The Northeast Coast field trip scheduled for February 4th has been cancelled. The Huguenot Park web site says, “Huguenot Park is closed indefinitely due to damages from Hurricane Matthew,” and as John Hintermister points out, “Without Huguenot it could be a little boring.”
A Dark-eyed Junco showed up at Mike Manetz’s NW Gainesville feeder on the 17th and has made brief appearances every day since then. Mike got a photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30736692@N00/31586128774/in/album-72157594281975202/
On the morning of the 20th Andy Kratter found a Common Goldeneye at Depot Park. It was seen and photographed several times during the day. I notice belatedly that Scott Robinson found another Common Goldeneye – or perhaps the same one – at Sweetwater Wetlands Park on the 15th.
On the afternoon of the 20th Ben Ewing found a Nashville Warbler – the winter’s second – at the University Gardens adjoining Lake Alice, “associating with a feeding flock along the creek near the parking lot.” The University Gardens are on the south side of Museum Road a little east of its intersection with Village Drive.
The Dickcissel is still at Paynes Prairie. It was seen on the morning of the 20th by Caroline Poli and Joe Marchionno. I think it’s most often seen in the section of the weed patch between the boardwalk and the little Sora pond.
I haven’t seen a report of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher since the 18th, but if you happen to be driving on US-41 2.5 miles north of Newberry (give or take half a mile), look around and see if it’s on the wires or out in the fields.
A Peregrine Falcon was seen and photographed by several birders on the 18th, on the power lines near Sparrow Alley. It resembles the one seen along La Chua on the 1st, so it may well be hanging around the Prairie.
That’s a lot of rare-ish birds. Seems like it could be a good weekend to kick off a year list…
On January 14th Fred Bassett came to Alachua County to band hummingbirds. He knew of ten hummingbirds at eight homes, and he successfully captured and banded seven of them: 1 Black-chinned, 2 Ruby-throated, and 4 Rufous. He missed 2 Ruby-throated as well as one that has yet to be seen well enough to be identified.
Speaking of banded birds, I was walking out of Lucky’s Market a couple of days ago when I spotted a House Sparrow wearing color bands. I contacted Jessica Burnett, who was studying House Sparrows here for a while (she’s currently in Nebraska), and she thinks she probably banded it at Pet Supermarket, a fraction of a mile farther north on 13th Street. I’ll have to get a better look at the colors before she can tell me exactly when, but it’s been at least two years ago. The area around 13th Street and 23rd Avenue has one of the few large populations of House Sparrows remaining in Gainesville.
I heard a Brown Thrasher singing in my NE Gainesville neighborhood on the 15th and again on the 19th.
John Killian’s property backs up to the Devil’s Millhopper, and when he looked out the back door on the 19th he saw an interesting sight: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhusbdadfrndteach/32363596546/in/dateposted/
Mark your calendars. Alachua Audubon’s Backyard Birding Tour is set for Saturday, February 25th. Tickets are on sale now at Wild Birds Unlimited. Watch this space for more information.