January 14 and 15, 1995

On the day we’d planned to visit the Keys, a tropical storm hit southern Florida. However, given that we only had a limited number of days before Kevin needed to be back in Indiana, we decided to drive through the Keys anyway. This was less than pleasant at first, with some really heavy rains. Fortunately, though, it cleared up by the afternoon, and we found ourselves in the middle of a gorgeous landscape. The water on either side of us as we drove over the bridges that connect the islands was some of the most INCREDIBLE shades of blue and green that I had ever seen. Beautiful turquoise. We spotted several pairs of gorgeous Magnificent Frigatebird while driving through the Keys, and saw at least one Osprey that appeared to be at a nest.

January 4, 1995
Lake Okeechobee, multiple counties (Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach and Hendry), Florida
All day; 65°, overcast

Stops along my route

Knowing that I’d be leaving Florida soon and wanting to make the most of my remaining time here, I spent a day circumambulating the lake, stopping anywhere that looked promising. I started by driving north from West Palm and approaching the lake from the east, then up and around the northern end, down the west side, and around the southern end. Spoiler alert: I saw a LOT of birds.

January 4, 1995
All day; overcast/65 F

Knowing that I’d be leaving Florida soon and wanting to make the most of my remaining time here, I spent a day circumambulating the lake, stopping anywhere that looked promising. I started by driving north from West Palm and approaching the lake from the east, then up and around the northern end, down the west side, and around the southern end. Spoiler alert: I saw a LOT of birds. 

January 1, 1995
Sunny, 80°F

My first birding excursion of the New Year! I got here bright and early, and wandered the Cypress and Marsh trails. My first bird of the day was an exciting find in the Cypress Swamp: I finally saw my first Pileated Woodpecker! I spotted one off to the right of me, fairly high in the trees. Soon I realized that there was a family up there – at least two birds, which I assumed were a male and female. The color on that crest is incredible. At certain angles the light would hit those red feathers and it was brilliant, especially against the green of the trees. Magnificent! In the Cypress Swamp, I also saw Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, and huge flocks of American Robin.

December 28, 1994
Sunny, 75°F

Today, I visited the Marine Life Center where sea turtles are rehabilitated. I saw a number of turtles, large and small, in tanks where they were recovering until they were well enough to be released into the ocean again. Very cool. After seeing the turtles, I walked along the beach. North and east of the center, in a grassy dune, there is a lookout tower, from which I spotted a pair of Magnificent Frigatebird. Their name certainly does them justice! I also saw Yellow-shafted Flicker, Blue Jay, and American Kestrel.

December 8, 1994
Light rain, 75°F

My plan for this day was to hike the nature trails, and visit the Loxahatchee River. Not long after I arrived at 8:30 a.m., as I drove though the park to get to the access point for the nature trails, the first bird I spotted was a Bald Eagle. I saw this beautiful bird perched in a tree at the side of the road, and was able to stop the car, and view it from about 30 feet. The image of that eagle is still so clear in my mind . . . the misty, hazy day . . . all the colors of the forest, brown and gray, muted . . . and then the striking form of the eagle sitting so still and regal in that tree. I will never forget this sighting! A wonderful start to the day.

December 5, 1994
Evening, cloudy, 75°F

I took an evening walk along the shoreline, as I’ve done on other occasions as well. I am trying to take frequent beach walks, to take advantage of the ocean while I have it close . . . I do love spending time at the ocean!

December 1, 1994

This part of the Corbett Wildlife Management Area is an interesting place, featuring the “Hungryland” boardwalk through a cypress swamp, and the nearby Everglades Youth Camp (which was not currently in session). There is an extensive boardwalk access across the marsh and lake, and during my visit, I never encountered another person. It was lovey to have the place to myself!

November 29, 1994
Sunny, 80°F

Today, I took a trip to MacArthur State Beach, where, upon my arrival in the parking lot, I noticed an entire tree full of ☆Black Vulture☆ and Turkey Vulture between the parking lot and the sand dunes. I was able to get fairly close before they became nervous and flew away, and was able to get a really great look. Maybe it’s weird, but I really enjoy vultures. An American Kestrel was also seen near the parking lot, perched in a tree.

October 20, 1994
Cloudy, 70° – 75°F

Elaine and Chris, whom I met the previous week at Loxahatchee, took me air boating into the Everglades. What a fabulous way to get out there and see what the glades really are like! I suppose it’s the only way to really see parts of the Everglades that just can’t be accessed by land. This report is missing several species, because I didn’t write it up right away, but it was wonderful to have the opportunity to experience the splendor of the Everglades from the inside.

October 13, 1994
Sunny and beautiful

This was my first dedicated birding excursion in Florida, and I came closer to many birds than I’ve ever been before! Loxahatchee is a wonderful place to bird. It’s a series of everglade marsh areas surrounded by raised impoundments from which the marsh can be viewed. The impoundments are laid out in a grid, so you basically wander around squares of wetland.

September 14 through 18, 1994

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

July 24, 1994

Driving home from returning my stepson to his mother, I made a stop at this wonderful wildlife refuge. This is one of the first solo birding excursions I ever made, and definitely my first wildly successful trip. I ended up seeing more than 45 species, including several life birds.

May 14, 1994

I was part of the planning team for this event, and was also glad to participate. My team covered Notre Dame and St. Mary’s. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep detailed notes of this outing, but I do remember some of the birds I saw that day.