[Tony Knight]

Visited;

Wakodahatchee
Green Cay
Merritt Island - Blackpoint drive, Cape Kennedy
Viera wetlands (briefly)
Apollo Beach Tampa (for the manatees)
Corkscrew swamp
Marco Island/Tigertail beach
Sanibel/Ding Darling refuge
Big Cypress/Tamiami trail
Miami beach
Mahogany Hammock/ Bill Baggs
The everglades inc Anhinga trail
The keys.

Summary of birds seen attached in excel. I haven't noted all sites for the more common species. Pileated woodpecker a notable absentee !

I've also attached a few of the better photos on this, and following posts.

Tony

florida birds.xls

[Tony Knight]

[Tony Knight]

[Tony Knight]

[Tony Knight]

[Tony Knight]

Last photos !!!!

[merryslug]

Wow Tony, you really hit all the high points!

I'm especially jealous of the Bittern at Wako - I've seen them elsewhere but have yet to encounter them there.

Great shots!

[jimibird]

Great photos. The birding in Florida is fantastic, I could live there for sure.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by merryslug

Wow Tony, you really hit all the high points!

I'm especially jealous of the Bittern at Wako - I've seen them elsewhere but have yet to encounter them there.

Great shots!

thanks merryslug but i'm still moaning about not seeing a pileated pecker and missing my shot of a male painted bunting....!

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by jimibird

Great photos. The birding in Florida is fantastic, I could live there for sure.

...yes but the mossies must be unbearable in summer ! Perhaps a winter retreat ?!!

[Zackiedawg]

Nah...you get used to the mozzies. I don't even notice them anymore. Once you've been hit enough, you become immune...I don't even get red bumps anymore!

nice shooting Tony, and good to see you got a pretty good overview on your grand tour. Last winter was a little better than this one due to our warmer weather, but some sightings have been very good and you got some of the best of them with the bittern and roseates.

[jimibird]

I think I could handle the mozzies. Great birding, great weather, free petrol, rocket launcher transport thing in the background etc.

Very gripped by the Florida Scrub Jay, could not connect with one at Merrit Island last year. Got most of the other bits as I toured around though, red cockaded woody was a highlight as were the skimmers on miami beach and a swallowtail kite over the turnpike.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by Zackiedawg

Nah...you get used to the mozzies. I don't even notice them anymore. Once you've been hit enough, you become immune...I don't even get red bumps anymore!

nice shooting Tony, and good to see you got a pretty good overview on your grand tour. Last winter was a little better than this one due to our warmer weather, but some sightings have been very good and you got some of the best of them with the bittern and roseates.

Thanks - I didn't see a single mossie while we were there....but everyday had one or two new red bumps !!

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by jimibird

I think I could handle the mozzies. Great birding, great weather, free petrol, rocket launcher transport thing in the background etc.

Very gripped by the Florida Scrub Jay, could not connect with one at Merrit Island last year. Got most of the other bits as I toured around though, red cockaded woody was a highlight as were the skimmers on miami beach and a swallowtail kite over the turnpike.

True, my concern that the gas-guzzler we hired was doing 23 mpg soon disappeared when i saw the fuel prices !

Only saw the FSJs at one location - a few metres past the toll booth on highway 402 heading towards playalinda beach. They allowed me to park there without paying the toll - family party of at least 4.
In addition to the birds, the armadillos and manatees were fascinating, Saw >100 manatees at Apollo beach, Tampa and 4 right by the keyside in Key Largo, drinking fresh rainwater from an overflow pipe into the sea, 6 feet from me.

Tony

[JPAC]

It's a small world, I was at Merritt Island - Blackpoint drive in January as well.

Did you see the giant gator just about 10m from the toilets. Luckily it was cold so he wasn't moving about too much.

Had the good luck for a bald eagle to fly over the car park at Boggy Creek, other than that just a few days off from the parks.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by JPAC

It's a small world, I was at Merritt Island - Blackpoint drive in January as well.

Did you see the giant gator just about 10m from the toilets. Luckily it was cold so he wasn't moving about too much.

Had the good luck for a bald eagle to fly over the car park at Boggy Creek, other than that just a few days off from the parks.

lovely photo ! No we bypassed the toilets - we were on a tight schedule so no time for luxuries like that ! Due to rain the prior day we had to fit in orlando => blackpoint drive => scrub jays => cape canaveral => Viera wetlands => TAMPA !! to arrive in Tampa by 6pm !!!...and i wasn't prepared to drop anything from the itinerary !

Should probably add my personal highlights were seeing the bittern at Wako and a snail kite near the abandoned airboat concession on Tamiami route (got snaps but not worthy of posting on here !). Personal favourite photo - the osprey with fish attached above...

Tony

[merryslug]

Wow. I really need to stop being so lazy (I am a slug, after all) and get out of my own backyard. So many great places to bird down here.

[Andy Wraithmell]

great pictures Tony!

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by merryslug

Wow. I really need to stop being so lazy (I am a slug, after all) and get out of my own backyard. So many great places to bird down here.

Looking again at your avatar, the burrowing owls on Marco island were also amazing - so tame, totally unfazed with us 10 feet away. Guess that's what comes from living in a middle of a residential area. Good to see the nests were fenced off and protected but will be sad when those lots eventually get built on.

Tony

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by Andy Wraithmell

great pictures Tony!

thanks Andy - I took so many, some of them had to be half decent !!

[Tony Knight]

ps it was a few months ago now, but if anyone is interested, I have finally got round to putting all the bird photos from this holiday on line at => http://www.flickr.com/photos/5418937...7628274330009/

[Andy Wraithmell]

Originally Posted by jimibird

Great photos. The birding in Florida is fantastic, I could live there for sure.

It is and I do!