Greetings Tweeters,

I was lucky enough to make two trips to Florida this winter; this last one for a few days in the Tampa area from March 12 to the 15th. I got away for 2 1/2 days of birding and had a great time! I spent the first day inland from the Kissimmee area down to Avon Park. On day two I went north from Tampa and worked my way south along the coast. The half day was devoted to Fort DeSoto County Park at the entrance to Tampa Bay. This island is WELL worth a stop if you're down in that area!

Day one was a red letter day because I got a total of 9 raptors, plus 3 new life birds: a COMMON GROUND DOVE that I just missed last December at Sanibel Island, a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW that I could have had in eastern WA if I was a little quicker, and(Ta Da) the one I went after, a pair of RED COCKADED WOODPECKERS! I was fortunate to get to watch them for nearly 10 minutes as they forraged and mated at about 5:00 in the evening!

Day two netted a SEDGE WREN and a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER to up the life list additions to five. I also had a wonderful collection of shorebirds at Honeymoon Park.

At Fort DeSoto there was a stretch of beach with over 180 shorebirds all feeding together. They were within 40 feet of my vantage point, so I was able to sort out WILSON's PLOVERS, WILLETS, RUDDY TURNSTONES, DUNLIN, SANDERLINGS, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, and LONG BILLER DOWITCHERS. I also spotted 6 BLACK-HOODED PARAKEETS which aren't countable, but still a thrill.

A quick stop at the public beach in Bradenton netted a 6th lifer when a pair of MONK PARAKEETS were right where the Lane Guide (Bill Pranty's book) said they would be. They were busy building a nest of sticks high in a palm and were completely oblivious to the teeming masses of sun worshipers below them.

All in all, a Great Trip!

-Rolan


Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com


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