female Pine Bunting and bits from last weekend

Back to last weekend and my day out in The Netherlands. There were birds everywhere - good to see lots of geese and ducks by the roadside as we headed back southwest from Amsterdam. Target was a female Pine Bunting, a plumage I'd never seen before having only seen two males of this species (both in Britain, in 1996 and 2005). And having found the site at Wilhelminadorp, just like the rubythroat earlier in the day, this was one showy little bird. Very educational too. As always click on the images to see them in decent definition.

Never having seen a female Pine Bunting, I'd got my search image all wrong. I thought it was going to 'feel' like a Yellowhammer, but this didn't. It felt nice and rare, fresh from Siberia. It was heard to call too; like a Yellowhammer but pinchier and slightly more metallic. A lovely warm rump, cold mantle braces, dark ear-covert surround and an open facial pattern with a nice pale eye ring, sub-moustachial and slightly streaked, pale throat.

female Pine Bunting Wilhelminadorp, Zeeland, The Netherlands 5th March 2016

And on the way, I got my only Western Palearctic tick of the day - Alexandrine Parakeet in trees on the north side of Vondelpark, Amsterdam! Every little helps.

Alexandrine Parakeet Vondelpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 5th March 2016

Sunday was inevitably spent close to home, in a bit of a daze due to the lack of sleep on Friday night. Anyway, local birding delivered and there was a Firecrest in Russia Dock Woodland (first I've seen there for over 5 years) as well as a Kingfisher, while on the river a ringed Herring Gull proved to be from near Rufforth, Yorkshire.

Herring Gull Y:109 Rotherhithe, London 6th March 2016 - ringed at Harewood Whin, Rufforth, Yorks on 26th October 2015

Siberian Rubythroat Hoogwoud, The Netherlands

I guess this is one of those posts where pictures speak louder than words. A (long) day trip to The Netherlands - getting a 00.15 train from Folkestone through The Channel Tunnel and coming back on a 20.50 return from Calais. Back for Match of the Day, and split between four of us, £42 each (tunnel and petrol) further discounted by purchasing a crate of wine as well as a Pine Bunting (I'll post later) and Alexandrine Parakeets thrown in.

1st-winter male Siberian Rubythroat Hoogwoud, The Netherlands 5th March 2016

I'd contemplated this trip with Steve A for ages, and glad we bit the bullet so late on to be honest - a really small crowd, the bird singing (click here for a video I took) and showing to just a few feet as it favoured undergrowth and an adjacent alleyway. Not much more to say really so here you go...

Last weekend's action

I spent Saturday morning on the tip as usual. Steve wasn't about, so it was my job to shuttle a load of ringers up there before I started the scanning - they had a good day with one catch of 299 birds. And it was no surprise that they ringed lots of Lesser Black-backed Gull as it was noticeable they're starting to push through; amongst them I had two ringed ones including this cracking recovery: -

adult Lesser Black-backed Gull WL4T - ringed at the tip on 19th March 2011, and then seen at Snape, Suffolk on 15 February 2015, Southend, Essex on 8 August 2015 before being seen at El Jadida dump, Morocco on 21 January 2016 - merely a month before I took this photo!

Anyway, there wasn't too much else about until late in the morning when I spotted a 1st-winter Caspian Gull hanging about. And then to add to the sighting, it had a yellow ring on it! Not the usual Polish one either, as being a bit of a gull ring geek these days I knew it was either from the Ukraine or Belarus (still awaiting response by the way). However, when it took off it showed a pretty Herring Gull-like tail and rump which perhaps suggest it may well not be 100% Caspian in genetic lineage: -

1st-winter Caspian Gull/hybrid HC92C Pitsea, Essex 27th February 2016

There were also a handful of Med Gulls about, all adults and starting to look pretty smart. Other than that, it was just the odd Norwegian ringed Great Black-backed Gull and a load of local rings. And so then to Sunday, where I spent a couple of hours at Greenwich before having to do non birding things at Karen's request. Lots of gulls, including the inevitable NTGG birds, with three Bristolian Lesser Black-backed Gulls being my highlights - all three over 10 years old, including U:K that I saw last summer having again been seen at Colmenar Viejo dump near Madrid from November 2015 to January 2016. As well as a 19 year old bird that had gone undetected for the last 8 years: -

adult Lesser Black-backed Gull Greenwich, London 28th February 2016 - ringed in Bristol in 1997 and seen at Figueira da Foz, Portugal in September 1997, Matosinhos, Portugal November 2003, Ortigueira, Portugal February 2005 then Matosinhos, Portugal in December 2005 before being last seen at Nemina, A Coruna, Spain in January 2008

Florida final day

I'm writing this on Monday night, still scratching away at those mosquito bites from Saturday morning - my last day in Florida. Right up until the last morning I'd got away without a single bite, but heading out early on into the mangroves in shorts and a t-shirt was a mistake in one respect. However, the birding compensated with my final real target for the trip seen easily - White-crowned Pigeon. Half a dozen of these pretty timid birds went crashing through the vegetation as I walked about Dagny Johnson Hammock State Park on Key Largo early morning. There were a few Blue-grey Gnatcatchers about too as well as the odd White-eyed Vireo and a fair number of Grey Catbirds.

White-crowned Pigeon Key Largo, Florida 20th Feb 2016

Then all of a sudden there was that five minutes that flew by - it was like being back on High Island! Well, not really but it was good for mid-February in Florida. Firstly, there was an Ovenbird bobbing about in the leaf litter, and then a couple of 'wood warbler calls' focused my eyes up to firstly a Worm-eating Warbler (a nice surprise), then a cracking Yellow-throated Warbler before a Yellow-throated Vireo appeared. All quality species that were on the margins of being expected on this trip.

Yellow-throated Warbler Key Largo, Florida 20th Feb 2016

Back at where we were staying on Tavernier, the Atlantic Bay Resort, a Killdeer landed briefly in front of me calling as it did so while a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker enjoyed the local palm trees.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Tavernier, Florida 20th Feb 2016

After an hour or so of canoeing, where an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was the highlight, it was time to head back towards Miami where I'd saved the best til last...

Common Myna Florida City, Florida 20th Feb 2016

After pulling into the petrol station in Florida City and seeing three Common Mynas, time was running out and so Miami's oriole, bulbul and assortment of parrots will have to wait til I return at some stage in the future (probably for Black-whiskered Vireo and reacquainting with Grey Kingbird and Mangrove Cuckoo). Anyway, for a non-birding holiday, I managed to see a fair few birds and had a nice time doing so. Back to the greyness of Britain and the manicness that is work.

Key West (and its chickens)

We had a drive down to Key West today. Scenic in the main, with low-lying mangrove islands backed by turquoise sea. It was a bit blowy all day, but pretty sunny. We spent most of the day in Key West itself, which I can imagine is pretty decent in migration. Today inevitably was quiet, but a walk about town and Fort Zachery Taylor State Park provided a few bits and bobs.

Spotted Sandpiper Key West, Florida 19th Feb 2016

A walk about the fort, along with some Iguanas, produced a female Ring-necked Duck along with a dozen or so Blue-winged Teals and Pied-billed Grebes. Grey Catbirds and Palm Warblers were both fairly common, while the beach held Laughing Gulls, a first-winter American Herring Gull, a couple of Cabot's Terns and a showy Spotted Sandpiper. Meanwhile, a Magnificent Frigatebird soared over late morning.

Prairie Warbler Key West, Florida 19th Feb 2016

After walking around town, where a dark morph Short-tailed Hawk cruised over near Mallory Square, I headed back to the state park while Karen had a look around Hemingway's house. A Northern Parula was my first of the trip, while another showy Prairie Warbler did its best to get papped.

1st-winter Cabot's Tern Key West, Florida 19th Feb 2016

Early evening, we headed off and onto Higgs Beach. Loads of Laughing Gulls here, as well as some showy Cabot's and Royal Terns.

Red Junglefowl Key West, Florida 19th Feb 2016

And now onto Key West and its chickens. Apparently present for a couple of hundred years (I didn't know America itself had that long a history), these guys are fairly common in the town and look pretty untainted. If you can have those Swamphens by that Miami mall (that supposedly only escaped after Hurricane Andrew in 1992), then the ABA is doing a disservice to these chickens!

Everglades outing

I got up pretty early this morning and headed back up north for an hour or so to The Everglades National Park (accessed west at Homestead). Loads has been written and documented about this 'wilderness area', so I was quite keen to give it a go. Just after dawn, I spent an hour or so seeking out Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows - I knew I was early and with a lack of Ebird reports, it wasn't surprising that my quest failed. Pileated Woodpecker and a few Savannah Sparrows were of some consolation. Continuing to bird the area around Mahogany Hammock, by the road junction I lucked out on a rather dull looking Magnolia Warbler alongside White-eyed Vireo and Pine Warbler. Mahogany Hammock itself was pretty pants, bar a Great Crested Flycatcher, though the car park had a really showy Prairie Warbler and a Black-and-white Warbler (along with the usual Palm and Myrtle Warblers).

Prairie Warbler Everglades NP, Florida 18th Feb 2016

This 'wilderness area' of The Everglades is great if you like Great White Egrets, Turkey and Black Vultures. Or so that is what I decided. Pretty underwhelming in the main part if I'm honest, and this view was reinforced by a visit to the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail; offensively loud tourists and guides meant that most the wildlife had scarpered pretty quickly. I scanned for a while looking for Short-tailed Hawk among the vultures, but this didn't come. On the ground, it was Palm Warblers galore supplemented by a Black-and-white Warbler and an Alligator (plus loads of aforementioned loud yanks).

Palm Warbler Everglades NP, Florida 18th Feb 2016

So I sought peace and tranquility by leaving (!) the national park, heading back towards Homestead and visiting Frog Pond/Lucky Hammock. This area of of arable fields and fencelines next to the water treatment works was decent in the midday heat - a fair number of Cave Swallows zipping by among the more common Tree Swallows, while a Western Kingbird showed well and so did a handful of quality Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and an American Kestrel.

Western Kingbird Homestead, Florida 18th Feb 2016

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Homestead, Florida 18th Feb 2016

Just east of here, I stopped the car as there were tons of raptors kettling above the road and careful scanning through produced what I'd been after, a nice dark morph Short-tailed Hawk. There were also a couple of Broad-winged Hawks in the mix too; all set against a cloudless sky. Birding in the afternoon back on Tavernier and Key Largo was poor. In the grounds of our cabin was a Little Blue Heron and a nice Osprey nest. John Pennekamp State Park was very slow - Laughing Gulls, White Ibises and that sort of thing. And that was it for another day.

Shopping malls and Swamphens

Traveled a fair bit today, heading south through The Everglades and ending up on the Keys in the evening. Much of today, however, was devoted to stuff where birds took a backseat. However, with a bit of ingenuity a few things were seen. A boat ride in the Everglades got the token gators that each and every big fat loud yank was after, as well a handful of Racoons. Bird life was very limited though, with a Black Vulture sticking its head up a mummified roadkill being the highlight.

Black Vulture Everglades City, Florida 17th Feb 2016

A few miles east of Everglades City along the Tamiami Trail (Route 41) was a boardwalk where more Alligators were found, as well as a few roadside birds - Great Crested Flycatcher, Painted Bunting and a Pine Warbler among the more numerous Palm and Myrtle Warblers.

Pine Warbler Tamiami Trail, Florida 17th Feb 2016

The afternoon was devoted to shopping; admittedly one of my least favourite pastimes. However, I'd managed to save the day slightly at the eleventh hour by plucking out the Dolphin Mall for Karen - armed with a couple of lakes and adjacent vegetation by its entrance. After getting a couple of pairs of Levi's for just over £50 and a new pair of Cons, I was out of there and onto the lakes. Pride of place were the abundant (and invasive) Grey-headed Swamphens that pecked away at whatever was in front of them. A couple of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Blue Jays joined the many Blue-grey Gnatcatchers, Myrtle and Palm Warblers by the lakeside, while Green and Tricoloured Herons, White Ibises and a couple of Wood Storks stalked the lake sides. Just under four hours later, Karen arrived armed with bags of purchases. Think I've earned some birding in the morning!

Grey-headed Swamphen Dolphin Mall, Miami, Florida 17th Feb 2016

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Dolphin Mall, Miami, Florida 17th Feb 2016