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Posted by Vince Lucas on 12:00:07 11/26/06
It was another great day of birding yesterday at STA-5 in Hendry County. Some 50+ birders, photographers and nature lovers showed up for the "tour". We added several new species to the ever-expanding field checklist for this location, including Snow Goose, Forster's Tern & Canvasback and perhaps others. Thanks goes out to Margaret England of the Hendry-Glades Audubon Society, as usual, for her great attention to detail and for making all of this possible for so many birders, etc. Thanks also goes out to Brian Rapoza of TAS for his help in getting the large number of birders present "on the bird". Here is my report.
Pre-arrival STA-5:
John & Geraldine Sanderson from Ft. Myers & I left my house in Naples and took our "usual" CR 846 to CR 833 to CR 835 to Blumberg Rd./Stat-5 route. Our first "real" stop were the two cattle ponds on CR 846 about a half mile or so from the Seminole Casino just before entering Immokalee. Here were saw an incredible early morning gathering of waders and other birds, including some very dazzling Roseate Spoonbills decked out in their finest "gay" apparel as well as many Wood Storks and all of the "usual" waders. "Doug" the resident Great White Heron was also present as he has been for nearly two years straight. Three Sandhill Cranes graced the morning's first light with there always sure-to-put-a-smile-on-your-face antics. There were some common shorebirds such as both yellowlegs and killdeer plus a few ducks as well as good numbers of other common birds but nothing out of the ordinary.
Along the rest of the routes mentioned above we encountered the "usual" Sandhill Cranes, Crested Caracara (four seen at one time doing battle with 1-2 Black Vultures over a freshly killed possum), and Limpkins -- a total of 6 seen mostly near the intersection of CR 833 & CR 835. Large numbers of Northern Rough-winged Swallows were also seen at this intersection. However, the best bird of the pre-arrival route was undoubtedly the Snail Kite plying the ditch/canal directly across from the Ocean Boy Organic Shrimp Farm on CR 835. I've only seen this bird once or twice before in this location over the last year. Other birds seen or heard along this portion of the route were a Prairie Warbler, Carolina Wren (h), Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (x6 at their usual spot at the L-1 Canal) and Eastern Meadowlarks, and other expected birds. By the time we reached STA-5, we had totaled nearly 60 species for our day list.
STA-5 Tour:
It was another great day of birding/nature-viewing at STA-5. Has there ever been a bad one? I think not. Highlights of yesterday's birding were the addition of at least three new species to the STA-5 checklist of birds. They included: Snow Goose (x4). Thanks goes out to Fritz Davis for finding these birds which included a dark adult & white adult, plus a dark juvenile and one other. The other two additions to the checklist were Canvasback (x2) found by Walt Winton III & Wes Dirks. Thanks guys! And at least one Forster's Tern found by yours truly. Other unverified reports, which also would be new additions to the list if documented/corroborated, range from Broad-winged Hawk, Red-breasted Merganser, Laughing Gull, Swainson's Hawk & Cave Swallow. Until which time some documented evidence or corroboration of these sightings comes to light, they shall remain on the "hypothetical" list of possible species for STA-5. I encourage anyone who thought they saw any of these birds or who have photos (there were a lot of photographers out at STA-5 yesterday!) to please send anything tangible regarding the sightings of these birds to me asap.
Here is the list of birds seen my many, many observers yesterday, 11/25/2006 at STA-5. This list includes all sightings from the entrance to STA-5 to the intersection of Blumberg Rd. & CR 835:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (>20)
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (>50)
Snow Goose (x4)
American Wigeon (>6)
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback (x2)
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck (>8)
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican (>100)
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern (seen by unknown observors)
Least Bittern (seen by unknown observors)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill (>75)
Wood Stork (more than we've ever seen at STA-5 at one time)
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite (x3)
Bald Eagle (x2; one adult + one subadult. The adult was trying to steal the subadult's prey i.e. possibly an American Coot & continually harrassed the subadult until it dropped the prey multiple times)
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk, including a "Krider's" RTHA (reported by some observers)
Crested Caracara (x1)
American Kestrel
Merlin (reported by some observers)
Peregrine Falcon (x1)
Purple Swamphen (>25)
Purple Gallinule (2-3)
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin (2-3)
Black-bellied Plover (x1)
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt (<12)
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin (<6)
Short-billed Dowitcher (reported by some observers)
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe (few)
Forster's Tern (x1, possibly more)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Loggerhead Shrike
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (most common swallow at STA-5)
Barn Swallow (1-2)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Post STA-5 Trip Back To Naples:
We didn't add much in the way of new day birds on our return trip back to Naples. However, checking the cow pasture/ranchland sites along CR 858 north of Sunnyland near the Hendry County Correctional Facility on the Hendry County/Collier County line, yielded the female Vermilion Flycatcher that overwintered in the exact same location last year. Seven or more Scissor-tailed Flycatchers at at least one Western Kingbird were also seen in the same area. This location, a cow pasture with low shrubby trees, a Cabbage Palm or two and some Brazilian Peppers in it, is located between the 12th and 13th telephone poles on the north-south leg of C.R. 858 aka the Hendry/Collier County line north of the Hendry County Correctional Facility at Sunnyland Station. The cow pasture where this bird is being seen is in Collier County i.e. on the western side of C.R. 858. Cf. the DeLorme Gazetteer, page 112, B-2.
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