Week 11 (3/17/19), Week 12 (3/24/19) and Week 13 (3/31/19) - Playing Catch Up!

Better late than never? Oy vey, it has been far too long. There are no real excuses, save for the fact that Week 12 was rather uneventful, though really that just means I should have had plenty of opportunity to do the write up for both weeks. But I didn't... Eh, what can you do?

So, let's deal with how I'm doing first. The short answer is that I am doing pretty well - my house is in order and has stayed in order for about two weeks now. I am still eating terribly. I have been very busy of an evening, with many much D&D including on Friday my first proper time DMing a game, which felt like it went pretty well. Also had fun yesterday, but more of that when we get to Week 13.

So, Week 11:

The main birding this time focused on a chance to meet up with Sam on his way back from a crazy 3000+ mile round trip to Texas. The Red-necked Grebe (bird 403) was being seen again back at Huguenot and was looking a little more red of neck, Sam was eager to see that guy as well as the semi-regular Rusty Blackbirds at the M&M Dairy, also on the Northside of Jacksonville.

But first:

Muscovy momma bear with seventeen (17!) ducklings hanging out at work. I guess she was applying for a loan for a minivan, or possible full-size bus

And so, to Huguenot we go. 

The one and only Wilson's Plover I saw that day. Look at the size of that schnoz!

Young White Ibis with a some sand on his face. Mucky pup 

Couple of LAGUs - Laughing Gulls, that is - enjoying a little dabble in the surf

Dapper Dunlin - that should be the official name for them - I shall submit a request to AOS

A couple of Oystercatchers looking like they want to catch some oysters

I such a sucker for Egrets, this guy looked Great (Egret)!

UIber-close-up of another LAGU - lovely little white eyelashes. 

Another striking egret, this time a Snowy Egret on the hunt

First-of-the-year Brown-headed Cowbirds for Duval

The picture didn't take very well, but still represents the best picture I have of Common Ground-Doves (there's a second one hiding in the back)

So that's the pictures from Week 11, but now I have some videos as well (they can be found on the Avian Adventures YouTube channel). 

That's my first proper attempt using the Phoneskope digiscope adapter with my binoculars. It's not worked this well every time, but I think that will come with practice. 

Here's that Dapper Dunlin from earlier. There was plenty of opportunity to get these guys as they aren't shy - in fact they nearly got so close I couldn't focus on them with the scope anymore. 

Oystercatchers catching oysters. What more can you ask for?

There's my first video of Common Ground-Doves

And now to Week 12. Ok, so I have almost no bird pics from Week 12, just little bits and pieces as I was at work, plus some cute animal pics from home. 

American Crow at Publix

Rowan being her typical Roast Beast self. Apologies for FB users who may have already seen this pic. 

Sprungli being a giant floof. She's been very clingy lately. 

Week 13! We made it!

So the absolute highlight of my week was being able to take Trevor and his little miscreants out for some Saturday School birding adventures. We first went to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park here in Jacksonville and followed that up with my first ever time on a military base (that I can remember) where I had to curb my natural instinct to take pictures and use binoculars. Trevor gave me the impression there would loud alarms, sirens and men with guns should I be using either of those items in close proximity to Important Things and frankly, I think he was only half joking if at all. 

The two young Birders-in-Training - but what's that they're looking at?

Ah yes, the magnificent Anhinga - in this instance a male getting ready for breeding with the blue around his eyes

While neither a good picture nor a particularly unusual bird, the Northern Cardinal is an absolute hit with the girls. I think it helps that they get to see them at home

And here's a couple of vids from the day. You can hear the girls talking back and forth and Trevor doing everything he can to bump and nudge the scope at every opportunity. 

We were tracking this guy for a good ten minutes having initial seen him perched up in some trees, he then flew around, diving and catching fish and settled here for a while for us to get a good look in the scope. 

Next up for scrutiny was this Great Blue Heron. He was unwilling to properly look down the lens, but what can you do?

Finally, seen from the beach on the base, this cluster of maybe 150+ pelicans was hanging out on the jetty on the south side of the inlet, just across the river from my nemesis, the Purple Sandpiper! In addition you can see my first-of-the-year Black Scoters. 

I had a wonderful time as Professor Phil, taking the opportunity to throw in a little education while hopefully building some enthusiasm for nature (though there was plenty of interest already). From what I could tell, the girls (and Trevor for that matter) had a good time and it was really nice to have a chance to do some hands-on nature-teaching-stuff. Hopefully this will help keep them interested in the wildlife around them as they get older. Keeping people enthusiastic about wildlife is one of the stated goals of this blog, so today at least I feel like I have succeeded. 

Huguenot Memorial City Park list

M&M Dairy list

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park list

Mayport Naval Station list (note, not accessible without appropriate access)

Week 10 (3/10/19) - Heart to Heart

This post is very stream of consciousness. I would apologize for that, but I truthfully don't think I care whether that bothers you... so... sorry not sorry. Today, you get Phil un-Philtered.

This week has been rather slow from a birding point of view. Not a surprise after the trip down to Miami really, but nevertheless I was stunned to see that I had taken a total of just four photos this week. Of those four photos, only one contained any birds! I didn't undertake any significant trips, with my only real birding outing a visit to the house of a birding couple here in town to try and see a Clay-colored Sparrow they've had visiting their feeders. Alas, no joy.

One of several feeders at Cheri and Rich's. Immature and mature Chipping Sparrows are currently enjoying the blend on offer

So with my one picture and essentially all of the bird talk out of the way, let's get back to the other half of this blog - my health. Real talk; I have been doing awfully lately. I meant to weigh myself this morning so I could include some info when writing this post, but I opted to stay in bed instead. My assumption based on my recent eating habits is that I will have regained any weight I manage to lose and probably added more on top.

I have moments where I make good decisions, but rarely whole days. Without being able to go whole days making good decisions, it is hard to make progress. Today has been relatively good, I walked over 4000 steps, which may not sound like much, but that only happens if I got out of my way to get off my ass while I'm at work. If I don't intentionally and deliberately make an effort I barely hit 2000 steps in a day.

In general I'm just struggling with finding motivation, despite knowing how much better I will feel if I eat better, exercise more and bring the house under control. Isn't that crazy though? I literally know with near certainty that I will feel better if I do those things, yet I actively chose not to do them. I instead opt to sit in bed watching TV shows or playing computer or both. I understand that I'm not the only person who feels like this and if you can identify with how I'm feeling, know that you're not alone. We can sit in the mire together.

Much as I would love this to be an inspiration blog that really encourages people to help become the best version of themselves, I think for the foreseeable future I may have to settle for being a blog that encourages people to accept that if they aren't the best version of themselves but that's ok. Long term, I would love to be the best Phil I can possibly Phil, but right now just Phil-ing at all is enough. Does that make sense?

I'm really good at putting on a mask, so good in fact that I've fooled myself at times. I'm not wearing it right now - hence the long meandering post. I know that I'm not doing well but you know what? I am trying to do better. I cooked a genuine meal today. I didn't buy it mostly or entirely made by a store. I combined ingredients (include fresh veggies) to create an honest-to-goodness meal. It made me feel good to cook and create something tasty based on zero recipe, just me throwing stuff together. I do need to try and do that more.

So where does that leave me? Well, if today is any indication it tells me that I am capable of dragging my lazy ass out of my chair at work to get some exercise, it tells me that I am capable of putting forth some effort in the kitchen to create something tasty. Now I just need to get the house in order. I keep kicking that particular can down the road. I've never really enjoyed cleaning, but I think I really need to just knuckle down and stop procrastinating.

The plan, then, moving forwards is as follows:

• Build on today's efforts to exercise, even if it is just a couple of short walks, that's better than nothing. If I can muster something more energetic then great, if not, that's actually really ok
• Enjoy leftovers tomorrow but be thinking about other good meal choices moving forward. Get back into the swing of cooking more regularly - maybe even get back to prepping meals on the weekend to enjoy during the week?
• Try to hold myself accountable and get the house back to house standards by the end of Sunday. I legitimately think that will help raise my spirits. If you are reading this, you have my permission to ask me if I've made any progress at any point between now and Monday. In fact, that would be really helpful

So there we are - that's where I'm at. I'm still here, still battling with things, still trying. I hope to bring you an update for Week 11 which involves me having made positive strides in all three areas. 

Here's another picture of Rowan (that's two pics from this week, woot)

She had been tearing it up outside in the long (at the time) grass - can you tell?

No checklists of note this week. Maybe next week? There's a lot turning up in Duval right now, so maybe a mini-tour of the county is in order?

Week 9 (3/3/19) - To Miami and Beyon... Oh wait, To Miami and that's it

Remember how I went to Palm Beach County a few weeks ago - two days in a row, looking for a rare bird. What if I told you I went even further this week? Only once though, just one day - but further, yes indeedy.

But first, literally two pictures from earlier in the week.

20+ White Ibises at the office on Tuesday. It's not unusual for them to group in small grassy areas like this

My new hat with all the optional extras attached. No more burnt ears or swallowing bugs with that bad boy, oh no

And with the addition of my new hat, I was ready to head south to Miami-Dade for the first time.

Early start - was on the road around 2:15 or thereabouts

Those who followed my adventure on Facebook would have seen the crazy hellish time I had getting breakfast. The day went better after covfefe was in my hand. 

I like these complex overlapping intersections. There's something very satisfying about it

Miami heading south on I95

I am arrived! This is the parking lot at Crandon Park

 I began my visit at Crandon Park by promptly parking in the wrong part of the part. However, that was not so bad as it turned out. I ran into a group who had travelled down from Tampa to look for birds, and I was in the area where a Bananaquit had been recently reported. We had a look around for the Bananaquit but were unable to find it. There were some great consolation birds though.

Egyptian Geese - very small geese and very friendly. There are a number of populations throughout Florida, but not all are considered countable. The Miami birds are well established and breeding, though, so people have accepted them

Sandhill Cranes are usually fairly aloof and unfriendly birds - not these guys. They got up within a few inches

Lifer 407! Totally unexpected - White-crowned Pigeon. 

This was the only view and therefore only picture I got. I was just pleased to get it at all. I hadn't really planned on going for anything other than the three targets: Western Spindalis, Thick-billed Vireo and La Sagra's Flycatcher. Getting the White-crowned Pigeon was a massive plus. Any time you can start a day with a lifer is a good day. I look forward to getting a better look at these guys at a later date. 

Indian Peafowl - as with the Egyptian Geese, these guys are breeding and well established. I love the focus on this pic

Egyptian Goose family - told you they were breeding! Look at those babbos!

Apparently I took this in portrait... not sure why... Muscovy Duck, yet another established feral species

 After failing to find the Bananaquit, I moved to the correct parking lot and was greeted by a small horde of birders who had just had eyes on the Thick-billed Vireo. I joined in the binoculared masses and scoured the bushes for the Vireo and Spindalis. While searching a call came up - Western Spindalis. Everyone hurried around to the other side of the trees, only to find the bird had flown over again and was back where we'd been before.

The masses looking for the Spindalis

The bird was seen hopping around low in the bushes just to the right of the black shirt above. I saw a small brown blob flitting around just two to three feet off the ground. I was unable to get it in the binocs though, as it moved too quickly. I'm pretty sure that what I saw was the Spindalis, but without a good look I don't feel like I can add it to my life list. The bird was not seen again while I was there. I spent over two hours at the park scouring those bushes, but the bird had seemingly disappeared.

I did not give up hope, however, as the Vireo was still around. Now, I'd like to show you some pictures and videos of the Vireo, but I'm not sure I have any. I can confirm I saw the bird on multiple occasions. There's an issue though - there were White-eyed Vireos around as well. The Thick-billed is a darker bird, with muted yellows as compared to the White-eyed. I was surrounded by well known Florida birders, including the McQuades who I believe are working on an ABA Big Year this year, they confirmed the bird I was seeing was indeed the Thick-billed. What I cannot confirm is which bird is in the video I have. I'll leave it here for you to decide for yourselves. Either way - 408!

Here's me standing in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Key Biscayne. It was so wonderfully pleasant and warm

Miami as seen from the bridge headed north from Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, on the way to AD Barnes Park

I headed over to AD Barnes Park about 30 minutes away, in search of the La Sagra's Flycatcher. I arrived to see a number of forlorn looking birders and immediately lost hope. The McQuades had mentioned earlier in the day they had spent some four hours at AD Barnes and saw precisely zero La Sagra's Flycatchers. Another birder was there when I arrived and said he'd seen it the past several days in one specific tree - nothing that day. There were numerous Northern Parulas around though, and that's never a bad thing.

I returned back to Crandon Park but it was so hot that I decided I just needed to quit. On top of that Rowan (my pooch) has not been well so I didn't want to be gone for too long, and that's difficult when you have a 10-hour round trip. Innevitably, the Spindalis was seen within 30 minutes of me leaving. Likewise the La Sagra's which people thought may have moved on has been seen almost every day since the day I tried to see it. Such is birding.

Heading home after a long day - little bit tired, can you tell?

Rowas was very happy I didn't stay out longer and curled up with me

So I finished the day with only one of the three target birds, but despite that I came away with two lifers and a few additional year birds and that makes it a totally worthwhile trip. Unsurprisingly I decided to take Week 10 gently. I just looked through the pics I took and it's frankly a little bit shoddy... but oh well. We'll look at that later in the week.

Crandon Park list

Week 8 (2/24/19) - Keeping it Local

After the heroic failure of Weeks 6 and 7, I felt like I would benefit from taking a break from travelling the length of the state to not see a bird. Instead I opted for the relatively close (30 minutes) Reddie Point Preserve. An interesting sighting was reported there during the week and I wanted to see what I could see.

As a brief aside, I am writing this outside as Rowan (silly floofy canine) wanted to sit outside and I thought I would give her some company. She mostly ignoring me and Apollo (big squishy feline) keeps trying to jump in my lap, wherein sits my laptop. So there's a definite shelf-life on my solidarity with Rowan here.

But let's back up a little first to earlier in the week. Full disclosure - healthy eating has been mostly neglected of late. I've been getting Starbucks for breakfast and then eating a variety of less than ideal foods for lunch and dinner. It has been a struggle convincing myself I want to do the healthy foods. I cannot get excited about things like salad right now, so I need to try and figure out some other healthy alternatives. I am very much open to suggestions.

On top of not eating well this week I haven't been exercising as planned (two short walks per day plus maybe something else at the start or end of the day). Needless to say, I have not lost any more weight, in fact it is far more likely that I had just regained that which was lost previously. I know things will get back in line, but I"m ready for them to already be back in line, and I'm not sure exactly how to do the getting them in line thing especially because I want to put in zero effort.

But aside from poor life choices, I have maintained my walking/birding streak of at least one little walk per day during the week. I didn't really see anything of note during the week, but have been enjoying the Black-and-white Warbler and the Parulas who seem to have made the office parking lot home for now. Just about every day they are present and heard if not seen each day.

For the weekend itself I decided to try Reddie Point, encouraged by a report of a Western Tanager there this week. I saw my lifer Western Tanager at a private residence here in Duval last year, but seeing another one this year would be beneficial for my Duval year list as well as just being a really nice bird to see. I saw the female last year, but the bird pictured at Reddie Point was a resplendent male, with bold red markings on the head of his otherwise mostly bright yellow feathers.

I spent about an hour at Reddie Point, but no sign of the Tanager. I was once again swamped by probably close to 100 American Robins, though it is hard to be sad about that really, as they make some great noises and are very dapper chaps and chapesses.

One of the American Robin horde, well, one and a half of the American Robin horde

Often flying alongside and even intermingling was a group of around 20-30 Cedar Waxwings. I've commented on this before, but I am still surprised by how often I am seeing these guys and in good numbers too. Somehow I didn't get any pictures this time, but if you flick back through past posts you'll find some I photographed earlier.

After a pleasant look around Reddie Point I went a little way down the road to Blue Cypress Park, a recreation park with soccer fields and basketball courts, but also with a walking trail leading down to the river. Last year I had a Painted Bunting here, along with several warblers. I figured it was worth a look around. I did not see anything unusual, but I got really nice looks at a Mourning Dove.

I understand that this is hardly a rare bird, but I really appreciated the way it sat so calmly for me. 

I have returned inside at this stage after being eaten quite viciously by either one very hungry mosquito or a small swarm. They were clever, they ate at my ankles where I couldn't see it happening. I have never handled mosquito bites very well, usually scratching at them until the afflicted limb falls off and I can grow a replacement. My feet are in danger of needing to regrow tonight. 

Anyway, back to the birds. I spent around an hour at Blue Cypress, walking all the way out to the river and taking a look around. I did get an awful picture of a Belted Kingfisher, but not a lot else to report from there. 

Very distant and poorly lit Belted Kingfisher

After leaving Blue Cypress I decided to try my luck again at Spanish Pond. I was too tired to do the full walk out to the marsh, and it was already around midday when I arrived so it was warming up and many birds were getting ready to take a siesta. I did hear a bird that caught my ear, though. I recognized the song but could not remember it for the life of me. I was thinking it was almost certainly a warbler, but which one. I quietly listened to (almost) all the likely warblers to be moving through, but nothing fit. 

Eventually I scrolled back through the list and realized there was one I hadn't listened to - Yellow-throated Warbler. Sure enough, that was my guy. He was singing his heart out on the edge of the pond, although I did not get any looks at him sadly. In the end I heard three different birds calling though none showed their face. It is a shame, because they are part of my favorite set of life imitating art - the pokemon-esque evolution of Black-and-white Warblers into Yellow-throated Warblers and finally into Blackburnian Warblers. 

The final birds of note were some Red-shouldered Hawks. I'm going to include the footage here, but understand that I am still working on getting better at capturing flying birds. It's really hard. If you suffer from motion sickness, maybe don't watch this one...

The absolute final birds from the week were on Sunday. I was out in the yard for a few minutes before heading out to play some D&D when I heard some tell tale high-pitched whistles. I looked up and wouldn't you know it, landing in a tree above my head - Waxwings!

A very nice group of Cedar Waxwings in the yard. Not a bad yard bird at all!

I felt good for taking it relatively easy. But some crazy reports coming from further south meant that I was planning something drastic for Week 9. No spoilers here, but I will say this - it was a long drive with the distinct possibility of being another dramatic and catastrophic failure...

Reddie Point Preserve list

Blue Cypress Park list

Spanish Pond Trailhead list