From: Rex Rowan <rexrowan@gmail.com>
To: Alachua County birding report
Chris Cattau, kayaking on Newnans Lake this evening, photographed a Common Loon at the north end of the lake, “slowly swimming 100+ yards off the west shore, may be visible from Palm Point soon if it continues.” Probably not now – he emailed me at 7:30 – but it might be worth checking tomorrow. Here’s his picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/18562990408/in/dateposted-public/
Remember, though, that tomorrow is also the Burrowing Owl field trip. Carpool if you can – we’ve got something like 43 people on the list to go! Meet at 7:30 at the county park at the south end of SW 250th Street.
At 1:05 this afternoon Peter Polshek wrote, “Just saw an adult dark-phase Short-tailed Hawk over the eastern portion of the Lake Alice Conservation Area. I was at the corner of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive.” That’s three sightings in less than a month – one near Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, one near the Devils Millhopper, and one at Lake Alice. Are Short-tailed Hawks nesting in Gainesville now, or is this a very wide-ranging single bird?
Ron Robinson and I took a walk at San Felasco Hammock this morning – Yellow Trail, Hammock Cutoff, and Blue-Yellow Trail – and found Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatchers, a male Hooded Warbler tending a youngster, singing Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher feeding a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird.
Have you looked at our “Meet the Birders of Alachua County” page lately? It might help you put a face with a name you’ve read before. There are now 88 birders on it, including a dozen new photos: https://alachuaaudubon.org/meet-the-birders/ If you’re an Alachua County birder, please send me a picture and I’ll add you too.