Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County was among several birding locations I visited during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
It was very overcast by the time I got to Joe Overstreet, and there were even a few showers. But even the not-ideal weather didn’t stop the road’s regulars from making appearances.
There were plenty of Eastern Meadowlarks as well as American Kestrels. While the Red-headed Woodpecker apparently is seen by many visitors, this was only the second time I came across it.
And there were a few others too. Not the best day of birding here, but it’s better than not birding at all.
Eastern Meadowlark, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Eastern Meadowlark, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Red-headed Woodpecker, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Red-headed Woodpecker, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Red-headed Woodpecker, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Red-headed Woodpecker, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.American Kestrel, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.American Kestrel, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.American Kestrel, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Red-shouldered Hawk, Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, January 2025.Sandhill Crane, Osceola County, January 2025. Not on Joe Overstreet, but nearby.
With the temperatures in Central Florida starting to rise as the birding season cooling down, I decided to make a Saturday morning trek to the nearby UCF Arboretum to look for some little birds.
I have found there are just some birds that are harder to photograph than others. I call them my nemesis birds, and the Northern Parula was one of them.
