Cross Bar Ranch Field Trip
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2008
Participants
23
Species
46
October means
Scrub Jays and Burrowing Owls for West Pasco Audubon when we take
the "safari" bus around the 12,000 acre Cross Bar Ranch. In
1992, Pinellas County Utilities embarked upon a Total Ecosystem
Management Plan which kept about 6,000 acres of the property as
natural lakes, wetlands and uplands as habitat for wildlife. It
is a designated Important Bird Area.
There are 17 water wells protected by this re-charge area. There are 5,000 acres of pine plantation and a 1,500 acre cattle ranch. In 2003 an education center was added. Last year Pinellas County decided to sell the property. In December of 2007, Cross Bar was added to the A list of the Florida Forever projects. The aquisition of the property and establishment of the new management plan will take a few years. In the meantime, I will have this field trip on our yearly list as long as it is available to us.
There are 17 water wells protected by this re-charge area. There are 5,000 acres of pine plantation and a 1,500 acre cattle ranch. In 2003 an education center was added. Last year Pinellas County decided to sell the property. In December of 2007, Cross Bar was added to the A list of the Florida Forever projects. The aquisition of the property and establishment of the new management plan will take a few years. In the meantime, I will have this field trip on our yearly list as long as it is available to us.
Agnes Condon
More Information On Crossbar/AL Bar Ranch
Our list consists of 46
species all of which were seen by at least 2 people. A total of
26 Families are represented. Great diversity!
The list follows the order of
the 2006 Pasco County bird list.
Mottled Duck. Wild Turkey. Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis,& Glossy Ibis. Black & Turkey Vultures. Immature & mature Bald Eagle. Red-shouldered & Red-tailed Hawks. American Kestrel. Common Moorhen & American Coot. Sandhill Crane. Mourning Dove & Common Ground-dove. Burrowing Owl. Chumney Swift. Belted Kingfisher. Red-bellied & Downy Woodpeckers. Eastern Phoebe & Eastern Kingbird.
White-eyed Vireo. Blue Jay, Florida Scrub Jay, & American Crow. Carolina Chickadee. Brown-headed Nuthatch. Carolina & House Wrens. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Eastern Bluebird. Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, & Brown Thrasher. Pine & Palm Warblers. Common Yellowthroat. Eastern Towhee. Northern Cardinal. Eastern Meadowlark & Boat-tailed Grackle.
Mottled Duck. Wild Turkey. Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis,& Glossy Ibis. Black & Turkey Vultures. Immature & mature Bald Eagle. Red-shouldered & Red-tailed Hawks. American Kestrel. Common Moorhen & American Coot. Sandhill Crane. Mourning Dove & Common Ground-dove. Burrowing Owl. Chumney Swift. Belted Kingfisher. Red-bellied & Downy Woodpeckers. Eastern Phoebe & Eastern Kingbird.
White-eyed Vireo. Blue Jay, Florida Scrub Jay, & American Crow. Carolina Chickadee. Brown-headed Nuthatch. Carolina & House Wrens. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Eastern Bluebird. Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, & Brown Thrasher. Pine & Palm Warblers. Common Yellowthroat. Eastern Towhee. Northern Cardinal. Eastern Meadowlark & Boat-tailed Grackle.