1994 Field Journal

• Detailed Species Accounts can be found at the links below:
  • Birds and Other Wildlife

Journal Entries

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January 2: South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Sanctuary, Indiana

I participated in a South Bend Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, in and near the Audubon Sanctuary in Mishawaka. My favorite birds of the day were several beautiful Cedar Waxwing in a berry-producing tree in one of the neighborhoods we birded. Gorgeous!

March 26: Hawk Watch at Indiana Dunes

The focus of this Audubon field trip led by Ken Brock was to visit a hawk watch site at the Indiana Dunes. 

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April 16: Potato Creek State Park, St. Joseph County, IN

While on an South Bend Audubon Society 50th anniversary celebration field trip that originated at the cemetery, we spotted a ☆Northern Shoveler☆ (Spatula clypeata) out on Worster Lake. Not too close, but the differences between this bird and the Mallard were noticeable.

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May 14: South Bend Audubon Bird-a-Thon

I was part of the planning team for this event, and was also glad to participate. My team covered Notre Dame and St. Mary’s. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep detailed notes of this outing, but I do remember some of the birds I saw that day.

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May 21: Osceola, Indiana

While working on my computer with the window open, I heard strange, high-pitched noises. Looking out, I discovered that the nest box tree was filled with a flock of beautiful Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)!

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June 18: Michigan City, Indiana
After dark

During a Summer Solstice celebration, an Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) flew into the tree above our campfire and began calling noisily for several minutes before flying away again. It was a wonderful moment, although I still have not been able to get a glimpse of one of these birds.

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July 24: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa

Driving home from returning my stepson to his mother, I made a stop at this wonderful wildlife refuge. This is one of the first solo birding excursions I ever made, and definitely my first wildly successful trip. I ended up seeing more than 40 species, including several life birds.

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July 25: Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa
Sunny

Had a wonderful view of a magnificent Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis) while hiking along a trail at the top of a cliff overlooking the Mississippi River. I spotted the eagle flying over the water and watched as it landed on an island in the river and began to eat the meal it had captured. I believe it was earlier this same day that I’d seen a bald eagle, as I was approaching the “Mighty” Mississippi River on the highway. I came over a hill, and just as the river came into view, a bald eagle soared right in front of me. It was a gorgeous, memorable moment of both river and bird.

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September 14 – 18: Driving from Indiana to Florida

This is a collection of species seen while driving to Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

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October 1 and 4: Royal Palm Beach, Florida

While walking in the neighborhood where I was staying, I saw my first ☆Anhinga☆: a female, stretching her wings on a fence by the 130st Street canal in Royal Palm. Subsequently, I saw them all over the place in Florida and came to enjoy them greatly. My first ☆Little Blue Heron☆ were seen foraging in the front yard of a neighborhood home. A beautiful bird! Back at the place I was staying, I spotted Green Heron in the backyard on a few different occasions as they were fishing in the small ponds that had formed due to the rain.

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October: Florida Roadways

During my extended stay in Florida, I know that saw a couple of ☆Gopher Tortoises☆ (Gopherus polyphemus) as they crossed the road (including one that seemed in enough danger that I hopped out of my car to give it a hand. I didn’t keep track of dates, but this is my best estimate of when I saw my first one.

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October 13: Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

This was my first dedicated birding excursion in Florida, and I came closer to many birds than I’ve ever been before! Loxahatchee is a wonderful place to bird. It’s a series of everglade marsh areas surrounded by raised impoundments from which the marsh can be viewed. The impoundments are laid out in a grid, so you basically wander around squares of wetland.

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October 20: Everglades Airboat Tour near Boca Raton

Elaine and Chris, whom I met the previous week at Loxahatchee, took me airboating into the Everglades. What a fabulous way to get out there and see what the glades really are like! To some degree, it’s the only way to really see parts of the Everglades that just can’t be accessed by land.

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October 23: Okeechobee, Florida

A group of us visited a friend’s property for a Samhain ritual and bonfire, and camped overnight. After the bonfire as I was returning to my tent (after 12 a.m. on the23rd), I heard two Barred Owls (Strix varia georgica) talking back and forth with one another. It was eerie and beautiful to hear them in the dark like that. In the morning, I decided to go on a bird walk. Unfortunately, I did not keep a list of all the birds I saw, but I do remember a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus extimus), who was calling incessantly from a stand of nearby trees. It took me the longest time to spot the bird, but after that I’ve had no trouble recognizing that distinctive call. This particular excursion happens to be where I picked up my first ever break-out of Poison Ivy (or one of the other plants that contain urushiol).

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November 11: Jupiter, Florida

At the Convention Center in Jupiter, Florida, I’d spent the day selling books, after driving everything down in a huge truck. I didn’t have time to do any real birding, but I did see a wonderful bird ☆Magnificent Frigatebird☆ (Fregata magnificens rothschildi) from the balcony. The bird has a striking silhouette, with sharp lines . . . very distinctive. What a gorgeous bird!

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November 29: John MacArthur State Beach, Florida

Today, I took a trip to MacArthur State Beach, where, upon my arrival in the parking lot, I noticed an entire tree full of ☆Black Vulture☆ between the parking lot and the sand dunes. I was able to get fairly close before they became nervous and flew away, and was able to get a really great look. Maybe it’s weird, but I really enjoy vultures, and these are cute! An American Kestrel was also seen near the parking lot, perched in a tree.

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December 1: Corbett Wildlife Management Area, Florida

This part of the Corbett Wildlife Management Area is an interesting place, featuring the “Hungryland” boardwalk through a cypress swamp, and the Everglades Youth Camp with extensive boardwalk access across the marsh and lake. During my visit, I never encountered another person, and it was lovey to have the place to myself!

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December 5: Juno Beach, Florida

I took an evening walk along the shoreline, as I’ve done on other occasions as well. I am trying to take frequent beach walks, to take advantage of the ocean while I have it close . . . I do love spending time at the ocean!

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December 8: Jonathan Dickinson State Park

My plan for this day was to hike the nature trails, and visit the Loxahatchee River. Not long after I arrived at 8:30 a.m., as I drove though the park to get to the access point for the nature trails, the first bird I spotted was a Bald Eagle. I saw this beautiful bird perched in a tree at the side of the road, and was able to stop the car, and view it from about 30 feet. The image of that eagle is still so clear in my mind . . . the misty, hazy day . . . all the colors of the forest, brown and gray, muted . . . and then the striking form of the eagle sitting so still and regal in that tree. I will never forget this sighting! A wonderful start to the day.

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December 28: Marine Life Center, Juno Beach

Today, I visited the Marine Life Center where sea turtles are rehabilitated. I saw a number of turtles, large and small, in tanks where they were recovering until they were well enough to be released into the ocean again. Very cool. After seeing the turtles, I walked along the beach. North and east of the center, in a grassy dune, there is a lookout tower, from which I spotted a pair of Magnificent Frigatebird. Their name certainly does them justice! I also saw Yellow-shafted Flicker, Blue Jay, and American Kestrel.

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Species List

Birds

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Other Wildlife

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
North American Otter (Lontra canadensis)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Golden Silk Spider (Trichonephila clavipes)

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