Posted by Paul Bithorn on January 30, 2001 at 13:37:35:
I took last Friday off and saw the gregarious Yellow-faced Grassquit within 15 minutes of my 9:30 a.m. arrival at Eco Pond. Met a young Park Ranger,John Kellam from San Diego, at the bird and took him birding in the park. Our best birds beside the Grassquit were American Flamingo (1 @ Snake Bight), Song Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Short-tailed Hawk (both phases),Lesser Nighthawks (6) and 13 species of warblers, including a Wison's female at the entrance of Eco Pond and 7 of which were lifers for John. Besides the Grassquit, the highlight of the day was an all black, mangrove race of the Fox Squirrel that ran in front of us between Bear Lake Road and Coot Bay Pond. It ran up into the top of a Red Mangrove. The squirrel's nest was one tree over. It was only the second fox squirrel of this race that I have ever
seen. The other was seen with Juan Villamil in either November 1992 or 1993 at Pinecrest on Loop Road. Thanks go out to C.J. Grimes, Larry Manfredi,Brian Ettling , et al., for their vigilance and taking the time to post reports of the Grassquit.