April + 59 Species for a total of 440
249 different species and 13 Lifers
Saying goodbye to Southern California
April began with a full day of birding with my Pasadena birding pal, Ed. I still needed a California Gnatcatcher, and we headed to a known breeding location at Frank Bonelli Park where Ed captured a great photo. We also birded the West San Gabriel River Nature Parkway, where we picked up an unexpected Plumbeous Vireo (that I thought was a Cassin's).
Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Southern California. My husband and I had booked a red-eye flight to Miami, which may have contributed to our melancholy. We were headed to Key Largo for our yearly two-week family vacation at the Florida Bay Club, joined by my siblings and various nieces and nephews. While we are usually excited for this trip, this time we spent our last few days before departure taking in every sunrise and sunset with deep admiration. If you've never been to Southern California, you really need to experience it. My son summarized it best: "Ocean, mountains, parks everywhere, great weather, happy people. What's not to love?" The picture at the top is from Huntington Gardens—simply the most beautiful park I have ever visited.
Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Southern California. My husband and I had booked a red-eye flight to Miami, which may have contributed to our melancholy. We were headed to Key Largo for our yearly two-week family vacation at the Florida Bay Club, joined by my siblings and various nieces and nephews. While we are usually excited for this trip, this time we spent our last few days before departure taking in every sunrise and sunset with deep admiration. If you've never been to Southern California, you really need to experience it. My son summarized it best: "Ocean, mountains, parks everywhere, great weather, happy people. What's not to love?" The picture at the top is from Huntington Gardens—simply the most beautiful park I have ever visited.
Florida: Key Largo, Key West, and the Dry Tortugas National Park
Key Largo's Dagny Johnson Hammock was on fire with Pine Warblers, a Louisiana Waterthrush, and this very vocal La Sagra's Flycatcher. Likewise, Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in Key West netted a pair of Gray Kingbirds and a Black Whiskered Vireo.
Jeanne Peabody circa 1986 at Fort Jefferson on Dry Tortugas, photo by the Reluctant Birder (Matt Peabody)
Bins in hand, this photo was taken in April 1986 when my husband and I first adventured to the Dry Tortugas. He (aka "Reluctant Birder") was never into birds, but I think he liked me and our adventures to find birds. The only way to get to the park back then was by sea plane, which remains core memory. From 600 feet up, we saw Mel Fisher's team actively salvaging the wreck of the Atocha that they had discovered the year before. The shark filled waters of the beautiful Marquesas Keys gave me a new respect for the volume of keys marine life; we even saw a whale shark. The air approach into Fort Jefferson was shocking both for its sheer size and its isolation from civilization. When the plane engine cut, I had my next shock: the sound of thousands of nesting seabirds on nearby (now attached) Bush Key. We returned and camped one more time BK (before kids), and on both trips it was just us, a few park rangers/researchers, and the stars.
The 2026 trip was a little different. First, we had to secure tickets far in advance to be among the park's daily visitors aboard the Yankee Clipper. I initially secured one ticket for a random April day and kept checking for more. About a week prior, two tickets became available for April 12; I snagged them and returned my single ticket. Someone likely checked the weather forecast and requested a refund. Another option is to travel by sea plane, but after seeing the one that had crashed a few days before our arrival, I felt better about the Yankee Clipper.
Highly Recommended: stay within walking distance of the ferry terminal in Key West the night before your Dry Tortugas trip. Rooms are stupid expensive, but so is parking at the terminal. We stayed at the Galleon Resort and loved the location and as a bonus, they allowed us to leave our car in their parking garage after check out until our tour returned at 5:30 pm. There was a Viking Yacht Billfish Tournament going on the day we arrived in Key West and from Fort Taylor we watched the boats returning with their sailfish flags raised and a helicopter filming them. After dinner near the wharf, we had a pleasant evening walking the docks and checking out the boats. Wow. The Reluctant Birder (my husband) was very happy.
Aboard the Yankee Clipper
Check in at the Ferry Terminal is at 7:00 am, but I recommend getting there no later than 6:30. They start forming the line early and give everyone numbers. We were #24 and #25. They had everyone relax in the terminal prior to boarding and then they had us line up Southwest Airlines style by arrival number. With our low number we were able to secure a front facing window booth near the front of the ship, which is the best place to be when the seas are rough.
The Yankee Clipper is a seaworthy catamaran that can accommodate 250, but only brings 175 to the park each morning due to limits set by the park service. I don't believe they cancel due to waves, because if they ever did, they would've canceled on our day. The waves were 12-16 ft for the 2 1/2 hour crossing. Before departure, they announced that it would be a very rough crossing and they strongly recommended Dramamine - and that they had single packet doses for just $1 and if people didn't have cash the crew would offer to pay. Most people got in line for pills, and as a result, the trip out was really quiet. A few people tried to move about and I think a few people were sick, but most people fell asleep despite the bumpiness.
The trip back, however, was a different story. About half the people were vomiting and the captain made it clear that bathrooms were not to be used for such endeavors. The gloved crew members, ready with rolls of paper towels and plastic vomit bags, stood in every corner watching passengers like hawks. It was like the crew members knew who was going to be sick even before it happened. The captain had restricted us from going on the outside deck due to the waves, so sick people had to just sit and vomit next to their family and friends (which likely caused a chain reaction).
This also meant that birding during the crossing was impossible. While I had a window seat, the window was covered in spray from the swells. We had put on sea sickness prescription patches the day prior and felt zero sickness. Across the booth were three young people from Wisconsin and when they found out we were from Michigan, they broke out a deck of cards. We played euchre and talked about our favorite National Parks to pass the time. You betcha.
The Yankee Clipper is a seaworthy catamaran that can accommodate 250, but only brings 175 to the park each morning due to limits set by the park service. I don't believe they cancel due to waves, because if they ever did, they would've canceled on our day. The waves were 12-16 ft for the 2 1/2 hour crossing. Before departure, they announced that it would be a very rough crossing and they strongly recommended Dramamine - and that they had single packet doses for just $1 and if people didn't have cash the crew would offer to pay. Most people got in line for pills, and as a result, the trip out was really quiet. A few people tried to move about and I think a few people were sick, but most people fell asleep despite the bumpiness.
The trip back, however, was a different story. About half the people were vomiting and the captain made it clear that bathrooms were not to be used for such endeavors. The gloved crew members, ready with rolls of paper towels and plastic vomit bags, stood in every corner watching passengers like hawks. It was like the crew members knew who was going to be sick even before it happened. The captain had restricted us from going on the outside deck due to the waves, so sick people had to just sit and vomit next to their family and friends (which likely caused a chain reaction).
This also meant that birding during the crossing was impossible. While I had a window seat, the window was covered in spray from the swells. We had put on sea sickness prescription patches the day prior and felt zero sickness. Across the booth were three young people from Wisconsin and when they found out we were from Michigan, they broke out a deck of cards. We played euchre and talked about our favorite National Parks to pass the time. You betcha.
The fort and the nesting Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies did not disappoint. The spotted, fluffy chicks were adorable and loud. The Magnificent Frigatebird rookeries were pretty special, too. There were birds everywhere.
Fluff Balls were everywhere! Jeanne Peabody @ Dry Tortugas National Park
The Journey Home to Michigan
Chevy Silverado 2500 pulling Boston Whaler 246 Outrage from Key Largo, FL to St. Clair Shores, MI
Hauling this rig from Key Largo, Florida home to St. Clair Shores, Michigan isn't a treat, but having a boat in the keys for the winter is a huge treat. While out deep sea fishing I saw Brown Boobies and Gannets migrating through. During our time fishing in April a migrating Palm Warbler and a Prairie Warbler landed on the boat for a brief rest. Along the drive through central Florida we saw numerous Swallow Tailed Kites. I really wanted to pick up a Florida Scrub Jay as there are known nesting areas not far from the freeway, but it is difficult to know where we can easily park the big rig. Maybe I'll figure out a place to stop this coming December when we haul it back down.
Back to California!
Logo courtesy of Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival
I was home long enough to do laundry and visit the grandkids, and then headed back to San Francisco on April 22. I got to spend time with my son (also an eagle eyed reluctant birder) and daughter-in-law and take long walks birding Golden Gate Park, then I headed up to the Point Reyes Birding Festival. The weather for this year's festival was much better than last year and the birding was fantastic. Accommodations can be very pricy in the area because it is remote, so I opted to stay in a camper in someone's back yard in Inverness booked through Airbnb. Not ideal, but it paid off when a Northern Spotted Owl started calling one evening. I birded with some of the nicest humans during this trip. Every single group and every single leader was top notch. It is a short three-day festival and worth the effort for the stunning habitat/scenery and the bird diversity. Be sure to visit Keith Hansen's studio in Bodega Bay (pictured below). His artwork is stunning and he has great birding stories. He also has a water drip and hummingbird feeders in the studio's yard that can bring in many interesting species - 230 species to be exact. And if you get a chance to bird with Jeff Miller, do it! I met him at the Morro Bay Festival when I bought his book and we talked Bay Area birding. As luck would have it, he was leading a trip at the Point Reyes Festival. Birding and birders operate in a small world.
Jeanne Peabody with Jeff Miller (left) and Keith Hansen (right) at Hansen Studio in Bodega Bay, CA
We are birding at Bolinas Lagoon with Jeff Miller. What's not to smile about?
Funky house in Bolinas, CA by Jeanne Peabody
Bodega Head, CA. Watch for whales! Photo by Jeanne Peabody
You know what is on the way home from California? TEXAS!
Austin at dusk from by balcony by Jeanne Peabody
Nolan Walker, my guide from LRGV Texas in January, highly recommended that I return to the Galveston area in April. I looked at a map and, by golly, Texas was on the way home from California. I flew from SFO to Austin late on April 26, trading my camper for a really nice one-bedroom condo in Austin with this view. I could've saved a lot of driving by flying in/out of Houston, but I booked this lovely place using timeshare points, the flight from SFO was cheap and non-stop, the car rental was much cheaper in Austin, and most importantly, I wanted to be able to get the Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler in Hill Country - both lifers for me. I found a fantastic birding guide named Jesse Huth who was offering a small, drive yourself three day birding trip around the High Island area. I slept one night in Austin before packing my bag and heading south to stay two nights in Winnie.
High Island isn't actually an island. It is the name of a town that is located on the eastern end of the Bolivar Peninsula along the coast. The land is actually a large salt dome that sits 45 feet above sea level and this wooded dome is basically the highest point on the Gulf Coast between Alabama and the Yucatan Peninsula, and it provides a safe haven for migratory birds that have just crossed the ocean. The Houston Audubon Society owns a few plots of land where they have water drips and trails. This spot is a must for birders during spring migration. Over three days our small group of eight (plus Jesse and his girlfriend) birded Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oak Sanctuary, the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. The rails, baby spoonbills, and Least Bitterns were the highlight for me. The trip was expertly guided and the group was fantastic. We met each evening for dinner at local restaurants and shared highlights. One woman in the group is a skilled photographer and she shared her photos on our ebird checklists. Check them out! They are far superior than my phone photos below. The guided portion of the Texas trip was over on April 30, but my birding didn't stop. Jesse gave me pins for the species I needed around Hill Country. Birders are the most generous people in the world!
High Island isn't actually an island. It is the name of a town that is located on the eastern end of the Bolivar Peninsula along the coast. The land is actually a large salt dome that sits 45 feet above sea level and this wooded dome is basically the highest point on the Gulf Coast between Alabama and the Yucatan Peninsula, and it provides a safe haven for migratory birds that have just crossed the ocean. The Houston Audubon Society owns a few plots of land where they have water drips and trails. This spot is a must for birders during spring migration. Over three days our small group of eight (plus Jesse and his girlfriend) birded Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oak Sanctuary, the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. The rails, baby spoonbills, and Least Bitterns were the highlight for me. The trip was expertly guided and the group was fantastic. We met each evening for dinner at local restaurants and shared highlights. One woman in the group is a skilled photographer and she shared her photos on our ebird checklists. Check them out! They are far superior than my phone photos below. The guided portion of the Texas trip was over on April 30, but my birding didn't stop. Jesse gave me pins for the species I needed around Hill Country. Birders are the most generous people in the world!
