Persistence

Le Conte's Sparrow
Mullet Lake Park

I would call myself an intermediate birder; I came into this hobby through photography and from there developed a love of nature, wildlife and birds.  I used to joke that my birding philosophy was to make up for quality with quantity.  That is, if I get out there enough, I'm bound to find some rare bird eventually. On rare occasions, that's exactly what happens.  On New Years Day this year I drove to a spot I love to go to for sparrows, and a Western Tanager popped up in the tree in front of me--not what I was looking for, and certainly not a common find in Central Florida.

Western Tanager
Near Lake Apopka, FL

But a couple years ago I began to appreciate the fact that finding rarities is not really just about looking into the trees long enough for a rare bird to pop into view.  I began to realize that I needed to study. I picked up a book called Priceless Florida: Natural Ecosystems and Native Species by Ellie Whitney Bruce Means and Anne Rudloe. I wanted to learn how to recognize Florida's habitats, so that I would know better where to go to find birds that live in those habitats.  And then my father gave me a wonderful book called Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds by Pete Dunne.  There were certain birds I wanted to find, and this book, in addition to helpful tips to identifying birds, gave me clues for where to look to find them--look here during breeding season, and look here in the winter.  Dunne's book also identifies other birds that are commonly found alongside the species you're looking for.

Prothonotary Warbler
Found using clues from Pete Dunne's Book

I honestly can't say that this study paid off right away, but whenever I chased birds other people found, I also tried to make mental notes of the kinds of habitats they had looked in in order to find these birds.  And when I saw similar places nearer my home, I began to make a point to check there for rarities. Last year, I visited a place called La Chua Trail in Paynes Prairie near Gainsville, FL. It's an area in Florida known for fun sparrows. Even on a windy morning, that trip was a great learning experience, with the highlights being my first Field Sparrow in Florida and my first photos of White-crowned Sparrows.

White-crowned Sparrow
La Chua Trail

Late last year, someone reported a Lincoln's Sparrow in neighboring Volusia County, and three of us went to chase it.  The person reporting the Lincoln's Sparrow also noted that the area also looked good for Henslow's Sparrows.  The three of us arrived and saw the Lincoln's Sparrow right where it had been reported, but after it dipped out of view we began looking for where it might have gone.  But then my friend noticed a green-looking sparrow hidden in the grasses.  Eventually we all had the chance to see it--my lifer Henslow's Sparrow.  I was impressed not only with my friend's ability to find the bird, but also with the birder who had reported the Lincoln's Sparrow and knew this would be a good spot to look for Henslow's to begin with.

Henslow's Sparrow
Tiger Bay WMA

So this year one of my goals is to look for the "nooks and crannies" in my home county that receive little attention from birders but which might hold species that I haven't yet seen in my home county. I stumbled upon a little park near the northern boundary of Seminole Co. called Mullet Lake Park. I had looked at satellite views of the park and thought it might be a good place to look for shorebirds since it was right on the shore of the St. John's River. But when I arrived, I found an area there that reminded me a bit of the La Chua trail.  Sora, King and Virginia Rails were calling and wading birds were plentiful, but I only found two species of Sparrows: Savannah and Swamp (two of the most common wintering sparrows in FL). But I also found about 16 Sedge Wrens, and Pete Dunne's book told me that Le Conte's Sparrows can be found along side Sedge Wrens. So I visited this place no less than 5 times, each time searching through Le Conte's Sparrow habitat where I'd seen Sedge Wrens.  On February 14, jackpot! One popped up and showed itself to me--what a thrill!

Le Conte's Sparrow
Mullet Lake Park

So I'm changing my motto a little bit. Rather than making up for quality with quantity, I'm making up for quality with study and persistence.  My hope is that the more I can study resources and discover the habitats that exist in my home county, and visit them often enough, a couple more little treasures might reveal themselves.