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.
A wayward male Vermilion Flycatcher has become quite the attraction at the Orlando Wetlands after possibly being brought to the area by a recent hurricane..
These striking black-and-white raptors fly to Florida in the summer from South America. To paraphrase an old Delta Airlines commercial, these birds love to fly and it shows.