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Posted by Brian Rapoza (for Paul Bithorn) on 16:31:53 10/20/14
Ten intrepid birders participated in Tropical Audubon Society's annual fall field trip to Shark Valley and Loop Road on Saturday, October 18, 2014. Cool weather and low humidity made for a comfortable day of birding. An 18-wheeler tractor trailer ran off of Tamiami Trail into the canal just west of Shark Valley and shut down traffic for several hours posing some logistical problems for us that we would overcome. Fortunately, a crack unit of scuba divers from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pulled the driver, who could not swim, to safety. Thankfully, mosquitoes and deer flies were almost nonexistent. Water levels in both locations were high but the bird diversity was better than expected. High blue skies made hawk watching less of a challenge as they headed east to the coast. The West Indian Hardwood Hammock at Pinecrest was alive with birds upon our arrival. Sixty-four (64) species (may have missed a few seen by others), including twelve (12) warblers, were tallied including:
Mottled Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga (Several in kettles with vultures 7 in one kettle)
Least Bittern (heard)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tri-colored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite (1 male at Shark Valley, just north of the restrooms)
Cooper s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
Limpkin
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech Owl (heard in Pinecrest on Loop Road)
Barred Owl (heard in Pinecrest on Loop Road)
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Loggerhead Shrike
European Starling
Northern Parula
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Big Cypress Fox Squirrel (Sciuris niger avicennia) on Loop Road
Soldier Butterfly or Tropic Queen (Danaus eresimus) was the butterfly du jour at Shark Valley
Liguus Fasciatus FloridaTree Snails (It appears poachers have cleaned out the Pinecrest area)
Life is good.......................Goose Island Rambler IPA (6.7% ABV) and Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale (5.4% ABV), brewed by Goose Island Brewing Co. in Baldwinsville, New York, were the celebratory libations of choice after a great day of birding. Cheers!
P.S. Please post any interesting photos from our fieldtrip if possible.
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