March 13 – The Big ‘O’
On Friday 3/13, we drove to Clewiston after work for the Big O Birding Festival. We saw a Great Horned Owl near the road in a La Belle orange grove on the way. The Big O festival is based out of the Port LaBelle Inn, which is a very nice hotel that was sold out when we registered late. We choose to stay at the Historic Clewiston Inn where the festival was previously located, a little bit of a drive, but always a pleasant place to stay.
Our Saturday morning bus tour lead by Dr. Paul Gray took us first to Fisheating Creek- Fort Center Trail. Another guide was Bruce Wilson, a sixth generation Floridian, and we received an impressive history lesson on the area and the Florida ‘Osceola’ Wild Turkey. Here we found 27 species including a variety of herons, shorebirds, raptors and warblers. On the way out our escort from Florida Fish and Wildlife took us took a work shed that was the roost of a Barn Owl. What an awesome site that was for all of us!
We next drove north towards the town of Okeechobee and on the way Dr. Gray explained some of the important work he does as a Science Coordinator for the Okeechobee Watershed program. His work has a major effect on water quality and water flow from Lake Kissimmee all the way through the Everglades.
We birded the Okie-Tantie boat ramp area where the Kissimmee River enters Lake Okeechobee and afterwards had a marvelous lunch at the Lightsey’s Seafood Company. The seafood buffet is not to be missed and is a great way to try gator, frog legs, oysters and local catfish.
Day 2 – Up early to meet Dr. Gray back at the Okie-Tanie Boat ramp where we boarded his personal airboat for a tour of the lake shoreline. Are we lucky or what? We didn’t think an airboat would be the best way to see birds but we had up close amazing views of Snail Kites, waterfowl, American bittern and Gray-headed Swamphen. An impressive 48 species of birds were seen.
The Big O Bird Festival is one of our favorites and this was our third time. It is very intimate with small group tours, the people are great and the birds are plentiful. A must-do as well is the STA 5 tour with Margaret England.
Next up: New Jersey and Long Island
Trip : Total Species: 81 Year Birds: 14 Life Birds: 0
2015 : Year Birds: 134 Life Birds: 5
Here’s the list: 2015 Bird List
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