Monday, December 05, 2005, Circle B Bar
Got started about 9 this morn. It was cool, but short sleeves felt good. Also gave the skeeters more skin to bite. Very quite at the start. I photo'ed two Sandhill Cranes at the west gate area. Then went to the east gate. The old standby Golden-silk Spider was still on it's web at the start of the trail. Walked all the way to where the Black-and-yellow Argiope Spiders web was located. Photo'ed the spider and a Wild Balsam Apple that was open and the seeds visible. Walking on toward the marsh, started seeing the Carolina Satyrs waking up. Photo'ed some of them. Saw a Red-shouldered hawk fly into a tree at the edge of the marsh, but lost sight of it. Photo'ed a Sleepy Orange Butterfly. A bunch of Black Vultures are flying today. Could see Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Palm Warbler in the trees and bush. Found the chrysalis that my daughter and I had found the last time out. It appeared to be dead. It had opened and could see the body of a butterfly. Photo'ed some black wooley caterpillers on the trail. Saw some Killdeer on the marsh trail. Got a distant photo of one. Could hear some Sandhill Crane, and saw Wood Stork in the marsh and flying. In the middle of the marsh trail, photo'ed a Great Blue Heron, a Tricolored Heron and a Wood Stork. Also saw a Little Blue Heron in the pond. Photo'ed a Red-shouldered Hawk in a tree on the west edge of the marsh. Also photo'ed a Great Egret and another Great Blue Heron. Saw several Palm Warbler on the edge of the trail, got a photo of one. There were a lot of yellow flowers in the marsh. I think they are Beach Sunflower. Knees were hurting again and cut the walk short. Weather was overcast, but good. A short, but good walk. ........... Herman

Saturday, December 10, 2005, Saddle Creek Park
Just a quick stop at the park this morn. The Black Vultures were still hanging around the boat ramp. I got several photos of them, then had to leave. .......................... Herman

Monday, December 12, 2005, Circle B Bar
Today , had a couple of friends from Panama City visiting and we took in Circle B. Did not get out until after 3 PM, but had a good day. With the construction we just did a short walk as time was also limited. Walked through the woods to the start of the marsh and out on the marsh trail, but then backtracked and took the Oak Hammock trail. Saw the usual wading birds, but the highlight was two Fox Squirrels. One of the squirrels jumped into a palm tree and slipped off the frond. It fell about 25 feet, but jumped back up the tree. We saw two eagles, one perched in a tree at long distance and the other flying. ........ Herman

Saturday, December 17, 2005, Christmas Bird Count
Today was the Lake Region Audubon CBC. It was raining and cold. My team was lucky as most of it could be covered by vehicle. The first stop was the Audubon property near Eaton Park. We tried the south side and in the pond saw some Pied-bill Gerbes. Also saw and heard Red-shouldered Hawks. The next place was Crystal Lake where we saw a variety of gulls, blackbirds, crow, dove, ibis and others. We then drove up the west shore of Lake Parker to Bridgewater. Bridgewater was very good. Much work has been done and the roads wind around the ponds from Lake Parker Av to near the Socrum Loop and SR 33 intersection. Saw and photo'ed my first White Morph Little Blue Heron. I was using my 300mm lens with a monopod and with the rain and dark sky it was shaky. We saw Yellowlegs, Sandpipers, Foresters Tern, Caspian Tern, Red-shouldered Hawk, Long-billed Dowitchers, Hooded Mergansers, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Osprey, Brown Pelican and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Bridgewater was very nice and worth another visit, but it is not yet open. We then went to the Polk County Landfill. We had to go in a landfill truck. The rain had mostly stopped but it was still very overcast. Saw 3 young eagle near the first pond. and many eagle, vulture and gulls. One high point of the visit was the sighting of a new eagle nest. Saw several Cattle Egrets and many Wood Stork. While at the landfill another team notified us that they had spotted a European Wigon in a pond north of the landfill. We went there and located it. Too distant and dark for a photo. A wet, cool, but fun day. ................... Herman

Wednesday, December 21, 2005, Circle B Bar
Due to the cool weather, got a late (10 am) start. During the CBC on the 17th a new eagle nest had been sighted on Circle B. It was on the back side where the trails do not go. Due to the construction again, I walked out and just carried the 300mm. Photoed some Great Egred and flying Ibis. Also got a flying Sandhill Crane. Photoed a Vulture and then spotted an Eagle perched on a limb above the nest. Got several photos. Also got photos of an Eagle flying and a Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tree.Walked out on the marsh berm to where the bridge had been. Also photo'ed some Little Blue Heron and an Alligator. The sky was still overcast. ...................... Herman

Friday, December 23, 2005, Circle B Bar
No active construction activity today so I drove the route to the eagle nest. Enroute, photo'ed Meadowlark, Great Blue Heron, Northern Pintail, Mallards, Little Blue Heron, Ibis, Wood Stork, Bald Eagle, Palm Warbler, an Eagle on the nest and the nesting pair of Eagle perched on a tree together. I was able to get very close and got a good pic of them. Also saw two large hogs. Driving back in got a Tricolored Heron, some Killdeer, Yellowleg, a Pied-billed Grebe and a American Pipit. Back near the gate I watched a Krestel. Overall a very good day. The weather was clearing some and at least no rain. ...... Herman

Saturday, December 24, 2005, Circle B Bar
My daughter and son-in-law were down for Christmas and she wanted to see the eagle nest. We drove out and were able to see an eagle on the nest as well as a young eagle in the marsh. She also got a good photo of a male Common Yellowthroat. I got some photos of her (my best bird of the year). ...................... Herman

Thursday, December 29, 2005, Lake Morton
After my part-time job I stopped by Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland. It was a little after three and with the sun in the west, I walked the west shore. Photo'ed some Canada Geese, a Great Blue Heron, some Ring-necked Ducks, black Swan and white Mute Swan, white ducks, Mallards, Coots, Ring-billed Gull, Wood Stork, White Ibis, White Pelican, Greater White-fronted Geese, and Snowy Egret. A short outing, but a good one. The Greater White-fronted Geese are the latest additions for the year as the other birds have been back for a while. I drive around this lake several times each week, but seldom stop. I will just have to stop more often as no telling what will turn up here. This is a great lake for people to get close to the birds as even the Wood Stork and Herons will let you get close and if you are not careful the swans and geese will put a hurting on you. ........................... Herman

Friday, December 30, 2005, Circle B Bar
Got an early start in the fog this morn. Went in the west gate and drove the trail After crossing the first creek, spotted a Krestel in a tree and got a foggy photo of it. Continued on and took several foggy landscapes, then spotted a young eagle in a tree and got some foggy photos of it. Drove on out to the end of the road and photo'ed a Killdeer on the ground. The fog was lifting and as I neared the eagle nest, saw the eagle perched in a tree, Got several photos. Then photo'ed a Mockingbird on a tree limb. Saw the Eagle again perched atop a dead tree. Took a few photos and then photo'ed a Phoebe that was in a bush. Photo'ed some ducks including Mallards and Pintails out in the marsh and a Palm Warbler in a bush. Saw over a dozen Sandhill Crane today and got some photos of them. Also photo'ed swarms of duck as they flew from and to the pond. Saw the Eagle flying over the marsh and getting after some Killdeer. It caught a Killdeer and landed in the marsh. After feeding it flew to the nest. While driving back to the gate, photo'ed some Red-shouldered Hawk and a Krestel. Exited the west gate and went to the east gate. Drove to the lake. Photo'ed a Krestel that flew to the top of a tree. At the lake photo'ed a spider web, a moon flower and a spider. Walked on and got an Anhinga on the lakeside amd a Little Blue Heron in the marsh pond. Also photo'ed a White and a Glossy Ibis in the pond. Saw four young Eagles sitting in a tree in the marsh. They flew several times and were after small birds. One caught a bird and landed back in the tree. The other three came back empty taloned. Got several photos of them. Walking back to the car, photo'ed a Green Heron, an Anhinga and a Great Blue Heron. A very good outing today. Had sunshine mostly after the fog lifted. ............................ Herman