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Posted by Vince Lucas on 22:46:47 01/27/07
As promised, here is today's trip results from STA-5 in Hendry County. Thanks to Alan Murray, we were able to add an additional new species (American Robin) to our ever-expanding checklist for this location. Our total now stands at 133 species. Just a few lines about birds I saw going to and from STA-5 from Naples. Generally, when going out to STA-5 from Naples, I follow the CR846 (Immokalee Rd.) to CR833 to CR835 to Blumberg Rd. to STA-5 route. Coming back, I reverse this but detour onto CR858 at the Collier/Hendry County line so as to look for Tyrant flycathers by the Hendry County Correctional Facility. So, today, following this route to STA-5 I had the "usual" "expected" birds I/we see most every time following this route: Limpkin, Crested Caracara, American White Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandhill Crane, American Crow, American Kestrel, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mottled Duck, Bald Eagle, Wood Stork and many other more "common" birds. Today I found a mixed flock of passerines at the Immokalee Ranch on CR846 just east of the town of Immokalee. In that flock were many Yellow-rumped & Palm Warblers, many Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, one Yellow-throated Warbler, one male Pine Warbler, one Common Yellowthroat, several Gray Catbirds, one House Wren, one Blue-headed Vireo, one Red-bellied Woodpecker and and Eastern Phoebe! Strange to see all of those birds in the exact same tree at the exact same time. Noteworthy were 21 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and 3 Black-crowned Night-Herons at the L-3 Canal about 1 mile west of Blumberg Rd. on CR835. I thought that they would be gone for sure since the SFWMD totally annihilated the Brazilian Peppers that lined the L-3 Canal which these birds used to perch/hide in during the day. But there they were just standing around on the barren banks right out in the open. A pair of Sandhill Cranes along Blumberg Rd. (which we include in the "official" checklist for STA-5) were new for me. Alan Murray, my usual STA-5 traveling companion, saw a huge flock of American Robins along Blumberg Rd. which I missed as I came by that spot later than he did since we drove separately today. On th ride home, I saw a pair of nice lonnggg-tailed Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on the lines along CR835 1.2 miles east of Canon Hammock Park. Bruce Anderson, you'd have wet your pants they were so long! Sorry, I got carried away. On CR 858, the road that is the Collier/Hendry County line, I found three Western Kingbirds and three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (not long tailed ones) but much further north on CR858 than their "usual" location between the 12th and 13th telephone poles from where CR858 makes the right turn at the Hendry County Correctional Facility. The female Vermilion Flycatcher which has been there all winter, was a no show -- probably out hunting insects in the cow pasture somewhere. . . .
Here's the "official" STA-5 list for the day. It includes birds seen along Blumberg Rd. Note: not all birders saw all species and some birders may have others to add. If so, please e-mail me off list. Thanks!
Fulvous Whistling-Duck >75
American Wigeon 8
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail (1 Male)
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup 2
Ruddy Duck 3
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican >100
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern 2
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill (I can only remember seeing no more than 12 but some attendees may have seen many more.) One was banded with "ED".
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite 6
Bald Eagle 3 (2 adults and 1 subadult)
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon (I don't think one was actually seen at STA-5 unless someone saw one on Blumberg Rd. afterward.)
Sora 1
Purple Swamphen >40
Purple Gallinule 1
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin 4
Sandhill Crane (I saw 2 on Blumberg Rd. on the way in before the tour.)
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt >25
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher >50
Wilson's Snipe >10
Black Skimmer ???? Not sure who reported this species today but we have seen them at STA-5 in recent weeks.
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow >500 -- the most common swallow at STA-5 at this time of the year.
Petrochelidon Swallow species. Either Cliff or Cave Swallow but one or the other for sure! We need to look closer at these swallows in the future!
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
**American Robin (New species for the STA-5 checklist)
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
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