Listing bird species in the Wounded Wetlands

My list of bird species seen in our local south Florida birding patch (West Miramar Water Conservation Area aka the Wounded Wetlands) had reached 182 at the end of 2020. Over the years the productivity of the patch has followed the Law of Diminishing Returns. I began keeping my sightings records in eBird in 2009, when my yearly total for this location included 47 different species. 

The year 2010 began with a flourish, adding 6 new species on January 10, including my first Short-tailed Hawk. It was this light morph. Its tail looks red due to refraction of sunlight:

The year 2010 finally yielded 33 new species, which increased the patch's total output to 80 species, about 70% of the prior year's productivity. The pattern continued during the next 5 years (2011-2015), with new species numbering 27, 13, 14, 15 and 9, during which time the productivity rate gradually decreased to 49% (averaging about 10% per year) despite an increase in my total to 158 species.

Grasshopper Sparrow, February 2, 2011

Each of the next five years (2016-2020) added only single-digit new species counts, bringing my total to 182 with an average productivity rate of 13% (pitifully, only 2.6% annually).  

Clay-colored Sparrow, November 17, 2016:

Despite the pandemic, I added five new birds in 2020. Indeed, it was liberating to walk mask-less in the Wounded Wetlands. 

My highlight new species in 2020 was a Yellow Warbler (actually there were two), my only Florida sighting of this species, on August 18:

The Law of Diminishing Returns was working against me when 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers appeared at the edge of the lake on May 24, 2021. This species can be difficult to distinguish from the Western Sandpiper. 

Over the years I have seen small sandpipers, but never well enough to distinguish their species unless they had the yellow legs of a Least Sandpiper, another member of the Calidris genus. 

Yet I assumed that I must have reported the species earlier. Nope, it was always entered as a Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper, not "countable" by eBird. I had backed into a new species! 

Semipalmated Sandpiper #183 in the Wounded Wetlands, foraging in very early morning light. Note the webbing which covers only the base of its toes, hence its name:

Here are Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers in much better light, feeding in a pond near our second home in Illinois, July 17, 2012. The Least Sandpiper displays its yellow legs:

Diminishing returns indeed. So far this year my addition of one species has raised my total count for this patch by only 0.54%. 

As my musing maysuggest, I have not been out in the field very often this past week.  Avian highlights were a Pileated Woodpecker...

...and a juvenile female Northern Cardinal:

A young Raccoon silently watched me from behind a tree trunk:

In the lake, Longnose Gar:

The pilot of a motorized parachute was checking his phone:

Before sunrise on May 30, Jupiter and Saturn were lined up with the Moon in Aquarius (iPhone photo):

Hand-held DSLR photo of Jupiter and three of its moons, a bit jittery:

Storm clouds to the east  broke up the rays of the rising sun...

...which reflected on the smoke from several wildfires and converged on the western horizon:

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Linking to:

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Crops & Clips: Flashback to July, 2017

At the beginning of each month I enjoy looking back at photos from three years previously, to refresh old memories and perhaps anticipate what beauty awaits this year. Especially, I look for favorite dreams, memes and themes-- critters of all kinds (especially birds and butterflies), flowers, clouds, skies, reflections, fences... and images which speak for themselves. This month's harvest makes me miss our summers in Illinois (or anywhere besides being locked down at home).

We spent the entire month of July at our (then) second home in northeastern Illinois. We watched our favorite grassland birds, and mourned the continuing loss of  their habitat. A family of Sandhill Cranes climbed on a pile of dirt where their prairie home was being converted into a housing complex. An unruly blackbird added to their discomfort, but only the colt paid attention to the attacker:

 

A Lark Sparrow perched on a sign advertising a home site. These birds had not been verified as nesting in Kane County until MaryLou first sighted them and we saw their fledgling. Later the nest was discovered and photographed by others. This entire area was staked out for development:

 

Documentation photo of young Lark Sparrow being fed by parent:





We visited Nelson Lake preserve as often as possible. This is a path through the prairie:



Wildflowers were abundant. These are Purple Coneflowers:



That's MaryLou beyond the mass of wildflowers:



Cedar Waxwing on a sapling in the prairie at Nelson Lake preserve:



The diminutive Henslow's Sparrow finds refuge here, where controlled burns are rotated to provide its exacting habitat needs. It usually nests two years after a fire, in the layer of dry grass which is packed down by the second winter's snow. They have greenish heads and are tiny and elusive:





Other small sparrows which nest more widely at Nelson's Lake are the Grasshopper Sparrow...



...Savannah Sparrow...



...and the rather plain-looking Field Sparrow which has a pink bill:

 

Dickcissels were abundant. This pair were tending a nest and the female was waiting for me to depart before delivering a meal for their chick:



Male Dickcissel:



American Goldfinches brightened the scene:





Common Yellowthroats sang along the trail:



The boardwalk and pavilion at Lippold Park:



Mallards preening:



We checked the Bald Eagle nest near our condo. The two juveniles had fledged, and one flew by:



One of the parents stood guard:



Fox River floodplain:



Common Buckeye butterfly:



American Lady butterfly:



A Painted Lady "attacked" me:

Agramonte, our Granddaughters' beloved Tibetan Mastiff, now 13 1/2 years old, is not doing well this year. He can barely climb the stairs. The girls hold out hope but must face the fact that he is failing. Three years ago he was sleeping on the cool floor as usual:





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Linking to:

Fences Around the World

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________

Birds posting

This week has been hectic as we were totally immersed in the tasks related to the sale of our Illinois condo, so Mary Lou and I have missed seeing nearly all the transient spring migrating birds. 

We never reached our daily goal of 10,000 steps, although we got lots of exercise climbing up and down the three stories of our town-home, carrying furniture and household items. A good friend with husky relatives did the heavy lifting. Tonight (Tuesday), after attending our granddaughter's graduation from 8th grade we must catch a limo ride to the airport at 3:00 AM.

We visited Nelson Lake only a couple of times. This is the east entry path:



Earlier in the month we were able to drive through a nearby disturbed vacant area several times. We arranged our route so that whatever our destination, we could make one tour around the block. The area of grassland is platted, utilities and roads are in place and lots for future homes are marked out with signs and wooden poles. Using the auto as a blind, I captured a few decent shots.

Savannah Sparrow:





Eastern Kingbird:



Grasshopper Sparrow:





American Robin singing:



A female House Sparrow joined a male who was perched on a post:





The couple posed for a portrait:



This was the first time we found Bobolinks at this location:




 
Horned Lark:



A nice find was a Lark Sparrow. They have returned to this area after nesting here last spring for the first breeding record in Kane County. We are at the extreme northeastern limit of their breeding range:



A pair of Lark Sparrows foraged together. Another birder found a third:



Lark Sparrows are large, have long tails with white markings and their face pattern is distinctive:



A Killdeer had three newly hatched chicks:







Canada Geese dabbled in a roadside puddle:





A Bald Eagle flew overhead:




ADDENDUM: With all that is going on I forgot it was already Thursday and the blog posted automatically. I wanted to add a sky and cloud shot from the airplane as we were in final descent about 15 miles west of the Fort Lauderdale Airport and 6 miles north of our home. I was surprised to see that my neighborhood was visible just before we entered the heavier clouds. Click to enlarge and see annotations:




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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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