Yesterday morning I joined the St. Petersburg Audubon Society for a bird walk at Fort DeSoto. It is one of my favorite parks in the county and I’ve been there dozens of times, though I usually beeline for the beach.

We were hoping to spot some migratory birds before that season winds down. The group explored areas of the park that I had not previously visited which yielded some good birds, including two lifers for me.

They were both Anis, one Groove-billed and one Smooth-billed. Interestingly, they were hanging out together (almost literally in the same bush) even though neither one is really supposed to be here.

Roughly the same size as a Common Grackle but with a slightly disheveled appearance and sporting unmistakable bills these members of the cuckoo family spend most of their time on the ground, hunting for lizards and other tasty treats in the shrubbery.

Our group was quite fortunate that the birds flew up into the bushes and gave us great looks right after we arrived at the thicket. The folks who were there before us had been waiting over 30 minutes for them to pop up!

It was another wonderful visit to Fort DeSoto Park. The 1,100+ acre slice of paradise protects the southern end of the Pinellas Peninsula and humans and wildlife alike are so fortunate it exists!