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Posted by Vince Lucas on 20:06:51 01/01/07
All:
While others were chasing juncos at Ft. Desoto as part of the Rich Paul New Year's Day Birding Open, Alan Murray and I had our own "competition" here in Collier County. For several years now, I've gone out on New Year's Day to try to get one hundred species of birds all in Collier County in one day to start off the new year. Believe me, it's not as easy as you think! Although I am not what I'd call a "competitve" birder i.e. I don't compete against other birders to vie for highest totals etc., I do like to compete against myself. Last year for example, On January 1st, I had 103 species in Collier County on January 1st and Arthur Wilson, who accompanied me, had 101. This year, both Alan and I matched the 103 species again today. We undoubtedly could have had a higher total but we missed some common species (like Northern Cardinal, Savannah Sparrow and Roseate Spoonbill) and we also didn't make it to all of our proposed sites. We just ran out of daylight, and besides, we already had attained 100+ species so we had succeeded in reaching our goal.
Of the 103 species seen today in Collier County, here are the highlights:
Magnolia Warbler -- Kirby Storter Boardwalk in the Big Cypress National Preserve
Northern Parula -- Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk at the Fakahatchee Strand State Park
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- both Kirby Storter Boardwalk & Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
Bald Eagles nesting along the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk at the Fakahatchee Strand State Park
Great Crested Flycatchers were heard at both Kirby Storter Boardwalk & Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
Common Loon -- near the Judge SS Jolly Bridge on Marco Island. This Common Loon, swam within five feet of us as we watched it fish from under the bridge.
Shorebirds seen at Tigertail Beach on Marco Island: Piping, Semipalmated, Black-bellied & Wilson's Plovers. Also Red Knot, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet & Dunlin.
Reddish Egret -- Tigertail Beach on Marco Island
Red-breasted Merganser -- Tigertail Beach on Marco Island
15-20 Magnificent Frigatebirds at Mackle Park on Marco island. These birds were "dipping" in the freshwater lake at the park. BTW, on Friday, December 29th, along with some visiting birders from Buffalo, NY that I was guiding, we saw an estimated 75 Magnificent Frigatebirds on the ABC Island just off of the Judge SS Jolly Bridge to the south. This was at dusk. These birds roost on this particular ABC Island along with many Brown Pelicans, various egrets, ibis and Fish Crows, etc. This particualr ABC Island took a very heavy hit from the recent hurricanes in the last several years but it is slowly rebounding and the birds are coming back, but I'd venture to say in smaller numbers. Still, >75 Magnificent Frigatebirds in winter in Collier County at one location is a great number!
Ducks at Mackle Park: Blue-winged Teal, feral Mallard, Muscovy, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck & Mottled Duck.
Burrowing Owl -- Off of Lamplighter Court on Marco Island
Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- seen sitting in the Powerpuff Tree after Fritchey Road makes the sharp left-hand turn.
Hooded Merganser -- North Naples Wastewater Treatment Plant. Also seen there: Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Mottled Duck. Several Spotted Sandpipers were walking the slopes/bank of the black-lining used in the perimeters of the various impoundments. A really cool sighting was seeing a Spotted Sandpiper doing it's "pumping tail motion" as it stood on the back of one of the huge Red-bellied Turtles on the bank of one of the impoundments!
American White Pelicans were seen at several of the freshwater "pools" that line Tamiami Trail on the south side of the highway just west of the junction of S.R, 29.
Eastern Towhee -- along Shell Island Road leading to the old Brigg's Nature Center
If anyone would like a full list of species seen today, please contact me off list.
I'm tempted to use today's Collier County sightings as the basis for a "Collier County Big Year". I think 250 species in one year in Collier County is "doable". . . .
Happy New Year to all and Good Birding!
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