Driving from Indiana to Florida

September 14 through 18, 1994

This is a collection of species seen while driving to Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

September 14: Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta, Georgia. I stopped to stay the night with a friend in Atlanta. driving from Indiana to Florida, I stopped overnight to stay with a friend in Atlanta. While driving through Georgia, I caught glimpses of a few Red-headed Woodpecker, and when we paid a short visit to Stone Mountain, I saw lots of Turkey Vulture soaring overhead.

September 15: I began seeing flocks of ☆Western Cattle Egret☆ as soon as I crossed over into Florida, and they became more plentiful as I continued south. I saw thousands of these during the months I spent in Florida. I also saw Boat-tailed Grackle immediately upon my arrival in Florida.

September 16: I arrived in Orlando to stay one night with friends Deb and OD. I saw an attractive ☆Loggerhead Shrike☆ from appeared to be its regular perch next to the pond behind the house. I saw the first of many Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that I would see during my stay in Florida. ☆Boat-tailed Grackle☆ are very abundant and found in large numbers all over the place, including parking lots (and housing developments). They are beautiful, and I especially enjoy the plumage on the females. My favorite sighting in Orlando, though, was the first American Alligator that I would see on my extended stay in Florida. It was hanging around in the pond behind Deb and OD’s condo, and I nicknamed it “Sparky,” because it sparked my interest in Florida. I LOVE alligators . . . so fascinating, and so cute.

September 18: On the last leg of my drive, on the toll road to West Palm Beach near St. Lucie, I spotted a couple of impressive ☆Sandhill Crane☆ in the highway median. I would like a closer look someday!

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Species List

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura septentrionalis), Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis ibis), American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus ludovicianus), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea caerulea), Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major westoni), Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis )

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