Targets…

We have a friend from New York with us today and as he has precious little time down here in the sunshine state, he has a few target birds to see here that he will probably not get back in NY. The targets? Gray-headed swamphen and Fulvous whistling duck. Both of these species are known to exist at Lake Apopka in the central part of Florida.

American kestrel - Apopka North Shore - 4/4/26

As we enter the 11 mile wildlife drive from its access off Lust Road, we are greeted by an American kestrel watching over the preserve. We’ve noticed that many of the kestrels have apparently departed and headed north. Areas where we reliably find this bird such as the utility poles and wires heading into MINWR after the Haulover Canal, seem to now have far fewer numbers of kestrels than we have grown used to earlier this year.

American kestrels begin their spring migration as temperatures rise and daylight lengthens, moving northward from wintering grounds in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America to breeding territories across much of North America. This is one species we can count on seeing regularly when we return to New York.

Anhinga dinner - Apopka - 4/4/26

One bird we cannot count on back home is the Anhinga. Expert fishers, these birds will never seem to go hungry. It’s amazing how they can spear their prey and then gulp them down regardless of size! We watched as this catfish disappeared in a matter of seconds once the anhinga had maneuvered the fish into the proper head-first position. Not one of the targets today, however, so we have to move on.

One of the signs of spring is the amount of color from the blooming plants in and along the waters edge. The Water hyacinth is beautiful to be sure, but it is also an invasive that has choked off great stretches of the St. John’s River and other bodies of water since being introduced into this country in 1884 at the Louisiana World’s Fair. The plant actually blooms year round, but seems especially prolific today in Apopka.

Common water hyacinth - Apopka - 4/4/26

We had several sightings of Joe’s target Gray-headed swamphen, mostly partially hidden in the canal-side vegetation. Eventually, however, one individual came right out onto the roadside and posed for us for an extended time. Why this one bird decided to come out and cooperate with us only he knows, but we certainly were grateful to have this opportunity.

Gray-headed swamphen - Apopka - 4/4/26

At times mistaken for the swamphen, another not=so-common bird which is in fact seen often at Apopka is the Purple gallinule. I was taken with this individual as he took to a tall perch to afford us a shot of the bird in a most unusual pose. Normally, you see the purple gallinule skulking among the lilies not so prominently displayed.

Purple gallinule - Apopka - 4/4/26

Unfortunately, we did not find any of the whistling ducks, Fulvous or Black-bellied, on our circuit of the lake, but we did find a rather unusual bird for this area….the White-winged dove. While not on our “target list” for the day, we were thrilled to be able to spot and watch this bird for an extended time. At first he was buried in among the reeds, but eventually, he called and jumped up to a higher perch. While not an ideal shot being in the shade and still having a good deal of intervening twigs and branches between the bird and us, I did finally get a “documentation” grade photo.

White-winged dove - Apopka - 4/4/26

It was a fine end to an enjoyable if not totally “successful” hunt for several target birds, but the dove and excellent shots at the swamphen made it all worth while. We’re getting into warbler migration season, so more to come and more changes to occur in our daily encounters with Mother Nature.