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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 14:34:36 04/03/06
In Reply to: AD Barnes posted by Trey Mitchell
Trey, the Mangrove Cuckoo appeared at Black Point Marina by the small wooden bridge in the canoeist/kayaker parking lot adjacent to the picnic area around 12 noon on Saturday, April 1, 2006. The gate was locked so I walked in with my dear friends,Ray and Barbara Thompson from Helena, Montana.
We earlier had picked up a Swallow-Tailed Kite near the Coe Visitor Center,a male Painted Bunting and Brown Thrasher at the Center and a singing Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow about a half-mile west of the Mahogany Hammock entrance at the crack of dawn. We found singing "Cuban" Yellow warblers just before the Card Sound Bridge along with a Gray Kingbird. The Key Largo Botanical Site was very quiet with only a few Cardinals being seen.
We stopped for "West Indian" Cave Swallows at the Florida Turnpike and S.W. 216th Street and headed to Black Point Marina, where we we would see the "Bird of the Day." Our next stop across from Baptist Hospital produced three Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Monk Parakeets and small flock of Yellow-Chevroned Parakeets. Several Mitred Parakeets were seen on the balcony of the Kings Creek Condominium and the adjacent fig trees. White-crowned Pigeons, Hill Mynas and a Spot-breasted Oriole were seen in South Miami in the area near the "Miller Parrot Roost."
We shot over to Miami Shores, where a Broad-winged Hawk was flying over the downtown area when three White-winged Parakeets began mobbing the hawk in flight.
We finished up in Miami Springs near the Fair Havens Nursing Home and found a Yellow-crowned Parrot, along with Mitred, White-eyed, Green, Red-fronted, Crimson-fronted and Monk Parakeets. An Adult male Cooper's Hawk was loafing in a Malaleuca next to the nursing home.
On Sunday, April 2nd, birders Dr. John Griffin,from Salt Lake City, Utah and Dr. Dave from Portland, Oregon spent a half-day birding with me, starting at Research Road at dawn, where Pine Warblers, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Screech Owl (heard), Wild Turkey (heard)and Pileated Woodpecker were highlights. Anhinga Trail highlights were a Sora and a flyover Swallow-Tailed Kite with nesting material (Spanish Moss).
Common Mynah in Florida City and Cave Swallows in Cutler Ridge were next, when we headed to Baptist, where Spot-breasted and Baltimore Oriole, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Hill Myna, Bronzed Cowbird and Monk Parakeets were spotted. We finished up with the Mitred Parakeets at the aforementioned condo. Not a bad weekend of birding.
Life is good................so I quaffed a few Yuenglings - my celebratory libation of choice.
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