Western Spindalis!

 March 29 

After my usual weekly Monday morning volunteer duties feeding the birds and acting as roving interpreter (aka "rare bird finder") at Estero Llano Grande State Park, I headed for a workout at the gym, then home to shower, then off to the airport! 

I had booked my plane ticket the day before, after assessing my tight schedule: My slot of free time ranged from Monday afternoon to Tuesday night. I'd fly out at 5 pm Monday...and fly back at 5 pm Tuesday. The bird was a two hour drive from the airport, giving me a window of sunrise to about 1 pm to see the bird. 

As my first bird chase by plane, lots of thoughts were going through my mind. I was excited, certainly. It also felt pretty ridiculous to be expending this time and effort for one bird - and I definitely can't afford to be chasing too many single birds throughout the year. And the bird has been there for three days...what it it takes off tonight? I'd wondered, if that was the case, if I'd be able to will myself to get on a plane for one bird in the future. 

I arrived in Orlando around 11:30 pm, and waited in line for about an hour to get my rental car. (Hey ya'll, it's Spring Break!) I drove two hours to my hotel, arrived around 2 am, and passed out. 

March 30 

Up before sunrise, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was a 30 minute drive from the hotel. Arriving around 7:30, the bird was spotted first around 8:00. I had brief but fleeting looks. "Whew!" was my first though. All this effort was not for nothing. After getting the "tick" checked off in my head, I  could relax so much more and enjoy time with the bird. I spent the next three hours watching the Western Spindalis feed on figs and various berries in the fruiting trees around the parking lot, calling repeatedly (thereby disclosing his location), and giving great looks to all who came and went throughout the morning. At one point, he alighted on a sunlit branch 10 feet in front of me, eye level. I nearly died. 

Western Spindalis at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, "digibinned" with my iPhone through my Swarovski EL binoculars. 

I spent the remaining two free hours driving up A1A, the highway along the coast, picking up Magnificent Frigatebird and Least Tern before turning west to the airport. 

Magnificent Frigatebird "digibinned" at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Indian River, Florida

Gulls, terns, and sanderlings at South Beach Park, Brevard, Florida 

Year List: 503