Posted by Paul Bithorn on November 24, 2002 at 10:09:35:
The Tropical Audubon's "Exotics" fieldtrip began at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 23, 2002, with 17 participants, 16 of which were exotic(non-natives) and one native (me).
Eurasian Collared Dove, Rock Dove and European Starlings would be our first exotics seen on the drive to our first stop, along with White-crowned Pigeon, Broad-winged Hawk (imm.), American Kestrel and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Our first stop was the old Miller Drive Parrot Roost (Pranty-pg. 222 (map) and pg. 227). We parked at the tennis courts on Brewer Canal at Miller Drive (S.W. 56 St) and around S.W. 63 Ave and walked around the block, where a pair of Spot-breasted Orioles entertained us while feeding in a Bougainvillea. A merlin was seen perched in a Casuarina (Australian Pine).
Our next stop was the neighborhood directly across the street from Baptist Hospital (Pranty-pgs. 222 and 228) on Kendall Drive (S.W. 88 St.) and S.W. 87 Ave. We parked in the northeast parking lot of Baptist, which is just to your left as you enter the hospital Emergency Room lane.We walked around several blocks across Kendall and saw Yellow-Chevroned, Mitred and Monk Parakeets along with half-a-dozen Red-whiskered Bulbuls. White-winged Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a light morph Short-tailed Hawk were seen as well.
We then proceeded west to the shopping center at S.W. 88 St and S.W. 157 Ave., parking behind the McDonald's, where a pair of Common Myna's (K-Martins)foraged for french fries. House Sparrows (Burger Kinglets) were also in the area.
We then headed for the Miami Springs area, birding on foot around the nursing home (Pranty-pg. 221). Other than Monk Parakeets, it was very quiet, probably due to the time of day. We did enter the nusrsing home to admire the adobe style of architecture. I highly recommend this area at dusk when the psittacids come here to roost. We did turn up a Blue-headed Vireo behind the Curtiss Mansion, where Boy Scout Troop 334 was removing the cattails from the pond. We ended our trip at about 1:00 p.m. with 10 exotics seen. Now for Part Two............
Brennan Mulrooney, a field biologist from San Diego, who is doing field work for National Audubon in the Florida Keys,joined me for Part Two of my search for exotics. After quaffing a few pints of Guiness Stout at Duffy's Tavern we headed to Matheson Hammock (Pranty-pgs. 222 qnd 225) where we found 6 Hill Mynas in the old nursery area across Old Cutler Rd. A Pileated Woodpecker shared the same perch in an Australian Pine.
We decided to head back to the Miller Roost to see what dusk might bring. We parked at the old roost and saw Blue-fronted and Red-fronted Parrots about 5:00 p.m. We then drove the neighborhood to see if we could find where the Amazons flew off to. We found a large flock of Red-masked, Mitred and Green Parakeets in some Australian Pines on S.W. 62 Ave. around S.W. 64 St. No Amazons though, so we kept on searching.
Paydirt.....the mother lode! A cacophony of screeches and squacks led us to their roost on the northwest corner of Sunset Drive (S.W. 72 St.) and S.W. 65 Ave. There was a good place to park along a stone wall around the Orr's Pond development. About 30 parrots were seen at the tail end of civil twilight, including Blue-fronted,Red-fronted, White-fronted, Lilac-crowned and Yellow-crowned.There may have been a Mealy Parrot, but the light was too poor to be sure. Sunset (5:30 p.m.) would be the optimum time to be there.Our exotics total finished at 18 species. Not bad for a days work.
Next year we will schedule the field trip for later in the day in the hopes that others may witness this incredible display. Life is good........ birding for exotic birds, in an exotic place, with exotic birders.