Birdwalk Highlights for 4/26: Florida Lake Park to Runaround Pond.

It was raining. And then it was raining harder. And then it rained some more. But we made the most of it!

Beginning at Florida Lake Park in the hopes of finding yesterday's Common Gallinule, we slowly worked the edges. A PIED-BILLED GREBE was out in the far end of the pond, as were a pair of RING-NECKED DUCKS, but the only other waterbirds were a few pairs of CANADA GEESE and a MALLARD flying around.

A fishing OSPREY put on quite a show, however. About 30 TREE SWALLOWS were joined by a single BARN SWALLOW, mostly perched together in a single bush. Passerines were few, with migrants limited to about 8 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and 6 PALM WARBLERS - almost all of which were in flight overhead, along with a couple of SWAMP SPARROWS and several SONG SPARROWS along the trails.

No gallinule for us, and with so few migrants at all - it was about as slow as it gets here in late April, we headed over to nearby Hidden Pond Preserve. We were greeted by a stately BALD EAGLE that allowed close approach at the pond's edge, and had a BLUE-HEADED VIREO with a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET down low along the trail on the way back.

Finally, still looking for a more sizeable number of migrants, we tried Runaround Pond, were the parking lot edge had the most activity of the day, including an early-ish NORTHERN PARULA, a singing PINE WARBLER, 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS, another Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and and EASTERN PHOEBE. A lone DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT was out in the pond, and an OSPREY was along the outlet stream. We took time to stop and look at the impressive stand early spring wildflowers, which was worth the trip on its own, until the light rain become a downpour and we trudged back to the car. Still beat staying inside though!