Here’s my year-end update for my sad Green Birding effort for 2016. My previous post covered January through June, so here’s what happened in July and beyond.
In July I added a few lists incidental to bike rides, where I ticked Eurasian Collared-Dove in Sanford (a new county for my green listing). At home I added a handful of birds as well. On July 23rd I joined West Volusia Runners for a group run at Beck Ranch Park. I ran towards the Lake Monroe Conservation Area bridge where I thought I saw a Purple Gallinule out on the water. It was one of the many times I wished it was practical to carry a pair of binoculars on a run — though this would not have been for my green list as I had driven to Beck Ranch. A few days later I biked out to the bridge (about 26 miles round-trip) and confirmed my suspicion, excited to add Purple Gallinule to my all-time green list.
Baby Florida Softshell Turtle on the East Regional Rail Trail, July 15 2016
Black Vultures on the carcass of a cow at Lake Monroe Conservation Area, July 25 2016
Purple Gallinule at Lake Monroe Conservation Area (WOO HOO), July 25 2016
August wasn’t very birdy (or I guess it wasn’t very birdingy) but I saw some herps while out on the trails.
Ring-necked Snake on the Spring-to-Spring Trail, August 1 2016
Scarlet Kingsnake on the East Regional Rail Trail, August 6 2016
Surprise Gopher Tortoise in our back yard, August 19 2016
I next added to the list in September, with a pair of warblers at Gemini Springs.
Mourning Doves sunning in our back yard, September 11 2016
Northern Cardinal at Gemini Springs, September 23 2016
In October I had a surprise Tennessee Warbler at home. Finally, in December, I added King Rail and Field Sparrow at Gemini Springs to finish the my 2016 list at 108 green birds.
Limpkin at Gemini Springs, December 20 2016
Dear Amy,
Thanks for the update. I always enjoy reading your blog about green birding, hero conservation, and travel.
Speaking of travel, I visited your beloved Gemini today (12/24/6) and submitted three checklists to ebird with a total of 41 species. I made a stationary list at sunrise, a two-hour walk along east side (bike trail), and a half-hour walk in the east Nature trail. Best birds were Limpkin at sunrise, female Painted Bunting and Loggerhead Shrike, both in the scrubby area between 5 and 5.5-mile markers.
Did you see that someone reported several high-flying Whooping Cranes (unconfirmed) at Gemini on Dec 23? I wonder if they could have been Wood Storks? I guess the volunteer ebird reviewer will ask the observer the same question.
Let me know if you have any time between now and 12/29 and perhaps we could bird together at Audubon or Gemini.
BTW, hero should be HERP. Darn auto correct!