Subject: Florida ABA conference
Date: Jan 14 10:54:53 1999
From: Teresa Michelsen - avocet at halcyon.com


I am also attending the conference, and do have access to my e-mail since I
am also WORKING while I'm here :-((. Having never been birding in Florida,
or anywhere like it (other than Costa Rica), I am looking forward to it -
everything except the 6am starting time for the field trips - Eastern
Time!! I was mostly stuck in the hotel today working, but on a break
managed to engage in a true birder pastime - skulking around in the bushes
behind the hotel, trying to find vantage points to view the lake which is
well-screened by shrubs but the only obvious natural area within walking
distance of the hotel - the rest is highway.

I was rewarded with several lifers in only about an hour, including an
adult and juvenile white ibis and a pair of common ground-doves, and great
looks at several birds I have only seen in Costa Rica - Anhingas and Little
Blue Herons. One Anhinga was in full breeding plumage and was truly
spectacular, only about 30 feet away. Also very nice looks at a green
heron, cattle egrets and moorhens. And lots of GREAT BIG turtles - at
least bigger than I've ever seen before in the wild. The looked to be
about 2 feet across. I was also charmed by the little jumping lizards that
are everywhere - they jump right into shrubs and trees as you pass by, and
make you think there might be birds in there! I heard a Kingfisher and a
Mockingbird - singing quite different songs from my usual encounters in
California. Makes me wonder what it's mocking... - Teresa Michelsen