Posted by Bryant Roberts on November 24, 2002 at 19:00:13:
In Reply to: Tristis! posted by John Boyd on November 24, 2002 at 15:58:33:
I arrived at Lucky Hammock at a little before eleven this morning, there were at least three Swainson's Hawks soaring with the Turkey Vultures. All the Swainson's were juveniles, two light and one intermediate colored bird. There was also what sounded like a Least Flycatcher calling from the hammock but I never got to see the bird. Your estimate of "at least eight Grasshopper Sparrows" in the field east of the brushy area was conservative. I walked the edge of the field to the next farm road to the paved road and flushed about three dozen sparrows. The ten or so that landed where I could see them were all Grasshopper Sparrows and I think most, if not all of those I couldn't be sure of were also grasshoppers. There were also two Western Kingbirds off 212th Ave. I also heard Goldfinches today, but I'm not sure if it was at Lucky Hammock or the Visitors Center. They are having a big winter hummingbird year up around Gainesville Florida, my sources report at least eight Selasphorus and two Archilochus in or very near Alachua County.