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Posted by Bryant Roberts on 21:55:19 08/05/06
8/5/06
A visit to the Belle Glade area today turned up a few birds that weren t seen last week: Wilson s Phalarope, Roseate Spoonbill, Ruddy Turnstones, and Greater Yellowlegs. Other birds of interest seen include: Upland Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, Gull-billed Terns, Black Terns, Tree Swallows, and Northern Bobwhite. Neither of the Whistling-Ducks were seen today.
Here is a summary of the areas visited today followed by an annotated list of most of the species seen.
Star Pit; A flooded field south of the Bergeron Star Pit Mine entrance on the west side of US 27 just south of the Radio Tower sod fields (Pranty, pg. 211); This field was a little drier than last week and the shorebirds were a little farther out. There was a large concentration of waders feeding in the ditches in the morning including an adult Roseate Spoonbill.
Kings Ranch sod fields - North of the Radio Tower on the east side of US 27 (Pranty, pg. 211); Two Upland Sandpipers were in the fields east of the Banana trees in the morning and one was seen in the afternoon.
US 27 Classic Turf North of the US 27 Kings Ranch sod fields (Pranty, pg. 211)opposite the Okeelanta sugar refinery entrance near the area where the Hudsonian Godwits were found a couple of years ago. Another field has been flooded north of the one that was flooded last week. There weren t many birds in these fields today but they could get better as the Star Pit fields dry out.
Brown s Farm Road (Pranty, pg. 212); There isn t much here in the way of flooded fields but there are some rice fields which could be good for ducks and Bobolinks later on and this is the second time this summer that I ve seen Northern Bobwhite along the main road. The loop southwest of the radio tower starting at the Miami Sod sign has been a good place for swallows; today I had about 2000 Banks, a few dozen Barns and Cliffs, and five Tree Swallows.
Roth Sod Road ; This is a dirt road that runs south from SR 880 about 6.5 miles east of Browns Farm Road (Pranty, pg. 212) that is marked by a sign that says Roth Sod , a little past the sod fields that extend for a mile or two down the west side of this road are three large recently flooded fields on either side of the road. The Wilson s Phalarope was seen in the southwest section of a field that has been flooded since last week south of the first flooded field east of the road. Water from the first field is being pumped into the one to the south so as one is being drawn down to flood the other there could be pretty good birding here for some time.
Belle Glade Marina (Pranty, pg. 212); The water in the impoundments between the campground and the lake was surprisingly low with plenty of exposed mud. Interesting birds seen here included Limpkin, Solitary Sandpipers, and some of the resident Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (US 27 Classic Turf)
Least Bittern (Brown s Farm Road)
Wood Stork - 500 (Star Pit)
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill - 1 (Star Pit)
Mottled Duck (Roth Sod Road)
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Northern Bobwhite - 1 (Brown s Farm Road)
Limpkin - 1 (Bell Glade Marina)
Purple Gallinule (Brown s Farm Road) (Bell Glade Marina)
Common Moorhen
Black-necked Stilt (Star Pit) (US 27 Classic Turf) (Roth Sod Road)
Black-bellied Plover (Star Pit) (US 27 Classic Turf) (Roth Sod Road)
Semipalmated Plover (Star Pit)
Killdeer
Long-billed Dowitcher (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Upland Sandpiper - 2 (US 27 King Ranch Sod Fields)
Greater Yellowlegs (1 - Star Pit) (1 - Roth Sod Road)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Star Pit) (US 27 Classic Turf) (Roth Sod Road)
Solitary Sandpiper (Belle Glade Marina) (US 27 Classic Turf)
Ruddy Turnstone (Roth Sod Road) (US 27 Classic Turf)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Western Sandpiper (1 - Roth Sod Road)
Least Sandpiper (Star Pit) (US 27 Classic Turf) (Roth Sod Road)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Star Pit) (US 27 Classic Turf) (Roth Sod Road)
Stilt Sandpiper (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Wilson s Phalarope 1 (Roth Sod Road)
Laughing Gull (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Gull-billed Tern (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Least Tern (Roth Sod Road)
Black Tern (Star Pit) (Roth Sod Road)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Kingbird (Belle Glade Marina)
Tree Swallow 5 (Brown s Farm Road)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Belle Glade Marina)
Bank Swallow 2000 (Brown s Farm Road)
Cliff Swallow 20 (Brown s Farm Road)
Barn Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird(US 27 Classic Turf)
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