July 4, 1996

We woke today to a light drizzle (this seems to happen quite frequently in Britain), and headed for Edinburgh. It is fortunate that no one seems to mind vehicles pulled half-way off the side of the road, because we’ve been doing a lot of that along the way, stopping to see birds. We saw a flock of Eurasian Oystercatchers on a grassy hill, and an adorable Yellowhammer singing exuberantly from a grassy area at the side of the road. Pied Wagtails, the British Isles race of the White Wagtail, were spotted at the roadside, and we saw our first Ring-necked Pheasant this morning, as well. We also spotted a bird kiting over the highway, whose markings under the wing and on the tail matched a Rough-legged Buzzard closer than any other, although this would have been outside of the bird’s normal summer range. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see it closely enough to be certain.

July 3, 1996

Although I was sad to leave York, we did have more adventures ahead of us, so I turned my attention north and east, to Whitby. To get there, we drove through the well-known (possibly infamous) Yorkshire Moors, which I loved. They are absolutely gorgeous – misty, and dark, and lovely.

July 1, 1996

Since Kevin was working on this day, I ended up sleeping very late (11:30), then wandered on my own into York under a light drizzle to change some currency. I discovered that the York City Centre is a charming warren of shops, pubs, and ancient buildings. After lunch and a guided bus tour, I found myself strolling through the Museum Gardens.

June 29, 1996

On our first day in the British Isles, we took a bus tour through London, to orient ourselves to the sights. After finishing the tour near Buckingham Palace, we walked back to our hotel via St. James and Green parks, to look for birds along the way. Some of the first birds we encountered were familiar from back home: Mute Swans with cygnets, and Mallards, but of course, many others were new to me.

May 2, 1995
Hazy, 65°F

After an appointment in town, I took a late morning walk through the park. I saw lots of birds by the bridge, and also found a path down on the other side of the creek which was very isolated, and gave me a great view of the birds going about their business.

April 15, 1995
Hazy, 50°F

Kevin suggested this expedition to take advantage of spring migration. He has become quite interested in birding and hiking with me since our trip to Florida, and this was one of the first specifically “birding” trips we went on together. We had a lovely morning, hiking trails One and Two (Two is terrific, by Lake Worster). We also followed a few deer trails, covering a total of about 6 miles, and there were many life species for both of us.

January 23, 1995
Hazy, ~50°F

Kevin and I took a boat tour through the swamp and bayou. Things were a bit quiet, probably due to the weather and the time of year. Still, we got an idea what the bayou is like . . . it’s beautiful!

January 18, 1995
Afternoon

We arrived at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge after noon, so we only had a couple of hours to spare before heading to Orlando to meet Deb and OD for dinner. Even with such a short period of time, it was WELL worth it! Merritt Island is one of the premier spots I’ve birded thus far in my young life, certainly at this time my favorite. I will return in the future – it’s WONDERFUL!

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.