Hi All,

This past week has been pretty trying for me: between the power outages,
accused of being a terrorist (see story below), cleaning up fallen trees &  limbs
in the parents yard & some long gas lines, I'm surprised I still  managed to
bird at all this week......

On Monday 6th, when the bridges reopened along Tampa Bay I had the bright
idea (like some of you) to look for pelagics that might have been blown in from
the storm. All started well when I saw a group of Black Terns with 2  BRIDLED
TERNS on the Tampa side of the Gandy Bridge. When I got to the St. Pete  side
I pulled off along the south side where there is a small beach full of
terns. As I was scanning the group of birds, they all flew up. Next thing I know
there is a policeman banging on my car widow, demanding my ID. He just couldn't
 understand that I was looking at birds, and went back to his car to
call/check  my record or ID. After 10 minutes he comes back, still having a hard time
believing I was look at birds, thinking instead that I was spying on MacDill
AFB  or the power plant on Weedon Island! Since he couldn't find anything
wrong, he  wanted my social security number and said he had to "document" & fill a
 report of what I was doing. Now I have been birding many times before and
have  been stopped by police or border patrol asking what I was doing & they
have always be understanding, but never have I had one demand my ID before even
asking what I was doing, nor having to be "documented" that I was looking at
birds in the direction of the AFB.  Just kind of felt like my rights were
infringed among some. Alright my tirade is over.....

On Thursday I checked out John Chestnut Park in north Pinellas and had lots
of warblers along the two trails:
5 Eastern Wood-Pewee
6 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Yellow-throated Vireo
10 Northern Parula
2 Tennessee Warbler
4 Yellow Warbler
6 Prairie Warbler
5 Pine Warbler
14 Yellow-throated Warbler
2 Worm-eating Warbler
7 Black & White Warbler
1 American Redstart
5 Ovenbird
6 Northern Waterthrush
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Hooded Warbler
1 Summer Tanager

I then went to Dunedin Hammock Park and saw the same types of warbler but  in
smaller numbers before it started raining.

On Friday in the late afternoon I went to East Beach Woods at Ft. DeSoto to
look for some of the great warblers that were seen the day before. My  results
were the same as Lyn found this morning: that only the common species  stayed
the second day. But I do have a couple of additions the best being a
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO in the oak trees near the restrooms. It was with several
Red-eyed Vireos & a few Prairie Warblers. Also found a Yellow-throated  Warbler in
the woods and there were lots of Gray Kingbirds with a smaller number  of
Eastern Kingbirds along the wires and in the woods.

Good Birding, and be careful where you point those binoculars! :-)
Brian Ahern
Tampa, FL.
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