After returning from Arizona, we took a hard look at our numbers and realized we had only 148 year birds in Florida. At the same time, we’d just hit a major milestone — 301 species for the year after our western trip. With eight months still ahead of us, our ambitious goal of reaching 500 species suddenly felt within reach, even though only a select few birders ever get there. The hard work was just beginning, and the next step was clear: it was time to get busy and start working the local patches.
This week was all about birding our local patches. For those new to birding, a “patch” is a location you frequent regularly. My office at Blue Heron Lake in St. Petersburg is one of my favorite patches; I have a great view from my second-floor window. On April 27th, I added my 42nd work bird to the list: a Gray Kingbird. This was also our last sighting of the year for Brown Thrashers before their migration north.
Fort DeSoto and Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
Our all-time favorite patch is Fort DeSoto Park, and we headed there after work on April 28th, hoping to catch a few late migrants. The highlight of the 21 species we saw was a Gray Kingbird, a year bird for Mike, and a Blackpoll Warbler, another new addition to our annual list.
On Saturday, the St. Petersburg Audubon Society hosted its monthly bird walk at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. As always, the walk led by Ron Smith did not disappoint. We saw 31 species, including a gorgeous Scarlet Tanager—a fantastic year bird. During the walk, I followed fellow birder JoAnna Clayton, who is an excellent spotter. She found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and the entire group of 31 birders had great views.
Celery Fields and Pinecraft Park
On Sunday morning, we drove south across the Skyway Bridge to bird in Sarasota County. We follow the SRQ Bird Alerts YahooGroups Email List, a service with about 800 subscribers who share valuable information on rare birds and local events. We learned that Bobolinks were passing through near the Celery Fields, so that became our primary destination.
Our first stop was Pinecraft Park, a well-known migrant trap. It’s also great for herons and shorebirds. We found a variety of warblers, including Black-and-white, American Redstart, and Northern Parula, along with many Blackpoll Warblers and Carolina Wrens. The highlight of the morning was spotting two Barred Owls. A Solitary Sandpiper in the shallow creek on our way out was a bonus.
Finally, we made it to the Celery Fields in search of our target bird, the Bobolink. We successfully located three and added them to our year list. The Celery Fields is a wetlands site on the Great Florida Birding Trail with an observation mound, trails, and ponds. While we didn’t see any rails, we did spot a Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, and Glossy Ibis.
The photo at the top of the post shows three adorable Black-necked Stilt chicks, little “fuzzballs” that will one day grow into tuxedo-like adults.
Working the local patches didn’t bring the drama of the desert or the thrill of a festival lifer, but it delivered exactly what we needed: steady progress. From Gray Kingbirds at Fort DeSoto to Bobolinks at Celery Fields, each stop added another piece to the year’s puzzle. It was a lot of work for five year birds — but that’s the rhythm of a Little Big Year. Local birding may not always be glamorous, but it’s the backbone of the journey, and these patches proved they still had plenty to give.
Trip: Total Species: 66 • Year Birds: 5 • Life Birds: 0
2015: Year Birds: 306 • Life Birds: 21
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