Go birding with us!

Meet at the Wild Bird Center at 8:00am the third Saturday of each month to carpool to a local birding hotspot. We should be back at the Wild Bird Center by about 10:30am.

Bring binoculars, field guides, sun screen and a hat. A limited number of binoculars will be available for loan.
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November 15, 2008, Celery Fields

Trip report: We just beat the front coming through the morning and the rain that started just as we returned to the Wild Bird Center. The air temperature was comfortable and the sky was slightly overcast. The abundance of Glossy Ibis surprised everyone on the walk this morning. The other species we saw included: White Ibis, Bald Eagle, Sora, Swamp Sparrow, Red-shoulder Hawk, Red-winged Blackbirds, Palm Warbler, American Coot, Common Moorhen, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Tricolor Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Yellowlegs, Great Blue Heron, Mourning Dove, Boat-tailed Grackle, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Northern Shrike, Turkey Vulture and Black Vulture.

Our next bird walk will be December 13, 2008 instead of the third Saturday.

See you in the field!
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October 18, 2008, Felts Preserve

Trip Report: Our first birdwalk for the Fall of 2008 was conducted at Felts Audubon Preserve, operated by the Manatee Couty Audubon Society. The air was cool but quickly warmed in the bright sunshine. The sky was clear and humidity not too high in the morning. We walked a short loop to the bird blind then through the canopied area and out to one of the small ponds. The species we observed included: many Eastern Bluebirds, a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse, Common and Boat-tailed Grackles. We heard the Sandhill cranes, and saw Pileated Woodpeckers, Palm Warblers, Fish Crows, Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Anhingas, European Starlings, Mourning Doves, Northern Mockingbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers and a flock of White Ibis just as we were leaving.

Join our next birdwalk scheduled for Saturday, Nov 15, 2008.

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March 15, 2008, Pine Craft Park

Trip Report: Another beautiful day in Florida and another great morning for birding. The overnight rain cleared by the morning and it was sunny and warm at one of our favorite hot spots. The activity along Phillippi Creek included several herons and egrets. The hawk activity captured our attention for several minutes. A Coopers Hawk was spotted high in a tree on the far bank and several other juveniles made appearances. Not all the juveniles could be positively identified but it was fun to watch their behaviors as they played hide and seek with us. Other species observed this morning included several Great Blue Herons, Little blue Herons, Tri-color Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Wood Storks, White Ibis, Moorhens, Mallards, Laughing Gulls, Purple Martins, Northern Cardinals, Palm Warblers, Yellow Rumped Warblers, Starlings, House Sparrows, Blue Jays, Catbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and perhaps most impressive was a mature Barred Owl sitting high in a tree watching us watch birds.

Join us April 19 at Felts Audubon Preserve to help celebrate Earth Day.

See you in the field!
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February 16, 2008, South Lido Beach

Trip Report: Another beautiful morning on the Florida Gulf Coast. This morning's bird walk was conducted at South Lido Beach. We walked the nature trail and saw a total of 16 species including a small flock of White Pelicans gliding easily across the bay. Our list also included some striking views of an Osprey soaring overhead and precariously perched atop some Austrailian Pines. Other species identified include the Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, Snowy Egret, Double-Crested Cormorant, Ring-billed Gull, Laughing Gull, Turkey Vulture, Fish Crow, Sandwich Tern, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Northern Cardinal.

Our next bird walk is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2008

See you in the field!
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Saturday, Jan 19, 2008, Pine Craft Park

Trip Report: The fog didn't deter us from going to Pine Craft Park this morning in search of the Bell's Vireo that had been reported on the Christmas Bird Count. Within minutes of arriving the bird was spotted and everyone got a good look at this rare visitor to the state of Florida. For some of us, this was a new addition to our life list. Other species we identified this morning included an Osprey, Great blue Heron, Great Egret, White Ibis, Woodstork, Snowy Egret, Palm Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Common Moorhen, Laughing Gull, Hooded Merganser, Anhinga, Gray Catbird, and Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.
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Saturday, Dec 15, 2007, Thompson Park

Trip Report: Another beautiful warm, 70 degree morning at Ken Thompson Park on City Island. A bit breezy as a cold front is coming through today bringing rain and cooler temperatures. Our species count this morning was 22 including the following - Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Mockingbird, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Killdeer, Brown Pelican, Double-Crested Cormorant, Kingfisher, White Ibis, Laughing Gull, Turkey Vulture, Little Blue Heron, Least Tern, Wood Stork, Mourning Dove, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Starling, Great Egret, Spotted Sandpiper, Fish Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, and one tentatively identified female finch or grosbeak with heavy streaking on the breast.
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Saturday, Nov 17, 2007, Longwood Run Community Park

Trip Report: The morning was clear and the temperature in the low 60's. The park was quiet with very little bird activity at first. We then drove a short ways to the Tabernacle and stopped along the way to view a beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk. Our species list this morning included: Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Grackle, Black and Turkey vultures, Double-Crested Cormorant, Gray Catbird, Blue Jay, Northern Shrike, Laughing Gull, Downy Woodpecker, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and Red-Tailed Hawk.
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