Bird Walk Wrap-Up: A.D. Barnes Park

Thanks to everyone who flocked to A.D. “Doug” Barnes park this past Saturday and helped the Phoebes’ second bird walk of 2018 be such a great success! Our best attended walk to date brought out twenty Phoebes including both old and new faces. Moreover, three of the attendees were “Blue Jays" (that is our code word for male birders), and a special visitor: Molly Adams from New York’s Feminist Bird Club.

The birds were shy at first, but as we meandered through the hammock, our feathered friends perked up. A band of Pine Warblers with their mustard-yellow breasts watched us from above and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers serenaded us with their rubber-ducky squeaks. Outside the Pine Rocklands, Yellow-rumped Warblers showed off their butter butts and a Prairie Warbler posed with his stripes. By the end of the morning, our group of Phoebes tallied 44 different bird species.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Pine Warbler

Meredith points out a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in her Crossley ID Guide.

Eliana shows the group Florida's native beautyberry.

Our visitor from the Feminist Bird Club hugs a tree - Florida's Slash Pine!

Eliana showing the slash pine love.

After birding and exploring, the Phoebes settled into the Pine Rocklands for picnic. With everybody’s help, we were able to put together quite the spread - the highlight being Nicole’s homemade apple cake!