The Florida Keys

 A trip to Southern Florida would not be complete without exploring the Keys.  We were anxious to see what changes took place from our trip of 30 years ago.  Despite all the development, heavy traffic and fast paced life there is still the wild "real Florida" if you take time to find it.

Our first encampment was at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge and Campground in the heart of the Key Deer Refuge and yes, we found the small Key Deer:  The wild as seen above, and the not so wild like this fawn to the right checking out our neighbors RV site.

This area is also part of the Great White Heron Refuge and we found our first bird on No Name Key.

One of our birding goals has been to take the boat trip to the Dry Tortugas.  This day long adventure took us 70 miles west of Key West to Fort Jefferson (pictured above) and the birding mecca of the National Park.  This massive hexagon shaped fort was built in 1836 but never finished.

This Brown Noddy was one of hundreds nesting here along with Sooty Terns.  A few Bridled Terns and a Black Noddy were seen along with Sandwich, Royal and Roseate Terns while scoping the coral spit.

Dozens of Magnificent Frigatebirds were harassing the other birds, carrying nesting material and were soaring in circles over the fort most of the day.

While exploring the key, we found a Gray Kingbird, a Thick-billed Vireo (a lifer), Cave Swallows, and Black Skimmers.  Two other life birds were found on the way: Masked & Brown Boobies that rounded out our 30 species for the boat trip.

A mile walk from Boyd's RV park to the Key West Botanical Garden yielded a rich floral and fauna diversity.  Flowers, trees, insects and lizards plus interesting birds including another lifer: the Western Spindalis made for a very interesting day.  We couldn't always hear the birds because the "Blue Angels" were practicing low overhead for upcoming air shows (possibly their last - per sequester).

No problem getting up early, or for that matter being able to sleep during the night.  This dandy bird was roosting right above our RV and decided wake-up calls were at 1:30 AM, 3:00 AM, and 5:30 AM.  After three disrupted nights, we were happy to be on our way.  Ty threatened that bird with a call Colonel Sanders.

Next stop was the "Jolly Roger" on Grassy Key with a site right on the sea wall on the gulf side of the key.  In the evening Spiny Lobsters emerged from beneath the wall.  Other interesting sea life included rock crabs, horseshoe crabs, parrot fish, barracuda, damselfish, and needlefish.

Spent a half day at Long Key State Park with our largest key bird list of 44 species.  This Piping Plover was a great find and even surprised the park naturalist.  We also added Black-necked Stilts and Hooded Warbler to our year list.

Last stop was Key Largo Kampground, just a mile from the John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park.  We walked there and took the glass-bottom boat to the coral reef.  Great to see live, but hard to get photos of.

This green anole is waving his throat patch at us as we say good-bye to the Keys.  As we crossed the causeway to the Mainland, a Magnificent Frigatebird soared overhead and a White-Crowned Pigeon bid us farewell.




Our best to all.
 Ty & Ida Baumann

Everglades National Park

Our first target bird heading south from Port St. Lucie on March 1st was the Burrowing Owl; this bird posed for us on the burrow in the open park between the ball fields and the playground of Brian Piccolo Park near Pembroke Pines.

After a couple days near Kendall/Miami looking for some specialties, we found Red-masked, Mitred and Monk Parakeets at the Baptist Hospital in Kendall.

On to the Everglades National Park - after a stop at the Visitors Center we went to walk the Anhinga Trail.  This welcoming committee of hundreds of Black Vultures greeted us at the parking lot.  Note photo of park provided coverings for vehicles as the vultures have severely damaged wipers and rubber gaskets.

Of course Anhinga Trail would not be complete without its name sake.  There were many nests with noisy, food-begging chicks as pictured here.

Dozens of alligators have taken up residence in this fresh-water "gator hole" along with herons, egrets, bittern, and a very secretive Purple Gallinule.

Along the road to Flamingo we observed a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites.  One of which landed in a dead snag over our RV.  We later saw them carrying nesting material and putting on quite an aerial show.

Several visits to Paurotis Pond providd the view of a very large Wood Stork and Roseate Spoonbill Rookery.  The birds were moving in and out  with nesting material and food continually .

One of our highlights was a surprisingly large number of salt water preferring American Crocodiles like our tooth grinner in the photo. Some we found later exceeded 13 feet in length.

We camped at Flamingo for 4 days, from this home base each day we explored nearby habitats: Eco-Pond - where we found this beautiful Painted Bunting;   Snake Bight Trail to the Florida Bay with hundreds of shorebirds and waders, plus a Black-whiskered Vireo; Bear Lake area where we found several White-crowned Pigeons;  and Mahogany Hammock where the best find was birders from Green Bay - Tom & Denise Mooren.  We also had a Barn Owl two nights, one near the Visitors Center and also right next to our campsite.

We moved north to Long Pine Key campground for 2 nights where we visited the Gumbo-Limbo Trail, re-walked the Anhinga Trail. and took the tour of the Nike Missile Base and enjoyed cold war history with Ranger Leon.

A birding trip would not be be complete without a stop at the Florida City Burger King to see the Common Mynas.  We also added a dark-morph Short-tailed Hawk over Homestead only a few miles from the Miami/Everglades RV park where we are preparing for the next leg of our journey.  Tomorrow we head to the Florida Keys until Easter.

Our best to all!
Ty & Ida Baumann

Trips of Contrast

 Troy and Carmen flew into Orlando from the cold north for a few days vacation taking in Universal Studio's Harry Potter Adventure, Sea World and a trip to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  They followed the Atlantic coast - racking up a nice list of birds and viewing Manatees.  They spent the two nights at Daryl & Vicki's and we drove back to Orlando for one fun day at Disney's Animal Kingdom

We were very impressed with the zoological, botanical and architectural design and development.  Our favorite exhibit was the African Safari aboard the authentic jungle trucks, (seen to the right facing off with the White Rhinoceros).

From the intensionally designed rough roads to drive-through water holes and the Serengeti Plains, we experienced close-up encounters with giraffes, wild cattle, antelopes, big cats, and these young elephants with mom (roaming along the artificial Baobob Trees).

This photo at right is looking into the Asian section seeing the beautiful Mt. Everest in the distance.  We especially enjoyed the African and Asian walk through aviaries, the live bird show with free flying birds with a great environmental message.

In a matter of hours this Douglas Turbine DC3 transported Daryl & Ty into the Caribbean.  However, the sights sounds and smells were altogether from a different world.  This adventure immersed us into the life and culture of Haiti.

Our mission trip goal was to meet with the teachers, pastors, and children of the four schools that New Hope Missions Intl. sponsors.  We delivered a lap-top computer and electric guitars for church ministry.

We picked up 89 boxes of school supplies from the seaport warehouse and began hand sorting items into handbags for each of the 800 children and teachers.

The extreme physical poverty was evident all around us, like the homes on this litter-strewn polluted river.  The river serves as drinking water, laundry, transportation and septic system and fishing grounds.

In contrast, new church construction with strong and growing attendance, and the Christian based school curriculum is a testimony to God's love and grace for these needy people.


This visit has left a lasting impact on me personally.  Ida and I count it a privilege and a blessing to be involved in a small way in this important ministry.  Although I spent little time birding on this trip I managed to identify 37 species, 20 of which were life birds.

Blessing & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann

Interesting Florida Habitats

As we close out our winter stay in Port St. Lucie, we visited several local wildlife areas.  Near the RV Park we walked daily to the Wood Stork Trail, finding different birds and wildlife every day.  This Great Egret did a close fly-by over the crosswalk.

This Cuban Tree Frog was discovered in a Catclaw Acacia Tree, almost hidden until a few leaves were moved to photograph it.

This Green Heron is a "reflection" of the numerous herons and egrets encountered along the trail's wetland.

A visit to Hutchinson Island resulted in some beautiful shell collecting for us as well as this Willet doing his own collecting in the surf.

Royal Terns rested on the beach after diving for fish in the surf.  We drove the island from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach.

We took the River Lilly Cruise up the northern branch of the St. Lucie River.  When we were in Maine at Acadia National Park at one of the campgrounds, we met the couple that give this guided nature tour.  Our family and friends joined us - the three kids especially loved all the alligators - 16 in all.

Small world note:  We met this family at the RV Park from Wisconsin, when we told them we had worked and lived at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay for 40 years, Jessie asks, "Are you Daryl Baumann's brother?"  She had Daryl for a teacher at the Baptist school in Antigo.  Her husband is working on the pipeline in West Palm Beach.  We were able to get everybody together for some fun and visiting.

The rare find of the day was this 5 foot long Red Rat Snake (to the right) - some of the people in the boat didn't even want to look.

Because it was a sunny day, all the reptiles were basking in the warmth.  Even this Soft-shelled Turtle stayed above the water as the boat drifted by.

We took day trips to the Oxbow Eco-Center, Savannah Preserve, Allopattah Flats and the east side of Lake Okeechobee.  We heard and saw Limpkins in 3 out of 4 of these places.  This one found a nice sized Apple Snail for lunch.

Next blog will include our Disney Animal Kingdom adventure with Troy & Carmen who vacationed in Orlando for Valentine's Week.  Plus Ty's upcoming mission's trip to Haiti with Daryl. Please pray for their safety and good health on this three day trip.

Love & Prayer's
Ty & Ida Baumann

More Treasures from "The Treasure Coast"

We ended 2012 at  Port St. Lucie and began 2013 with walks almost daily nearby at "Wood Stork Trail" (trails name sake is at left - aka "old flint-head").


 For you birders - our bird list numbers were 488 for 2012,  609 for our journey list including 24 life birds.

Just so you know, we are not strictly "for the birds", we do note other critters.  This Dog-day Cicada (one of the annual cicadas) was singing in our RV Park and gave us a close up view,  possibly a snack for one of the nearby birds.

 We found this 5" slug (proving you can't always be looking up for birds) on the sidewalk almost underfoot.  (More possible bird food.)

 This large shrub is Dahoon and the locals call it Christmas Berry.  This abundant fruit supply is definitely a major food source for hundreds of Am. Robins and Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus Cedar Waxwings, Cardinals, and Blue Jays.

We took another trip west to the Allopattah Flats. A different habitat produces different birds.  For you non-birders, there are lots of cattle and of course the abundant Cattle Egrets feasting on insect life that the cattle disturb.

While observing a Crested Caracara, (pictured below) this majestic Bald Eagle flew in chasing the caracara off the perch and landed right above us.

Although smaller, the Caracara made off with the prize, a fresh road-kill.

The best treasure has been visits with family, Ty's brother Daryl and his wife Vicki.  We've had great times at church, home and working on projects together for New Hope Missions to Haiti.

A bird must have taken this picture.
Love & Prayers to all.
Ty & Ida Baumann

The Treasure Coast

 Port St. Lucie is part of "The Treasure Coast" and we're finding a treasure trove of good birds (like this Little Blue Heron) and wildlife.  On a historical note it is called the Treasure Coast because the Spanish Treasure Fleet laden with Golden Cob (coins) was lost in a hurricane in 1715.  Its recovery in 1961 gave international attention to this area.

The ocean waters still continue to yield other treasures like a recent Manatee rescue that we were a part of.  (Look for Ty helping in the picture to the right.)  We drove up to Ft. Peirce State Park for a day at the beach.  An injured 500+ pound female Manatee (possibly a victim of recent shark attack and ship collision) had been washed up on the beach.

 It took a "team" of Florida DNR, Whale Rescue, Manatee Rescue, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife to drag the animal up the beach out of the rising tide, plus keeping her shielded from the sun and wet.  Two hours later the wildlife ambulance arrived with a stretcher (pictured).  Many volunteers were needed to lift her unto the stretcher.

  A huge tractor with forks was brought in to transport the Manatee from the beach to the vehicle to be delivered to the wildlife rehabilitation center.


Later we saw a Loggerhead Sea Turtle, a Razorbill, Parasitic Jaeger and 4 Frigatebirds actively feeding out from the Ft. Pierce inlet.

We have been taking daily walks on the "Wood Stork Trail" a wetlands about a mile from our RV Park.  Some of the wildlife highlights include Great Egrets (pictured), Wood Storks, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Anhingas, Alligators, Raccoons, Stinkpot & Cooter Turtles, and a tiny Ring-necked Snake.  Some of the 'snow birds' over wintering are hundreds of Yellow-rumped & Palm Warblers, with a few Pine, Yellow-throated, Prairie, Black & White Warblers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Blue-headed Vireos, and Baltimore Oriole.

This last month we have spent great family time with Daryl (Ty's brother) and Vicki, joining them for church including great Christmas programs, Bible Studies and meals together.  We also have visited local parks and wildlife areas along Hutchinson's Island together.

For January 1st we took the "Polar Bear Plunge" (in the Lake Michigan tradition) in the solar heated pool of the RV Park.  No one else joined us as they say the pool is "too cold" at 75 degrees.

Happy New Year & God's Blessing
Ty & Ida Baumann