WEDNESDAY'S BIRDS - The weather has returned to being hot and with clear skies. That type of weather allows migrants to sail right on past us. The hurricane off Florida's east coast might push a few eastern seaboard migrants our way, however. Black-throated Blues and Blackpoll Warblers (though this would be very early) come to mind.
At John Chesnut Park today Gail Deterra reported only a few migrants' Yellow 3; Yellow-throated 5; Hooded 2; Ovenbird 2, plus a good number of Red-eyed Vireos and Northern Parulas.
The Gandy Causeway, ignored the past week or so is still hosting plenty of terns, including 70+ Black Terns this morning.
Green Heron at John Chesnut Park by Gail Deterra
FRIDAY'S BIRDS - Tom Bell reported 54 Marbled Godwits and a Long-billed Curlew at Fort De Soto's North Beach this morning. More and more terns should be rolling in soon.
Dave Gagne & Jim Wells were at John Chesnut Park this morning. They said it was rather slow, but they still managed a few species worthy of note; 3 Eastern Bluebirds, a Northern Flicker, and 2 Acadian Flycatchers.
SATURDAY'S BIRDS - Things were a bit slow this morning at Boyd Hill NP. The highlights included an Eastern Wood-Pewee, 6 Red-eyed Vireos, 2 Prairie Warblers, a Blackburnian Warbler, a Northern Parula, an Ovenbird, a Hooded Warbler, and a lone Barn Swallow.
Christina Evans reported the first Baltimore Oriole of the fall, a 1st-year male she photographed in her Largo yard, at right. It was in the same snowberry bush where she saw one last fall.
Saskia Janes & Sharon Pittman found both a Lesser and a Great Black-backed Gull at Fort De Soto's North Beach. Don & Lorraine Margeson saw both a Whimbrel and
a Long-billed Curlew there, as well. A few Eastern Kingbirds and Gray Kingbirds also made their list. Don's photos of the Great Black-backed and the Whimbrel are below.
SUNDAY'S BIRDS- Dick Cissel says you really should get out tomorrow and look for warblers. There were some birds around today and more might be trickling in following the weather Pinellas experienced late this afternoon and into the evening. Bobby O'Link saw 37 Eastern Kingbirds in one dead Australian pine at the north end of Fort De Soto Park.
Sue Tess reported a few warblers at Eagle Lake Park, including at least 2 Blackburnian Warblers. Cynthia Paonessa reported the same type of warbler activity at Walsingham Park.
It's a good time to watch for empidonax flycatchers. Gail Deterra photographed the one at left at John Chesnut Park, certainly one of the better fall migrant spots.
MONDAY'S BIRDS - There was certainly a few migrants around the county on Labor Day, but the numbers were not overwhelming. Sue & Ed Tess had a nice morning at John Chesnut Park scoring with 4 Prothonotary Warblers, a Chestnut-sided Warbler (photo seen by ed.), and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler (pictured below, right). Notice the dull white patch at the base of the primaries. That field-mark on a female Black-throated Blue makes it an easy I.D..
Cynthia Paonessa stopped in at the Florida Botanical Gardens near Walsingham Park and located four hummingbirds. A photo by Cynthia of a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird is below, left.
Bobby O'Link & the Mrs. birded Dunedin Hammock and came up with a dozen Red-eyed Viroes, a Yellow-throated Vireo, a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers, a lone Eastern Wood-Pewee, and 7 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. The warblers they spotted included: N. Parula 4; Blackburnian 4; Yellow-throated 4; Black-&-white 1; Hooded 1; and also an Ovenbird.
Don & Lorraine Margeson reported 14 Yellow Warblers at the Carillon, as well as an Ovenbird, a Northern Waterthrush, 3 Bank Swallows, and 3 Least Bitterns.
At Bonner Park several Blackburnian Warblers, Hooded Warblers, a Worm-eating Warbler, and 2 Northern Waterthrushes were present.
Blue Grosebeaks were reported at two different locations today in Pinellas. Jeff Hooks saw two on the grounds of the Lincoln Cemetary in western St. Petersburg and Judy Fisher reported two in mid-Pinellas. Judy also scored with a pair of Blackburnian Warblers, an empidonax flycatcher, and 2 hummingbirds in her Seminole yard.
What will this next week yield? PB.com hopes you will get out and contribute.
At John Chesnut Park today Gail Deterra reported only a few migrants' Yellow 3; Yellow-throated 5; Hooded 2; Ovenbird 2, plus a good number of Red-eyed Vireos and Northern Parulas.
