Left Jacksonville at @5am to arrive at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive when it opened at 7am.
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive – One of my favorite spots in Florida. 1) it’s a drive – so my feet are happy. 2) I went early on a Friday and it was raining on & off, so not so many people. 3) there were port-a-potties (clean ones) at almost every turn. 4) IT IS FREE! I did not know that at the start and kept thinking well they will charge around the next corner…but no.
The one drawback is that you cannot see the whole place in one pass – there are several points where you need to make a choice. I did not know that and was in a real quandary at the first choice point. I thought for a bit trying to figure out what to do, but I didn’t have good info on it, so I just picked. Shortly thereafter I saw the Gray-headed Swamphens (very impressive) and then 116 Black-necked Stilts (both life birds for me). I felt I chose well.
Then as I got to the end I realize I hadn’t see the two unusual ducks that were supposedly there in number. So I decided to go again and this time take the “other choices” – I was glad I did. Both Ducks Fulvous Whistling Duck and Black-bellied Whistling Duck were on the alternative path (and there was a LOT of Whistling) and a nice encounter with a Peregrine Falcon.
I had planned to try to go to two other places that day, but the decision to do the drive twice eliminated that option. I don’t regret it and I will return someday and go to Blue Heron Wetlands (down the street from my hotel) and Orlando Wetlands, which I hear is wonderful too.
One of the few times I took a shot of the habitat
Caspian Tern on the road
Turtle in the grass
Gator
Gator crossing the road in front of my car
Black-crowned Night Heron (Juvi)
Blue-winged Teal
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Gallinule
Boat-tailed Grackle (Female)
Great Egret
Pied-billed Grebe
Anhinga
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Green Heron
Cattle Egret
Gray-headed Swamphen
Ruddy Duck (only one...)
Caspian Tern
Black-necked Stilt
Tricolored Heron
Ring-necked Duck
Immature Little Blue Heron
Fulvous Whistling Ducks & American Coot
Peregrine Falcon
Glossy Ibis
Fulvous Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Gator with a seafood lunch
Red-shouldered Hawk
Jetty Park – Saw my first Common Ground Dove here, but dipped on the Bahama Mockingbird. It has a nice assortment of birds on the beach and jetty, but I was really there for the BAMO. Went twice 1) was seen within an hour of when I left and 2) was seen while I was there, but I was in the wrong spot.
Common-Ground Dove
Merritt Island NWR--Black Point Wildlife Drive – I left Jetty Park to start on the Merritt Island Drive. First the negatives – 1) more people, not always nice about you stopping on the side of the road. 2) only ONE restroom on the entire 11 mile drive that takes at least 3 hours to drive.
The positives – 1) lots of really nice birders and mix of locals & tourists. Plenty were willing to share the scopes. 2) OMG so many birds my checklist says @5,000 I’m pretty sure it was more like twice as many. A local birder who goes there 3-4 times a week told me she had never seen that birds – not even close. Honestly it was a little overwhelming – when there are 1,000 Dowitchers your brain doesn’t have the bandwidth to ID each bird. Still, it was definitely an amazing birding moment! No new life birds, but still an experience I am very grateful to have.
Black Skimmers, Ring-billed Gulls & Royal Terns
Snowy Egrets
Mixed flock of white birds
Wilson's Snipe
Pied-billed Grebe
American Avocet
Another Mixed Flock of white birds
Many American Avocet
Many Dowitchers (mostly Short-billed) flying
& Feeding
Lesser Yellowlegs
Caspian Tern
Little Blue Heron
American White Pelican
Little Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron with a mouthful of Fish.
Butterfly (unsure what kind)
Lots of birds -- mostly Dowitchers
Great Horned Owl
Roseate Spoonbill
Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary – this Sanctuary is touted as the most reliable place for Florida Scrub-Jays and it was for me. I did have to walk but just a little, it was flat and sandy. The parking lot is very small and although I only saw one party of 4 on the trail, the parking lot was full.
I passed that noisy group and they informed me there were no birds. When they walked on, I turned the corner and there was the Florida Scrub-Jay. When it flew, I turned back and saw a Brown Thrasher on the edge of the trail. Not bad for a 7 minute bird.
Florida Scrub-jay
Vole (keeping me from approaching the Scrub Jay)
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