Category Archives: Green Birding

In May I birded at 10 different spots to add to my 2015 green year list. I found 69 different species for the month, with 54 on my Gemini Springs list. Last year I missed local birding in May completely; I had found 45 species in both May 2013 and May 2012. My complete green list for May 2015 is at the end of this post.

I added just one species to my year list. Arthur and I went kayaking on May 3rd and we found Bobolinks in several spots. Males were singing and small flocks were flying around. This was a new all-time green species for me so I was very excited!

Here are my photo highlights from green birding in May!

Leavenworth’s Tickseed in our backyard native butterfly garden | 01 May 2015

Some late Cedar Waxwings at Gemini Springs | 02 May 2015

Buttonbush blossom at Gemini Springs | 02 May 2015

Common Buckeye at Gemini Springs | 02 May 2015

Listening for Bobolinks at Gemini Springs | 03 May 2015

Trail signs at River City Nature Park | 04 May 2015

Passionflower at Gemini Springs | 05 May 2015

Green Heron at Gemini Springs | 08 May 2015

Cousin Agnes looking at Bald Eagles at Gemini Springs | 08 May 2015

Pileated Woodpecker at Gemini Springs | 08 May 2015

Red-shouldered Hawk with apparent eye injury at Gemini Springs | 08 May 2015

Limpkin at Lake Monroe Boat Ramp | 11 May 2015

Black Vultures at Gemini Springs | 13 May 2015

Brown Thrasher at DeBary Memorial Park | 19 May 2015

Marsh Rabbit at Gemini Springs | 19 May 2015

Begging baby Northern Cardinal at Gemini Springs | 27 May 2015

Green Birding List May 2015
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis
Wood Duck – Aix sponsa
Mallard (Domestic type) – Anas platyrhynchos (Domestic type)
Lesser Scaup – Aythya affinis
Wild Turkey – Meleagris gallopavo
Double-crested Cormorant – Phalacrocorax auritus
Anhinga – Anhinga anhinga
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
Swallow-tailed Kite – Elanoides forficatus
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis
Common Gallinule – Gallinula galeata
American Coot – Fulica americana
Limpkin – Aramus guarauna
Sandhill Crane – Grus canadensis
Black-necked Stilt – Himantopus mexicanus
Spotted Sandpiper – Actitis macularius
Least Tern – Sternula antillarum
Rock Pigeon – Columba livia
Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerina
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura
Barred Owl – Strix varia
Chimney Swift – Chaetura pelagica
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Archilochus colubris
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Downy Woodpecker – Picoides pubescens
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
Great Crested Flycatcher – Myiarchus crinitus
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Red-eyed Vireo – Vireo olivaceus
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Purple Martin – Progne subis
Tree Swallow – Tachycineta bicolor
Carolina Chickadee – Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis
Brown Thrasher – Toxostoma rufum
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorum
Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas
American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Black-throated Blue Warbler – Setophaga caerulescens
Pine Warbler – Setophaga pinus
Prairie Warbler – Setophaga discolor
Eastern Towhee – Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis
Indigo Bunting – Passerina cyanea
Bobolink – Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula
Boat-tailed Grackle – Quiscalus major
House Sparrow – Passer domesticus

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In April I birded at 10 different spots to add to my 2015 green year list. I ended up with 93 different species total for April, with 73 found at Gemini Springs (previous April Gemini Springs totals: 68 in 2014; 55 in 2013; and 67 in 2012).

I added 12 new species to my year list: Prothonotary Warbler was a shocker at home; Black-necked Stilt, Solitary Sandpiper, Least Tern, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and longtime nemesis Worm-eating Warbler at Gemini Springs; Chimney Swift along the Spring-to-spring Trail; Northern Bobwhite, Florida Scrub-Jay, and Red-headed Woodpecker at a new-to-me spot, the Quail Lakes Powerline Trails; and Yellow-billed Cuckoo and American Redstart at Audubon Park.

Here are some photographic highlights from my green birding outings in April!

Bald Eagle at Gemini Springs | 01 April 2015

Virginia Opossum at Gemini Springs | 01 April 2015

Barred Owl at Gemini Springs | 04 April 2015

Cedar Waxwings at Gemini Springs | 04 April 2015

Indigo Buntings at home | 06 April 2015 (photo by Arthur)

Prothonotary Warbler at home | 06 April 2015

Black-necked Stilt at Gemini Springs | 07 April 2015

Wedding at Gemini Springs | 11 April 2015

On April 13th I biked to northern DeBary to check out a spot I had seen a fellow eBirder visiting on occasion (from eBird alerts for birds I was missing for Volusia County). Via email the birder kindly gave me some intel on access to the trails at Quail Lakes, and I was pleased to be able to add my two target species: Florida Scrub-Jay and Red-headed Woodpecker. Northern Bobwhite and my lifer green Florida Softshell Turtle were bonus sightings at this spot which was about a 15 mile round trip ride.

Florida Scrub-Jay at Quail Lakes | 13 April 2015

Sandhill Crane at Quail Lakes | 13 April 2015

Florida Softshell Turtle at Quail Lakes | 13 April 2015

Little Blue Herons at Gemini Springs | 14 April 2015

Sunrise at Gemini Springs | 15 April 2015

Painted Bunting at home | 15 April 2015

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Audubon Park | 17 April 2015

American River Otter at Audubon Park | 17 April 2015

Southern Black Racer at Gemini Springs | 20 April 2015

Marsh Rabbit at Gemini Springs | 20 April 2015

Tricolored Heron at Gemini Springs | 20 April 2015

Spotted Sandpiper at Gemini Springs | 21 April 2015

At the end of the month, Arthur’s cousin visited us with her husband and two kids. We walked at Gemini Springs on their first afternoon with us and the local patch delivered! I haven’t seen a group of more than two Barred Owls all spring, but we managed to find two babies being attended by two adults during our short walk. Lifer owls all around! Then a group of three Swallow-tailed Kites soared above. What? I rarely see kites at Gemini Springs — here’s a group of three?! The first alligator and Osprey of the trip were also spotted here before we left.

Barred Owl family at Gemini Springs | 24 April 2015

Swallow-tailed Kite at Gemini Springs | 24 April 2015

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In March I visited 11 different birding spots to add to my 2015 green year list. Birds at home and some seen along the way while I was biking also contributed to my monthly total of 97 green species for March.

I added 13 new birds to the year list: Rock Pigeon at Lake Monroe Park; Marsh Wren, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Purple Martin, Red-eyed Vireo, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Gemini Springs; Swallow-tailed Kite in DeBary; European Starling and White-winged Dove at Dewey Boster Park; Common Ground-Dove at River City Nature Park; Indigo Bunting, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Brown-headed Cowbird at home. I had biked to Dewey Boster Park in hopes of finding Red-headed Woodpecker in addition to the doves, but I was skunked. That trip was about 13 miles round trip (about the same to Audubon Park).

At Gemini Springs I had 81 species in 14 visits. Previous March totals: 69 in 2014; 79 in 2013; and 66 in 2012.

Here are some photographic highlights from my green birding outings in March!

Northern Mockingbird at River City Nature Park | 09-MAR-15

Red-shouldered Hawk at River City Nature Park | 09-MAR-15

Cedar Waxwings at Green Spring Park | 16-MAR-15

Ebony Jewelwing at Green Spring Park | 16-MAR-15

Green Spring Park | 16-MAR-15

Common Snapping Turtle at Gemini Springs | 18-MAR-15

White Ibis flock flying over Gemini Springs | 18-MAR-15

Green Anole at Audubon Park | 20-MAR-15

Luna Moth (deceased) at Audubon Park | 20-MAR-15

Swallow-tailed Kite at Audubon Park | 20-MAR-15

On March 27th I had a short walk in the late afternoon at Gemini Springs. As I walked out onto the fishing pier, a gentleman in a Volusia County polo pointed out a snake in the water. Later we saw a different snake on the other side of the pier. I have only seen water snakes at Gemini Springs a handful of times so I thought seeing two was quite remarkable. But then there was another snake sunning itself on the dam. I think they might all be Florida Water Snakes. All three snakes had a different look, but this species does have a lot of variability in pattern and color. Here are two of them:

Florida Water Snake at Gemini Springs | 27-MAR-15

Florida Water Snake at Gemini Springs | 27-MAR-15

Chipping Sparrows at Gemini Springs | 29-MAR-15

Sandhill Cranes flying over Gemini Springs | 27-MAR-15

On March 30th I found a fledgeling Barred Owl, along with one of its parents. The baby flew across the forest, but made a poor landing and ended up hanging upside-down from a branch. The parent looked on, and so did I. Eventually the baby managed to upright itself.

Barred Owl fledgeling at Gemini Springs | 30-MAR-15

Prairie Warbler at Gemini Springs | 30-MAR-15

Osprey at Gemini Springs | 31-MAR-15

Red Admiral at Gemini Springs | 31-MAR-15

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