In the background, church bells ring, Marine Corps recruits chant and traffic buzzes down busy Himes Avenue. Look more closely, though, and you’ll see a winter wonderland of birds in one of the region’s busiest parks.
Although it’s more well-known as a haven for tailgaters than feathered aviators, Al Lopez Park hosts an amazing array of birds, from stately cormorants and elusive night herons to hundreds of tiny warblers that move so quickly they’re barely visible.
Warblers may be the original snowbirds, says Bill Lamoureux, leading a small group from the Tampa Audubon Society on a tour of Al Lopez Park early one nippy Saturday morning. Like all of Audubon’s volunteer guides, Lamoureux is practically a walking encyclopedia of bird knowledge — where they come from, what they eat, how they sound, their favorite nesting locations, and the flight idiosyncrasies that help identify them when they’re moving too fast to catch with binoculars.
Warblers nest in places like Canada and the northeastern states, then fly south for the winter. In Florida, they’re often found in feeding flocks that may contain four to ten species of birds, he said. “They’re not territorial in the winter when they’re not nesting — if you find one you can often find the flock because they travel together in a group.”
The Audubon birders also work well as a group, with one member catching a glimpse of a bird and the others sharing their insights on each species and its interesting colorations and habits. A bird that “looks like it sat down in a dish of butter” is a practically unforgettable description of a palm warbler’s bright yellow breast. Black and white warblers, often the first species sighted in a feeding flock, are immediately identifiable because they can climb down a branch without tumbling off.
Many birds can be found on the “edge” where tangled underbrush meets a small pond, and we discover small flocks of birds with large numbers of species including white-eyed vireo, blue-gray gnatcatchers, ruby-crowned kinglets and even catbirds. The catbird, Lamoureux explains, is related to the mockingbird but its call sounds like a cat’s meow.
On the pond, fast-moving grebes practically run over the water with lobes on their feet that work like hydrofoil blades on propellers rather than the webs found on more evolved birds. Cormorants and anhingas — also known as snake birds for their distinct swimming style — don’t have waterproof feathers so they’re often seen perched on a branch with their wings spread to dry.
As we stroll the boardwalk, Lamoureux searches for night herons – mostly nocturnal birds that spend the day slumbering. He spots the first one perched on a branch hanging over the water and then group members discover two others. Like many birds at Al Lopez Park, the herons weren’t frightened by nearby humans and slept through our excited murmuring.
The herons highlight the fact that touring local parks with Audubon guides makes it much more likely that you’ll see more birds – and that you can find out what they are when you see them. “A knowledgeable leader knows both the place and the birds that live there well and being part of a group increases the chance that you’ll find the bird,” notes Madeline Bohrer, media chairman for the Clearwater Audubon Society.
And there’s a big difference between birders and listers, adds Judi Hopkins, a group leader for St. Petersburg Audubon. “Listers are chasing birds for their lists,” she said. “Birders love the environment, love being outside and love sharing their knowledge,” she said. “You can ask a birder any off-the-wall question — we’re always glad to explain what’s happening to people who are new to the world of birding.”
Tampa Bay has five separate Audubon chapters, each with its own schedule of field trips, most of which are free. While some trips are overnight or to locations outside the immediate Tampa Bay area, many are held in easily accessible local parks like Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg or John Chesnut County Park on the southeast shore of Lake Tarpon.
Reservations are not required, but they do recommend that you let the group leader know that you would like to attend. Group leaders stress that beginning birders are welcome and no experience is required to participate.
For more information, check the Bay Soundings calendar of events or visit the Audubon websites:
www.stpeteaudubon.org
www.clearwateraudubon.org
www.tampaaudubon.org
www.manateeaudubon.org
www.westpascoaudubon.com