Fort Zach was dripping with warblers this morning.  A storm front to the north last night forced them to sit down on Key West, temporarily interrupting their northward migration.  As such, they were in full worm-hunting mode including this Swainson's Warbler...

The ever-present Palm Warbler...

The Cape May Warbler...

And, Blackpoll Warbler.

Not to be confused with the Blackpoll Warbler, this Black and White Warbler came to a fork in a tree.  So, he took it.

This Black-throated Blue Warbler took a break to survey the sea grapes for its next catch.

Other warblers on display this morning included Prairie Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, American Restart, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler and Northern Parula.

Other notable species today included this White-crowned Pigeon.  Although this species is more widely found in Cuba, the Bahamas and other Caribbean locales, it is a common site in Key West.

The resident Gray Catbirds were as busy looking for worms as the warblers.

This migrating Chuck-Wills Widow was sleeping the day away in plain sight.  These birds are active at night and typically tough to spot during the day, let alone get a photo.

And, finally, this Yellow-billed Cuckoo also stopped for the day before continuing its migration north.

Two days ago, Fort Zach was all but bird-less.  It's amazing how the weather impacts whether the birds stop or simply fly over to the mainland on their migration.

A visit to Fort Zach this morning yielded three more birds for 2026 bringing my YTD total to 151.  Sounds nice except last year I finished April at 362.  Of course, I have not been to Minnesota, West Virginia, New Jersey, Arizona or Texas this year.  So, that pretty much explains the difference.

After picking up an Indigo Bunting and this Black-whiskered Vireo...

I found a tree littered with warblers.  Like this Black-throated Blue Warbler, they were hunting for very small worms among the Jamaican Dogwood blossoms.

The Palm Warblers were everywhere.  This one was also busy hunting before taking a break from the feeding frenzy.

Previously, I noted how Henry and I take long walks most days.  We usually do 2 to 4 miles each day with him riding his tricycle and me steering him safely out of harm's way.  And, that we typically find discarded coins during our outings.  Here, Henry displays the coins that put us at $100.00 found in 2026 as of April 8.  We started keeping track this year just out of curiosity but, I'd estimate we have found at least $250 since we started our walks.

I do not understand why people in Key West hate money so much.  Yesterday, we found $3.95 on our walks.  Oh well, Henry and OG's piggy banks appreciate the deposits.

Spring has officially sprung in Key West with the return of the Gray Kingbirds...

... and the Least Terns.

We have been seeing some early arrivals over the past few weeks but, we're ready for the big migration push to start in earnest any day.

Upon hearing the news of Tiger Woods' recent mishap, the boys spent an afternoon trying to answer the question, "How could anyone possibly roll a vehicle in a flat state like Florida?"

We celebrated OG's 2nd birthday Disney style at the end of March.  Henry's negotiations to replace OG's birthday with a birthday of his own ultimately failed.  OG enjoyed the park unabated as Disney officials promised not to kick him out of the park on his birthday.

Henry got over the whole birthday swap ordeal with his first bite of birthday cake and a new batch OG's toys ready to be plundered.  Henry wanted to trade his July birthday for OG's March birthday.  And, of course, trade back again in July.  Cake and toys were really Henry's end-game all along.

Back in Key West, the man cubs had a good time coloring Easter eggs.  When the eggs ran out, Henry decided it would be a good idea to make his hands look like colored eggs.

It's time to complete some spring projects before we head to Texas at the end of April for a whirlwind, Texas-sized birding excursion that will see us cover more than 1,000 miles in three days.  I'm sure my good friend Suzanne is shuddering to think of such folly.  But, when you're in a hurry, you're in a hurry.  We have three more trips planned for May and June after that.

Our second visit to Ponce Inlet was more productive as we had no problem finding the Purple Sandpiper.  This North Atlantic species rarely makes it further south than the Carolina coast.  This individual has the "winter in Florida" thing figured out.

We also picked up Sandwich Tern, Clapper Rail and American Herring Gull for the year.  This gull had just picked up a nice fish fillet for breakfast.

Upon returning to the parking lot, we realized there was a Gopher Tortoise burrow directly beneath our vehicle.  There were several burrows under the asphalt which leads me to believe the parking lot may collapse at some point.   Heads up for my good buddy Judson... this big old tortoise is not a bird.

Henry enjoyed his first ever experience with Jell-O this morning.  He quickly learned there is a fine art to picking up something that is not supposed to be picked up.

Henry and I then proceeded to avoid the spring break gunfire, making a quick visit to Ponce Inlet near Daytona Beach in search of a Purple Sandpiper.  Instead we got this Prairie Warbler.

Maybe we'll try for the Purple Sandpiper tomorrow before we head to Orlando for a few days at Walt Disney World to celebrate OG's 2nd birthday.  Speaking of OG, he has been learning how to share.  In this case, his new cars with his mentor, Chip the Cat.

With the birding effort being largely on the back burner for now,  March has been a great month to complete one of those 'someday projects' by digitizing our old 8mm films and scanning old family photos.  It has been fun to use AI software to bring some of the old photos to life.  

This is my Great-Great Grandfather Hefner.  He was born in 1820.  His grandfather fought in the American Revolution.  This photo is circa 1897.  The colorized version provides a nice interpretation of the original image.

       

Another interesting option has been the animation of photos.  Here, this still photo  of my Grandparents Jolley and their five children at their 50th wedding anniversary in 1970 has been 'brought to life' through AI animation. 

It's kind of creepy but, they are all gone so, it's pretty cool to see our ancestors' familiar smiles again.

More soon from WDW.  I have been rubbing the rosary beads pretty hard in hopes that OG won't get kicked out of the park again.   And, I'm not even Catholic.  (See previous post)

OG does Disney...

Disney is still doing research to confirm whether OG is the first 23-month old to be kicked out of Walt Disney World.

The cast members at Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride overlooked with some degree of angst the fact they could not convince OG to smile.

The crew at Cinderella's Carousel was shocked by OG's mad equestrian skills.

And, at Pirates of the Caribbean, they watched in horror as OG licked the cannon balls.

The cast members at the Tomorrowland Speedway were freaked out when OG launched his pacifier onto the track, nearly causing a multi-car pileup and the call for a haz-mat crew.

The last straw for Disney with OG was his crawling inside one of the concession stands.

Happily, OG will be allowed back in the park for his birthday at the end of March. 

Henry is currently negotiating a trade that would allow him to celebrate his birthday in March while deferring OG's birthday to Henry's birthday month of July.  We have seen through Henry's ruse as his real objective is to celebrate Henry for both birthdays.

Henry has decided he is afraid of the Little Mermaid and PeopleMover rides.  Too much darkness.  He likes riding the Barnstormer rollercoaster with Grandma.

Henry was having a great time until he found out the Enchanted Tiki Room was closed because of technical difficulties.  Try explaining what 'technical difficulties' means to a 3-year old.

On the birding front, we added 8 more species to the 2026 list bringing the YTD total to 139.  The Burrowing Owls never disappoint at Brian Piccolo Park near Miami. 

And, the colorful but invasive Nanday Parakeets were plentiful at the Celery Fields near Parrish, FL.

Finally, we saw our first owls ever in the Florida Keys when we observed a pair of Great Horned Owls perched about 12 stories high on a communications tower near Key Largo.

 A bike ride conversation with grandson, Henry:

Henry:  What's my name?   (Editor's note:  Henry asks me at least 100 questions every day.)

Me:  Your name is Henry.

Henry:  What's your name?

Me:  My name is Dan.

Henry:  No it's not.  It's Grandpa.

Me:  Oh, okay.  It's Grandpa.

Brief pause...

Henry: I'm right and you're wrong.

Me:  Yes Henry.  You are right. When you're right, you're right.

-------------------------

There isn't much shaking at the moment on the birding front.  I have picked up a few early migrant warblers to bring the YTD species count to 130.  My latest sighting was a Northern Waterthrush, although I took this photo on South Padre Island in 2023.

Next week we head for Walt Disney World for three days.  It will be the man cubs' second visit to WDW.  Crystal and I will have 24/7 duty for most of our stay.   If a major ruckus hits the national news from WDW next week... don't worry, it was probably us. 

We completed our overnight run from Daytona Beach to Charlotte to see the dentist this week despite what some folks considered to be a big snowstorm.  Having grown up in the snow belts of northern Pennsylvania, until the snowfall registers at least a foot, the precipitation is considered nothing more than a heavy winter dew.

Back in Florida, I hit several central Florida swamps.  The Roseate Spoonbills are nesting now.

Wood Storks are also busy scoping out prime nesting sites.

And, I finally managed to photograph the timid Sedge Wren.  Getting these small wrens out of thick vegetation for a portrait is not easy.  I played cat and mouse with this one for about 20 minutes before capturing this sequence.

Meanwhile, back in Key West, the man cubs are learning how to make an entrance.

Last weekend we had the man cubs full-time while their parents were away. Survival rule #1 when in this situation is to make brownies with grandma.

Survival rule #2 is keep them busy with pre-k and pre-pre-k activities...

They also enjoy their daily tricycle rides around Key West and Stock Island.  Henry likes to look for pennies to pick up while out on our rides.  We have been picking up the coins we find since we started our bike ride regimen about a year and a half ago.   Sometimes, the coins are nickels or dimes or quarters.  Henry especially likes to look for shiny nickels.  

For the first time, we tracked how much we picked up on our walks during January.  Here, Henry shows one of his best finds that helped bring our January 'money-found' total to $56.68.  That's right... five six dot six eight in 30 days.  For some reason, people do not like money here.

Crystal and I are on our way north - maybe - for our dentist appointments and to take care of some very important matters about big things.  Today, we made a quick stop at Green Cay near Delray Beach, FL to see what we could see.  It's always great to get a Least Bittern as getting a clear view of these small herons is no easy task.  This one, about the size of a Robin, was hunkered down in its 'ready to strike' position in the dense vegetation.

This sequence is about the hunter becoming the hunted.  Here, a Green Heron is ready to ambush its next meal.

Moments later, the heron came to attention, realizing there was mischief afoot.

... as a 10-12 foot long alligator was stealthily making its way toward the heron.

Needless to say, with a squawk and a quick flush, the heron re-positioned itself in a nearby tree safely out of the gator's reach.  I was happy to be on the boardwalk as the gator was about 15 feet away from us.  

What seems to me to be the avian equivalent to raccoons, Common Yellowthroats were busy searching for bugs and marking out nesting territories.

Yesterday was a cold, gray, dreary day but I was able to bump the January species total to 109 at Merritt Island near NASA on Cape Canaveral.  If you have ever been on a snipe hunt, these Wilson's Snipes may have been what you were looking for.