It was a phenomenal day at Sam and Allie’s nursery. We had 18 participants. The weather was cool, sunny and Sam set up some chairs inside his office for our viewing.
The Painted Buntings flew in and out of the feeders as we gazed out the window at the lovely garden. The only word I can use to describe the experience is enchanting. It was challenging to count them, but we estimated about 15, but there could have been more. There were also Indigo Buntings.
Allie provided some light refreshments. Sam took us on a tour of the nursery grounds. We learned about the many native species of trees and plants. There was a tree full of Cedar Waxwings and a very vocal Crested Flycatcher singing on the tree top, and to our surprise, a Cape May Warbler appeared.
Afterwards a few of us went over the Savannas Recreation Area and walked around a bit. The highlight there was a Sandhill Crane sitting on her nest and a Pileated Woodpecker flying from tree to tree.
Special thanks to Sam and Allie for inviting us to see their beautiful garden and to Doris for recording the bird list and Steve for sharing his wonderful photos.
Private Property - Sam and Allies’s Garden, 27 Species
Raptors & Allies: Black Vulture
Wading Birds: Great Egret; White Ibis
Rapters & Allies: Black Vulture; Swallow-tailed Kite; Bald Eagle
Cranes: Sandhill Crane
Doves: Mourning Dove; Common Ground-Dove; Eurasian Collard Dove
Woodpeckers: Red-Bellied Woodpecker; Downy Woodpecker
Empidonax: Great-crested Flycatcher
Corvidae: Blue Jay; Fish Crow
Swallows: Tree Swallow
Mimids: Gray Catbird; Northern Mockingbird
Starlings: European Starlings
Waxwings: Cedar Waxwing
Wood Warblers: Palm Warbler; Cape May Warbler
Cardinals & Allies: Northern Cardinal; Indigo bunting; Painted bunting
Blackbirds: Boat-tailed Grackle; Common Grackle
Savannas Recreation Area
Osprey; King Fisher; Cattle Egret; Great Blue Heron; Sandhill Crane; Pileated Woodpecker, Common Gallinule; Limpkin
Photos by Steve Brookens
