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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kibet" data-source="post: 3538865" data-attributes="member: 126488">Day 4 Tuesday 7th MarchBrooker Creek Preserve – Old Keystone RoadI had initially added this walk, then removed it, before adding it again upon recommendations on a Facebook Group. Interestingly, this site seemed to be the most active for Birdwatchers, seeing at least half a dozen on this day and the second visit. There was a series of tracks, that became part of a loop walk, ranging from 1.5 – 4 miles. Tracking the walking speed at previous visits, we were averaging a little over 1 mph, so we were not rushing around.The first bird of the day was a Black Vulture, perched in a tree, followed by a Great Egret wandering around the swamp as we moved over a raised boardwalk. There was a very big song coming from somewhere nearby and after much patience, we finally tracked the source to the Carolina Wren. Our necks felt the strain as we had to keep our eyes on the branches overhead for the smaller birds, with Northern Parula and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets were flitting up there. A Tufted Titmouse silhouetted in the sun, tapped at something on the branch.I saw something creeping down a tree trunk, making me immediately think I would finally be seeing some sort of Nuthatch. It was instead a Warbler that was all black and white, which ended up being the Black-and-White Warbler (funnily enough). As we followed the wilderness Trail, and seeing more of the same of the above (many Kinglets around), I had my camera up taking a picture of a conveniently perched Tufted Titmouse, when I caught something flying overhead. The tail made it unmistakable, despite ever seeing one before, a Swallow-Tailed Kite. A couple of snaps, darn now tree is in the way, a few dance steps up the trail and a few more snaps before it disappeared. 11 seconds, from the first picture and the last, and never seen again. This brief encounter though was trumped later in the week though, but that is getting ahead of myself.Deciding to take a smaller loop option with the hope to see the Kite again, we took the turn off for the Flatwoods trail, which would lead us back to the nature centre. A Yellow-Rump, followed by the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, as we walked along the needle covered path, until my Father stopped me again. I had told him before that he would be on Alligator watch when I was distracted taking photographs. Well, he was also on Snakewatch too. Probably under 1.5 m (maybe 4 feet), I would likely had stepped too close and jumped 20 feet in the air at the Yellow Rat Snake if it moved. Taking a little walk up the Bird Path trail, it was rather quiet. We went immediately into the hide and looked out. A couple of birdwatchers came along with the Ranger, and I saw them looking at something in the distance. I went out to join them, and I had completely missed the Bald Eagle nest on the pylon (due to heading straight into the hide). We had a quick chat, where all I can remember asking was “Where are all the Sparrows?”. This was day 4, and I had yet to see a single sparrow.Moving on to Old Keystone Road, we stopped at the side of the road next to a little farm, for some Cattle Egret, Mourning Doves and some Eastern Bluebirds. Carrying on, we turned up at the East Lake sports ground, catching a Palm Warbler before parking up next to the Water Reclamation pond. On the wire, there was an American Kestrel, Yellow Rumps on the boundary fence and Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Mallard and a Little Blue Heron in the pond itself. A Pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks called to each other with one on a telegraph post and the other from the tree. A Bald Eagle flew over.We carried on down by the pond, and along the road at the bottom, with Red-Shouldered Hawk eating some sort of bug, Eastern Bluebird on the wire, and Tufted Titmouse in the bush-like trees. After a brief stop to try for a picture of a very active Black Swallowtail, with only a blurry photo achieved of the butterfly, we returned to the car, with the final bird being the Northern Mockingbird.Photographed New Species – 35/60</blockquote>

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