On a weekend morning last week, I woke up late but still wanted to go birding. The closest place for me to do that was the UCF Arboretum, a spot I have not visited since November. So, it seemed I was overdue for a trip there.
And I am glad I went. I came across some new-to-me birds, including a very late migrating male American Redstart and a Northern Bobwhite.
I also saw many Purple Martins, who are part of a special nesting project on campus. Their worldwide numbers declined 25% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. To help reverse that decline, UCF is among the many groups that have put up nesting boxes for the birds.
There were also some familiar birds to photograph too, including a cute family of Sandhill Cranes and a peek-a-boo Red-bellied Woodpecker, who was inside a hollowed out tree.
I’m not going to wait another six months before my next visit to UCF.
