BIRDING IN JACKSONVILLE - || eesti keeles ||
New Year's Birding - January 9'th 2012
At the first day of the New Year I woke up at 5:30am, because at 6:30am I had to be already on Fort George Island, where I was to meet with Kevin Daily. Plan was to see in the first day as many birds as possible.
6:30am I got to the meeting place. Sun wasn't up yet and that's good, because we were hoping to hear some owls and the best time to hear them is before sunrise in dark. Kevin was there already and said that he heard Eastern Screech Owl. Eastern Screech Owl is a funny little owl with specific voice. After little while we heard Screech Owl's rolling voice and so he became my new year's fist bird, and also a new bird for my life list.
At this day we saw all together 80 species of birds, pretty good start for New Year. My plan is to find this year 200 species of birds in Duval County alone. Last year I found 175, but now I have help with Kevin Daily. He has seen over the years in Duval county 270! species of bird. So, this year should come pretty interesting.
Today is January 9'th and I have found already 112 species, not bad at all.
Christmas Bird Count - Detsember 26, 2011
Today took place Christmas Bird Count in Duval County. Rules were simple, each team had 15 mile area where we tried to find as many birds as possible. After sunset was a dinner catering where all team leaders counted birds together. Christmas Bird Count is taking place all over North-America.
I was participating CBC first time, but Christmas Bird Count has been taking place since 1899. By the way in old days they shoot the birds (team who collected most species was the winner) I am glad that it's not that way anymore.
I was in Kevin Daily's team. We were out dusk to dusk but time went by really quickly. All together we found 93 bird species, not bad at all for one day although we missed some really simple ones.
After sunset at night all 9 Duval County teams had a dinner at the Community Center. All together we found in Duval county 155 species, not bad at all. It was a fun day.
Lesser Scaup - December 15, 2011
eBird.com sends me email alerts when someone in Duval county sees the bird I haven't seen. Lesser Scaup was reported last week in Hanna Park. I was hoping that these birds hanging around till I get the change to go there. This morning I was in Hanna Park and there they were, 6 Lesser Scaups were spending time with American Coots. First I thought they were Ring-necked Ducks, but their bills were completely ash-gray without the white ring as Ring-necks have.
Scaups didn't care that I stood nearby, they are diving ducks and can dive when danger comes. I have noticed that diving ducks seem to be more tolerant, why in the world you should be afraid of people, if you can dive.
Red-headed Woodpecker - December 13, 2011
For some time I have been trying to find Red-headed Woodpecker with no success, but today I got lucky. I happened to be in Deerwood doing what I was doing, when I noticed woodpecker climbing on a distance tree. I was thinking most likely it is one of these Red-bellied Woodpeckers, but just to be sure I grabbed my binoculars and looked, aha... it wasn't one of these regular Read-bellied Woodpeckers, but the Woodpecker what was missing from my life list - a Red-headed Woodpecker. It was a young bird with no red head, kind of brownish body with big white batch on a back. I recognized it right away, can't miss it with others, just too different. After little while I heard also his specific call.
It's good to keep eyes open, another bird for my life list, number 186.
My Florida lifelist click here.
