We had a safe trip to Sanibel Island, FL where there is no snow…just fun, sand and sun. On our way down we didn’t see any trees in flower until North Carolina where the red bud and dogwoods were out.
Not much leaf growth until we were in South Carolina so I guess everyone, not just us, had a harder winter than normal.
It seems nice to put on the sneakers rather than the snowshoes to get around.
The morning we left there was a song sparrow at the feeder, a mourning dove singing not far away and a flock of redwings and grackles under the feeder.
As I was filling the feeders the night before we left, I had a couple saw whet owls calling to each other from the woods out back.
I made a few owl calls and had them answering me but did not have time to put up any nets and catch them.
They could have been some of the same ones I banded last fall while on their way south. Maybe I’ll get a chance to catch them another year.
Two eagles, an adult and a juvenile, have been regulars on the pond each day.
I had reports the day before I left that there were still four snowy owls in the Fairfield area that day.
What great fun it was to chase after them for most of the winter and watch their feeding habits.
Many researchers claim that most of the juvenile owls in past years that came south never made it through the winter down here.
I think of all the ones we watched in New York and Vermont and only heard of one that was killed by a car in the Keene Valley area.
They were concentrated in certain areas and could communicate with each other and at times even saw another owl.
I think some found a good feeding area and other owls just moved in around them.
It’s been neat to watch their movements north on-line as several were outfitted with satellite tracking transmitters.
These were mostly juvenile birds as the adults stayed up north.
Some even move farther north during the winter into a harsher climate than where they live during the short summer.
On our way south we made a stop at the Myakka State Park near Sarasota.
I had read there was a raised walkway in the park where you could go up and be right with the birds in the tree tops.
Then, there is a tower at the end of the walkway that went above the canopy.
I saw a blue gray gnat catcher in the tree tops at eye level.
The tower was even higher than the Wakely Mountain fire tower which is the tallest tower in New York State.
In the flat country of Florida you could see for miles. There was a controlled burn just west of the park that was putting up a big smoke.
unny how I still notice those things as old habits never change.
While in the park there was a warning about black vultures eating the windshield wipers off cars in certain parking lots.
We did see lots of black vultures but they were being entertained by some local fishermen netting fish which these birds were trying to steal.
We went out on another bird walkway where there were lots of Savannah sparrows and a couple red-shouldered hawks harassing them.
Back along the edge of the swamp we heard a couple Osceola tom turkeys gobbling.
Then they came out into view and both toms were strutting.
You just never know who you are going to meet and where.
While watching these turkeys there was a fella named Fred taking pictures and we struck up a conversation.
Well wouldn’t you know he had a camp in Otter Lake and he is Bernie Green’s cousin.
Small world, isn’t it? Another couple there had a summer place on Cumberland Head near Plattsburgh.
They had hiked and camped in most areas of the Adirondacks.
They had even been in the Moose River Area a couple of times.
The long cold winter may have an impact on some of the invasive species that are trying to move into our area.
Deer ticks are one that may be killed by the cold weather. Only time will tell.
Many biologists seem to think these ticks are causing a problem with the moose populations in many areas of the country—maybe in this area also.
Some of the half-hardy birds like Carolina wren, cardinal, and red-bellied woodpecker which have been moving northward may also be affected by the long cold winter.
I had more reports of these birds earlier in the winter, than I had in late winter.
We can only hope that some of the invasive plants were killed by the cold temperatures, but in this area they were probably protected by the deep snow.
In fact, some of these plants are already growing under the snow, just waiting for some sunshine to shine on them.
That’s the way it is with most invasives.
You just never know what you might see when you are out and about, but that’s another story. See ya.