Sunday, March 17: Pepper Ranch Preserve

Exploring previously unseen areas was a treat although we were acting as Conservation Collier volunteers rather than visitors. We gassed up the Viking UTF and set off for the section known as Area 6/7. I have no idea why it's called that. It's an area north of Pepper Road near the eastern part of the preserve.

Our goal was to find Swallow-tailed Kite nests. To get to the area where we hoped to find the kites took us through some very wet areas and four-wheel drive came in very handy as we drove through water. While we didn't find any kites in that area, we did come across some beautiful habitat -- a pond and two large wet marshes.

Among the birds in the marshes were Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, Great Egrets, and Little Blue Herons. Two White-tailed Deer, one doe and one buck that was just starting to grow his antlers, watched us but were unconcerned. Not many people or vehicles go in there, so we may have been somewhat of a novelty.

We eventually made our way to the eastern portion of the Kite Flight trail where we spotted a roost with four Swallow-tailed Kites, each on separate branches of snags.

The first to take flight was a male kite who flew over to the female in the photo. Mating kites usually do so somewhere near a nest, so we searched two likely stands of pine trees but couldn't locate a nest. The snag with the kites is close to one of last year's nests, but the kites didn't head that direction when they took off. That area will bear closer inspection in the coming week.

A lot of the regular inhabitants of the pastures and prairies were vocal, especially Eastern Meadowlarks. Several pairs of Sandhill Cranes were foraging, but they were silent. The resident Bald Eagle was on its snag early in the morning but quickly flew off. We'll check the eagle nest the next time we're there looking for kites in a different area.

One Western Kingbird was still here but it should soon be migrating out to its nesting territory along the northern Gulf coast.

We then headed over to the western portion of the Tuscawilla trail where kites nested last season but did not see any kites there. We checked one of last year's nests, but it was in disrepair and was unlikely to be used this year. We'll check the GPS locations of different last year's nests in the near future.

On our way back to the road, the American Kestrel at the right flew down at potential prey but came up empty taloned. It returned to its fence post to look for more.

The doe with her twin fawns at the left were in a field next to the Tuscawilla trail and watched us with curiosity. The doe turned and walked into the pines while the fawns cavorted in the pasture.

The deer were the only mammals that we saw. We went a lot faster than we should have going from one site to the next, so there wasn't really time to look for insects. Monarch butterflies were along parts of the road, but those were the only insects identified.


Tuesday, March 19: Flint Pen Strand

The weather was quite a bit different this week than it was last week. Most of a cold front had moved through the night before, so it was much cooler and less humid. The tail end of the front passed through while we were on the trail, with wind speeds peaking around 12 mph. Once the cloud bank and clouds cleared, the wind died down to around 7-8 mph for the rest of the morning. But once the clouds passed and the sun was out, it was a very pleasant walk.

The best news of the morning hike was that we confirmed that there are two Snail Kites in the area. It had been suspected for the past two weeks, but we weren't positive. Today, we saw both in the air at the same time, so now we're positive.

One of the kites is in the photo at the top of the page, carrying an Apple Snail in its beak. The Cattle Egret is giving it a close look, but the kite wasn't interested in the egret and they passed peacefully.

Foraging birds were busy in the wet parts of the marsh. When the kite flew over low looking for Apple Snails, only the Glossy Ibis scattered. That's probably a bad idea for the other birds because the next time a raptor passes low, it might not be a kite and the birds could become prey.

We wound up identifying 44 species of birds during the morning. Missing today were the Red-headed Woodpeckers and any Yellow-rumped Warblers. The woodpeckers were elsewhere, but the warblers may have begun their migrating north. Their numbers have been steadily declining for the past two weeks.

Other northern nesters are still here, most noticeably Gray Catbirds. They were vocal and quite common. One Belted Kingfisher is still here as were several Palm Warblers. They are among the last to leave. A Yellow-throated Vireo was calling. It's not even a winter visitor but is just migrating through.

One species that is returning to nest is the Black-necked Stilt. We didn't see it but it was vocal in the reeds between the lakes. Last year, a pair nested and hatched two chicks before rising water drowned the nest. However, Red-shouldered Hawks got both chicks in spite of the parents' best efforts to chase the hawks away. Hopefully the stilts will nest in a more protected area and will be more successful this year.

All of the regular wading birds were present. They were joined in wet areas by Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinules, Killdeer, a Least Sandpiper, and Greater Yellowlegs.

Other warblers seen today were Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Palm, and Pine. Additional raptors were just an Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawks, and one Barred Owl that called from the cypress dome by the lakes parking lot.

With the wind and the cool start to the morning, insects were few. However, once we reached OBB Road along the southern border where it was sheltered from the wind, dragonflies appeared.

The most often seen were Halloween Pennants, Blue Dashers, and Eastern Pondhawks. Others were Little Blue Dragonlets, Needham's Skimmers, Rambur's Forktails, and the one Roseate Skimmer in the photo.

Butterflies were just Gulf Fritillaries, Monarchs, and two White Peacocks.

Eight adult Alligators were in the two lakes. One was floating peacefully near the bank when a Tricolored Heron passed low over it, spooking the gator. With a loud splash, it quickly dove under the water. Had it know it was just a heron, it might have tried to catch it instead. Lucky heron!

The only other herps were Cricket Frogs, Pig Frogs, one Oak Toad, and one Brown Anole. Mammals were just five deer.


Wednesday, March 20: Cypress Dome

Last week while we were watching Swallow-tailed Kites, a Roseate Spoonbill, some Wood Storks, and some White Ibis, we saw more Swallow-tailed Kites flying well to the southwest but we didn't go that far.

We had found one nest that had potential with kites nearby, but there wasn't anyone in the nest. Today there was -- one adult kite nestled down in the nest incubating eggs.

After checking that nest, I waded through some ankle deep water and some soft, sucky mud heading to the southwest area. On my way, I spotted a lone kite in a snag overlooking the marsh. When she crouched down and assumed a receptive posture, I brought my camera up just in time to capture a male kite landing next to her with a treefrog in his bill.

He passed the treefrog to the female, which she readily swallowed, and then he took off. She remained at the perch.

Nothing says, "I love you" more than catching a treefrog and then bringing it to a mate and giving the whole thing to her.

Although there wasn't a nest visible nearby, that pair should have one started or at least is ready to build one in the immediate future.

Continuing on, I eventually reached several old service roads that were a bit overgrown but which were much drier. One the second one I tried, one kite was circling low over a distant pine tree several times, a sure sign that a nest was close. And a closer inspection revealed a new kite nest with one kite in the nest.

When the kite flew out, I struggled through the Saw Palmettos, vines, fallen limbs and trees, and other vegetation to the nest tree to take GPS coordinates and then made my way back out to the service road. Shortly after, the kite returned to the nest and settled in.

Because the kite briefly left the nest, and because she was pretty high in the nest when she was there, there may not be eggs now yet but there should be very soon.

Because a lot of time was spent in denser vegetation, not as much time was spent in habitats more hospitable for other birds. Only 21 species were seen during the morning.

The most frequently seen species were Swallow-tailed Kites. They were followed by White Ibis and Northern Cardinals. The only news species that were observed this week but not last week were Common Ground Doves, a Belted Kingfisher, a Little Blue Heron, and Black Vultures.

Insects were an interesting variety, for the most part. One undesirable encounter for the first time this spring was with a Deer Fly, but fortunately, it did not land or try to draw blood. Butterflies were just Bella Moths, Phaon Crescents, and White Peacocks.

Dragonflies were much more prevalent with seven species identified. The most often seen of those were nearly five dozen Eastern Pondhawks, especially in the drier areas. Blue Dashers were also very common. New dragonfly species this week were Golden-winged Skimmers, Carolina Saddlebags, and in the wetter areas, Rambur's Forktails.

The immature Eastern Pondhawk in the photo was one of several seen. As usual, female pondhawks far outnumbered males, but some males were present.


Wednesday, March 21

I shadowed a group of FGCU students in their ornithology club for the placement of four Bluebird boxes and one Screech Owl box in Flint Pen Strand. Brian Beckner led the group. So while there was lots to see, I didn't bring a camera or take notes. However, before the group arrived, I walked out to the northwest corner of the marsh and met a very friendly Wild Turkey.

It was some distance away on the orange trail. All I had was my cell phone, so I took it out and took a distant photo of the turkey. Then, instead of trotting off in the woods or the marsh, it started walking toward me. The cell phone hid my eyes and I was very still, so it didn't perceive me as a threat. It came surprisingly close, just ten yards away, before turning toward the marsh and walking past me. That was a cool way to begin the morning.

Then, it was time to join the group in the pinewoods parking lot. There were some other neat sightings.

Brown-headed Nuthatches called from the trees at the parking lot. While we were at one spot installing one of the Bluebird boxes, a "flock" of eight Osprey circled overhead, rising on a thermal. I've never seen that many Osprey at the same time. I looked up what a group of Osprey is officially called, and it's a "duet." Today it was an octet. The female Snail Kite was on a perch in the middle of the marsh working on an Apple Snail and put on a good show for the students.

Whenever possible, the nest boxes were positioned so the hole faced a trail and they could be monitored without getting close and disturbing the birds.


My yard

Birds were mostly the regulars although Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers have left. Lots of Painted Buntings and Catbirds are still here, but their days in Southwest Florida are coming to an end for this season. Night creatures are also the regulars. The Bobcat is becoming one of the regulars. In the video of activity the night of March 20-21, it heard something that might be prey and switched to "stalk mode," but whatever drew its attention lived for another day because after sitting for a moment, the Bobcat walked away.

There's a small family of Field Mice that live between the porch screen and the gutter and come out to forage at night, so possibly that's what the Bobcat heard.