10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Like my two previous visits I spent one day that I didn’t have to lead any field trips doing a run through central Florida looking for some of the specialty species of the region. From 1993 to 2004, biologists released 289 captive-raised whooping cranes into central Florida. That number has continued to shrink.

Cattle 206

Cattle Florida Bald Eagle Endangered Species 206

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

So what’s so special about seeing the resident re-introduced Whooping Cranes in Florida? Moreover, the pair I saw was feeding from a livestock trough alongside a group of cattle. One of the last remaining Whooping Cranes in the non-migratory Florida flock. According to the ABA, they are not countable.

Florida 236

Florida Buffalo Louisiana 2004 236

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

Pantanal is about the size of Florida and is the largest fresh water swamp in the world; it is full of birds and other wildlife making it one the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Hundreds-of-thousands of cattle share the swampy fields with the most exotic reptiles, mammals, fish, birds, insects and humans.

Brazil 116

Brazil Otters Reptiles Birds 116

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Whooping Crane, Florida. There is a small resident population in Polk County, Florida, in the middle of the peninsula, mostly on protected land, and once in a while they show up in a place where they can be easily observed. So, I was excited to read reports in late 2017 of a pair of Whooping Cranes being seen on a cattle farm.

2018 167

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2019

He raised his binoculars above his head and cried out with courage and clarity, “I am Sparticus!” Emerald Tanager – Tangara florida. Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis. Something needed to be done. Somebody had to take one for the team. Mike fixed me with his cold, steely, gray-eyed stare. 25 Nov 2019.

2019 142

2019 Farming Sparrows Charlotte 142