Friday 23rd February
Having left our home the previous afternoon, we (my partner Vikki and me) stayed the night at the Premier Inn adjacent to Heathrow airport. After breakfast, we made our way to Terminal 3, via the hotel shuttle and duly checked in to await our flight to Orlando International.
The flight was around 10 and we landed at about 8.30pm local time, in heavy rain, which was ominous.
After trouble with the car availability and then the sat-nav, we had to rely on a standard map and drove in a vague direction towards the resort where we were staying; the Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort.
After a lengthy checking in process and struggling to find our room, which was the top floor. There was a balcony, but being past midnight we could see very little but we were amazed at the noise of crickets and frogs, so we knew water was not far away.
Saturday 24th February
I awoke at 06.50 and headed with coffee to the balcony; mosquito mesh surrounded it, but the view was superb! Tall trees reached up to the balcony, beyond which was a large pool of water, two quarters of which was bordered by woodland stretching to the horizon and one quarter was short grass and from our apartment and to the right was marsh, then a golf course. In effect this was a large golf resort, but that was better than a concrete jungle!
Bird song filled the air, which I struggled to identify but on the water was my first bird of the trip, a Pied-billed Grebe. I soon noticed several Warblers in the trees around me, which used to be called Yellow-Rumped Warbler’s, but as things tend to be these days, they have been split into Audubon’s Warbler (western mountainous Canada) and the eastern split, which was what I was seeing a Myrtle Warbler, which I would see many of throughout my stay.
Amazingly a mammal strode over the golf course and proved to be my only sighting of an Opossum and a few Vultures started overflying the apartment but due to the angle I could not put to species level but a male American Redstart I could identify as it flew in front of me and into a tree. An Eastern Phoebe was next in view then a pair of Wood Ducks alighted for 10 minutes on the pond.
Today was always planned as a rest, recuperation and to acclimatize day, so we leisurely went for breakfast. With such a big place we had to drive to the breakfast restaurant and as we neared the car 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers appeared in the surrounding trees. The breakfast place was in a small swimming pool complex which we had a quick look around after we had eaten and here, I found many Common Grackles and a Mourning Dove, but with the area already filling with sunbathers and children, photos were out of the question!
After breakfast we drove to the nearest supermarket for essentials, snacks, lunch etc and on the way, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large bird some distance away on the verge. ‘Cranes’ came to mind, but almost immediately I knew that the large, tall bird was in fact a Wild Turkey stretching up and it was not alone! Unfortunately, I could not stop there, but noted the group was comprised of at least 10 individuals. On the way back they were only a little further along but frustratingly still not in a place I could stop. We drove back to ‘base’, unpacked the shopping and unpacked the rest of our luggage and settled-in before venturing out to explore the resort on foot.
Back outside an Eastern Bluebird was singing in front of the apartment and a Red-bellied Woodpecker was still present. A few Myrtle Warblers also flitted about whilst a single Wild Turkey crossed the road. This time I was able to take a few photos of this bird that I had wanted to see on all my trips to the States.
We spent some time ambling around the North west corner of the resort and was surprised at the birds we were able to see doing this, which included 2 Tree Swallows, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Myrtle Warblers, White Ibis (flying), Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Palm Warblers (frequently seen everywhere we went), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse and an Anhinga sitting by one of the many small pools that dotted the resort. These were both a water hazard for the golfers and little oases for wildlife.
Other wildlife of note was: 2 Turtle sp. Eastern Grey Squirrels, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Eastern Black Swallowtail and several smaller Butterflies and Dragonflies. It seemed to me that this resort catered well for wildlife as well as people.
Arriving back at the apartment although tired, I sat out on the balcony and was amazed to see an American Alligator and even more amazed that there were no warning signs, to indicate the presence of this species; apart from, I guess, suitable habitat! No note in the resorts literature to mention this species was here, or at the Holiday Inn, nothing!
The Alligator was about 5 ft long, swimming through the water and heading our way. Grabbing the camera, I took a few shots through the apartment windows (which did not open) before I lost sight of it.
After that excitement of the Alligator, I also saw my first Little Blue Heron, a Belted Kingfisher briefly around the pond and a female Red Cardinal briefly landed in a tree.
Sunday 25th February
Today was Vicki’s 50th birthday and so went to buy birthday presents. But before that I had coffee and breakfast on the balcony and saw that the Pied-billed Grebe was still present. Then a foraging party of small birds appeared in the tall trees comprising of a mixture of species. I did not know where to look first! The flock was about 10-12 strong, mostly of Myrtle Warblers, but I also found several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Blue-headed Vireo, a couple of Palm Warblers and a Northern Parula- an absolute gem of a bird decked in an amazing array of colours. An American Goldfinch in summer plumage alighted on the topmost branch of one of the tall trees and was another species that had avoided me on my previous travels. Next up was an Eastern Bluebird and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, whilst the Vultures poured from an unseen roost site over the top of the apartment.
It was time to go to Disney Springs and then onto the Sealife centre. Making our way to the car a higher pitched calling crow grabbed my attention; this was a Fish Crow and several plays of its call on my iPhone confirmed this. An Eastern Bluebird was back in its tree, outside the apartments too.
The Springs was a large complex, mostly made up of shops and restaurants but this still held some wildlife and it was to be the only place I would see House Sparrows. Common Grackles were quite tame and picked up the tourists' food droppings, an Osprey soared a little distance away, a Northern Mockingbird was the first for the trip and a Double-crested Cormorant flew over. Small Brown Anole lizards could be found in the raised flower beds that also doubled as seating whilst having a drink or a snack.
On the way back to base, an Anhinga flew over the car, but soon I was back on the balcony enjoying an Osprey, eye to eye as it cruised past the apartments. Several Myrtle Warblers were in the trees and a Blue Jay flew over. A male Red Cardinal, in its attractive blood red plumage started singing on the tallest nearby tree, the Alligator was now basking on the bank of the pond and on the opposite bank I found 2 Turtle sp. Another new bird for the trip was the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet just yards from me but I headed off to the far end of the resort with its main lake, ‘Orange Lake’.
The main lake was a disappointment as really it was just an oversized play pool for boats, jet skis, swimmers, and anything else that could float. On the way I did see a Glossy Ibis at the side of the Road and an Anhinga.
Coming back, I decided to explore more of the area at the base of the apartments, which was lightly wooded between the golf courses and the marshy water hazards. A Wilson’s Snipe was a new bird for me, and I flushed this wader as I threaded my way through the vegetation. Several Myrtle and Palm Warblers were seen, a Red Cardinal and a Northern Mockingbird, but extremely exciting was a second Alligator in another pool. This one was only 2ft long but still a great find.
Dinner that evening was at the restaurant for a delicious birthday meal, and we made our plans for the next day. 
Monday 26th February
We took coffee and breakfast on the balcony where the resident Pied-billed Grebe was in attendance on the pool below. Several Turkey and Black Vultures (I had by now seen enough of these daily commutes to confidently say there were both species present) flew over and a Black & White Warbler flew into the trees albeit quite briefly. We then headed out on the highways for a 1.5-hr drive, to Lake Kissimmee and the Joe Overstreet landing area. This was reached by driving along Joe Overstreet Road, which was a rural road about 5 miles long, straight through cattle country.
This road was not busy, fortunately, which enabled us to stop several times and took us an hour to drive its full length. Savannah Sparrows were the most abundant bird, with Palm Warblers joining in the curb side feeding. Eastern Meadow Larks were singing away on low fences whilst American Kestrels kept watch on the wires above.
Northern Mockingbirds were also present and soon small to large groups of Sandhill Cranes were being seen, immediately next to the road, with the largest group estimated to be 160 strong., Towards the end of this road, we saw at least 3 Loggerhead Shrikes on the wires a distant flock of 100+ Cattle Egrets and small pools of water started to appear. At these small pools, 3 Wood Storks stood as guards, whilst Snowy Egrets, Glossy Ibises and Tri-coloured Herons fished. Lesser Yellowlegs were on the left of the road whilst on the right a Greater Yellowlegs and a male Boat-tailed Grackle fed, with its nictitating membrane on show. The only European Starlings, so hated by the Americans, were seen here with just 3 birds on a wire and were not seen anywhere else. Maybe these birds have still yet to invade Florida as they have across the entire country. With Turkey Vultures flying overhead we pulled into the car park, noting the much-needed toilets on the way in and parked up.
Jumping out of the car I noted there were many White Ibises walking around and perched up on poles, Boat-tailed Grackles were calling noisily at each other and another flock of approx. 25 Cattle Egrets were at the far end of the car park. We walked towards the toilet block with Palm Warblers and Myrtle Warblers (including an exceptionally fine breeding plumaged male, so good in fact I thought for a while I had a new species) loading the trees above.
We then headed left to the short jetty-type, overlooking Lake Kissimmee. The birds came fairly thick and fast here, some I'd seen already here in Florida; Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Tri-coloured Herons, both species of Ibises, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Snowy Egrets, while some were new for the trip; Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Green Heron, 2 Bald Eagles, Ring-billed Gulls, Forster’s Terns, Common Gallinules and two were new to me; those being a delightful but not very obliging Limpkin that hunted in the long freshly growing reed edges and the bird I really wanted to see and why Lake Kissimmee became a must visit site; a male Snail Kite drifted past us- a wonderful experience. We also saw an Alligator just off the boardwalk, which reminded us to stay on the path! We departed here and walked right to the boat landing area. The whole car park was dominated by Boat-tailed Grackles, and we watched these noisy boisterous birds going about their business noting that the sexual dimorphism was to an extent that the male and female might be seen as two different species! Also present in the car park were a few Fish Crows. At the right-hand side of the car park was a field with a lone Sandhill Crane in and before that a fence with a Collard Dove and a Mourning Dove perched on top and a Savannah Sparrow at the base.
A landing jetty reached out into the Lake, upon which numerous Ring-billed Gulls, several Forster’s Terns and a single Black Skimmer were sitting on. We had lunch back in the car noting an Eastern Phoebe and a ‘gang’ of Brown-headed Cowbirds arrived and flew off again, obviously noting the lack of cows in the car park! The Cattle Egrets at the far end of the car park had also moved on further away and had found a single cow!
After lunch we walked back to the jetty on the left, taking snaps of an Eastern Grey Squirrel on the way, and found the Limpkin had given up on skulking and was now also walking up and down the jetty in full view. Eventually we got to the end but there was nothing new to add and the Kite did not return so we headed back to the car. We paused in the car to take group shots of Turkey Vultures feeding at the boat ramp before driving back down Joe Overstreet Road.
Aside from the now missing Herons and Storks, the birds were the same but, less of them as the heat had risen again however two Bald Eagles were notable and towards the end of the road a flock of at least 50 Tree Swallows were hawking over the road.
Back to base and the Turkeys were on the road itself causing traffic to stop. From the balcony, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was in the trees, several Turkey Vultures were flying about, an Anhinga was on the pond’s side shrubbery and American Crows and Myrtle Warblers were in evidence. Even the Osprey put in another fly-past. Just before dusk I took a brief walk along the apartments/golf course with the highlights being a Loggerhead Shrike and an Eastern Phoebe and I videoed on the iPhone a stream of Black Vultures heading to roost.
After dinner we took a brief drive around after hearing reports that the Opossums were easier to see in the dark but all we managed to pick out was a lone Raccoon scuttling across the road. 
Tuesday 27th February
The now habitual early morning balcony-watch produced the Pied-billed Grebe still on the pond, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on a tree and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk also alighted in a nearby tree and allowed through the window shots of this young bird.
The main drive for today was to Merritt Island, off the Florida West coast. This island is half wildlife and recreational whilst the other half forms the Cape Canaveral rocket and shuttle launching site and is reached by driving over some large bridges and the one, we found best was from Titusville.
As we approached Titusville, 2 Bald Eagles were seen from the road and several Osprey pairs were nesting on the road signs, alongside and seemingly unbothered by the highway.
Over the bridge and we made for the visitor centre to obtain passes ($10 per car) and information on where to see the Florida Scrub Jays, which was our main reason for travelling to Merritt Island. We were also given directions to the Flamingos found here, which would be a bonus if we saw them!
We made straight to the ‘Scrub Ridge Trail,’ the first of two sites we were told that could give us the Jays. Having found the start, we parked up and walked about a mile and half loop, in hot dry scrub, with the only new bird being a Gray Catbird, which was new for the trip. The others were Tree Swallows overhead and several Northern Mockingbirds, fooling (mocking?) me with their silhouettes, more than once. Drawing a blank, we arrived back at the car, where an unusual call was heard nearby, demanded my attention. Hurrying to locate the bird making this call, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw a Florida Scrub Jay sitting on top of a medium-high shrub. After I called Vicki over to view the bird, it flew across the road, but still in view, before then dropping out of sight.
With objective number one safely in the bag, we went to find number 2; Flamingos! This involved driving over the Haulover Canal and as this was currently open for boat traffic, we sat in the car and were able to view our first Brown Pelicans and several American White Pelicans, sailing past, as they took advantage of the open bridge. Soon the boats and Pelicans had gone, and we could turn left into the North Haulover boat landing area. The car was parked a few metres from the water's edge so we set up the scope under the information kiosk to avoid the worst of the Sun. Birds were very numerous here and soon we had quite a list; Brown Pelican, American White Pelican, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Laughing Gull and two new birds for me, the delicately shaded pink Roseate Spoonbills and the sought after American Flamingos. I could make out that there were 3 birds present but they were quite distant, though the shape and lurid pink could only mean they were the Flamingos. My attention was grabbed by an incoming Osprey with a fish, which after a circuit, landed in the topmost branches of a tree to my left, thus resulting in a great photo opportunity. After a brief period, the Osprey took off again with its still uneaten fish and headed to a female sitting on eggs, in a nest built on top of a boating sign. I thus assumed this was the male returning to feed a fish to its mate; however this was not to be. The male with his piscatorial prize, was not welcomed by the female, which noisily spurned his gift, attracting the attention of a 3rd bird, another male, which flew in and drove off the first Osprey with his fish.
After this excitement we made our way back to the car and drove the short distance to the Manatee viewpoint, overlooking the Haulover Canal. Here I was not expecting too much, as it was predicted that only the occasional Manatee is seen from here, but this was wrong as we witnessed up to 20 West Indian Manatees actively loafing at the river's edge. Much larger than any of the European Seals, these engaging mammals are quite peaceful and vegetarian. Seeing Manatees is dependent on water temperature, as they are thin skinned animals, susceptible to being too warm or too hot. If the sea temperature is too cold, they will head into the warmer, shallower waters of the rivers, particularly heading to the warm springs, found in many parts of Florida or to warm water outfall pipes. If the water temperature here starts to overheat or the sea water warms up the Manatees will head back out to sea. Seeing these here was a real treat and really the main reason for us to venture to Florida. A Cattle Egret feeding on large Grasshoppers sp. also added to this little spectacle as did a flyover Royal Tern and the flights of Brown Pelicans vying for our attention.
We found somewhere to have a little picnic (entrance to Canaveral beach-it was too expensive to venture inside!) and after that we headed for the infamous Black Point Drive. This is a 7-mile, one way drive around some interesting and important wetland. Being one way and having a wide road, the car can be used as a mobile hide to view and photograph the bird and reptile life found here, of which there was a lot. There were also hiking paths and a few blinds, plus a toilet stop just over halfway. A pleasant couple of hours were spent, the highlights being Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Reddish Egret, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Northern Harrier, Shoveler, Roseate Spoonbills, Pied-billed Grebes, Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Tri-coloured Heron, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. We saw, but was not able to photograph, a Soft-shelled Turtle sp. and numerous Alligators, including the largest one on the whole trip, which was about 10ft long. Once completed we set our sights for home base, heading back over the huge bridge into Titusville, which is where we stopped for fuel and snacks. I could not help but notice the Osprey nesting in the rear of the garage forecourt, Boat-tailed Grackles hopping about and the ‘Florida Chicken’ aka White Ibis’ casually strolling between the pumps. Amazing and unexpected!
As we pulled into our resort’s roadways a Cooper’s Hawk was in full attack mode at the side of the car and we again had to stop for the Turkeys to cross the road. Why did they cross the road? I would ask a Chicken! 
Wednesday 28th February
This morning was a change from the normal in that we skipped the breakfast on the balcony routine, opting instead for a pre-dawn start to drive to The Orlando’s wetland reserve near Christmas, west of Orlando. Arriving at the resort we clearly were not the only people with the same idea, as the car park had about a dozen cars in already. We opted to stick to the newly built boardwalk, as Alligators were present and often crept out onto the paths. The boardwalk was about 1500m long and gave excellent views as it snaked through the wetland pools. Primarily, what we are seeing were the expected water birds mostly Herons and Egrets but there were also fair numbers of Blue-winged Teal, both White & Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, American Coot, Common Gallinules and Anhinga. Whilst still early, the trees still held numbers of Turkey and Black Vultures, but as it warmed these took off, to hold the thermals. Ospreys and Wood Storks made passes over the reserve as Marsh Wrens called frantically from the reedbeds. The reeds were also being utilized by singing Red-winged Blackbirds, giving their full display to all watching, and providing excellent photographic opportunities. A Night Heron was seen distantly on the far shore, a Common Yellowthroat was sighted, and a few Belted Kingfishers were also encountered.
We walked back to the car for an early lunch and managed to stumble across a pair of Sandhill Cranes with 2 young that we had earlier been told, were on the far side of the reserve. Clearly these birds were wandering around the venue and seemed reasonably unaffected with the humans they encountered.
After a pleasant lunch in the shade, we first took a walk through the woods, however these were very thick and very damp underfoot so much so that it proved too difficult, and we walked back to the visitors' centre. This centre was new and almost complete on the outside, but that was as far as it went, as the interior was a blank canvas, construction having stopped when Covid hit and never resumed. Walking to a new area we came upon two ducks and with my suspicions aroused, I took some shots to confirm that they were indeed Mottled Ducks; excellent! These are scarce ducks and inter-breeding with Mallards is proving to be incompatible with the species survival- an accusation thrown at the introduced Ruddy duck and the native, White-Headed Duck of Europe, which has resulted in the almost total extermination of Ruddy Ducks in Europe. A little later after viewing Red-shouldered Hawk and an Easter Phoebe at close quarters we walked back to the boardwalk, skirted by trees and shrubs.
The tree-lined paths gave up some good birds; Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Myrtle and Palm Warblers and a Yellow Throated Warbler, which was a new bird for me and the trip.
Upon reaching the boardwalk, it was a surprise to see the Cranes were there to greet us. It was enjoyable watching the adults delicately feed their young and I managed to capture this on the iPhone. The final new bird seen at Orlando’s was a Purple Gallinule, casually walking some distance away, but unmistakable and a good bird to see. As a side note, this Purple Gallinule has kept its name whereas, what I have seen in Europe, has been renamed Purple Swamphen to avoid confusion, which does raise the point, that, isn’t it why we have scientific names, so we all know what we are referring too?
There were various reptiles seen during our visit, aside from Alligators, several Red bellied Terrapins were hauled up on fallen logs, warming themselves in the Florida sunshine and a Florida Water Snake, was in the water just below the boardwalk and there were numerous Butterflies and Dragonflies on the wing too, alas I did not obtain photos of the insects.
With the Sun now extremely hot, we headed back home, during which a Pileated Woodpecker over flew the car. It headed deep into woodland so to stop would have been fruitless, even if I were able too at that time. However, I was delighted to see this Woodpecker which has eluded me on my three previous visits across the water, but it was so very brief, I hoped this would not be the last sighting.
Back to base and 2 Sandhill Cranes were in the resort's gardens and from the balcony the Pied-billed Grebe was joined at the pond by a Great Egret. This was going to be our last night here in Orlando, as tomorrow we would head off to the Crystal River. 
Thursday 29th February
As we were leaving this morning, we decided to have breakfast in the restaurant on site and not on our balcony. Once breakfast had been eaten we packed up and had a last look at the pond to discover no Grebe! Maybe he had his leaving day today too. However, on the drive out I did notice Turkeys and the last new bird for this site, a pair of Mallard on one of water hazards of the golf course.
The idea was to take in some history whilst we here, so we made a heading to the Dade Battlefield Memorial Park, just outside Dade and halfway between Orlando and the Crystal River. The route took us through some glorious countryside complete with a few birds; Turkey & Black Vulture, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Glossy Ibis, American Kestrels, and many Sandhill Cranes including two that were stubbornly on the road and had to be persuaded to move off. Sadly, we also saw, what we both agreed was a road casualty Bobcat.
We got to Dade battlefield site and duly signed in and was told that as well as an information centre they also had a video we ‘had’ to watch and the assistant who we talked to was duly reminded by her superior to tell us again about the great video they had, and that we had to watch. Sliding out of the doors we walked down a pathway and in the sky, soaring over a small, wooded area, were 3 Swallow-tailed Kites. Amazing and not within my realms of what I thought I may see in Florida at this time of year this far North. The Kites made a few passes over the woods before slipping away. We decided to walk that way, getting collared by another volunteer who told us again that there was video we ‘had’ to watch. The walk through the woods was quiet and was punctuated by a Pileated Woodpecker, flicking from tree to tree. Decent views at last of the largest (allegedly!) surviving Woodpecker in the US. A small Fence Lizard sat on a fallen stump, long enough for its photograph to be taken and then the three kites chose to make another pass over and there was much scrabbling about dodging trees and brambles to take more photos.
We decided to have lunch in the park and whilst walking back with the lunch bag, from the car, a Brown Thrasher was in the undergrowth searching for its lunch. Behaving like a small Thrush it took me a few moments to realize that it was not a Thrush! After lunch, which was interrupted by me dashing off to photograph Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and a particularly pale Brown Anole lizard, we headed to see if they had a gift shop and was told again that there was a video to watch. A browse around the information boards was interrupted only by the announcement that the video was about to play. With great excitement on their part, we were ushered into a small room, with another couple and a lady that I can only assume was there to ensure we did indeed watch the video and not sneak out. Once the credits had finally stopped rolling and it felt safe enough to, we escaped and headed for the Plantation Resort in Crystal River.
The room at this resort did not have a scenic view nor did it have a balcony, so we strolled outside and along the canal and saw 3 Bald Eagles, Osprey, Double-crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, White Ibis, Great Egrets, Eastern Bluebirds, Myrtle Warblers, Belted Kingfishers, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron and Ring-billed Gulls. So, we swapped the balcony for morning and evening strolls, with coffee and found a great bench, hidden away, for us to relax on. Strange movements in the water made me consider a Manatee but maybe they do not come this far down the canal, off from Kings Bay? 
Friday 1st March
The Plantation resort is in the Town of Crystal River, adjacent to the Kings Bay, which is outlet for the many springs in the area to discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. These warm water springs kept the Kings Bay at a constant 72o F and so is a haven for the Manatee’s that have withdrawn from the colder water in the Gulf, over the winter period and is such along with Homosassa a popular tourist hotspot. From here, we would stay for four nights, taking four different boat trips to view wildlife.
As the first trip was in the afternoon, we drove the short distance to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge which had a small charge to enter. Having parked our car across the street, as directed, we took a stroll into the small refuge. The main option here is to head for the boardwalk and stroll along, watching for Manatees in the selected viewing spots. This we did and though not the large numbers as seen on Merritt Island, we did see about a dozen in total in the clear waters. At least one of these was a young calf. There were safe areas for the Manatees, away from the boats and the swimmers and the majority seemed to be congregating there, which emphasized the point that, though swimming with Manatees seems to be popular and is promoted as such, should we be swimming with them, interacting in a way that the Manatee was not evolved to do so and given a choice would they avoid doing so?
We declined to do these swimming tours. We thought the line between accepting or even enjoying the swimmers (as quoted by some guides) and that of not being able to do anything but tolerate them was not distinct and from what we saw, when and where possible they avoided human contact. Stress levels in Manatees did not seem to be monitored or even considered.
There were birds here, but not in any numbers, probably due to the human traffic encountered; Double-Crested Cormorant, Wood stork, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Collard Dove, Eastern Phoebe, Fish Crow, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Palm warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal and Turkey Vulture. A lone small Sparrow in a low bush proved to be a Swamp Sparrow, new for me and the trip, as was a low hoot of a Barred Owl, emanating from a high conifer tree. Eastern Grey Squirrels were bouncing around, and two Yellow Bellied Water Snakes were seen, one tasting the air with its forked tongue.
We went for lunch at a supermarket, complete with Boat-tailed Grackles in the car park and soon it was time for a cruise around Kings Bay. This trip lasted about two hours with two new birds for the trip, a single male Bufflehead and a Spotted Sandpiper with a supporting cast of Lesser Scaup (flocks of a dozen or so), Brown Pelican, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Osprey, Bald Eagle, a Dolphin sp. and a few Manatees but not with the great views we had this morning.
The guide was good, at least funny, and chatty-wise, but natural history was not his thing, calling the Lesser Scaups, ‘Blue-bills', miss-identifying a female Lesser Scaup as a Mallard, not giving more information on the Dolphin and possible species at least and relying on me, to identify positively, a Bald Eagle!
Once we were back on land, a Carolina Chickadee was sitting just above the bench before flying off. A Coopers Hawk gave a flyby and another Spotted Sandpiper sat just alongside the canal and a Night Heron was not too far away either.
The restaurant in the hotel had limited choice and was expensive, so we opted to go for a burger at Wendy’s. This was the first time in a Wendy’s, and it did not disappoint except with the dessert choice, but the burger was elevated to Number 1 burger favourite. To complete the evening coffee and McFlurry at McDonald's! 
Saturday 2nd March
A morning stroll around the Plantation resort was an early one, as we had another boat trip lined up for 8:30am from another area of Kings Bay. After some difficulty in finding the place and paying for parking, we jumped on board for a two-hour cruise, again around Kings Bay.
Though no new birds for the trip were added on this occasion, it was great to view the birdlife around the Bay and see some Manatees again. We were getting adapt at spotting them in the water now and I felt more confident that the water movement we saw on that first afternoon here was a Manatee. We also were able to witness large Tarpan breaking the water surface, whilst hunting. Whilst coming back into harbour, a canoeist capsized close to the boat and was unable to correct themselves, so our captain helped them get secure and back into the harbour safely. Whilst in the harbour I noticed a large gathering of Gulls on a boat shed roof, all Laughing Gulls, save for one immature American Herring Gull.
Driving back to the Plantation resort, we found a Red-shouldered Hawk and a couple of Sandhill Cranes, at the roadsides.
This afternoon was supposed to be an afternoon at the Spa for Vicki, whilst I explored the areas around the resort, however due to a booking mix up, this did not happen and sorting it out took up a large chunk of our time, so after an agreement had been made, we drove a little further down the road to West Island Fort Beach.
This small beach, on the Gulf coast was a popular spot for people and like so many other places in the States, birds too. Just offshore in the open water of the Gulf of Mexico, was a Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and a Slavonian Grebe. Brown Pelicans, Forster’s, and Royal Terns flew by and on the sand spits were Willets and American Oystercatchers, alongside Least Sandpipers, Terns, and Gulls. On the shore itself, many Sanderlings were running between the legs of bathers and there were also Turnstones, Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls. Further to one side a Little Blue Heron appeared too.
A walk further to a small dock we saw a Belted Kingfisher, American Crows, Fish Crows, Boat-tailed Grackles and Tree Swallows overhead.
Around The Plantation resort, the birdlife was again on show with Brown Pelicans, Anhinga, Double-Crested Cormorants, Great Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Osprey, Cooper’s Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Belted Kingfisher, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, American Crow, Eastern Bluebird, Palm Warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Turkey Vulture, Boat-tailed Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds.
We had dinner in a local, small, and popular Thai restaurant, where we managed to get a table and retired back to the resort. There a small Toad was seen on the pathway but alas eluded having its picture taken.
Sunday 3rd March
Today we ventured south to Homosassa Springs for an Eco airboat adventure! This was going to involve taking an airboat through the lagoons and waterways, to the Gulf of Mexico. We were the only customers on this trip so with just a Captain we headed out. A sedate pace was set at first enabling us to view Bald Eagles, Wood Storks, Belted Kingfishers, Cattle Egrets and nesting Brown Pelicans amongst many of the expected species seen. However, once out of the restrictive speed limits the air boat was ‘opened up’ and the speed made viewing exceedingly difficult, though enjoyable. Once out into the shallow Gulf, with the water only being knee deep, we did get to see American White Pelicans and a Dolphin sp. came remarkably close within touching distance, if we had been inclined to do so.
This trip lasted a few hours and though very enjoyable from one angle, from a wildlife viewing side, it proved difficult with the speed and noise. I would take this trip again but not with the expectation of getting close to wildlife!
As it was still early we next headed to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Reserve.
This was a Zoo type set up with all the animals rescued from the wild with intent to release if able to or for life care for those that could not be released. Amongst them was a pair of Whooping Cranes that were brought in, unable to fly. After a period of rehabilitation, only one (the female) was set for release but she chose to stay with her mate, rather than fly free. The ‘aviary’ has no roof but she has taken the decision to stay of her own free will. 4 Manatees were in an in a seclusion pond also receiving treatment before release, being fed what appeared to be cabbage. As with many Zoo type complexes, wild birds take advantage of the food, safety, and shelter, notably Black-crowned Night Herons, which allowed close approach. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Gray Catbird were also present.
After lunch in a nearby Wendy’s, with a Great Egret in the car park eating handouts, we headed back for a lazy afternoon before the evening sunset cruise around the Kings Bay. This evening cruise took the same vein as the other Kings Bay cruises and was a gentle end to the holiday, for tomorrow we had our flight back, leaving from Tampa.
Monday 4th March
A last walk around The Plantation resort and a sit on our bench overlooking the canals and the birds came out to bid us farewell with White Ibis, Belted Kingfisher, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Palm warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron and 2 migrant Barn swallows. And to prove that Manatees do venture close to the resort a Manatee was seen not 10 metres from our bench near to where the first suspected Manatee was seen. We drove south to Tampa and had a big lunch when we arrived at Whiskey Joes bar and grill which was superb. Upon leaving we saw the last new bird of the trip Feral Pigeons! Crazy we had not seen these before.
The flight left on time at 18:00 and we landed safely at Heathrow the following morning.
*Thanks are due to Mike Linley for his help in identifying the Herpetology seen during the trip.
18th May 2022
A 6.00 start on the 18th May 2022 and Jason Nichols and I set off for Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire.
Once out of Norfolk, we travelled through Lincolnshire on a tried and tested route that would lead to the Humber Bridge at Barton upon Humber. It was a pleasant drive in the sunshine and once out of Horncastle we travelled along undulating roads through the Lincolnshire Wolds, an area well known to me, as I used to live in a small village (Croxton) in what was then South Humberside until it was changed back to Lincolnshire.
Along the approach road from Barnetby Top to the Humber Bridge itself we saw at least four Badger road casualties; a stark reminder that roads without underpasses for wildlife are an absolute death trap to crepuscular and nocturnal animals.
Over the bridge and into Yorkshire we were rather surprised to see that there was no sign of weed-killer (brown vegetation) along the roads with their well vegetated verges and in many places hedges left to mature. Perhaps Great Yarmouth Borough Council should take note on how to manage hedges and grassland!
Finally, we arrived at the overflow car park at Bempton and made our way passed the visitor centre and along the track to the cliffs, seeing Tree Sparrows along the way, a feature of Bempton, shame they have to put silver bangles on their legs, but that’s the RSPB for you!
I have visited Bempton Cliffs on many occasions, but never tire of the sudden cacophony of sound from the breeding seabirds that greets you at the edge of the cliffs, which you are unaware of until you reach that point; magical, especially if it’s your first visit to a seabird colony.
The chalk cliffs and ledges are home to an important array of species. The main attraction here is the Gannets, Kittiwakes, and Auks; Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills, not forgetting the ‘poor man’s' Albatross the Fulmar, which leads me nicely on to another relatively recent attraction here; a Black-browed Albatross!
Whilst I am not going to disguise the fact that the Albatross was part of the attraction for the two day visit; the other seabirds here stand on their own as an enticement and I love photographing the birds here, particularly the Gannets, which soar close to the top of the cliffs and above your head at times.
All three Auks were seen, flying past at speed, whilst many were on the water far below. Fulmars and Kittiwakes were flying past and coming ever closer and a couple of Shags were seen flying over the sea.
We had been here in the same area for about 4 hours and decided to leave and come back later after checking in at our accommodation in nearby Bridlington. Ironically, on reaching Bridlington the news came through that the Albatross had shown up!
The decision to stay or leave when trying to see something that has no apparent rhyme or reason for when it appears, is always a bit of a lottery, but another more annoying set-back was about to happen to our two-day break in Yorkshire!
We arrived at our accommodation (booked through Booking.com) for the night in Bridlington and attempted to check in. However, the attempts were futile and to cut a long and very annoying story short after about 18 telephone calls to the owners and multiple attempts at ringing either one of the two door bells or both we had to make a decision about what to do next.
Between Jase and me we decided to cut our losses (at least for the time being!) and try and find somewhere else. So Jase looked at Late Rooms and found a possible destination at Scarborough.
We arrived at Scarborough and a deal was done for two rooms for the night at a reasonable price, but more than what we had originally booked. Nevertheless, unlike the look of the derelict boarding house with ‘apartments’ at Bridlington, this was newly decorated and was very acceptable to both of us and we both agreed that the choice we had made was the right one.
Along with our own accommodation, there was accommodation for Kittiwakes opposite our place of refuge for the night at the ‘Grand Hotel’, with the Gulls nesting in every conceivable place possible on the face of the hotel. Other nests were on our side of the road, but I noticed that the Kittiwakes were being discouraged by the placing of metal spikes; but that wasn’t stopping them totally!
Now checked in successfully for the second time of asking, we decided on a drive around part of the Yorkshire Moors. As usual great scenery up here and after a bit of ‘exploring’ we came across our first Red Grouse; a female laying low in the Heather. This was followed by at least 19 more Red Grouse in a relatively small area.
Also here were Lapwings and their attempts to distract the car soon led to seeing a total of 5 chicks from two pairs.
Other species of note here were: 2 Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, 2 Curlew, a Brown Hare and several young Rabbits, which I always love to see. It has to be remarked upon that there were quite a few road-
casualties including feathered and furry youngsters; cars go very fast along these roads, too fast for an important area for upland nesting species of both birds and mammals!
Back in Scarborough a meal at a well known local ‘restaurant’ was followed by turning in for the night after a very long day for both of us.
19th May 2022
Exiting the accommodation in Scarborough at 6.00 (19th) the air was filled with the sound of Kittiwakes on the neighbouring buildings and the local Herring Gulls were still minding Jason’s car for him; leaving him a few souvenirs!
Back at Bridlington we made our way down to the viewing point best to see the Albatross from in the hope it would appear early in the morning like it sometimes did.
Some more photography ensued, but there was no sign of the Albatross, so after sometime we walked back northwards to visit some of the other viewing areas.
Kittiwakes were collecting mud for their nests from the cliff edges and on a field on the cliff top and a Corn Bunting were also seen here.
From one of the ‘northern’ viewpoints we were able to photograph mutual preening by a pair of Razorbills and also a Puffin preening and Jase took videos of both of these events.
After leaving and on our way back to Norfolk; you guessed it the Albatross turned up! Not as easy to see as some might think. Probably best to take a tent and stay put for as many days as needed! However, it was a good trip, enjoyed by both of us and as a footnote, after a few ‘direct’ emails we got our money back for the property in Bridlington. Many thanks are due to Jase for driving and for making the journey possible and indeed his enhancing videos used in the article.
The Spanish Pyrenees, Belchite Plains & the Ebro Delta
6th-12th May 2018
6th May
A flight from Luton Airport at 7.00 saw Jason Nichols and myself arrive at Barcelona Airport around mid-morning. Drizzle and grey skies are not necessarily the weather you would associate with Spain but today that was very much the case.
We were supposed to be collected by the car hire firm when we arrived, but there was no sign of them and it was at least another hour before they finally showed up, after several telephone calls by Jason!
To make the situation worse, when we arrived at the car hire depot, the Jeep we had hired was not ready and a further frustrating wait ensued, making far less time for our proposed itinerary than anticipated.
Finally, we were on our way en-route to the Pyrenees, heading towards Lleida seeing House Sparrows, many Common Swifts, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Spotless Starling, Alpine Swift, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Cattle Egret, House Martin, 2 Black Kite, White Stork, 4 Griffon Vultures, Magpie, Red-rumped Swallow and 3 Mallard.
A stop at a road junction 7 km from Monzon, along the A22 gave us time to check our bearings, but also found some interesting insects amongst the vegetation, which at first glance would not have looked very promising! However, there are nearly always animals in all sorts of terrain and we were in Spain so a bit of exploring was definitely worth undertaking.
The first insects of interest I found were two Moths, a Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia and a Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella.
These were followed by a Froghopper Cercopis intermedium, Leaf Beetle Lachnaia paradoxa and then a Polistes species, which appears to be a European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula nesting on a reed stem. Just before continuing on our journey, a Nightingale was heard singing and a Black Kite flew over.
By now there was blue skies and sunshine, which as always highlights a Bee-eater’s plumage; the first birds we saw on entering the Sierra De Guara. At least two Bee-eaters were seen and Nightingale song was heard everywhere as we continued our journey and the fluting song of a Golden Oriole was also heard somewhere nearby, but as what usually happens; the singer remained hidden!
(25th March-4th April)
Departure and arrival…...
One of the main reasons for choosing City College Norwich as the place to undertake a degree was that every two years there was a Tropical Ecology and Management Field Trip to Kenya.
On Thursday 25th March 1999 the party from City College met at Heathrow airport and the lifetime ambition to visit Africa was underway. The overnight flight to Nairobi was approximately 12 hours and although the drinks were free it was a long haul, not helped by the non-smoking rule. Needless to say, the nicotine inhaler came into its own!
The following morning (26th March) the plane touched down at Nairobi airport. The truck, which was to be our transport during the trip, was finally located. Not the four-wheel drive vehicle anticipated and certainly not luxury travel, but this was Africa.
Young boys soon gathered round and insisted on taking the luggage to the truck. However, any ideas about the gesture being altruistic were soon dispelled when they held out their hands for payment, which roughly amounted to 50p Lest it be forgotten, in a third world country, ’The struggle for existence’ is not just confined to species, other than ourselves!
Journey to Marich, Elementita and the ‘chicken-man’…...
The truck and its passengers left Nairobi airport and headed north. Driving through Nairobi there were several men lying on the grass, apparently asleep, but there was no discernible sign of breathing!
Space on the truck was very limited once all the rucksacks etc had been loaded it was pretty cramped to say the least. The open sides of the vehicle were great for viewing wildlife en-route, but the fumes from other vehicles (obviously not covered by an MOT emissions test) blowing into the truck were not pleasant.
Several stops were made on the journey. These included stopping to stock up on bottled water and at other various points, mainly when there was a majority decision on an imminent ‘call of nature’!
We passed over the well sign-posted equator but there was not time to stop.
The main break in the journey was at Lake Elementita, where a walk down the track to the lake edge ensued. A small flock of Great White Pelicans were on the lake and Yellow-billed Stork and 4 Blacksmith Lapwings were seen here. However, all too soon it was time to leave, but not before another reminder of the poverty here, with small children asking for money.
All along the route, people smiled, waved and shouted ‘Jambo’ (Swahili for hello). Unbelievable, when you consider how the 'whites' have treated the people here. Cynically speaking, this behaviour could be seen as being a way in which to obtain some kind of wealth, but personally throughout the trip it was found that the people here were genuinely warm and friendly and always cheerful, although there is no doubt that any help would be gratefully received.
Later during the afternoon, Peter, our driver stopped at a roadside market to buy provisions. Whilst waiting in the truck an elderly man was walking down the road talking to his self. His dishevelled appearance, complete with two dead chickens slung over his shoulder resembled an African version of Worzel Gummage. After stopping at the roadside to throw stones at passing people on bicycles, still talking to himself he wandered towards the truck. This was somewhat alarming, due to the fact that no previous experience existed in how to deal with such an individual. Fortunately, at that point everybody arrived back at the truck and the journey continued.
As darkness fell, the wind speed increased and unbelievably it started to rain. The canvas flaps on the side of the truck were rolled down, but unable to get a coat from the rucksack (due to it being under many others) made the rest of the journey very cold and uncomfortable. Also along the way at certain points there were ominous-looking metal toothed bars on one side of the road. Their exact purpose remains a mystery, but it was related via Peter that there were certain places, which were very dangerous to stop and not because of any wildlife!
After some difficulty with the directions, Marich Pass Field Studies Centre (in the far north of western Kenya, within the Cherangani hills, close to the Uganda border) was finally reached at approximately 23.00. After nearly being poisoned by exhaust fumes and freezing to death, this came as somewhat of a relief. The truck was unloaded and reunited with our rucksacks, were shown to the accommodation, which was one of several round straw-roofed mud huts.
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