At the end of October I heard there was a new bird in town. A Wilson’s warbler had been sighted at the Largo Nature Preserve. I had never heard of this bird being anywhere in the Tampa bay area. For several days there were tons of people posting sightings of it on Ebird so I finally made it to the preserve.
I took a quick trip around the boardwalk and noticed the moon’s reflection in the water so I took a shot before it went all the way down.
I went to the spot where the Wilson’s had been sighted and saw a few birds hopping around in the brush. I noticed the above with some yellow but I realized it was a Nashville warbler which was also a great migrating bird.
I didn’t wait long for the Wilson’s to hop into sight. A new bird for me. He’s almost all yellow with a black cap on his head. He was easy to spot mixed in with the titmouse and blue gray gnatcatchers. After those few minutes of fun seeing the new bird I went for a walk around the park.
A young purple gallinule was in the pond. This was the first time I have seen one here.
It seemed late for ducks to be mating but I guess since it was still so warm that mating season is almost all year round here in central Florida.
Seeing blue with a blue jay and a blue gray gnatcatcher.
Butterflies were still around.
A cutie on the trail.
A tiny bit of fall with the red leaves coming out.
It’s so exciting to see a new bird. I see so many Warblers and Sparrows and have trouble telling which ones they are! But I love seeing them! Happy weekend.
Well, that was a worthwhile outing!
Congratulations on the Wilson’s AND that Nashville.
Congrats on your New bird, the Wilson’s Warbler! It is a beauty. I love all your bird photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your day and the new week ahead.
Following e-bird is really a good way to see where the birds are. We were just looking at the site today to plan an upcoming trip. You were richly rewarded!
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Dina, my wife and I were alerted yesterday that Great Horned Owls had nested in a dead Florida native thatch palm tree at the east end of the parking lot for the boat tours out of Fort DeSoto, before reaching the entrance oay station to the park. We went today and sure enough they were there. There was only one parent in the nest, but there were 2 owlets. There were a number of people taking pictures during our 2 visits to the location in the afternoon, separated by an hour or so of driving around the rest of Fort DeSoto Park. There were also a few ospreys nesting in the park, including nearby to the owls, in a pole nesting platforms. Ben
Yes, I have been down there several times. Haven’t started editing those pictures yet but soon. It’s a fun nest since they are so visible.