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Posted by Toe on 15:52:41 10/01/06
Since this is the first time we have a TAS walk in this area, I was really nervous about there not being enough birders, and even worse not enough birds! Luckily, I was pleasasntly surprised in both categories. A very nice turnout of 25 birders joined us today for this walk, and we had great variety and even a rarity to make things exciting.
The Bell's Vireo was seen towards the end of the Sadowski portion of the walk in a small tree next to the east side of the buildings. It then flew into the hammock and was not relocated. Hopefully, this one will stick around like the last ones seen down here. Other birds seen at Sadowski included Baltimore and Spot-breasted Orioles, Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, male Painted Bunting, Short-tailed, Sharp-shinned, Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Hawks, Merlin, and 11 warbler species including Tannessee, Magnolia, and a brief look at a probable Blue-winged just before the walk began. An interesting spectacle came when a Spotted Sandpiper flying over the canal came under attack from a Red-shouldered Hawk. The sandpiper evaded the hawk by flying into the water, and diving! I've never seen a sandpiper dive before. It surfaced moments later, and with the hawk gone, flew away unharmed. Wow!
Aftern Sadowski, most of the group went to Black Point Marina where we saw an immature Bald Eagle while walking to the jetty. This one gave us fantastic looks as it flew overhead several times. Other highlights were several more Spotted Sandpipers, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Ruddy Turnstone, Prairie and Yellow-throated Warblers, and Brown Pelicans.
From here most folks bid a happy farewell to a productive morning, but a handfull of us went to Dump Marsh. Here we found both Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush in a wet, shrubby area beneath the pines adjacent to the hill on 248th street as you exit Black Point marina. Dump Marsh itself had little other than the Coots, Moorhen, a Kingfisher, Pied-billed Grebes, and some waders, but overhead we saw more Broad-wings, Red-shouldered, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, and two Peregrines mixed with the many kettles of vultures.
We had a total of 71 species with great variety, and a great crowd. I want to thank all those that came out and made this walk a success. Hopefully, if we do this walk again it will only get better. If I omitted anything, please feel free to add. Thanks,
Toe
The day's list:
Pied-billed Grebe
Magnificent Frigatebird
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Tri-colored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
White Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Laughing Gull
Royal Tern
Rock Dove
White-crowned Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Monk Parakeet
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Peewee
Loggerhead Shrike
Bell's Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Hill Myna
European Starling (Ugh)
Blue-winged Warbler (probable)
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
Spot-breasted Oriole
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