In February I submitted 9 eBird checklists from Gemini Springs. I saw 74 species total; see the complete list at the end of this post.
Two birds were new for my all-time Gemini Springs list. I was a bit dismayed to find a pair of Muscovy Ducks by the fishing pier on February 3rd. These large fowl aren’t native and are known to be aggressive to resident species. However, a few days later there was just one Muscovy Duck. I have seen the single bird each visit since, and that this individual bird lost its companion makes me even more sad. The other new bird for the month was a doozy! I found a Fox Sparrow on February 25th. The following morning Arthur and I found the bird again, and I know from eBird and the Florida birding listserv that it was seen again on the 27th and the 28th. It may not have been seen since.
One bird I’ve had on my mind is the Limpkin — because I haven’t seen one AT ALL this year so far! By this time last year, I had seen a Limpkin at least 5 times at Gemini Springs, plus a few other sightings at other birding spots. So far this year, I’m skunked! Hopefully this disturbing trend will change in March. 🙂
Here are some photo highlights from February birding at Gemini Springs.
Northern Mockingbird | 03-FEB-13
Red-shouldered Hawk | 03-FEB-13
Great Blue Heron & Double-crested Cormorants | 11-FEB-13
Eastern Gray Squirrel | 11-FEB-13
looking rosy | 11-FEB-13
Gray Catbird | 17-FEB-13
Swamp Sparrow | 17-FEB-13
blue & bright | 17-FEB-13
Muscovy Duck, solo | 17-FEB-13
Double-crested Cormorant | 19-FEB-13
American Coots | 22-FEB-13
Yellow Jacket sp. nest entrance | 22-FEB-13
Pied-billed Grebe | 25-FEB-13
Snowy Egret | 25-FEB-13
Boat-tailed Grackles | 26-FEB-13
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Gemini Springs, February 2013 month bird list
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) – Cairina moschata
Blue-winged Teal – Anas discors
Green-winged Teal – Anas crecca
Hooded Merganser – Lophodytes cucullatus
Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps
Wood Stork – Mycteria americana
Double-crested Cormorant – Phalacrocorax auritus
Anhinga – Anhinga anhinga
American Bittern – Botaurus lentiginosus
Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias
Great Egret – Ardea alba
Snowy Egret – Egretta thula
Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea
Tricolored Heron – Egretta tricolor
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis
Green Heron – Butorides virescens
White Ibis – Eudocimus albus
Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus
Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura
Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
Sharp-shinned Hawk – Accipiter striatus
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo lineatus
Common Gallinule – Gallinula galeata
American Coot – Fulica americana
Sandhill Crane – Grus canadensis
Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis
Caspian Tern – Hydroprogne caspia
Forster’s Tern – Sterna forsteri
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura
Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerina
Barred Owl – Strix varia
Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon
Red-headed Woodpecker – Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Sphyrapicus varius
Downy Woodpecker – Picoides pubescens
Northern Flicker – Colaptes auratus
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
American Kestrel – Falco sparverius
Eastern Phoebe – Sayornis phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike – Lanius ludovicianus
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Tree Swallow – Tachycineta bicolor
Carolina Chickadee – Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
House Wren – Troglodytes aedon
Marsh Wren – Cistothorus palustris
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Regulus calendula
American Robin – Turdus migratorius
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos
Black-and-white Warbler – Mniotilta varia
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oreothlypis celata
Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Palm Warbler – Setophaga palmarum
Pine Warbler – Setophaga pinus
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Setophaga coronata
Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerina
Savannah Sparrow – Passerculus sandwichensis
Fox Sparrow – Passerella iliaca
Swamp Sparrow – Melospiza georgiana
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula
Boat-tailed Grackle – Quiscalus major
American Goldfinch – Spinus tristis
