10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2014

You are going, right? After all, you have to have goals, right? I fly in to Orlando early Tuesday morning and I will immediately head west to Tampa in search of these two countable exotics. That’s why you go to Space Coast, right? Here are mine… 5. Add Nanday Parakeet and Budgerigar to my ABA Life List.

Wildlife 175

Wildlife Tampa Alligators 2012 175

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2013

Hopping almost right next to me, I later identified it as the Boat-tailed Grackle ! Their wedding, which was beautiful, was held right on the beach. Sunday we had to head to Tampa to take a flight home, Brian back to the Richmond area for work and me to Washington. Boat-tailed Grackle. Great Egret.

Florida 167

Florida DC Washington Birds 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2013

From the 1940s to the 1970s, the species rapidly spread from the southern tip of the peninsula to areas north of Lake Okeechobee including the Tampa-St. According to the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas, the first confirmed breeding record was in Miami in July of 1938. Petersburg area and Cape Canaveral.

Florida 197

Florida Virgin Islands Miami Breeders 197

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2014

That’s right, the salvation of my birding day relied upon me laying eyes on a Nanday Parakeet. Petersburg, which is where I was headed after dipping the Bar-tailed Godwit north of Tampa. Sadly, none of the dwindling population of introduced Budgerigars showed themselves to me and the vagrant Bar-tailed Godwit was a second dip.

Florida 264

Florida Parrots Tampa 2004 264