June Challenge Begins

Osprey
Central Winds Park

So June Challenge has begun.  If you're not a Florida birder, June Challenge is a friendly competition among birders.  You choose a county and find as many birds as you can in the county during the month of June.  June is hot, and migration is pretty much over.  I had some time go out yesterday, and a little time this morning.  Highlights so far are seeing a Chuck-Will's Widow and a Great Horned Owl at the Econ River Wilderness Area and also seeing a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Bachman's Sparrow at the Lower Wekiva River Preserve.  It was also fun to see a bat crawling up a tree.  I've never seen one outside during the daytime before. Ospreys and Great Blue Herons are common year-round here, but it's still fun to see them.

Great Blue Heron
Central Winds Park

Bachman's Sparrow
Lower Wekiva River Preserve

Common Ground-Dove
Lower Wekiva River Preserve

Some Kind of Bat
Lower Wekiva River Preserve