The B Delivers Again
Yesterday I had the pleasure of leading another field trip for the Tampa Audubon Society out to Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. Eight folks joined me on a walk starting from the main parking lot where we took a loop around alligator alley, about 2.5 miles. Our goal was to see as many birds as possible, and we hoped to see some spring migrants.
Our complete bird list:
3 Black-bellied Whistling Duck
3 Common Ground Dove
21 Common Gallinule
1 Limpkin
45 Wood Stork
16 Anhinga
5 Double-crested Cormorant
10 White Ibis
6 Glossy Ibis
2 Little Blue Heron
2 Tricolored Heron
4 Snowy Egret
12 Great Egret
10 Great Blue Heron
16 Black Vulture
6 Osprey
2 Bald Eagle
2 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Barred Owl
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
2 White-eyed Vireo
2 Gray Catbird
1 Swamp Sparrow
21 Red-winged Blackbird
8 Common Grackle
12 Northern Parula
9 Palm Warbler
6 Northern Cardinal
Most of these birds are year-long residents, with a couple of notable callouts. Northern Parula were in abundance in the park, but they remained high in the canopy and could not be photographed. White-eyed Vireo were also seen and heard, but I was unable to get any clean shots.
The first notable bird that we saw was a Barred Owl. The bird was about 50 feet from the trail, perched high in a tree draped in Spanish Moss. From our position it was impossible to get a clean shot with Spanish Moss hanging in front of the owl. Still, folks love seeing an owl so we took a few moments to appreciate it and speak about their behavior.
Barred Owl. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec, ISO 3200.
One of the first birds I fell in love with as a bird photographer was the Glossy Ibis. I found their colorful iridescent feathers simply spectacular and would always take the time to photograph these birds. On this walk we came across a few Glossies, but the birds were not positioned against the light to allow the iridescence to show its full effect. When this happens, the bird takes on a black / bronze color.
Glossy Ibis. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 500mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1400.
Next we came across a Pileated Woodpecker working over a decaying log on the ground. The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America and, with its flaming red crest, is a striking woodland bird. This example is a male; the red crest of an adult male extends down to the bill base and has a stripe at the base of the bill. I think of it as a red mustache.
Pileated Woodpecker. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 3600.
While our group were there for the birds, most people who come to Circle B are there to see the alligators. And there were plenty of them. They were particularly bountiful in the lake where they were swimming around. Another critter we saw was a raccoon. He was foraging for food along the trail and was not afraid of us in the least as we walked by.
Raccoon. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1250.
We saw a couple of birds eating prey as well. The first was an Anhinga. The Anhinga was swimming in the canal that runs parallel to the trail and would come up with a small fish. I managed to get the following shot with a larger fish, but this was taken against the light. I think the expression of both animals tells the story well enough.
Anhinga. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 180.
Next we came across a Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tree eating a snake. He was only a few feet from the trail, so I stopped down to f/8 to get the whole bird in focus, especially since he was facing away from us.
Red-shouldered Hawk. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 470mm, f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 1100.
I was disappointed we didn’t come across many spring migrants. Even the Palm Warblers were thin in numbers, and we only saw a handful. Here is a photo I took of one high up in the tree which I think works. I wish I could have avoided the out-of-focus green leaves in the foreground though; they are distracting.
Palm Warbler. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 560mm, f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 3600.
On the back end of the trail we saw several trees that lined the lake off in the distance that we filled with Wood Storks. The following shot is just one of those trees. This is where we also saw a couple of Bald Eagles. They like to perch high up in these trees.
Wood Storks. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 180mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 90.
Overall we counted 29 species and 231 individuals. The weather was absolutely perfect and we all had a nice time. If you haven’t been to Circle B, I highly recommend it. it’s a very reliable birding location and I know you will enjoy it.
Happy birding!
