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Posted by John Boyd on 06:52:05 11/09/14
We started at the Coe Visitor's Center around 7:30am. Highlights at Coe included three woodpecker species (Downy, Red-bellied, and YB Sapsucker) and a Yellow-throated Warbler. Smaller birds were fairly scarce, something that would be true at most locations. On our way to Lucky Hammock, some of us saw a Pileated Woodpecker fly into a tree north of the road.
Birding at Lucky Hammock was rather slow, except for the catbirds. We did find an American Redstart, as well as Common Yellowthroats and Palm Warblers. The surprise bird was a Sedge Wren in the field behind the hammock. We also had House Wren there, our only wrens of the day.
We continued down Aerojet road, past several Loggerhead Shrikes, to the gate for the Annex (i.e., the NW part of the Southern Glades WEA). A few Common Ground-Doves were startled by our arrival. We soon found our fifth woodpecker species, Northern Flicker, on a pole near the pond by the gate. As we walked down the road, a small group of White-crowned Pigeons flew over. Birding was fairly slow along the road. We did find a pair of Black-throated Blue Warblers. On the way out, some people saw an empid, Northern Parula, and Black-throated Green Warbler.
The next stop was Anhinga Trail. We found some waders, another Yellow-throated Warbler, and at least 2 dark morph Short-tailed Hawks. Least Bittern was heard, but not seen. We than walked the Gumbo Limbo Trail to the pond, returning on the grassy Old Ingraham Highway. It was pretty quiet, except for a few catbirds at the start. Fortunately, the Black Vultures were not hanging about in the parking lot today, and our cars suffered no damage.
We drove out on Research Road before returning to the main park road. We stopped at gate 2, where we walked the trail in search of pineland specialties. We saw some Pine Warblers, and discovered that the Myrtles have arrived. A few Tree Swallows were seen overhead. We returned to our cars and drove down to the gate, stopping to scan the new restoration area. There were lots of meadowlarks past the buildings, as well as American Kestrel and Northern Harrier.
By then it was almost noon, so we headed to Long Pine Key for a picnic lunch. Although birding was slow at times, we nonetheless had 50 species for the day by lunchtime. After lunch, we visited Mahogany Hammock. I got my only Belted Kingfishers of the day (2) before entering the hammock. The hammock was very quiet, but we saw an American White Pelican overhead before we left.
There was nothing at Paurotis Pond, so we quickly headed off to West Lake. We saw a few coots and Blue-winged Teal from the pavilion. Suddenly, 4 Redheads flew in to liven things up. The boardwalk was quiet, but there were some large rafts of coots in the lake (easily over a thousand), a not-too-distant Ruddy Duck, and some very distant ducks that were either Ring-necked or Lesser Scaup. We could not make out any plumage, but the shape suggested Ring-necked Duck.
Mrazek Pond was a real treat. Highlights included 7 duck species (Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Shoveler, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, and Gadwall) as well as Common Gallinules, American Coots, and Pied-billed Grebes. We also found a Black-crowned Night-Heron.
The tide was high at Flamingo, and the sand bar was well under water. We did find a Reddish Egret on the small island near the visitor's center, and a Willet flew by. We then headed over to the shore near the amphitheater, which sometimes has shorebirds at high tide. It did, and we added Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin, and Least, Western and Spotted Sandpipers.
Our last stop was Eco Pond. Cattle Egret was new for the day, and a couple of people spotted a Peregrine dashing by. Mosquitoes were out, and we decided to not walk around the pond. From there,
we headed back home.
As usual with Everglades trips, some of the stops were unproductive, but others provided good birding. The group ended the day with at least 89 species seen or heard (83 for me).
Ruddy Duck
Muscovy Duck (turnpike)
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck?
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Pied-billed Grebe
Mourning Dove
White-crowned Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Rock Pigeon (turnpike)
Common Ground-Dove
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Anhinga
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
White Ibis
Least Bittern
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Green Heron
Cattle Egret
American Egret
Great Blue Heron
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Royal Tern
Laughing Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk (turnpike)
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Empidonax sp.
White-eyed Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Sedge Wren
Northern House-Wren
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Common Myna (Florida City)
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Myrtle Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
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