Owen's wildlife for 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Owene]

A brief return visit to this mornings pool brought some more of Florida’s large water bird species and even better a pair of quite torpid but seemingly mating white peacock butterflies. Really looking forward to seeing some US butterflies.

Like boat tailed grackle I’ve actually seen anhinga before. I’ve probably seen quite a few of todays species before but I have evidence of the anhinga.

A very good day for one with thunderstorms and a long theme park visit

285 anhinga +
286 snowy egret
74 white peacock








Birds 286 Mammals 24 Herp 18 Butterflies 74 Total 401 Lifers 75

 

[Paul Chapman]

I ticked Swallow-tailed Kite at Disney - I think April 2004 - never put that notebook into eBird. One of the outstanding jobs....

All the best

Paul

 

[Owene]

I ticked Swallow-tailed Kite at Disney - I think April 2004 - never put that notebook into eBird. One of the outstanding jobs....

All the best

Paul

Will watch out for kites today. The vulture had me standing trying to focus on it for ages while my wife and daughter waited 😀. Cranes were nice too

 

[Owene]

August 19

Another day at Disneyworld. Amazing numbers of very tame ibis. Pretty sure I had Turkey vulture and cloudless sulphur but will wait for photo confirmation. Had brief views of one of the yellow swallowtails and a swift that should be idable

The definite though and a total stunner was

75 spicebush swallowtail





Birds 286 Mammals 24 Herp 18 Butterflies 75 Total 402 Lifers 76

 

[Frank van Drogen]

while my wife and daughter waited 😀.

You are a truly courageous man!!!

 

[Owene]

August 20th

Our final day at the magic kingdom today. Do have one more day in Animal kingdom tomorrow which has a set aside butterfly area and a reputation for waders in the mammal enclosures. We’ll see. I think the heat has been keeping birds down. I definitely haven’t seen any small birds beyond house sparrows yet

Did manage some soaring vultures and a few more swifts amongst what looked like barn swallows and a tricoloured heron to complete the set of birds we photographed on my last visit to the states 35 years ago. A beautiful bird and close enough for a phone photo.

a common gallinule was a fairly unexciting tick and had a beautiful and unmistakeable Zebra Longwing that unfortunately I couldn’t photograph. Really hope I see more.



287 Turkey vulture
288 chimney swift
289 common gallinule
290 tricoloured heron +
76 zebra longwing

Birds 290 Mammals 24 Herp 18 Butterflies 76 Total 407 Lifers 80

 

[Owene]

August 21st

Morning walk around the pond is still paying off even if my camera is taking a lot of fogging time to deal with switch from air conditioning to total humidity

Better views of red bellied woodpecker and white peacock today. One new dragonfly I think And a nice look at the cormorants and anhinga on grass. But the highlight was a limpkin. Loved the feather pattern on the back. I’m guessing it’s an ibis relative but a very distinctive one

291 limpkin

Birds 291 Mammals 24 Herp 18 Butterflies 76 Total 409 Lifers 81

 

[Owene]

Disney animal kingdom. Half zoo half theme park. I’m not generally into zoos but have to admit the animals were amazing. Lots of water and vegetation meant lots of native wildlife too. Marsh rabbit in the colobus enclosure. Dozens of perched black vultures in the African safari.

Wood duck and northern cardinal were nice additions. Northern cardinal is the first non grackle small bird I’ve seen.

Three types of swallowtail, my first American blue and finally a definite photo of cloudless sulphur after seeing loads. Also I forgot evening bat from last night.

Nice blue dasher too. I’ve not been yearlisting dragonflies but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve seen here.

292 wood duck
293 northern cardinal
25 evening bat
77 tropical striped blue/Cassius blue
78 cloudless sulphur
79 palamedes swallowtail
80 polydamas swallowtail (pictured)
81 eastern tiger swallowtail





Birds 293 Mammals 25 Herp 18 Butterflies 81 Total 417 Lifers 89

 

[Owene]

August 22nd.

Great guided day in the forests of central Florida. Missed out on the bachmans sparrow although it becomes the most illustrious bird on my heard only list but got the endemic Florida scrub Jay regional endemic brown headed nuthatch and endangered Red Cockaded woodpecker and a bunch of other species.

It was very very hot and late august wasn’t the best time to be birding the area although it presumably did help turn up a migrating prairie warbler but we eventually got good views of quite a few species as well as some native reptiles and a load of butterflies and Odonata.

294 red tailed hawk
295 Carolina wren
296 downy woodpecker
297 tufted titmouse
298 Carolina chickadee
299 pine warbler
300 prairie warbler
301 brown headed nuthatch
302 red headed woodpecker
303 red cockaded woodpecker
304 fish crow
305 common grackle
306 red tailed hawk
307 eastern towhee
308 black bellied whistling duck
309 purple gallinule
310 red shouldered hawk
311 ground dove
312 Florida scrub Jay
26 white tailed deer

Ill add the butterflies and reptiles later as I’m nlt sure on the species status of some of them





Birds 312 Mammals 26 Herp 18 Butterflies 81 Total 437 Lifers 109

 

[Owene]

Ok. The turtles I saw were a mixture of native and invasive but there’s only a subspecies difference and I saw the species in Mallorca.

Did see two native lizards after probably 1000s of Cuban brown anole. Fence lizard and six striped racerunner. (Had a gecko last night too but I think it’s an invasive European one I saw in Spain).

Some great butterflies. Got photos of the zebra longwing that I missed the other day but replaced it on the ‘what if’ list with zebra swallowtail which was absolutely beautiful but on a real mission and not stopping. Maybe tomorrow at the botanic gardens.

Two other swallowtails including Pipevine the rarest one. Some lovely yellows and blues and the great gulf fritillary. Like an even cooler queen of Spain frit with a great underside.

19 fence lizard
20 six striped racerunner
82 zebra swallowtail
83 black swallowtail
84 pipevine swallowtail
85 small yellow
86 barred yellow
87 gulf fritillary
88 ceraunus blue
89 zarucco duskywing

Birds 312 Mammals 26 Herp 20 Butterflies 89 Total 447 Lifers 119

 

[Owene]

I know a lot of bird names are silly but when sibley is saying your red bit is ‘virtually invisible’ you have a really silly name.

Admittedly the juvenile has a bit more red. Presumably for a small amount of time

 

[Owene]

August 23rd

Very hot morning walk around Mead botanic gardens in downtown Orlando. Lovely habitat and some nice views of birds and butterflies I’ve already seen. A much nicer Carolina wren than yesterdays who was very moulty. It’s apparently a great migration hotspot but we had to retreat from the heat after a few hours

Two new birds and a new butterfly along the way.

313 northern mockingbird
314 Louisiana waterthrush.
90 viceroy


Birds 314 Mammals 26 Herp 20 Butterflies 90 Total 450 Lifers 122

 

[Scridifer]

August 23rd

Very hot morning walk around Mead botanic gardens in downtown Orlando. Lovely habitat and some nice views of birds and butterflies I’ve already seen. A much nicer Carolina wren than yesterdays who was very moulty. It’s apparently a great migration hotspot but we had to retreat from the heat after a few hours

Two new birds and a new butterfly along the way.

313 northern mockingbird
314 Louisiana waterthrush.
90 viceroy
View attachment 1527903

Birds 314 Mammals 26 Herp 20 Butterflies 90 Total 450 Lifers 122

That's a stunner!

Chris

 

[Owene]

That's a stunner!

Chris

It really was. Such deep colours. Just seen another one by the hotel

Went for an afternoon walk that largely told me why I haven’t been going for afternoon walks. Got so hot the camera was shaking alarmingly.

Did have a second improved view of the black snake I saw a few days ago. Black racer rather than eastern indigo I think.

Had the amazing Halloween pennant and a fiery skipper that was a lot less memorable. Your basic small skipper type really. But the pennant was ace. Had some cool Odonata out here.

91 fiery skipper

Edit
According to the hotel desk the gecko on my balcony is (tropical) house gecko will try for a photo tonight but will take their word for it

21 house gecko





Birds 314 Mammals 26 Herp 21 Butterflies 91 Total 452 Lifers 124

 

[Owene]

Keeping working the pools by the hotel is really paying off. A pair of hauled up alligators. One a total monster on the pool behind the gas station

Had to be at least 10 feet long. When I returned an hour later it had gone though the small one was still there. Saw them on an Everglades bot tour when I was a kid. But that’s nothing like turning a corner you’ve walked a few times excited because there was a flying passerine and suddenly seeing them. Passerine was a mockingbird





22 American alligator +

Birds 314 Mammals 26 Herp 22 Butterflies 91 Total 453 Lifers 124

 

[Owene]

August 24th

One of the things I’ve really liked here, and yesterday’s alligators are a prime example arr the ways wildlife is visible in really inhabited spaces.

Spent the day at universal studios, not that much new to be seen but did have a very low Osprey on the big ornamental lake and a few Florida softshell turtle. Nice extra reptile for the trip

Universal wasn’t a patch on disneyworld for service or just general tone but had some cool rides.




23 Florida softshell turtle

Birds 314 Mammals 26 Herp 23 Butterflies 91 Total 454 Lifers 125

 

[Owene]

August 26th

Off home tomorrow so this will probably be the last addition for a bit.

Trip to the gulf coast today for some manatee watching. Amazing things and being out on the boats brought a lot of other wildlife too. The trip included a visit to a rehabilitation park for Florida native wild life and got some even closer looks at the species. There was the option to swim near them in the wild section but I really dislike wearing wet suits and I was happy on the boat moored between two small islands with a constant stream of bird activity. Quite a few species we didn’t get in Orlando which was great, our first gulls and waders although I’d seen both in the U.K.

A couple of the species below were best guesses until I look at the proper photos.

315 brown pelican
316 belted kingfisher
317 red winged blackbird
318 yellow warbler (although a bit put off by it being an early migrant. Will look at ebird a bit more

Edit. Looks spot on for female yellow warbler


319 spotted sandpiper +
320 wood stork
321 American redstart. (Again my best guess. Female. Have plenty of photos)
322 pileated woodpecker
323 great crested flycatcher
27 West Indian manatee
24 southern toad
25 Florida red bellied turtle/cooter

Birds 323 Mammals 27 Herp 25 Butterflies 91 Total 466 Lifers 136

 

[Owene]

August 27th

Finally home after a long journey that only added one bird. A bunch of tree swallows. I’d possibly seen them before and mistaken them for barn but good to finally confirm

324 tree swallow

Birds 324 Mammals 27 Herp 25 Butterflies 91 Total 467 Lifers 137

 

[Owene]

Working through some romanian photos, fairly sure I can add False Grayling but will wait on confirmation but also think this is Oburthur's Grizzled Skipper.




92 Oburthurs Grizzled Skipper
93 false grayling


Birds 324 Mammals 27 Herp 25 Butterflies 93 Total 469 Lifers 139

 

[Owene]

Not sure if it's seeing all the british butterflies and my collection urge kicking in but I'm getting more and more fascinated by dragonflies. Florida had some real stunners even if they were probably everyday insects for locals.










I loved how the male Pondhawk was a totally run of the mill blue skimmer type but the female (middle one) was something totally different.