A group of 15 avid birders joined in the fun of discovering species to be found at Cedar Key. This is our last of the season field trip and it did not disappoint. The day was windy and a bit on the chilly side, but there were hungry birds about. We were not able to go to the mounds due to the reconstruction of the area. We, instead, met at the Scrub Jay Park where we had always met in the past. There were several birds calling; Common Yellow Throat, White-eyed Vireo and Carolina Wren to name a few.
Next stop; the mud flats. There were no disappointments here. White Ibis galore, Barn Swallows, many Roseate Spoonbills, Marsh Wrens and a tremendous showing of White Pelicans were on the move.
Our next stop was at the Mulberry Tree. This in the past was one of the best areas for migratory birds. But the Mulberry tree was missing which was probably due to hurricane intervention. A family of Osprey was the excitement for photographers instead.
We then went on our excursion to the Cemetery. The Gray Kingbird was very cooperative for photographers. We met a young man who informed us of a nest of Clapper Rails. He volunteered to show us. We in turn told him of the Kingbird which he was thrilled to “shoot.” He said that earlier there were two adults and 2 juveniles. They were not visible when we arrived, but we were able to see the nest with more eggs and a snake identified as a Marsh Snake.
We then made our way to the museum. There were just a few warblers, such as Prairie, Black & White, and Palm, but the bonus was the Peregrine Falcon that flew over us and lit in a tree very close by.
A fantastic day for birding and then a time to have lunch and reminisce the days adventure. We tallied 58 species Here is the ebird checklist link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S169966092