Even though I will be back up soon, I wanted to knock a few easy year
birds out of the way. My first was Rusy Blackbird. I needed
to be at the bridges at St. Marks NWR at 7:30. Since I had some
free time, I started down by the lighthouse where I saw plenty of
Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Greater Scaup, Common Loons, Horned
Grebes etc. Marsh birds like Seaside, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed, and
Song Sparrow, Marsh Wren, and Clapper Rail woke up before it was time
to hit the blackbirds. Unlike my previous trips, the robin
numbers were not as high, but I was still able to find a small flock of
5 or 6 Rusty Blackbirds before heading back out to do some more
birding. American Avocet, Gadwall, and several other easy ticks
were found before I headed back up into town for feeder birds.
On my way up a quick stop by Springhill produced American Pipit,
Bonaparte's Gull, Bufflehead, both Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher,
Least Sandpiper, and a few other species. I made a quick stop by
the Calliope Hummingbird feeder to get my state bird. It stayed
at the feeder for a while before flying off. I never saw it again
in the 20 minutes I was there. The yard also held Baltimore
Oriole, House Finch, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. My last stop
in the Tallahasee area was for Western Tanager. When I first
pulled up to the yard a Rufous Hummingbird made its presence well
known. In the hour or so I waited for the Western to come in I
added Black-chinned Hummingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bullock's
Oriole, and Brown Thrasher to my year list. My long wait finally
payed off when the Tanager came near the feeder with a group of four
orioles. Even though it never came to the feeder, I was satisfied
with the looks of this bird which I have seen numerous times out
west.
I left Tallahassee around 1 in the afternoon, and eight hours later I
was down in Ft. Lauderdale ready to bird with several kids my own age
for the next few days. My year list stood at 164 with lots of
easy holes that would be filled in the next three days.
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