Butterflies of Panama City Beach and other Wildlife

Although I thought the Red-cockaded Woodpecker post would be my last Panama City Beach Trip discussion, here comes another aspect of my trip that I forgot to mention before: other wildlife! Although birds always come first when I'm in the field, I also study butterflies and dragonflies, and pay attention to any other wildlife like mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Unfortunately, I do not have a comprehensive dragonfly guide so I skipped trying to identify new species. However, I did get 4 new butterfly species.

My list of butterflies is short and this is no doubt due to the time of year as well as me mostly paying attention to birds. However, here are the species I recorded (those with stars were new species):

Monarch - I saw Monarchs everywhere but always in small numbers.

*Gulf Fritillary - by far the most common species, this butterfly was most abundant right in Panama City Beach. There were hundreds along the beach, along the road, in marshes, and next to woodlots.

Buckeye - quite common

*Cloudless Sulphur - common and found in all of the same locations as Gulf Fritillary but in far fewer numbers (usually 1 or 2 per location)

*Long-tailed Skipper - this attractive skipper was fairly common in open areas and along roadsides

Least Skipper - found in similar locations as Long-tailed Skipper but more abundant in marshy locations

*Little Yellow - a single individual at Apalachicola National Forest

In the mammal category, I saw White-tailed Deer, a Coyote at roadside, Raccoon (roadkill), and numerous wild Dogs and Domestic Cats. I wasn't lucky enough to see any dolphins on this trip.

Reptiles: Five-lined Skink, which was numerous in St. Andrew's State Park and a single, large Alligator at St. Andrew's as well (basking in the sun).

Panama City Beach # 5 - Annotated List (4)

My annotated list continued...
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Common Yellowthroat - Common in any marshy areas, I saw many birds, male and female.

* 'White-eyed' Eastern Towhee - Not a new species, but a new bird nonetheless. This was one of my first Florida birds on this trip when we stopped at a gas station with a woodlot behind it. I heard a peculiar Towhee call and when I found it, I realized it was the White-eyed Eastern which has a distinctly upslurred call compared to the Red-eyed Eastern we are used to hearing in Ontario. I didn't notice whether the birds I saw had more limited white in their tails than the Red-eyed Eastern.

Field Sparrow - a single bird in a woodlot just outside the city.

Song Sparrow - same as above

Lincoln's Sparrow - a peculiar sighting as this species is listed as rare during the month of November but I had the bird in my sights for a long enough time to identify it as this species. I can find a Lincoln's Sparrow in Florida but not Seaside Sparrow, which is much more common (and would have been a lifer!).

Northern Cardinal - abundant and easy to find anywhere in the state.

Red-winged Blackbird - very common in all marshy areas.

Common Grackle - Incredibly, I forgot to look for the Florida type birds within the groups of Grackles I had. I have seen Atlantic and Florida birds before but didn't bother to pay attention this time around, which is too bad in retrospect. Surprisingly, I didn't see a single Boat-tailed Grackle.

Brown-headed Cowbird - An easy find in any habitat type (except coastal marshes).

House Sparrow - Obviously abundant (seeing as the species is nearly cosmopolitan), I saw the most birds right within Panama City Beach near shopping centres and fast food restaurants where they have immersed themselves into the urban landscape by nesting in signs, on ledges, and any other suitable location they can find in even the most developed areas. I have heard, however, that there has been a decline in House Sparrow populations in various parts of their introduced North American range so I want to look into this more and see if there is more evidence of this. If you forget the competition with our native species and its overabundance after being introduced (considered a nuisance by many), the House Sparrow is actually quite an attractive bird.
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So there it is, my annotated trip list for Panama City Beach 2007. Hope you enjoyed it! I had a lot of great birds, a lot of memories, and another great birding experience in the state of Florida.

Total Species: 78 - not bad considering the time of year, the duration of my trip, and the urban location.
New Species: 4 (+ White-eyed Eastern Towhee and Florida Red-bellied Woodpecker)
Highlight: Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Panama City Beach # 4 - Annotated List (3)

Before I continue the list, I forgot in a previous post to mention my search for the Northern Bobwhite. My dad and I went a ways out of the city one morning to a hunting range we noticed nearby on the way down that had pictures of Bobwhites posted next to 'No Trespassing' signs and a shooting range. As soon as I stepped out of the van, gunshots rang out close by and I nearly had a heart attack before we even started. We went to the main buildings and I (nervously) asked one of the hunters if they see Bobwhites occasionally near the range. He told me that habitat destruction and alteration in the area had brought their numbers down significantly and that he had only seen a single bird this year running across the road near the range. They don't hunt any birds at the shooting range, it's just for skeet shooting. Not exactly the best news. We searched for a couple of hours but didn't come up with much, seeing as they're already secretive birds as it is. Florida birds are much darker with a darker head pattern and black extending down to the breast.
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*Loggerhead Shrike - An easy-to-find lifer. At the golf course I visited daily, I saw the same Loggerhead Shrike each time calling and flying from hydro wires to trees hunting. I could definitely see the darker back compared to the Northern Shrike and also the thicker black mask. I found another bird at St. Andrews State Park.

White-eyed Vireo - A single bird at Apalachicola National Forest. This protected area was great for passerines and there was a lot of bird activity wherever we stopped to look for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Apparently, White-eyed Vireo can be found in the state year-round.

Blue Jay - I saw many birds during the trip and they are a year-round permanent resident.

American Crow - same as above.

Fish Crow - To be safe, I didn't try to identify crows unless they called so fortunately I heard some Fish Crows. They are smaller, have more pointed, swept-back wings, and a longer tail but these attributes are hard to judge in the field.

Tree Swallow - quite a few birds. The only common swallow species in the fall.

Carolina Chickadee - These are a great treat for anyone visiting the south. They're very similar to our Black-capped Chickadee (which does not occur in Florida) but smaller, grayer, and undeniably cuter. Their song is also faster than their northern counterpart. I had Carolina Chickadees in every woodlot I visited.

White-breasted Nuthatch - At the same location that I had Brown-headed Nuthatch for the first time, I also had one White-breasted mixed in. This species is not as common in the Panhandle so I was happy to see one there.

*Brown-headed Nuthatch - A very easy lifer. My second day in Panama City Beach, I found the Wal-Mart pond and had 2 Brown-headed Nuthatches, which respond to pishing. This was one of my target species as I should have easily got in on my first two trips to Florida (although those times, I was much more focused on waders and ocean species than any woodland passerines).

Carolina Wren - A few singing across the city as well as inside St. Andrews State Park in marshy areas. Many times when I would start pishing, a Carolina Wren would pop up.

House Wren - a few birds within woodlots as well as along the dunes next to the beaches.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - various locations including St. Andrews, Apalachicola, and a few scattered woodlots in the city.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - only a few birds near the end of the trip.

Eastern Bluebird - I couldn't get over the number of bluebirds we saw at Apalachicola. Flocks of 10-20 birds were commonplace and they flew over quite frequently. I've never had such high numbers of this species, although Marianne and I did get a group of about 6 birds at Delaurier Trail in Pelee before I left for Florida. At High Park, you can find them quite easily right now near Hawk Hill and surrounding area.

Swainson's Thrush - A very peculiar sighting, I saw a single bird while on a walk with my mom along the main road through Panama City Beach. This species is listed as casual during the fall but I was never able to ask anyone how rare the species is during November.

Hermit Thrush - a couple of birds in St. Andrews State Park.

American Robin - listed as an irruptive visitor, I saw only a few in the state.

Gray Catbird - one of the most common species. I saw almost too many of this species no matter where I was or what time it was. Seemingly as common as Northern Mockingbird.

Northern Mockingbird - Abundant. Every morning you can hear a mockingbird outside your window and no matter where you walk in the city, you can count on seeing and hearing a mockingbird. I don't mind because I love their imitations and flashing wing pattern.

Brown Thrasher - a few birds during the trip at Apalachicola as well as in scattered woodlots in the city that have not been developed into condos yet.

European Starling - the most abundant bird during the trip. I saw thousands of starlings every day. You can't look at a hydro wire without seeing a flock of at least 10+ starlings. This opportunistic species is certainly successful, especially because they can coexist with humans so well in an urban setting.

Orange-crowned Warbler - a single bird at the Wal-Mart pond.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - a common migrant, I saw many during the week at various locations (with the largest numbers at Apalachicola).

Pine Warbler - the most abundant warbler, which was a great experience considering its uncommon status at Point Pelee. At Apalachicola in the early morning, we had large flocks of them in various locations.

Palm Warbler - within flocks of Pine Warblers, there were a few Palms mixed in along with Yellow-rumped.

Well, I’ll end it there, but there should only be one more post on my Panama City Beach annotated list. I apologize if this is a dry read, but it’s as much for my records as it is for posting on my blog.

Panama City Beach # 3 - Annotated List (2)

Here is the continuation from my last post on my Panama City Beach trip. Another list will be added later with other wildlife sightings (I found 5 new butterfly species and a couple of interesting mammal sightings).
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Laughing Gull - Florida's most common gull species and the most abundant ocean bird during my trip. No matter where I was along the beach, there were always large flocks of Laughing Gulls on the beach (nonbreeding with a handful of 1rst winter birds thrown in). It never ceases to amaze me how large this hooded gull is, only a bit smaller than Ring-billed. However, the dark mantle separates it easily. I still need this species for Ontario. One of my favourite features on nonbreeding birds is the small red mark at the end of the bill.

Ring-billed Gull - I actually saw very few Ring-billed Gulls on the trip at the Gulf of Mexico. Most were flybys of single birds.

Herring Gull - A single dark, immature bird flying by. There were very few seabirds along the coast besides pelicans and Laughing Gulls, which was quite disappointing.

- although Royal and Sandwich Tern and Black Skimmer were target species for my trip, I only saw one group of terns and they were across the bay at St. Andrews State Park. Even with a scope, identification would have been difficult and I only had my binoculars. This was particularly disappointing because Royal Terns should be common year-round in the Panhandle.

Rock Pigeon - The most abundant species from family Columbidae. No big surprises here.

Eurasian Collared Dove - When I was in Jacksonville, Florida almost a year ago, I was amazed at how many Eurasian Collared Doves there were but there are much fewer in Panama City Beach. Mourning Dove still outnumbered this species. According to the ABA guide, their greatest numbers occur in the Central and South Peninsula but the species is spreading. I still need it for my Ontario list. After colonizing southeastern Florida after a few dozen birds were released in 1974 in the Bahamas, this species is now easy to find over most of Florida (and has apparently reached the west coast). I doubt they'll become as successful as the Rock Pigeon, but it wouldn't surprise me if we had some birds start to colonize Ontario in the near future. This is one of my favourite species to observe in Florida.

Mourning Dove - Quite common, especially in the more rural areas at the outskirts of the city.

*Common Ground-Dove - A lifer that shouldn't have gone unseen on my first trips (in my defense, the second was not a birding trip and I was just getting into things during my first time in Orlando). These guys are noticeably smaller than Mourning. I had a group of about 8 Mourning Doves in a closed water park (after ignoring a no trespassing sign) along with 2 Ground-Doves. The scaled patter on their head and neck stands out and they are more colourful than the Mourning as well. However, size is the giveaway. They're about half the size and look tiny in comparison. I was even able to see them fly, revealing the rufous underwing, which is somewhat hard to see because their wingbeats are fast. Note the scaled head and neck, the colourful body, and small, stout frame.

Belted Kingfisher - 2 birds; one perched next to a pond adjacent to the highway as we drove into Florida and another at the Wal-Mart pond (yes, sadly, this was one of the hotspots in the city).

- One of the highlights of the trip was the number of woodpeckers I was able to see. This is one of my favourite groups of birds and in Apalachicola National Forest in one day, I ended up listing 6 species.

Red-bellied Woodpecker - The most common woodpecker of Florida and unmissable. No matter where I was, I could always count on seeing at least one Red-bellied. I also noticed that many of the birds were intermediates between the Northern and Florida subspecies. One bird in particular had a gray forehead instead of the red crown extending all the way to the bill and much less white on its rump than in the Northern subspecies. The white rump extended about halfway down the tail, but was not as limited as the extremes in the South Florida subspecies. In the ABA guide, the quote next to this species reads, "If you miss this one, you should turn in your binoculars" (Lane 1981). The red belly is hard to see in the field; rather, the bird was named back when ornithologists studied species by hand.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - The most frustrating bird of the trip. Every time I thought I might have a Red-cockaded, it turned out to be a sapsucker. As always, plumage in most birds was ratty and worn. This was the second-most common woodpecker after Red-bellied.

Downy Woodpecker - The first Downy I had, I got excited and called out Red-cockaded...only to notice that it had a white back...and no white cheek patch...and it was too small. Grrr.

*Red-cockaded Woodpecker - I'll give this species its own entry soon.

Northern Flicker - A single bird at Apalachicola.

Pileated Woodpecker - 2 birds on the same tree; an amazing bird. I first heard its loud, deep call before hearing heavy drumming. I was able to locate the birds easily and we all had great views. My parents were fascinated with their size and striking pattern. I love this species.

Eastern Phoebe - One of the most abundant forest birds. I saw a ton of phoebes where I was and many were calling. There is a quote in the ABA Florida guide: "If you miss this one, your life list must be under 100" (Lane 1981). I can see what the author means.

Well, I think I'll end there until my next post.

Panama City Beach # 2 - Annotated List (1)

Here it is, the first post of my annotated list for my trip to Florida. All species were observed within the state. New species (just 4) have a star.
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Gadwall - only a single bird. Strangely enough, this male bird was part of a trio of males consisting of Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, and a Redhead. I don't think I've ever seen this combination together. The three were mixed in with a large group of American Coots in a marshy area behind a Wal-Mart Supercenter (a disturbing example of how much that store has taken over).

Redhead - see Gadwall

Ring-necked Duck - see Gadwall

- surprisingly enough, I didn't get any other duck species, but this is probably due to the fact that I was in a highly developed urban area. There are local populations of feral Muscovy Ducks and Mallards in the Panhandle (more common in the Peninsula) but I couldn't find any at golf courses or ponds within or outside the city. I did not see any waterfowl on the Gulf of Mexico.

Wild Turkey - although I have already counted the resident Point Pelee Wild Turkeys towards my life list, it was nice to see 2 large groups of about 10-20 birds in their natural range (versus reintroduction programs). Both groups were roadside birds that I wasn't able to observe for long because we were trying to get to Panama City Beach as soon as possible.

Common Loon - a single nonbreeding bird quite far out on the ocean diving.

Pied-billed Grebe - a few sightings, mostly in urban ponds and at St. Andrews State Park. 2 birds, probably residents were easily located daily in a pond at a golf course near our hotel.

- unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any Northern Gannets during the trip.

Brown Pelican - the second-most common ocean species after Laughing Gull. During the entire week (and all times of day), flocks of 5-10 pelicans, nonbreeding adults and juveniles, were flying east and west along the beach. Although I saw hundreds, the huge wingspan of this species never failed to impress.

Double-crested Cormorant - common. Large numbers near the Gulf of Mexico and at St. Andrews State Park (within a saltwater bay).

Great Blue Heron - the most common wader.

Great Egret - also very common but mostly seen flying.

Little Blue Heron - a single bird flying over a small pond within the suburban areas of Panama City Beach. Its overall dark appearance was distinctive.

Cattle Egret - 2 birds; one flying over the Wal-Mart marsh, another seemingly injured bird at roadside right in the city, dodging cars and walking in a parking lot.

Green Heron - a single bird in the Wal-Mart marsh, which was surprisingly large. I don't know who owned the land but I hope it is kept intact because it's a small oasis surrounded by big businesses.

Black Vulture - a few birds. I got a very good look at a flying bird at Apalachicola National Forest. Their shape and wing pattern are quite distinctive from Turkey Vultures in the right conditions. The short, square tail is quite easy to see in flight.

Turkey Vulture - huge numbers of migrating TV's were flying along oceanside while I was there with the rare Black mixed in. In fact, Turkey Vulture was my first Florida bird for this trip and we saw thousands on the drive down.

Osprey - a few birds flying over, possibly residents.

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2 birds migrating.

Cooper's Hawk - a single bird circling and hunting over the Wal-Mart marsh (this again shows how important these tiny areas of natural land are, even though they are under severe threat of development).

Red-shouldered Hawk - Florida's most widespread diurnal raptor and an easy find (a few were even calling). I had perched birds and flying birds, all of the Eastern subspecies. The Florida subspecies must be more abundant in the peninsula.

Red-tailed Hawk - a few birds.

American Kestrel - quite common, I found around 5 or 6 birds in total. Most were outside of the city.

Merlin - a single bird riding the thermals over the golf course I birded at quite frequently. It shared a thermal with Turkey Vultures and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Peregrine Falcon - 2 flying over Panama City Beach east to west.

- unfortunately, I didn't see any rails but I may have hard a Clapper or King but it did not call long enough for me to get an I.D. I also kicked myself for not listening to my tapes beforehand so when I heard the bird I froze up. Ah well, we learn from our mistakes.

Common Moorhen - only a single bird that was also within the Wal-Mart marsh along with the Coots.

American Coot - abundant and easily found in any ponds or marshes in the area. The most abundant marsh bird on the trip.

Killdeer - more often heard than seen. Not easy to find in the urban areas.

Ruddy Turstone - my Dad's favourite bird and he was able to see it as well. I saw one nonbreeding individual on the beach, hanging out at a spot where warm water was draining into the ocean from an unknown source.

Sanderling - 3 birds total along the beach together. I love to watch these guys avoid the waves. They're really like wind-up toys.

- once again, finding shorebirds shouldn't have been a problem, but I could not find a single place with the proper habitat because there is so much development in the area.

Well, I'll stop here for now because my eyes are starting to hurt from the computer screen. Obviously more to come because I haven't even got to the passerines yet!

Panama City Beach # 1

PANAMA CITY BEACH TRIP!

Duration: Tuesday, October 30 to Tuesday, November 6. However, only 4 full days were actually spent in the Panhandle as my family and I drove down instead of flying.

Reason for traveling: my brother was participating in Ironman Florida, an incredible event where athletes swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles. You can access the event's official site here.

Weather conditions: the weather down there was beautiful for the entire trip, 70+ almost every day of the week where you could be comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt during mid-day but throw on a light sweatshirt or jacket in the evening.

#1 Target Species: Red-cockaded Woodpecker.


Of course, being in Florida, I took full advantage of the birding there even though the Panhandle isn't renowned for its birds. In the fall, many birds withdraw from the region and travel to the southern peninsula. Some waders stay behind along with some of the more common eastern-ranged birds. Also, I knew in advance that staying at a resort hotel in Panama City Beach (ocean view!!) would not be the best place to go birdwatching. The beaches along the coast are under severe threat of development and condos are always being built (in fact, we saw one newly constructed building that had over 1,000 rooms, no doubt to cater to Spring Break).

Panama City Beach itself is now mostly urban areas and many of the small woodlots have signs posted 'for sale: commercial opportunities'. Very few marshes or ponds still exist in the vicinity. Nearby, there is a park, St. Andrews State Park, that is bordered by a saltwater bay and the ocean. There is a small spit of protected land here that holds a good variety of habitat, some bird and insect life, and a reliable pond for alligators as well (we saw one large adult basking in the sun).

We also visited Apalachicola National Forest, a 569,596 acre protected area that is home to the largest population of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in the world (611 clusters as of 1999). They are permanent residents year-round. The forest contains pristine pine flatwoods and savannas with controlled burning to sustain the land. Apalachicola definitely provided me with my best birding on the trip with a good variety of migrating warblers and other species, and a great diversity of woodpeckers (6 species). More on Apalachicola when I post an entry on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. We were also going to try Eglin Air Force Base for the Red-cockaded if things didn't pan out at Apalachicola, but since they did, I didn't have to visit. Eglin's bird list is second only to Everglades National Park at 327 species and holds the fourth largest population of Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

So there are the details of my trip. Coming up: my annotated trip list.

Back from Panama City Beach!

After a week of warmth, sandy beaches, and palm trees, I'm back to the cold, drab days of November in Canada. Although I'm currently rushed because of work and getting everything back to normal in Toronto, updates are on their way. I ended up getting 4 lifers in the Panhandle, not bad considering the time of year and this trip being my third time to Florida. Obviously a ton of detail will follow each of my sightings. The highlight of the trip? Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which I will describe in great detail!

As with any trip, it's good to be back in Ontario and although it may not be everyone's favourite time of year, there are still a lot of good birds moving through the province. This includes Golden Eagle, my target species for November. There have been 13 birds tallied so far this fall at High Park so I can't wait to get back there. Before I forget, I also got the White-faced Ibis at Hillman Marsh! I couldn't believe I was lucky enough to get it almost a week after its initial finder. Blake and I had some good looks at it together and I'll be adding a post for that sighting as well.

Potpourri

Just a quick update as to what will be happening around here for the next couple weeks. As I've been writing, my trip to Florida has arrived and I'm leaving soon to the Panhandle for a week. Obviously, many posts with many lists will follow. I wanted to get around updating the High Park hawk counts from this week but it's been another slow week for migrants (at least at this particular counts...according to reports from Holiday Beach and a few other locations, huge numbers are still going through; especially Turkey Vultures). Hopefully when I get back from Florida (November 7), there will still be some good hawk movement and I can get Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, and Red-shouldered Hawk (at least the first and last should be easy).

I'm also VERY MUCH hoping that the White-faced Ibis is still in the vicinity of Hillman Marsh. Marianne just sent me an email telling me there are a lot of migrants of all kinds flying through the Pelee area right now so hopefully we can get a good day of birding in there before I hit the road to Florida.

A few highlights from my week: a great show from 2 Cooper's Hawks at High Park, chasing squirrels and pigeons. They were an adult (probably male by the size) and an immature bird. Another great sighting was on a rainy day when I watched a relatively late Osprey hunting in Grenadier Pond at High Park. I also had a domesticated Greylag Goose there, which was a first for the park (not that it's countable, just interesting). Grenadier Pond is very reliable for decent numbers of Northern Shovelers right now with 20 birds present the last day I visited. I have also seen at least 1 or 2 Pied-billed Grebes each time I've visited this week. Not much in terms of passerines, but good numbers flying over the hawk count including migrating Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Robins, Goldfinches, and Cedar Waxwings. A few Eastern Bluebirds and Purple Finches have been flying through as well. On Thursday, we had a flock of White-winged Scoter fly over, many migrating Canada Geese (no Cackling), large numbers of Mergansers (probably Red-breasted), and Double-crested Cormorant. Definitely worth it to take a visit to High Park this time of year.

Lastly, the Cormorant Cull meeting regarding Middle Island was very interesting, a bit frustrating, but very informative. It really sounds like they're going through with the cull no matter what. The meetings may just be part of the environmental impact assessment so management can at least say they consulted the public. A lot of strong words about the cull were stated and my final thought is that there is too little strong scientific evidence to back up a management decision of this capacity, time-scale, and cost.

Well, I guess I'll sign off until I get back from my Florida trip.
Happy birding!