WHITE WAGTAIL - FLORIDA - MARCH 18, 2007
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THE STORY
On Sunday, March 18, 2007, our second day of our 10-day Florida birding trip, after attempting, but failing, to locate Short-tailed Hawks in West Pasco, Florida (North of Clearwater) based upon postings on the Florida Birding Listserve, three "Senior Birding Buddies" (the birding group is now called the "Wagtails"), Dave Pierce, Dency Kahn, and "Yours Truly", began to drive toward their next birding destination in Central Florida.
As we drove along a back road, Dave Pierce saw a sign for "Moon Lake Park". This place was not a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, or as we were to find out later, not a place frequented by birders. But, as he is prone to get wild ideas, Dave had a hunch we might find something interesting there - AND DID WE!
When we arrived at the park at 2:00pm we pulled up to the boat ramp, to the right of which is a man-made sand beach of approximately 100 yards long. Several kids were playing on beach. As we stopped, we immediately saw a small bird fly in to the beach at the opposite end from the boat ramp. Dave suggested it might be a "peep" of some kind. Since Dave was driving, Dency and I jumped out of the car and looked at the bird through our binoculars. It was facing away from us, but I did notice and commented that it seemed very dark for a "peep".
At that moment, a boater pulled up behind our car and gestured to Dave to move the car to the parking lot (about 25 yards behind the beach) so he could put in his boat. So Dave drove the car to the parking lot. Within a minute or two of watching the bird walk away from us, it turned around and started to walk toward us. As soon as I saw its huge black bib, I shouted to Dency "WAGTAIL" (while on a European cruise/trip with my wife this past September, I saw a White Wagtail at the Madrid, Spain airport walking along the tarmac - so I was familiar with the Wagtail's features). Dency confirmed the sighting (she had seen a Wagtail in Japan years before).
By this time Dave was walking up to the beach from the parking lot. I shouted "get the scope from the car", Dave said, "what for?". I said "JUST GET THE DAMN SCOPE, WE'VE GOT A WAGTAIL!". Dave ran to the car, brought back the scope, and we were able to observe the Wagtail close up and identify it as a White Wagtail. For the next twenty minutes we observed the bird, and I took a number of photos and videos using my Sony DSC-H5 camera with the Sony 1.7x VCL-DH1758 telextender. I was NEVER so nervous taking photos as I was during this period!
At various times the bird walked up and down the beach near the water and came very close to us (within 20 feet or so), periodically walking toward us away from the water. It didn't seem to fear humans. As we were watching the bird, more kids came to the beach, and Dave shooed them away, telling them we were observing a rare bird and they needed to stay back.
We then decided to leave (which, in retrospect, we shouldn't have done) and shortly agreed that we should notify Florida birders (we knew the bird was rare, but at the time didn't know that this was the FIRST SIGHTING EVER OF A WAGTAIL IN FLORIDA - AND ALSO FLORIDA'S 500th BIRD!!!). The only Florida birder phone number I had was that of Larry Manfredi from Homestead, FL (our guide for the Miami area later in the trip). I called Larry, who didn't answer his phone, so I left a long voice message about our sighting.
After trying several names from the Florida birding listserve, I finally got in touch with Murray Gardler, who met us at a local Perkins Pancake House, looked at my photos and confirmed the sighting. Murray immediately called the Florida birding hotline, followed us back to Moon Lake Park and within minutes about 15-20 other birders showed up. Unfortunately, the Wagtail was gone and all the birders got to see was my photos (fortunately the Wagtail showed up again at Moon Lake Park on March 19 and March 22 - so a number of other birders got to see the bird).
Because we stayed that afternoon and evening and missed part of our trip, a wonderful couple, Al and Bev Hansen (I used their PC that evening to download the photos and videos so they could get the pictures on the Internet)took us to see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and other neat birds the next morning. Murray also called his friend Dave Freeland, who gave us some hints on where to get the best birds at Merritt Island and Canaveral, and escorted us around Viera Wetlands on March 20.
I would like to thank Florida birders Murray Gardler, Al and Bev Hansen, Dave Freeland, Ken Tracey (for the Moon Lake Park photo and for posting information about the Short-tailed Hawks in West Pasco that led us to Moon Lake), and Larry Manfredi for their hospitality during this great experience. We have made some wonderful new birding friends!!!
Here are some of the postings from Florida:
Murray Gardler is reporting a White Wagtail at the boat ramp in Moon Lake park, west Pasco County. Directions: From Suncoast Parkway (589) in W. Pasco County go west on Hwy. 52. Turn south onto 587 (Moon Lake Rd). Park with boat ramp is off Moon Lake Rd. (DeLorme P. 83). Will someone please furnish more detailed directions to this site? Thanks. Margie Wilkinson St. Pete |
Dave Faintich found a White Wagtail at Moon Lake in Pasco County, he has video and digital stills of the bird. I was not home when he left a message about finding the bird. Wagtails love shorelines of beaches, lakes and streams so that is where I would be looking. If there is access to the lake by boat, canoe or kyak that would be the best way to find the bird. I have almost always seen them by water and the edge of water which is the best place to find them. I hope birders are able to look tomorrow. Larry Manfredi Homestead, FL. E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.southfloridabirding.com |
Apparently mid-afternoon a couple of birders from out-of-state located a White Wagtail at Moon Lake Park in Pasco County. They got photographs. Local word got out as soon as it was known. No Florida residents (birders types anyway) saw it. Personally, I arrived about 5:45 and others were already there, but no bird. I'm sure better details will be provided later this evening. I am wondering if the out-of-staters stayed with the bird until it flew off - or did they leave it on the beach? Moon Lake has a swimming beach. Ron Smith St. Pete, FL [log in to unmask] |
I met the finders of the wagtail on Sunday afternoon to see the pictures. After a brief look at the pictures I knew it was a wagtail, probably White. I immediately got in my car and called local people to alert them of the wagtail and get same on the listserves with all of this being done as we were driving to the site about 1/2 hour away. I thought it more important to get the word out then spend time looking at a small screen to ascertain, for sure what species of wagtail; White or Citrine. Citrine has been observed once, in MS, and was a 24 hour wonder. I should have today the pictures, as they were to download them at the Hansen's last night but based on a relook of the pictures at the park it sure looks like a White. As to whether the finders stayed with the wagtail till it flew of, they did not! Larry Manfredi is right on as to the possible relocation strategy, use a canoe or some such vehicle to go around the perimeter of the lake observing the shore line. The lake has a very small park and is surrounded by homes so a water vehicle check probably makes the most sense if the bird is not feeding on insects this AM on the beach as it was Sunday afternoon. -- Murray Gardler 9400 Merriweather Drive Brooksvile, FL 34613-4271 |
I just talked to Dave Faintich who found and photographed the White Wagtail, he saw the White Wagtail in Moon Lake Park near the boat ramp. He said that there is a sandy beach area about 100 yards long where the bird was feeding along the shoreline. He said there were a lot of people present which did not seem to bother the bird too much. Moon Lake Park is on page 83 of the Florida Atlas & Gazetteer, north of New Port Richey and a little east. I sure hope the bird is found today. Larry Manfredi Homestead, FL. E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.southfloridabirding.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the |
-- Murray Gardler 9400 Merriweather Drive Brooksvile, FL 34613-4271 DSC01787 (2).JPG [image/jpeg] |
Good afternoon, The White Wagtail appeared at Moon Lake Park, east of Port Richey, Pasco County, at 1210 and departed at 1325. It was not present earlier, and was last seen flying NNE high over the cypresses. Yesterday, it was seen ~1400-1415, so maybe it has a pattern of feeding at the (artificial) beach at the park during the afternoon. It was very active and successfully captured several large dragonflies. Two photos are attached. Pending review and acceptance by the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee, which meets next in July, this bird will furnish the first verifiable record for Florida, and one of very few for the Southeast. It is one of the most awesome birds I've ever seen in Florida. Best regards, Bill Pranty Bayonet Point, Florida |
A White Wagtail found any where on the east coast is truly amazing, finding one in Florida is even more amazing! From all of the great photos that I have seen, it is easy to see that the bird is a male of Continental Europe (Motacilla alba). White Wagtail has been recently lumped with Black-backed Wagtail, there are many subspecies. What a great find by Dave Faintich of St. Louis Missouri!!!! Someone needs to see where the bird is flying to when it is not at Moon Lake Park, perhaps there is a close by gulf course that it is going to or other open area such as a ball field. Larry Manfredi Homestead, FL E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.southfloridabirding.com |
Click on the link below to view video clip of the White Wagtail. (The video will open in its own window. Once finished viewing, click on the browser back button to return to this page).
All videos Copyright - David Faintich
White Wagtail at Moon Lake Park (2 minutes)
WAGTAIL PHOTOS (Click on the thumbnail for a full size photo below; click on the left or right arrows for more thumbnails)
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