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DESTINATION - SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Typical BIRD SIGHTINGS - April
Provided by SRQ Bird Alert
9 April - Found a Swainsons warbler in Pinecraft Park on 4/9 between 5-6
pm near the "bmx jumps" in the middle of the park. It was hanging out near the large stump from the fallen tree they
had cut a path through.
Jeffery Fisher
9 April - Sarasota Audubon Society had a plant walk today at Oscar Scherer State
Park. Before the walk Lynn Jakubowicz and I went around the campsite area which have many Live Oaks to see if we
could dig out some migrant birds. We found the usual birds and 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which of course made
our day.
Kathryn Young, Sarasota Audubon Society
8 April - We birded Pinecraft this afternoon from 3:30-6:15 and saw many of the
birds Kathryn reported from this morning. Here's our list of the goodies: Scarlet and Summer tanagers, red-tailed
hawk, cedar waxwings, one adult and 2 young barred owls, 4 kinds of vireos ( blue-headed, white-eyed,
yellow-throated, and red-eyed), and warblers galore - hooded, yellow-throated, worm-eating, parula, palm,
prothonatary, black & white, Kentucky, American Redstart, and ovenbird. A great afternoon!
Lynn Jakubowicz, Edith Miller, Janet Carlock
8 April - I went to Pinecraft Park in Sarasota (Beneva and Bahia Vista) with
Rick Greenspun. We of course were hoping to find some migrants. from 9 until 1:30 pm we had fun ticking them off.
We found the following migrants: Prothonotary Warbler, Several Hooded Warblers - also reported
by Lynn Jakubowicz from Sunday April 5 - we had at least 2 males and 1 female Black-and-white Warblers (BAWW),
Several Red-eyed Vireos (REVI), Barred Owls -(Adult and 1 Fledgling), At least 6 Summer Tanagers
-(males), 2 Scarlet Tanagers -(males), 2 Wood Thrush, 1 Yellow-throated Vireo (YTVI) -(male)
Indigo Buntings -(1 male and 2 females), 1 Louisiana Waterthrush -(wide white supercilium and large bill
compared to Northern), 1 Black-throated Green Warbler -(male), Lots of Goldfinch. We missed the
American Redstarts that were reported Monday by Sandra Van Hullenaar.
Kathryn Young, Sarasota
7 April - The recent cold front brought in a small but exciting wave of migrants
to our yard on southern Manasota Key, including 2 male and 2 female orchard orioles, several indigo
buntings including mostly blue males, and a group of rt hummingbirds. We have made plantings over the
years specifically to cater to Spring migrants including cape and coral honeysuckles, and 3 species of mulberries.
The orioles in particular favor the cape honeysuckle flowers (as do cardinals) but their technique of
obtaining nectar is interesting. They pierce the base of the flower and "rob" the nectar by-passing any chance at
pollination of the flowers. We have observed these orioles in Costa Rica doing exactly the same thing.
Bill Dunson, Englewood
6 April - I spoke with Edith Miller, the Sarasota Audubon bird recorder, and the
cold front has brought in some migrants to Sarasota. A Baltimore Oriole, Summer Tanager, and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak have all been reported today.
Lynn Jakubowicz
6 April - I had the pleasure of watching and listening to several dozen Cedar
Wax Wings in my neighbor's tree this afternoon on the Grand Canal section of Siesta Key. The old oak was filled
with them.
Eileen Saunders
6 April - Tonight at 6:00 there were at least 4 male Redstarts eating, as
if they just landed at Pinecraft Park. The three Barred Owl fledglings were there as well.
Sandra Van Hullenaar
6 April - This morning we had the white morph of the Reddish Egret viewable
from the birdwalk from 8:30 AM until 1 PM when I left. The bird was squabbling with an aggressive Snowy Egret
that seemed to be about the same size. There certainly wasn't a 6 inch difference in size to my eyes. Early it was on
the shoreline on the right side of the birdwak but ended up on the opposite shore near the mouth of the river entering
the lake. I would say on a clock face it would be about 11 o'clock looking out on the long dimension of the platform.
Yogie
5 April - This morning at Pinecraft Park, I saw the usual crowd of cardinals,
titmice, palm warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, etc., but was rewarded with a brown thrasher,
one of the baby owls, the nesting red shouldered hawk, blue headed vireo, white-eyed vireo,
black and white warblers, the still-present and now singing black-throated green warbler, and a FOS male
hooded warbler.
Lynn Jakubowicz
3 April - Yesterday, Margaret and Bill Dunson and 18 members of the
Venice Audubon visited Babcock Webb WMA East of Punta Gorda and the find of the day were 2 very colorful Least
Bitterns amongst the reeds in the first pond at the entrance. Everyone had good looks and were able to photograph
them very well. Then we drove on to the RCW area and were treated to an RCW busily drumming on the plastic
pipe that seems to have been placed in most of the RCW nest holes. We also were treated to Brown headed
Nuthatches, Bachmans sparrows and Blue Birds. 42 species in a few morning hours of birding.
Thanks Margaret and Bill for a great morning!
Mary Dommermuth, Englewood
2 April - between 6:30 and 6:50 PM, I first heard then saw a male House Finch
on a power line at the local Steak-n-shake in Port Charlotte. I was sitting in my car with the window's down in the
parking lot waiting for a friend to join me for a burger when I first heard the bird. I hadn't heard a House Finch in
about 8 years so I did a double-take and listened harder. Sure enough, it sounded like a House Finch. I quickly looked
around and found it singing on a power line in the right-of-way between the restaurant and the Rt 776/US 41 intersection.
I didn't get a chance to put my binoculars on it at first as they were in the trunk and the bird flew. I quickly retrieved
the binos and waited. A few minutes later the bird perched on the wire again in the same place and sang his heart out
for a few minutes before leaving again. A few minutes later the bird arrived again and sang. Could we have a male on
territory or at least advertising? pretty cool. My ears must have been tuned to the bird world that night, as after I
got home later I heard a White-winged Dove singing (it was just after dark) in the lot across the street. I
heard it again on Friday night, and finally spotted it Saturday down the street. Both birds are Charlotte County birds
for me. Like I said before, pretty cool. Life is good when my ears prick up!
Dianne Quilty, Port Charlotte
1 April - In my backyard in Venice East subdivision, I was happy to see the
female Painted Bunting for the first time this year. The male was with her at the feeders, too. They didn't
stay long.
William Overstreet
Please send your input about rare and/or interesting bird sightings to:
SRQbirdalerts@msn.com
SRQBirdAlerts is brought to you by Peter Rice in association with the Sarasota Audubon Society. Visit them at
SarasotaAudubon.org
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