Mild spring weather attracts snowbirds to Polk County - and not just human ones.
A common bird residents may see in larger numbers are migrating robins, which can be identified by their bright red-orange bellies.
"This is the time of the year that they're in Florida, and they're berry hunting," Marvel Loftus says. "They're in your Brazilian peppers and palm trees, or any berry bush. You may see hundreds of them fly over."
Backyard birdwatching doesn't require much effort, but serious bird enthusiasts, or "birders," take advantage of favorable weather and Polk's extensive parks system to
observe hundreds of species. Loftus, who manages the Bird Club of Lake Region Audubon Society, leads a birding group that carpools to locations in Polk and all over Florida. The club makes a trip every Thursday, starting in November and continuing through the first week in April.
"We do some local trips," Loftus says, "and we do drive as far as a 150 miles. For instance, we recently went to Vero (Beach) and down to Sebastian Inlet. We had a glorious day. Many of us got life birds."
In birding lingo, a "life bird" or a "lifer" means a bird an individual birder has never seen before.
"We were very happy," Loftus says. "We saw a purple sandpiper, which is a rare bird in Florida, and a harlequin duck, which is really rare, and we ended the day with a red-necked loon, which is also rare."
"We hike in different places and have lunch, and that will be it for the day," she says. "On a typical day, we meet up to carpool, and then head out. We might visit a distant location like Sebastian or Payne's Prairie, or a local park or lake."
Loftus says the birders can predict what species they might encounter by seasonal migratory patterns.
"We have a good idea of what to expect, of what birds are normally there at certain times of the season," she says, "but occasionally, we are surprised. Last year during an outing to Lake Parker (in Lakeland), we were surprised by a Baltimore oriole, so you never know."
Prediction, while useful, is not a given.
"I don't guarantee you're going to see any birds," Loftus says, "but birders are very congenial people. They help each other out and point out sightings to one another."
While no special equipment is needed for amateur birding, Loftus says most participants bring cameras or spotting scopes to zoom in on distant birds.
"They can always look through another person's spotting scope," she says. However, Loftus does suggest binoculars, water, snack, a cell phone, insect repellent, hat and lunch for day trips.
Participants also take a list of birds to keep inventory of species they have seen, but just being outdoors is pleasure enough.
"We are not going for the big day, if you know what I mean," Loftus says. "The enjoyment is to be out and about, looking at birds, and being in nature."
Loftus started the bird club in 1999. "I learned from my mentor, and when she passed away, I wanted to continue. Being female, I found it unnerving to travel around by myself, so I started the bird club."
Most of the birders Loftus meets are older adults, but birding is for everyone. However, the level of physical activity required is sometimes a consideration.
"Most of our hikes are short ones, but the one in Payne's Prairie is three miles," Loftus says with a laugh. "Most participants are retired, and we're on a Web page, so we get a lot of out-of-towners that are tourists who come in for one day. Otherwise, birders kind of know each other. One person from an area will say, 'Oh, you should come birding with us.' I just organize the trips.' "
Loftus says distinctive features make birds easy to identify, once a person knows the basics.
"You look at the various parts of the bird, such as the beak, the tail, colors, the eyebrow, and that's how you identify the bird," Loftus says.
Loftus recommends The Sibley Guide to Birds, Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America.
Beginners can learn to identify birds through available bird guide books or classes at Lake Region Audubon's Street Center in Winter Haven. Paul Fellers teaches a course at the Lake Region Audubon's Street Center that he facetiously calls "Birding 101."
"I discuss migration, which is almost mystical," Fellers says. "Nobody fully understands how some birds migrate. It starts about the third week of July and then gets full from August until the middle of October. The yellow warbler may arrive as early as July. We have a very good, observable fall migration, then the birds move on into the Southern hHemisphere. In April and early May, they migrate back north through the Panhandle."
Fellers also discusses bird longevity and plumage. "I show lots of slides because the birds have mating plumage and winter plumage. Most of the migrant birds appear more drab when they're here, and brighter in their summer locations."
According to Fellers, Polk is a great location for bird watching.
"We have a huge county that covers a multitude of habitats, and a good park system that attracts birds," he says. "A new jewel in the crown is the Circle B Bar Reserve. The location is excellent."
For details, visit the Audubon site at www.lakeregion.net or call Marvel Loftus at 863-324-9657.
For tips on birdwatching for beginners, visit Cornell University's online Lab of Ornithology at www.allaboutbirds.org.
