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Posted by Carlos Sanchez on 19:55:31 11/21/14
It is a great time of year to be birding in Everglades National Park! Alex Harper, Rangel Diaz, Brehan Clare Furfey, and I headed down main park road from Homestead well before dawn, flushing several Eastern Whip-poor-will from the roadsides. As we drove up to the Flamingo area of the park, a ghostly Barn Owl flew low across the road.
We began at Coastal Prairie Trail. Well over a hundred American White Pelican streamed overhead in a steady line at daybreak towards the west while three adult Bald Eagles purposefully flew off together towards the northeast. A few Barn Swallows, potentially late migrants, flew gracefully overhead. We observed this species in small numbers at several sites in the Everglades during the course of the day. About a hundred feet north of the sign that reads 'Bayshore Loop', the attractively patterned Nelson's Sparrow teed up for us in the saltmarsh. A great start.
We arrived at the Flamingo Amphitheater at low tide, looking in amazement at the vast exposed mudflats and the multitude of shorebirds present -- hundreds each of Willet and Marbled Godwit. Suddenly, the American Flamingo made an encore performance from the previous day, flying right past us and another group of happy birders. After a bit camaraderie with the other group to celeberate the moment, we checked the sandbar in front of the Flamingo Visitor Center where we observed a collection of gulls (Lesser Black-backed, Ring-billed, Laughing), terns (Caspian, Royal, Sandwich), Black Skimmer, and others.
It was time for ducks. Mrazek Pond and West Lake are fantastic stops right now. Mrazek Pond had Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, and Northern Shoveler. As well as over a thousand American Coot, West Lake also had multiple Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Ruddy Duck (and a single Greater Scaup). All told, we had ten species of duck between these two sites. Two light morph Short-tailed Hawk and a Broad-winged Hawk gave us a show at West Lake.
As we drove further into Miami-Dade county, the weather conspired against us. The breezy, overcast weather curtailed most bird activity, although the non-birding highlight of the day came at Gate 15 in the form of an impressive five-foot Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. We spent the last moments of daylight at the bridge over Taylor Creek with three American Bittern and a calling King Rail.
Without focusing on a big day list, we ended with 116 species for the day at Everglades National Park -- testament to the rich birding right at our doorstep. As the water levels recede and further winter arrivals make it into the park, it will only get better this winter. It's a great time to get out there, experience it, and support our parks.
Carlos
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