Flyover Land in FL, Migrants heading to TX

 Cape May Warbler

 Tennessee Warbler

 Worm-eating Warbler

 Indigo Bunting males

 Blackburnian Warbler

Black-billed Cuckoo, not usually seen here

Down here in SW FL we are in flyover land, since good weather and southerly winds give neotropical migrant birds no reason to land and linger here. Many birds are flooding into the upper Gulf Coast and TX and, due to some of the storms and rain there, some of the birds are landing, giving birders in places like High Island, TX some nice views. Above are some of the photos taken at the Sanibel Lighthouse Park, Sanibel, FL, last April when weather conditions favored more birds landing here. Good weather is good for the birds, not so much for birders. Next week, if there are some storms and northerly winds some migrants may stop at Sanibel Lighthouse and other SW FL migrant traps, to rest and refuel. Maybe then we will see more birds. Meanwhile, we are glad for the bird that have the good weather that speed them to their northern breeding grounds.

Blackpoll Warbler Migration Underway, Sanibel, FL

Blackpoll Warbler, male

migrant arrived at the Sanibel Lighthouse

and helped himself to a well-earned meal, having come all the way from South America where he wintered!

Yesterday and the day before we saw migrant Blackpoll Warblers arriving at the Sanibel Lighthouse park, Sanibel, FL. This bird is a male and he looks like a cross between a chickadee and a Black-and-white Warbler! These birds breed in the northern boreal forest then fly all the way to South America to spend the winter. In winter Blackpoll Warblers look nothing like this and are streaked olive-green above with pale yellow or whitish underparts with indistinct olive streaking on flanks, white undertail coverts and dark or pink-sided legs and always yellow soles of feet. Yes, you can see the yellow soles of their feet if you look! See our The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America for complete photos and ID information.

Migration, Sanibel Lighthouse, FL Today!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Blue Grosbeak

Hooded Warbler

The migrants are arriving! Strong NW winds after storms yesterday grounded some of these neotropical migrants at the Sanibel Lighthouse park, Sanibel FL, this morning and lots of birders got to see beautiful birds, including the above plus hummingbirds, vireos, kingbirds, tanagers, buntings and more. These birds found food and water at the park and will refuel and continue their journey north. Many more waves of migrants are still to come.

Northern Parula, Canon SX 50 HS, Up Close!

So here's another up-close-and-personal photo, uncropped, of a Northern Parula, female, at the Sanibel Lighthouse yesterday, taken with my Canon SX 50 HS at 200x (4800mm equivalent), 400% digital zoom, handheld, AV, 1/500, f6.5, ISO 400. Note, this is way beyond the usual 50x optical range of the camera, into the far end of the digital range. Challenging shot, because, as you know, warblers don't hold still. This one was feeding, moving through a dense bush, then paused for a moment. That's when I zoomed in for this shot.
Yes, I know, at that powerful a telephoto range the photo is more painterly and not as detailed an image as a DSLR (like my incredible Canon 1D Mark IV) would take. Then again, I would never get this close a photo, without cropping. I am addicted to getting these eyeball type shots, they give you such an intimate and magical view of the bird. I love the power of the telephoto on the Canon SX 50 HS, yet it is so light and portable.
(P.S. If you have this camera and want my tips on how to use it, email me. Email link is on top right of this blog.)
Lillian

Black-and-white Warbler and more at Sanibel lighthouse

At the Sanibel lighthouse this morning, more migrant birds came in from the Gulf of Mexico, including this Black-and-white Warbler male, who was 

working over the tree trunks in search of food, and

this Red-eyed Vireo enjoyed some fruits. 

A Cooper's Hawk has to eat too. This one landed in a big fig tree, making the migrant songbirds lay low.

This Prairie Warbler quietly landed in the shade of a Sea Grape tree.

We saw many other birds, including Blue Grosbeak, Hooded Warblers, many Indigo Buntings, Northern Parulas, Palm Warblers and the Blue-winged Warbler was still there.