Florida – Day 3

Today was the second full day of birding. We started in Ocala National Forest and our last birding stop was Joe Overstreet Rd and landing near the center of the State. We had dinner at a good Cuban restaurant in Port St Lucie and arrived at our hotel this evening near Delray Beach, Florida.

Today we saw 76 species of birds. I had a chance this evening to run through and check yesterday’s list. I missed a few. The edited total is 99 for yesterday. This brings our Florida trip total to 127 species after 2 full days of birding. So what does our year list look like now? I’m glad you asked. We are sitting at 260 species for the year.

Some of the highlights for me today included Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Snail Kite, Limpkin, and Whooping Crane! And we had a 7 woodpecker day. I am always delighted with the beauty of the habitat in Ocala National Forest. Today was a real treat.

The weather was great. It even got hot in the afternoon sun–probably pushing 80 degrees. Tomorrow’s forecast does not look pleasant with 70% (or more) chance of precipitation for all day. And don’t forget 20mph winds. At least we have the benefit of going to locations where we will be walking outdoors. Haha. Yes. That was sarcasm. But this is part of a Big Year. We have limited time. We have a big schedule. We will bird rain or shine. If, however, we have lightning we’ll have to find refuge indoors until it passes. Being flexible in schedule and having a patient attitude go a long way toward success in a Big Year.

Tomorrow we are planning to bird Florida’s Southeast Coast. I am looking forward to see what we can find!