura
Barred Owl – Strix varia
Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon
Red-headed Woodpecker – Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Sphyrapicus varius
Downy Woodpecker – Picoides pubescens
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
Eastern Phoebe – Sayornis phoebe
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Blue-headed Vireo – Vireo solitarius
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Tree Swallow – Tachycineta bicolor
Carolina Chickadee – Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
House Wren – Troglodytes aedon
Sedge Wren – Cistothorus platensis
Marsh Wren – Cistothorus palustris
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Regulus calendula
American Robin – Turdus migratorius
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorum
Black-and-white Warbler – Mniotilta varia
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oreothlypis celata
Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Palm Warbler – Setophaga palmarum
Pine Warbler – Setophaga pinus
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Setophaga coronata
Yellow-throated Warbler – Setophaga dominica
Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerina
Fox Sparrow – Passerella iliaca
Swamp Sparrow – Melospiza georgiana
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula
Boat-tailed Grackle – Quiscalus major
House Finch – Haemorhous mexicanus
American Goldfinch – Spinus tristis