Malkolm's photo of a Purple Gallinule.
Southeast Highlights
We spent almost three months in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, first heading east and then back west. There are so many highlights that I am just going to make a list. To write it all out would take such a long timed. I feel like Bob Duncan who was invited to a wedding this April. "I can't go to a wedding," he said. "It's spring migration."
Allison and Jake Walker hosted us in Ocean Springs in January, took us on a cool tour of a good sewage lagoon, and introduced us to a Crawdad Boil!
Chris Borg cycled around St Mark's National Wildlife Refuge with us on a blustery cool January day. Big alligators, no Black Ducks.We did admire a Vermilion Flycatcher and a bobcat.
We swam in the crystal turquoise Manatee Springs, on the Suwanee River. We saw our first manatees there too. Hundreds of Black Vultures perched on the trees.
Strangers stopped us in the streets after we were on the TV news in Tampa Bay.
Barb, Steve, Leah and Lani Walker introduced us to southern hospitality in Clearwater. We rode with the local cycling club, who all said "You came down Highway 29???? We never ride there, it's way too dangerous." We had a great welcome from the Clearwater Audubon. We stayed up late and watched the Superbowl.
Ken Burgener and Linda Warschauer welcomed us, and entertained us, in Cape Coral, Corkscrew Swamp and the Everglades. Ken told us exactly where to find a Snail Kite.
We saw the rare vagrant Bananaquit in Miami. We celebrated with a banana split.
Ann Wiley let us overrun her neat, small house in Ft Lauderdale. In her back yard in the morning we were greeted with Painted Buntings and Spot Breasted Orioles.Ann introduced us to more friends further north, and came to hang out in WeaselWorld.
Once she was sure winter weather would be over, my sister Sa joined us in Miami and cycled with us up the east coast of Florida. Sa is a strong cyclist and a weather lightweight.
Jay and Holly Andreotta hosted us in Lake Worth. Jay cooked up one vegetarian feast for supper, and another for breakfast.
Shaunna Baur stopped us in the Publix supermarket in Ft Pierce. She had never seen us before, yet offered us a six-star house to stay in for the night. We lived it up.
Joanna Webb invited us to speak at the Pelican Island NWR Festival in Sebastian. There we also met Therese Harber, sister of Greg in Alabama. The connections continue.
Joanne Priault hosted us in Melbourne. She has a fantastic back yard, great for birds. Joanne has one of the most richly colored houses I ever saw.
Jim Meyer and Eileen Riccio met us at Viera Wetland, and showed us where to find American Bitterns. Finally, we saw some...after only 8 years of searching. Jim and Eileen hosted us in Cape Canaveral, and arranged four full, satisfying days. We kayaked with Space Coast Kayaking and saw more manatees. We toured Kennedy Space Center in an electric car. Walking right under space shuttle Discovery will be a highlight of my life! We had great presentation with the Audubon, and were given the keys to the City of Cape Canaveral! Jim joined me for the first part of my Bird Day Challenge. I identified 75 species that day.
SleazeWeasel introduced us to WeaselWorld, in a virgin forest in central Florida. He is a snake lover, and has seen a drastic reduction in the numbers of snakes in this part of the world. We ate the shoots of Smilax, which tastes like asparagus. SleazeWeasel had one of his famous shindigs while we were visiting.
Marilyn Kershner organized a fantastic evening at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Gainesville, and got us plenty of publicity. The working-together ways of that fellowship are impressive. One of her associates, Lani Simmons, arranged for us to camp at Troy Springs State Park, not normally open for camping.
Andy and Julie Wraithmell welcomed us to their home in Tallahassee, even though they have an newborn baby and not much sleep. Chris Borg came over and Malkolm was surrounded by avid birders. Wild Birds Unlimilted hosted an evening for us.
From Tallahassee we hurried to Panama City, because the rest of our family - Kirsten, Polly, and Sam - were arriving with their bikes on the bus. They have been riding with us since then, and will stop in New Orleans.
Lucy and Bob Duncan invited us to stay in their guest cottage in Gulf Breeze. Their back yard is legendary. We were thrilled to see our first ever Prothonotary Warbler. It is such an intense yellow - I think it is the definition of yellow.
The day we stopped by Fort Morgan bird banding station, things were slow. We talked with Bob and Martha Sargent, founders of Hummer/Bird Study Group. We also met Scott Weidensaul, which was a thrill. We loved his book on bird migration, "Living on the Wind".
Our fourth tornado warning came the night we arrived at Dauphin Island. Elizabeth and Robert Copper let us stay in their cottage, so at least we were not sleeping in a tent. Lightning flashed all night long. It rained 9 inches in Mobile, 20 miles away. The next day there was a fallout - the trees were full of buntings, warblers, orioles. Malkolm identified ten new species that day. The local birders all helped us. We gave a show that night for the International Migratory Bird Festival, a great event.