Bluebird Trail Report - April 6, 2026

Bluebird removing fecal sac from nest box.

Below are the 8 BB Trail Reports:

Carrollwood Village: 2 BB nests, with 10 chicks

Flatwoods Park: 37 nests (31 BB, 6 CC), 51 BB eggs, 15 chicks (2 BB, 13 CC)

Hunter's Green: 4 BB nests, with 11 eggs, & 5 chicks, & 1 Evening Bat

Lake Park: 18 nests (12 BB, 3 CC, 1 CW, 2 TM), 35 eggs (27 BB, 4 CC, 4 CW, 4 TM), 27 chicks (15 BB, 5 CC, 7 TM)

Lettuce Lake: 1 CW nest with 5 eggs

Lithia Springs: 1 BB nest, with 3 chicks

MacDill AFB: 6 BB nests, with 5 eggs & 4 chicks

Sargeant's Park: 1 BB nest, with 3 chicks

It got hot very quickly on the Flatwoods Bluebird Trail today. We were happy to see that more nests had been built by the Bluebirds, and we have the first BB chicks and CC chicks that have hatched. Overall, though, this year the birds have been slower building their nests and hatching their eggs so far. We think it must have to do with the erratic hot and cold weather we've been experiencing this spring. Still we have 37 nests (31 BB, 6 CC), 51 BB eggs, 15 chicks (2 BB, 13 CC).

Right away, we spotted 2 beautiful Swallow-tailed Kites flying overhead. Then we checked out the 2 lakes along out trail and found one completely dry and the other one with 2 small puddles. Then we watched a scene play out with a Wood Stork, a huge Gator, and some fish. The stork was catching fish in one pond and putting them in a pile on the shore. We assumed the stork must have chicks somewhere and was catching the fish for them. Suddenly, the huge gator walked up on the shore, went over to the fish and ate one. Then he went back in the water. What a show that was! I've included pictures of the whole episode!

On our trail, we saw lots of birds and also a Gopher Tortoise eating grass. We heard and saw Northern Bobwhite Quail, Mourning and Ground Doves, a Killdeer, a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jays, American Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Eastern Bluebirds, Easterm Towhees, Common Yellowthroats, Northern Parulas, and Northern Cardinals. 

Two plants blooming along the way were Virginia Willow (Itea virginica) and Shiny Blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites).