You guys on the east coast are lucky. You get really colorful winter birds like painted buntings and goldfinches. We don't have them over here on the west coast. If there are any hummingbirds around, I haven't seen one.
Our "usual suspects" are pretty much the same as yours. The only interesting winter birds I see at my place are black & white warblers, and an occasional yellow-bellied sapsucker.
Fortunately, since I live on one of Florida's "Wild and Scenic Rivers", there is some pretty exotic wildlife literally cruising past my back door. Dolphins, manatees, gators, otters, waterfowl and shorebirds of all types.
Once in a great while I'm treated to the spectacle of an eagle trying to rob an osprey of its catch. That's always quite a show, and I never seem to have my camcorder ready when it happens.
I've seen wild hogs and bobcats. My neighbors tell me they've seen panthers and black bear from time to time. We live next to the Myakka State Forest, so I wouldn't be surprised what lives in there. Thirty years ago, my cousin swore up and down he saw a Bigfoot a few miles up the river. Although he had excellent eyesight and was usually reliable, he was high on pot that night, so I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not.

"Thirty years ago, my cousin swore up and down he saw a Bigfoot a few miles up the river. Although he had excellent eyesight and was usually reliable, he was high on pot that night, so I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not."

LMAO

I remember as a teen I was out driving near I-75 with friends when we saw some really weird stuff going on in the sky (I won't even try to explain it here, but we were all freaking out over it. Never saw anything on the news about it, so we never had an explanation for it.) Anyway the next day I was recounting the events to my best friend at school, and she replied, "That was real? I thought I was just hallucinating." Apparently she'd spent the night in the woods tripping on acid, and thought the events in the sky were a hallucination. Gotta love those crazy teenage years...

The doves LOVE my yard, and we've had a huge flock of grackles in the neighborhood. When they come by my place, then clean out my feeder in an hour. I've seem some black and white birds that could be the warblers that brute alludes to. I hear something else sometimes in the morning, but being new to birdwatching and having a yard for the first time, I'm uncertain what it is. I like the sound, though.

I put out a hummingbird feeder. So far I've seen nothing. Of course, right now I don't really have flowers or berries to lure in the birds. So I plan on having more success in the future after I have time to plant some more bird-attracting plants.

We see osprey and bald eagle and hawks all over down here in SW FL. Recently I was sitting over at Yankee Beach eating lunch when the pigeons starting flocking and flying evasive maneuvers. I looked around to see what had them stirred up, and then saw a hawk on the hunt. He ALMOST got one of the pigeons. The pigeon dove down and I think actually touched the water in its attempts to get away, and it succeeded in escaping the hawk. The other day I drove down Diplomat and saw three hawks sitting on the utility line within a few hundred yards of one another.

I pass by two burrowing owls every morning. This morning we stopped and took pictures of them sitting by their burrows. They enjoy the cool early morning hours.

And the vultures are thriving here. I think all of the development is causing major death of things like raccoons and opossums, so we have huge flocks of 30-50 vultures all over the place. I happen to love the vultures (I think that they are strangely beautiful, in their own way), but am saddened by the implication the scavengers are thriving on so much death around here.

Heather

Heather, I lived on the Cape almost twenty years ago and used to enjoy the burrowing owl's antics at the high school night games.
Those stadium lights attracted all kinds of big, juicy insects and the owls would swoop and hop right into the middle of the football game chasing the bugs. It's a wonder they didn't get trampled.
I wonder how many Bigfeet and Space Aliens came and went unreported over the years because the only witness was stoned, tripping, or drunk? :)

"I wonder how many Bigfeet and Space Aliens came and went unreported over the years because the only witness was stoned, tripping, or drunk? :)"

My guess is... just about all of them! LOL

In my backyard, since the hawks are back, I only have the squirrels at the feeders now. Oddly, the squirrels seem unphased by the hawks.

I did see 'my' grown up baby raccoons recently. They look strong and healthy. The Mom came by seperately one evening. She must have evicted her grown babies. The kids were hanging out together and probably will until mating season begins and then will pursue their solitary lives.

I just love raccoons - they are such interesting and intelligent animals.

You guys in South Florida start seeing the winter migration before we do in central Florida. If you have lots of warblers, buntings, and goldfinches starting to show up, it won't be too many more weeks before we begin to see them up here. I have had my feeders down for awhile, so haven't noticed much activity around my yard, but I'm in the process of rectifying that before the travelers start to show up.

Brute, the west coast of Florida is a veritable gold mine of winter birds of all sorts. You can't beat Sanibel Island for birding at any time of the year, but especially in the winter. And Fort DeSoto Park is nationally known for the number of migrating birds seen there each spring. It is on the main flyway for birds heading back north. If I had to pick a coast for numbers of bird species, I'd say the west coast would win, though there are plenty to be seen all over the state, if you know where to look. Sorry you haven't been noticing them, but they are there, or will be soon.

Gary, it's always nice to know what you've been seeing. My most exciting sightings lately have been raptors, including kestrels. They have decreased in number in recent years, so it's always great to see one perched on a wire here or there.

Don't forget to keep fresh food and water available in your garden to help attract feathered visitors. Use baffles or squirrel proof feeders to help save seed for birds instead of other critters. And keep your binoculars handy by your window.

Eagerly awaiting goldfinches and buntings, here!

Marcia

Usually in Febuary I see and hear robins for a couple of days during their migration and it makes me homesick for Wisconsin. But my hubby and I go back up north for 2 months evey summer. Lately I'm seeing tiny sparrows but I'm not sure what kind. I finally got a decent bird book and now when I see them again I'll have to check to see what kind they are. :-)

Marcia, I get Kestrels now and then. I assume they're the one with that screeching chatter when they fly around looking to pick something off while flying around. Nice feather patterns on their head too.

Gary

Tufted Titmice , Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Pileated Woodpeckers and Red breasted wood peckers, Blue Jays. Mockingbirds , Brown Thrasher , Robins , Hawks , Eagles , Turkey Vultures and more .

Worst of all - coyotes ! Saw two slinking along the back pasture yesterday just biding their time for calving season to begin .

If it's not one thing , it's another !

Peggy, this is the right time of year for you to start seeing chipping sparrows, and they are pretty much the only native sparrow to make much use of bird feeders. They spend a lot of time picking in the grass and hopping on the ground, too. You can tell them by their rusty red caps.

Gary, kestrels do hover and swoop after small prey on the ground, plus they spend a lot of time perched on wires in the open, giving you a good look at them. They have lovely "tear" marks on their faces, much like the larger peregrine falcon does. The females have brownish wings and the males have blue grey wings, with a mostly brownish body. They are lovely little raptors that used to be called sparrow hawks. We have some that are year-round residents, but their numbers used to increase greatly in the winter. These days, they are getting a bit more scarce.

I think I may have to plan a birding trip to Ft. Desoto Park this spring. Once, I saw an entire flock of orioles just standing on the sands of the beach, like they thought they were shore birds or something! My guess is, they had just arrived and were too tired to go any farther. It's a good place for all sorts of migratory birds, like rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks, many of the prettiest warblers, and more. Plus, it's just a really pretty place.

Also, I need to get over to Merritt Island to drive Blackpoint Trail while the wintering ducks are here. I've been seeing hooded mergansers everywhere. Even the smallest retention ponds have them. So I'm betting there are lots of them in over there.

Marcia

Hi
had a new experience with a Kestrel. I keep an outdoor aviary and ever so often one hears the dinner bell lol.
This one swooped down and hit the wire so hard it threw him back ten feet!!. He was sitting on the ground so long I went out to see if he was injured. He flew up to the high line wire and darn if he didn't do it again . Not quite as hard as the first time but I could hear it inside the house.
I thought these birds were smart or at least have good vision?? Ever so often they try but none have ever hit the wire at least that hard lol gary

About 2 years ago the Master Gardeners got a change to go birding with an avid birder-with a great telescope!!!-
She took us to Myaka River Park. She knew all the birds on sight which was great for those of us new to birding.

What Have I seen lately in my city yard...ok we're in the "rural" part of the city...the county. I saw an owl at dusk but it was too dark to ID him. At the feeder: woodpeckers (I forget what kind), saw some carolina wrens weeks ago, tufted tip mouse, pine warblers, a few chickadees...and the "usual suspects: dove, bluejays.

I keep the binoculars and bird book close by.

Since all of my books are still packed, I don't know what this little guy is, but I have seen a pair of them hanging around here at times.

Today they were visiting my bougie and Moringa, which have become my favorite view in the backyard. I like the white of the moringa flowers against the pink bougainvillea.

Heather

Heather, the closest I can guess is it's a loggerhead shrike. I'd have to see some more pics from different angles to be sure.

It's hard to tell without being able to see markings more closely, but I think loggerhead shrike is a good guess with that bill shape to go by. I also thought of kingbirds, but I'm with Brute, leaning more towards the shrike.

Marcia

Thanks for the possible ID, brute and Marcia. I have a pair of them I've spotted a few times now.

Heather

Here is a clearer picture of a loggerhead shrike for you to compare, Heather. The mask through the eyes is diagnostic.

Another view.

They are similarly colored to a mockingbird, but smaller, a bit more black, and of course, the mask. The beak is sturdy and slightly downcurved, because even though these are considered passerine birds (perching birds), they have a raptor-like behavior that is very interesting. They are often called "butcher birds" because of their habit of killing more prey than they can eat at one time, and then hanging the bodies up on thorns or fences in a sort of "larder." They then come back to their stash and eat more later.

Their prey includes lizards, grasshoppers, mice and even small birds from time to time, believe it or not. I came upon a shrike's larder once, and there were three or four large lizards and grasshoppers impaled on a fence. The bird was stocking up while the hunting was good so he had food for several days put aside.

And btw, the name "shrike" comes from the Old English pronunciation of "shriek," describing their call.

Marcia

Aha! Yes, as a kid we came upon lizards impaled on thorns and barbed wire. My father told me that a bird had done it to save for later, and perhaps it was a shrike that did it.

I watched this bird yesterday, and I got the impression that it was looking for insects or something to eat. It seemed to be "hunting". So perhaps it is indeed a shrike. Thanks!

Heather

The robins have been around this past week...they are so funny with their hopping around and fussing...that and Carolina Wrens and Cardinals.

We had a hawk wish us a Merry Christmas. Finches show up regularly at the birdbath, along with Cardinals, MOockingbirds and Blue Jays. I haven't seen a hummer this year. (Yet.) There's always a promise of hope. If not, I'm tickled pink with what I've seen so far.

Nice post, hope you had happy/merry holidays, Gary and all.
m

i have a lone cardinal hanging out in my yard and a lone oriole hanging out as well.

i was surprised and very happy to have make a pitstop in my baby garden.

Hmmm, I've never seen a robin hop...don't they usually walk a few steps, stop and walk a little some more?

Just got a photo of more than one male at a time. Note the female in the air near the top male:

{{gwi:982539}}

Gary

OH!! Fantastic, Gary!! I hope mine return this year with the goldfinches. The past two years, I've had a few of them mixed in, and also a half dozen indigos. And once, I had a pair of blue grosbeaks, but they were only there one day that I saw. The buntings are just so wonderful, and the painteds look unreal!

Thanks for sharing that picture. It reminds me to get my feeders cleaned and ready.

Marcia

Marcia, I had blue grosbeaks the same week someone, maybe you, posted on here, only a few times, then gone. I had an indigo a couple winters ago, not too many showings, usually late afternoon. We've had buntings 4 or 5 years straight, and increasing slightly in numbers almost every year. Our goldfinches stay around the house much of the day, their chirps are very soothing to hear. They've not been interested in the thistle I have in a new feeder so far. We've had anywhere from a half, to 3 dozen at a time, usually around a dozen show at a time. As my landscaping matures, my winter visitors seem to increase!

Gary

I'm sure your landscape lures more birds into your yard and makes them feel safer when they are visiting your feeders, Gary-. It's great to hear that you have so many wonderful species coming by. I get quite a few goldfinches at a time, too. They seem happiest in flocks, like the chipping sparrows do. But mine LOVE the thistle sock. They will eat sunflower seeds, etc, from the tray feeder, too, but the sock will sometimes be completely covered by clinging birds. Last year they emptied several completely. And they stayed until they were almost in full breeding plumage. It was fun to watch them go from grayish brown and black to brilliant yellow and black.

Yep, they are cheerful little birds that brighten the yard, and I'm always sorry to see them go. But when they have buntings with them, both painted and indigo, it's even better.

I noticed last year, btw, that the indigo buntings spent as much time picking through the grass as they did on the feeder tray. They were down there with the chipping sparrows an awful lot. Have you seen that, too?

Marcia

Marcia, since I only saw the indigo around 3 times or so, it wasn't much of sampling. It was on a low front feeder each time. I remember seeing the female at least once. I think I have seen 3 or 4 chipping sparrows with the goldfinches some of the time. I'm hoping that besides cover, the food value of my landscaping is beginning to come more into play. I've planted a large amount of native trees and shrubs which produce berries and seeds for the guys that like them.

Gary

I got a couple of shots of the burrowing owls on my way to work this morning.

Then as I pulled away, I looked up and saw a hawk on the utility line.

Gotta love those owls! There are three on my way to work, and I spotted another on the next street over the other day.

Heather

I have the following frequenting my feeders:

Yellow warblers
yellow rumped warblers
blue jays
cardinals
chipping sparrows
blacked capped chickadees
Yellow finches
mockingbirds
and bluebirds in the distance checking out the nesting boxes.

I am going to hang my hummingbird feeder out soon in hopes they return early.

First...re the Robins...it looks like hopping to me. They are just so funny to watch.

And Gary...what kind of birds are those in the picture (with all the colors)? Gorgeous. Do you have any particular food in the feeder to attract them?

I live in Canaveral Groves. I wonder if there are any of those lovelies out here!

tamrootbeer, those are Painted Buntings, winter visitors, very beautiful birds they are :) Regular millet seed they seem to enjoy.

Gary

NFM, I love your burrowing owl pictures. They are just the cutest birds! I always enjoy seeing them when we visit my in-laws in Cape Coral. There used to be a colony of them up here, too, in Sorrento. I'm not sure they are still there any more, though. The Cape Coral crew might be the only ones left.

Your hawk is a kestrel. Used to be referred to as a sparrow hawk. See the beautiful "tear" marks on her face? I can't see the wings clearly, but I think this is a female. The males have blue-gray wings, and the females brown speckley ones.

Fowlvisions, your chickadess are most likely Carolina chickadees, and they are so much fun to see. They are not common in central Florida, but I have seen them once in awhile traveling with tufted titmice. Congratulations on having bluebirds! There are a fair amount of them, but they are mostly out in the country around cow pastures, etc, so most of us don't get to see them very often. Lucky you!

Marcia

Thanks for the info, Marcia. I saw the Kestrel again today. Funny how hawks sit in the same spot day in and day out.

BTW, today I saw my first woodpecker in my yard. Not sure what kind it was, but it was a smaller one. Maybe a Downy? It was as big or smaller than the grackles that stop by. It hung out for a few minutes, trying to determine how to sneak in and get something out of the feeder when the grackles were monopolizing it. It finally grabbed a treat out of the feeder and flew off.

Also the shrike stopped in again. I kept having a problem with the grackles stopping in and mobbing the feeder and emptying it out in under one hour. So I tried switching to a seed that doesn't have sunflower seeds, and that seems to have helped.

Heather

I know they eat a lot, but I just purely love grackles, Heather. Especially the big ol' boat-tailed grackles. They strut, and they preen, and they just give off such an attitude. It's like they are walking around with a big grin on their beaks, goin' "Aaaaah...Life is GOOD when you're a grackle!" They are only here in large numbers during migration, so I just put up with them. Though at this house, I haven't had any at my feeders like I did at our last house.

Below is a link to a post ID-ing all of the Florida woodpeckers. Perhaps it will help you figure out which one you have visiting you.

The shrike won't visit your feeder, but it will probably keep an eye on lizards and other small critters in the area. Enjoy him. They are really on the decline.

Marcia

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodpeckers In The Garden