Anna and I have been spending quite a bit of our time working out at the Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area, searching for ‘Southeastern’ American Kestrel nests in natural cavities and also doing point counts of the birds that use this special area. Anna has already posted about this area once before, but I thought I would share a few photos that I have taken in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness recently. Although the avian diversity is a bit low this time of the year, with all the migrants having already passed through and now only the breeding species remaining, every day that I go out to the wilderness area I end up seeing something really neat. Here is a link to an eBird checklist of one of my favorite mornings out in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness scrub, which gives you a pretty good idea of the birdlife of the area.
‘Southeastern’ American Kestrels, like this adult female, are the reason we spend so much time out at Juniper Prairie. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
By far the most abundant bird in the area are ‘White-eyed’ Towhees, like this male. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
It wouldn’t be the Florida scrub without scrub-jays, and at Juniper Prairie there are literally hundreds of these mean little guys! (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
Northern Flickers are fairly uncommon in this area of FL during the breeding season, but Juniper Prairie Wilderness is certainly one of their strongholds. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
I have seen this ratty-looking Red-tailed Hawk and its mate almost everytime that I have visited the area, but I haven’t found their nest yet. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
Early in the mornings, before it warms up too much, Common Nighthawks are very active throughout the wilderness area. This male and female pair chased each other around for a few minutes one morning while I was searching for kestrel nests. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)