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Posted by Vince Lucas on 16:03:43 03/19/06
All:
Nearly 60 or so folks showed-up at STA-5 yesterday to find out what all of the "buzz" about this place was, probably due in part to the [Ft. Myers] News-Press article earlier in the week as well as the fact that yesterday's birding was being made into a documentary that may see the light of day on PBS I was told. Who know for sure though? Normally, one would be appalled at that great a number of individuals on one field trip, but this being STA-5, there's a tremendous amount of "leg room" for folks to spread out, so that's what everyone did! Everyone I talked to was delighted with the place and impressed by the number of birds there. I'll get to the list a little later but first I'll state that before I even reached STA-5, I had already tallied nearly 40 or so species just driving to the place from Naples! I took my normal route of CR846 to CR833 to CR835 to Blumberg Rd. & STA-5. I had some dandy birds along this route yesterday traveling at times up to 55 mph, including at least one new Hendry County bird i.e. Wood Duck.
After leaving Naples at about 6:00AM, I headed east on CR846 (Immokalee Rd.) and found several Black-crowned Night-Herons perched in the Carolina Willows at their "usual" location a few miles east of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. About 1/2 mile or so before entering the town of Immokalee, at the two cow ponds on the north side of CR846, I saw the resident Great White Heron that has frequented this locale all winter. There were both yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers and other "usual" ducks, gallinaceous birds, etc. there as well. The next place I saw some nice birds was the Immokalee Ranch where I had two Crested Caracaras, a fly-by Muscovy Duck (never saw that one there before), many singing Eastern Meadowlarks, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers making a "home" in a palm tree as well as many more common species.
Whenever I drive this route, especially at this time of year (Dry Season), I stop wherever and whenever I see water of any kind. One of the fortuitous stops I made was about a mile into Hendry County, after passing CR858 which is the county line between Collier & Hendry Counties. At a small wetland/pond on the south side of the road, I found many waders, including a Roseate Spoonbill, 25 or so Snowy Egrets and many more herons, egrets, etc. as well as a dozen or so American White Pelicans all in this pond. Nice! In addition, from somewhere in the surrounding field, Northern Bobwhites were calling loudly and answered my rather poor imitation of their call. Eastern Meadowlarks, a screaming Red-shouldered Hawk, a White-eyed Vireo and all of the raucous sounds from the coots and moorhens added to the early morning chorus.
Further along CR846, before it intersects CR833, I had several more Crested Caracara and in another cow pond, I had two Black-necked Stilts plus many yellowlegs of both species.
On CR833, just before where it intersects CR835 (where one makes the turn to head east to Blumberg Rd. & STA-5), I found no less that six Limpkins in a small wetland along the road. Two were stands on telephone lines (a first for me) and another was standing on a fence post screaming their heads off! Quite the sight.
Blumberg Rd. didn't hold out much at this time of the morning save for an occasional Northern Harrier flying across the road.
OK, here is the STA-5 bird list for 03/18/2006. Numbers are estimates for the most part:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -- 10
Fulvous Whistling-Duck -- 60+
Mottled Duck -- 15+
Blue-winged Teal -- XXX
Northern Shoveler -- 50+
Green-winged Teal -- 3
Ring-necked Duck -- 5
Pied-billed Grebe -- 4
American White Pelican -- 150
Double-crested Cormorant -- XX
Anhinga -- XX
American Bittern -- 2
Great Blue Heron -- XX
Great Egret -- XX
Snowy Egret -- XX
Little Blue Heron -- XX
Tricolored Heron -- XX
Cattle Egret -- XX
Green Heron -- X
White Ibis -- XX
Glossy Ibis -- XXX
Roseate Spoonbill -- 40
Wood Stork -- 1
Black Vulture -- XX
Turkey Vulture -- XX
Osprey -- 5
Bald Eagle -- 2
Northern Harrier -- 10+
Purple Swamphen (Exotic) -- 50+
Purple Gallinule -- 2
Common Moorhen -- XXX
American Coot -- XXXX
Black-bellied Plover -- 3
Killdeer -- XX
Black-necked Stilt -- 75+
Greater Yellowlegs -- XX
Lesser Yellowlegs -- XX
Least Sandpiper -- 25+
Long-billed Dowitcher -- 100+
Wilson's Snipe -- 3
Black Skimmer -- 150+
Mourning Dove -- X
Common Ground-Dove -- 3
Belted Kingfisher -- 2
Tree Swallow -- XXX
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- 25+
Barn Swallow -- 10+
Northern Mockingbird -- 5
Palm Warbler -- (One Eastern Race and several Western Race. The Eastern Race bird may be a new edition to STA-5)
Common Yellowthroat -- X
Savannah Sparrow -- 10+
Red-winged Blackbird -- XXX
Eastern Meadowlark -- 3
Boat-tailed Grackle -- XX
A few sad notes. One of the Lesser Yellowlegs we saw had only one "leg" so i gues that made him a "Lesser-than-Lesser Yellowlegs i.e a Lesser Yellowleg". Even sadder, one of the attendees told me that in the extreme southeast corner of the cell to one's left as one enters the gate, he found two American White Pelicans. One was already dead and another was barely alive but it was quite evident that it had some sort of muscular toxicity problem or maybe it was suffering from avian botulism (is there such a thing?) that wouldn't allow it to raise its wings. It, too, would die soon I'm sure. Doesn't this sound like Zellwood before the place was closed down? What did those American White Pelicans die from? Anyone know? I'll report this to the SFWMD authorities. Let's hope that there isn't a trend going on here. BTW, should I report this to someone else as well i.e. FFWCC for instance? Any advice would be appreciated.
After bidding adieu to Margaret England, who had to go home to pack for a trip to Costa Rica on Sunday -- tough job Margaet!), I left STA-5. On Blumberg Rd. i had two different Red-tailed Hawks perched on telephone poles. One of these birds was extremely pale i.e. like a Krider's Red-tailed Hawk, but i won't go there. . . .
The trip back home to Naples was via the same routes and was "routine" i.e. more Crested Caracara, Limpkin and other birds seen earlier (Ho-hum. Lol!) At CR858 I headed south toward the Hendry County Correctional Facility and found two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers perched along the wires on the Collier County side of the road. No Western Kingbirds or any other Tyrant Flycatchers were seen. About five or so Swallow-tailed Kites graced my presence near where the new town/university of Ave Maria is being built off of Camp Keas Rd. Perhaps this was divinely inspired as these birds remind me of angels! Lol.
Another great day of birding in the boonies and I'm even more delighted so many folks came out to share in it.
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