Later today I’ll hold a press conference to announce that I’m withdrawing from the European Union. I’m calling it the Rexit.
Say, two things to remember: (1.) I need your June Challenge totals in my email inbox by midnight on June 30th, that is to say sixty seconds after 11:59 p.m. on June 30th. Only those who get them to me on time will be eligible for awards. (2.) The June Challenge party and awards ceremony will be held beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 1st, at Becky Enneis’s house in Alachua. Here’s a map showing Becky’s place: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p7B11MuC4CM9N3eTT7sx1HFWyIs&usp=sharing
On Friday morning Danny Shehee found at least one, maybe two, Gray Catbirds singing at Tumblin Creek Park at 6th and Depot, where one (or, again, maybe two) spent last June. He got a photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/27275386433/in/dateposted-public/ The bird was seen later in the afternoon by Jonathan Mays, and toward evening by Lloyd Davis and myself.
As Lloyd and I stood by the creek at the northwest corner of the park, waiting for the catbird to show, Lloyd told me that he’d be meeting Tom Tompkins at the airport on Saturday morning in hopes of seeing a fairly reliable Cooper’s Hawk. He invited me to join them, so I did, and sure enough at about 7:00-7:15 a Cooper’s came flying over the pines south of the FAA tower and went for some Mourning Doves on the edge of the runway. Though a fence got in its way – the doves got through, while the hawk had to go over – it recovered quickly, chased down a dove in flight, and went pinwheeling down to the ground with its prey. It was a spectacular sight, but alas, neither of my companions – both of whom live and breathe photography – was wearing a camera at the time! One curious thing. When the Cooper’s first came into view it was flapping much more deeply and slowly than a Cooper’s usually does. I wondered if it was mimicking a crow to avoid alarming the doves.
Afterward Lloyd and I went to Gum Root Swamp in hope of seeing an early-migrant Louisiana Waterthrush. No such luck, though. On the 12th Barbara Shea and I had made the same walk in search of a Prothonotary Warbler and I’d been surprised at the absence of mosquitoes. They’re absent no more. Lloyd and I were slapping at them constantly.
Jonathan Mays writes, “Have you gone after Eastern Wood-Pewee yet? I did my 10-mile running loop at San Felasco (north of Millhopper Road) again on Sunday and had better luck this go, though still not easy. I heard the one that others have been seeing/reporting right where the western portion of the red trail meets the yellow trail. It was calling from pretty far off though with no chance of a visual (a Hooded Warbler was also calling in this area but way off to the east, likely where it drops down to more hammock area). I made the loop around and caught up to another pair of pewees, seen together off the yellow trail very near the #05 trail marker (those 4×4 posts with black #’s on a white background). Dunno why I had such trouble with pewee this year but at least I got 20 miles of exercise from the chase (10 this past Sunday and 10 the week before).”
Jonathan also told me that he’d found Helmeted Guineafowl, which is not ABA-countable but which will serve as a tiebreaker, along CR-241 north of Alachua but south of the Mill Creek Preserve and CR-236.
I was surprised and somewhat horrified to see Black-crowned Night-Herons snatch up Common Gallinule chicks on two occasions at La Chua early this month, but a little research shows that they eat a lot of young birds, including other herons. Some examples (the tender-hearted might want to skip these):
– An immature Black-crowned flew in and took this fledgling Green Heron right off its perch: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/black-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-attacks-green-heron-fledgling-i-watched-amazement-as-fly-grab-off-its-perch-64823097.jpg
– Adult eating a Cattle Egret chick: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/files/pictures/Black-crowned_Night-heron.JPG
– Another Cattle Egret chick, a pretty big one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkE6e7IjkyM
Paynes Prairie volunteer Tom Wronski writes, “The La Chua trail will be closed for three days, from Monday June 27 to Wednesday June 29, for a habitat restoration project which involves herbicide application. The Cones Dike trail and Bolen Bluff trail will be closed for a single day during the week of June 27 to July 1. Call the Ranger Station for more details before planning a visit to those trails, 352-466-3397.”