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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 13:55:59 10/22/06
Fifteen birders participated in Tropical Audubon Society's annual fall field trip to Shark Valley and Loop Road on Saturday, October 21, 2006. My dear friend and co-leader for many mango seasons, Juan Villamil, continues his recovery at Pan American Hospital from kidney problems and was sorely missed.
Partly cloudy skies and temperatures that reached 90 degrees made for a hot and muggy day but we nonetheless pressed on. Herons and egrets were in short supply due to high water levels in the water conservation areas and the Everglades National Park and the Big Cypress Swamp.
Sixty-five species were seen including ten species of warblers including Northern Parula, Yellow-throated, Prairie, Pine, Palm, Bay-breasted, Black & White, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat.
Our first stop was the S-333 South Florida Water Management District structure just west of the Miccosukee Casino on the Tamiami Trail (US 41). The highlight was a juvenile Purple Gallinule-oddly enough- the only one seen all day. Our next stop was Water Control Structure S-334 in Area 3B, the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area. A heard King Rail, mixed flock of Mottled Ducks and Blue-winged Teal, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike and a House Wren were seen in the area.
At Shark Valley, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Vireo and several warblers were seen but a brief glimpse of a Marsh Wren across the paved road west of Otter Cave was the highlight. Two White-tailed Deer grazed in the same area while wading in knee-deep water.
The abandoned airboat attraction west of Shark Valley did not produce any Snail Kites due to high water conditions. The water was deep enough for Ospreys and Belted Kingfishers to be diving in an area for fish where the kites specialized food source of Apple Snails (Pomacea paludosa) are usually plentiful.
The Pinecrest area of Loop Road lost fifty percent of its tree canopy due to Hurricane Wilma, which struck a year ago this week. A Brown Thrasher, Ovenbird and a large cluster of Orthalicus floridanus were the highlights for this traditional stop.
The Pine Rocklands, west of Pinecrest, were teeming with Eastern Bluebirds, and Pine Warblers and a heard Brown-headed Nuthatch and flyby of a Pileated Woodpecker created some excitement.
Further west, at one of the culverts cutting across the dirt road through the cypress swamp, we had a nice mixed flock of warblers and White-eyed Vireos, a Carolina Wren and several Tufted Titmice being the highlights.
Our last stop was Sweetwater Strand, site of many of Clyde Butcher classic black and white prints, the road has been greatly improved with a new concrete bridge including curbs. Several warblers, including Bay-breasted and a very tame Red-shouldered Hawk were highlights for this surreal area of the Big Cypress Swamp.
A Southern Black Racer and several wildflowers, including one of my favorites, Glades Lobelia, were also seen as we completed the Loop.
Life is good...............in spite of no signs of the Skunk Ape.
P.S. For those of you who attempt to e-mail me regarding TAS field trips that I lead, I have not received any of your e-mails through the TAS website. E-mail your questions directly to my home address at pblifeisgood@hotmail. I apologize for the incovenience and my apparent indifference to your requests, of which were well beyond my control. Technology can be a wonderful thing-when it works.
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