Gainesville’s own Gina Kent is the cover girl for the April-May issue of the Nature Conservancy’s magazine.
You can read about Mac Stone’s photography for this article, and see some of the photos that didn’t get used, at this link: http://blog.nature.org/science/magazine/outtakes-going-great-heights-swallow-tailed-kites-birds-photography/
Spring migrants are beginning to pour through. American Redstarts have been reported daily since April 1st. On the 6th Ron Robinson had two males in his birdbath at once: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/25713758333/in/dateposted-public/
John Hintermister had the spring’s first Worm-eating Warbler at San Felasco Hammock on March 29th, by four days a new early record for the county, and on the following day two were seen, one by Pamela Graber at San Felasco and one by Trina Anderson at her home in SW Gainesville. Becky Enneis had one at her drip pool on April 6th: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/26224124412/in/dateposted-public/
Blackpoll Warblers have also checked in earlier than usual. Felicia Lee reported one at San Felasco on April 3rd, by eight days an early record for this normally-late spring migrant, and Matt O’Sullivan saw one on the UF campus on the 5th, which would have been an early record if not for Felicia’s sighting. We don’t usually see our first of the year until about April 20th, and most sightings are in May.
Jessica Hightower had the spring’s first Blue Grosbeak at La Chua on April 3rd. That’s another pretty early bird. Until a few years ago the early record was April 10th.
Lloyd Davis had the season’s first Orchard Oriole singing at La Chua on the 4th, and on the 7th Debbie Segal saw several more: ” I noticed a lot of bird activity in a large oak tree in a NW Gainesville neighborhood this morning about 8 am. As I looked through my binocs, I saw one Orchard Oriole after another, both males and females, actively feeding in the tree. There were at least 6 but could have been more.”
The spring loon migration seems to be running behind this year: 373 flyover loons have been counted over Gainesville as of April 8th, compared to 620 as of April 8, 2015, and 702 as of April 8, 2014. But in 2013, only 234 loons had been tallied by April 8th; 239 more were counted after that date. Andy is hoping that he’ll have a late movement of bird this year as well. You can help by watching the sky during the second hour after sunrise. Marvin Smith photographed three very northerly migrants over Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, at 9:30 in the morning on April 3rd. He was able to get a nice photo of one of them: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/26220158995/in/dateposted-public/
Speaking of good photos, Ron Robinson was able to get an excellent picture of a Chuck-will’s-widow, often heard but rarely seen, on his property west of Gainesville on April 3rd: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/26194194076/in/dateposted-public/
Alice Reakes saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes with a recent hatchling on April 3rd: “Driving south across Paynes Prairie I saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes with a little chick in the first pasture on the west side of the 441, north rim. I was checking out all the new baby calves in that pasture and happened to see the cranes.” She said the youngster was still downy and about ten inches tall. Jennifer Donsky saw a Sandhill sitting on a nest in the Savannah Pointe neighborhood, on the edge of Paynes Prairie, on April 7th.
Fred Bassett recently sent out his Southeast regional hummingbird-banding report for winter 2015-16. “Our Hummingbird Research banding crew has completed another winter hummingbird banding season in the Southeast. Fred Dietrich, Mary Wilson, Donna Carroll, and I combined to band 132 hummingbirds of eight species. Those included 75 Ruby-throated, 26 Rufous, 22 Black-chinned, 4 Buff-bellied, 2 Calliopes, 1 Allen’s, 1 Broad-tailed, and 1 White-eared. The lower-than-average number of banded birds was driven by the lowest number of Rufous since 1999/2000. Without the highest number ever of Ruby-throated, it would have been a dismal season….I think the decrease in Rufous over the past four winters is part of a natural cycle I have observed twice in the past 20 years. I’m looking forward to an increase next winter.”
This weekend’s Alachua Audubon field trips include one that involves a fairly long drive (36 miles, 50 minutes) to Fort White Wildlife and Environmental Area in northern Gilchrist County for a three-mile stroll through the pinewoods on Saturday the 9th, and a walk along the La Chua Trail on Sunday the 10th. Details are on the Audubon web site: https://alachuaaudubon.org/classes-field-trips/
Join Alachua Audubon on Wednesday, April 13th at 6:30 pm for the annual pot luck dinner celebration and help us welcome our newest AAS Board Members. This event will be held at Bubba and Ingrid Scales’s house at 3002 SW 1st Way, Gainesville, located in the Colclough Hills neighborhood across from Sweetwater Wetlands Park between south Main Street and Williston Road. (Look for the AAS signs!) Bring some food to share and a drink of choice, and enjoy visiting with Alachua Audubon members and the Board of Directors.