January 1, 1995
Sunny, 80°F

My first birding excursion of the New Year! I got here bright and early, and wandered the Cypress and Marsh trails. My first bird of the day was an exciting find in the Cypress Swamp: I finally saw my first Pileated Woodpecker! I spotted one off to the right of me, fairly high in the trees. Soon I realized that there was a family up there – at least two birds, which I assumed were a male and female. The color on that crest is incredible. At certain angles the light would hit those red feathers and it was brilliant, especially against the green of the trees. Magnificent! In the Cypress Swamp, I also saw Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, and huge flocks of American Robin.

December 28, 1994
Sunny, 75°F

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.

December 8, 1994
Light rain, 75°F

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.

December 5, 1994
Evening, cloudy, 75°F

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!

December 1, 1994

This part of the Corbett Wildlife Management Area is an interesting place, featuring the “Hungryland” boardwalk through a cypress swamp, and the nearby Everglades Youth Camp (which was not currently in session). There is an extensive boardwalk access across the marsh and lake, and during my visit, I never encountered another person. It was lovey to have the place to myself!

November 29, 1994
Sunny, 80°F

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☆ and Turkey 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. An American Kestrel was also seen near the parking lot, perched in a tree.

October 20, 1994
Cloudy, 70° – 75°F

Elaine and Chris, whom I met the previous week at Loxahatchee, took me air boating into the Everglades. What a fabulous way to get out there and see what the glades really are like! I suppose it’s the only way to really see parts of the Everglades that just can’t be accessed by land. This report is missing several species, because I didn’t write it up right away, but it was wonderful to have the opportunity to experience the splendor of the Everglades from the inside.

October 13, 1994
Sunny and beautiful

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.

September 14 through 18, 1994

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

July 24, 1994

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 45 species, including several life birds.

May 14, 1994

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.

March 26, 1994

The focus of this Audubon field trip led by Ken Brock was to visit a hawk watch site at the Indiana Dunes. Our first birds of the day were several Redhead and Lesser Scaup swimming in the Portage Marina.

January 2, 1994

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!

September 18 and 19, 1993
Early morning

As part of the Midwest Birding Symposium, I attended two early morning field trips. At Tiscornia Beach, I saw two Ruddy Turnstone and several ☆Sanderling☆ in winter plumage. The Sanderling were particularly bold, coming right up on the boardwalk just a few feet away from me.

The following morning in Benton Harbor, I saw a lone ☆Wilson’s Snipe☆ in a mudflat by the roadside, sitting posed between two clumps of pink flowers. A perfect look!

July 22, 1993

On the last day of my California trip, I went on a solo walk to the wetlands and lagoon.

July 21, 1993

I spent the day birding with my mom in the Malibu area. Our first stop was Malibu Lagoon State Beach, which is a fantastic place to watch birds! We walked along edge of the Lagoon and a bit on the beach, and saw loads of great things. Then we headed slightly north and inland to Solstice Canyon, where we saw a different array of wildlife.

July 20, 1993

Visited Descanso Gardens with my mom, Robin, Max, and Jessicca, and saw a handful of birds. A group of at least twelve tiny ☆American Bushtit☆ was hopping around in a bush about four feet away from me. They were too close for me to use the binoculars! Adorable, friendly little birds. A Black Phoebe came very close to me, allowing me to have a great look. I was also alerted to the presence of a ☆Spotted Towhee☆ by a great commotion of scratching in the dirt and leaves under some bushes. I was rewarded by being able to see this close relative to my local Towhee, and notice the differences between the two.

July 19, 1993

My mom and I went looking for birds in the Ballona Wetlands and along the creek (starting at Del Rey Lagoon; we were not in the current Ballona reserve area). Before the wetlands, we made a stop at Fisherman’s Village in nearby Marina del Rey, where I saw a ☆Least Tern☆ circling over the marina close to the boardwalk.

July 19, 1993

My mom and I went looking for birds in the Ballona Wetlands and along the creek (starting at Del Rey Lagoon; we were not in the current Ballona reserve area). Before the wetlands, we made a stop at Fisherman’s Village in nearby Marina del Rey, where I saw a Least Tern circling over the marina close to the boardwalk.

July 18, 1993

Along with my mom and Tom Wheaton, I took a harbor cruise out of San Pedro. I saw ☆Heermann’s Gull☆, ☆California Brown Pelican☆, and Herring Gull. The stars of the show were a ☆Gray Whale☆ mother and calf swimming together alongside our boat.

June 26, 1993

I spent the day working with the Peregrine Release Program Monitoring, to make observations of ☆Peregrine Falcon☆ that had been released in the downtown area of South Bend. It was marvelous! I watched a total of 5 or 6 birds on and off all morning and early afternoon. Not only was it wonderful being able to see these birds, but it was also good to be part of a human effort to conserve and promote the welfare of this species.

Summer, 1993

This is a collection of sightings from the Summer of 1993.

May, 1993

This is a collection of birds regularly seen in the backyard and neighborhood this summer.

May 15, 1993

I participated in the Berrien County Bird-a-Thon this year, as part of a team for Fernwood Botanical Gardens. There were four of us on the team – the Fernwood Flickers – including Fernwood naturalist Rob Venner.

May 8, 1993

On this day, I visited multiple sites in South Bend with a team of Audubon Society birders to participate in this year’s Bird-a-Thon.