Trip Date: December 2017 | Location: Florida
Every year, volunteers across the Northern Hemisphere participate in local Christmas Bird Counts to benefit important science and conservation work. This was my fourth time participating in the St. Pete Christmas Bird Count, and I didn’t hesitate to sign up. Wendy Meehan and I were assigned to Area 1, stretching from the Don Cesar to mid-Treasure Island.
We started our day with a specific mission: finding a House Sparrow near the pool at the Don Cesar. It’s a deceptively hard bird to tally during a CBC, so we tried our best to blend in with the vacationing tourists—no easy feat while wearing our full khaki ‘birder uniforms’ and binoculars! After our poolside stakeout, we met in Treasure Island and headed to the beach before the sun was fully up. Just a few gulls and willets at the first stop, so we moved on to Sunset Beach, where we found an American Oystercatcher, Snowy Egret, Brown Pelican, and a few others.
From there, Wendy drove through some neighborhoods where we spotted several interesting birds: American Kestrel, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Nanday Parakeet, and an unexpected House Finch. A stop by the Pasadena bridge rewarded us with great looks at a juvenile Bald Eagle. Thanks for sharing your great photo, Wendy.
Treasure Island Life Bird
A fellow volunteer had spotted a Glaucous Gull an hour earlier, joking that the bird was ‘fat and waiting for me.’ We headed to the northernmost point of Treasure Island near the Nordvind Resort to track down our target.
No sign of the Gull, so I walked down the beach for about a mile and saw a bird that matched the description. Eureka, another life bird for me, the Glaucous Gull. Life birds are getting harder to find all the time, and this one was number 581 in the lower 48.
Our next stop was further down Treasure Island, where the Sanding Ovations Masters Cup was recently held. Sand sculptors from all over the world compete, and the work is amazing. Here are two of my favorites.
We walked toward the gulf to start counting and had good numbers of gulls and terns. Over 150 gulls and almost 300 terns were on the beach.
CBC Results: A Day in the Field
Our last stop was the Treasure Island Yacht Club Golf Course in hopes of ducks and other new species. We met others on the CBC and were happy to see Bonnie Jenks, my group leader for several years. All in all, Wendy and I tallied 46 species for the day. Our assigned sector (Group 1) finished with a total of 89 species, contributing to an impressive 150-species count for the entire St. Petersburg Christmas Bird Count.
Thank you to all the volunteers and especially Don Margeson, who coordinates the entire St. Petersburg Christmas Bird Count.
Benefits of Participating in Christmas Bird Counts
- Science and Conservation: Scientists use the massive data to monitor multi-decade declines or recoveries across species.
- Community and Connection: Beginners are intentionally paired with experienced mentors for accessible, hands-on learning.
- Personal Benefits: Full-day field immersion rapidly improves your ability to identify birds by sight and sound.
- Nature Connection: Spending dedicated hours tracking local wildlife deepens your awareness of your local ecosystem.
Trip Summary:
Trip Totals: 46 species • 1 life bird (Glaucous Gull)
Next up: New Jersey Winter Birding – Read about my visit to frozen Richard DeKorte Park and Paterson Great Falls.
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