Posted by Brian Ahern on January 10, 2003 at 11:09:15:
RBA
* Florida
* Statewide
* Date January 10, 2003
* FLFL0301.10
-Birds mentioned:
RED-THROATED LOON
Eared Grebe
TRUMPETER SWAN**
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Snow Goose
EURASIAN WIGEON
COMMON EIDER
Long-tailed Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
PURPLE SANDPIPER
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LESSER NIGHTHAWK
BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER
Vermilion Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-breasted Chat
Henslow’s Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
HARRIS’S SPARROW
LINCOLN’S SPARROW
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Bronzed Cowbird
Hotline: FLORIDA RARE BIRD REPORT
to report e-mail: BrianAhern@aol.com
compiler: Brian Ahern
transcriber: Same
This is Brian Ahern reporting the Florida Rare Bird Alert for 01/10/03. This report is sponsored by FLORIDA NATURE TOURS, which offers tours to the Dry Tortugas, South Florida, private guiding and a special Pelagic Trip off of Ponce Inlet on May 17th. For information go to http://www.floridanaturetours.com or call 407-363-1360. Reports are followed by coordinates from the DeLorme Florida Atlas & Gazetteer and the page number of Bill Pranty's ABA guide "A Birder's Guide to Florida" when possible.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
At Naval Live Oaks in Gulf Breeze there were ten to twenty COMMON GOLDENEYE feeding just behind the visitor's center and at Ft. Pickens a very distant RED-THROATED LOON was found (A. Knothe & all). DeLorme p. 42/43; Pranty p. 46
BAY COUNTY
Two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen at Tyndall AFB on Monday 6th. These birds have been at this location for the past 10 days or so. The birds are located just past the NCO Club area as one heads to Tyndall AFB Beach. Park in the huge parking lot next to the washrooms, and walk about 100 yards down the beach boardwalk. Look towards the right and the birds have been seen in the large pond/lagoon area in the west. If you go past the lookout tower on the right side of the boardwalk, you have gone to far (P. Rice). DeLorme p. 47
OKALOOSA COUNTY
The four TRUMPTER SWANS were still present at Rocky Bayou. Go north on Range Road, 2nd stoplight east of Rocky Bayou Bridge. Just past the school turn left into Parkwood Estates and tell the gate guard you came to see the swans. They should not need a name of a resident, but if they do Mr. and Mrs. Groundwater gave permission to use theirs. Go to the stop sign; turn right and park in front of the vacant lot. Walk towards the water until you see the swans. If they are not there, go right to the lake crossing for a broader view of the lake. If you see them turn right and park just beyond the 15 mph sign briefly. On the way out, approach the gate slowly, and it will open. The only other place we have seen them recently is on a mud bar at the north end of Rocky Bayou. Cross the bridge and turn right at the third street. Continue straight through the Huntington subdivision and turn right into Huntington Circle. Park by the Island and look over the fence from the wide driveway on the left. They can also be seen in the late afternoon from Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park. They come in and feed in the areas around the docks across from the park. There is almost no access to the west side of Rocky Bayou. But the birds can be seen nicely from the camping area in the park. Best times are from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm (T. Menart). DeLorme p. 28
Eight GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE (6 adults and 2 imm's) are at the Fort Walton Beach Spray Field area (Beal Street Extension). The birds were in the "Snipe Area" about 100 feet away from the dirt road. You have to pass the pond on the left and the birds were moving about in the wet field on the left side of the road as you head to the sparrow trail. Also a nice male VERMILION FLYCATCHER is still at the Ft. Walton Beach holding-ponds. If you drive on the perimeter road, you can get a very good close up look of the bird! (T. Menart) At the “snipe field” a HENSLOW’S SPARROW was found. The EARED GREBE is still present at the city holding ponds and a LARK SPARROW & four SNOW GEESE were found at the county holding ponds (A. Knothe & all). DeLorme p. 44; Pranty p. 52
WALTON COUNTY
On Thursday 9th, 13 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and one SNOW GOOSE were found on a sod field on US 331, 4 1/2 miles north of Freeport (D. Ware). DeLorme, p. 29, D-3
WAKULLA COUNTY
At St. Marks NWR the BROWN CREEPER was seen on the 6th in the trees at the very north end of the parking lot at Picnic Pond (S.P. McCool). DeLorme p. 50; Pranty p. 76
NASSAU COUNTY
At the Fort Clinch pier, a LONG-TAILED DUCK was swimming on the ocean side of the pier. Also one POMARINE and three PARASITIC JAEGERS were seen following a shrimp boat into the river on the 3rd and a few PURPLE SANDPIPERS have occasionally been seen on the jetty (P. Leary). DeLorme p. 41; Pranty p. 100
DUVAL COUNTY
The first winter female LAPLAND LONGSPUR is still at Huguenot Park in Jacksonville. It’s been found south of the rock jetty along the dune line in some vegetation at a washed out parking lot. Drive to the end of the paved road inside the park and then walk east towards the jetty. You will come to another part of the pavement. It has an oval of weeds, a sign not to drive on the dunes, a boulder, and a short piece of fencing. The longspur was in the weeds, then sat on the boulder and then sat on the fence. It was in the company of a Savannah sparrow Directions to the park: from I-95 take Hecksher Dr (1st exit north of Trout River Bridge) east to the ocean. The park is at the mouth of the St. Johns River, admission 50 cents per person (A. Turner). DeLorme p. 58; Pranty p. 102
SEMINOLE COUNTY
The HARRIS’S SPARROW has been seen every day for the past two weeks at the Marina Isles fish camp on the north side of highway 46 just east of the bridge over Lake Jessup/St Johns River. Access has again changed, the “residence only” sign has been removed so birders are now allowed to walked down the small dirt road, but still need to stay away from the mobile homes. Birders are also encouraged to go into the general store to make a “purchase” and obtain permission. Lately the sparrow has been seen most often to the right of the River Hilton houseboat either feeding in the short grass or in the brush along the river, but it has been found in several other locations too. It is usually seen feeding in the company of Savannah Sparrows and Palm Warblers (C. Pierce & all). DeLorme p. 80
VOLUSIA COUNTY
At least one PURPLE SANDPIPER is still being seen on the jetty at Smyrna Dunes Parks (D. Goodwin & all). DeLorme p. 81; Pranty p. 176
BREVARD COUNTY
At Merritt Island NWR a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen from Black Point Dr. near marker #6 on the 4th (T. Rodriguez). DeLorme p. 81/82; Pranty p. 176
The COMMON EIDER has been seen off and on by jetty at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral (J. Puschock). DeLorme p. 88; Pranty p. 176
Another COMMON EIDER (or possiably the same one) was found in the surf about 150m south of the Cocoa Beach Pier on Thursday 9th. The pier is identified at the Canaveral Pier on the Gazetteer. It is located north of SR520 in Cocoa Beach, which is south of Cape Canaveral (D. Simpson). DeLorme p. 88
PASCO COUNTY
At Key Vista Nature Park several GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were found in a large mixed flock earlier in the week (D. Wassmer & R. Smart). DeLorme p. 82; Pranty p. 119
PINELLAS COUNTY
A LESSER BLACK-BACK GULL has been seen for the past week on the beach just north of the Redington Pier (S. & M. Turner). DeLorme p. 90
COLLIER COUNTY
There is still at least one male EURASIAN WIGEON at Eagle Lakes Park in Naples. The birds are located on the western side of the west pond. They are with a group of American Wigeons. There is a berm around the pond and the ducks was located where the paved berm veers off towards an apartment complex. At least ten BRONZED COWBIRDS are in the area too. There is a map of the site on the following website http://www.co.collier.fl.us/natresources/wildlife/elakes.htm Looking at the map the bird is located where the P labeling pond A is. The park is located on South US 41 1-2 miles north of CR951 (D. Santoni). DeLorme p. 111
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Two SURF SCOTERS have been seen in the Intracoastal Waterway from South Palm Park in Lake Worth. The park is in a residential neighborhood at the east end of 11th Avenue South in Lake Worth. On street parking is permitted. If you are coming from the north, you can exit I-95 at 6th Avenue South, follow it east to Federal, then go south to 11th Avenue South, then east to the Intracoastal. (B. Hope & all). DeLorme p. 115
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
At Lucky Hammock a SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen along the wires between the main road and the hammock (R. Smith & all). On Saturday 4th at Lucky Hammock a calling BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, LEAST FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were seen (D. Wright). DeLorme p. 122
MONROE COUNTY
A few LESSER NIGHTHAWKS are still being seen over Eco Pond in the evenings between 5:30 and 6:30pm (R. Smith & all). DeLorme p. 121; Pranty p. 234
Good Birding!
Documentation of rarities for FL Ornithological Society Records
Committee should be sent to:
FOSRC, c/o Archbold Biological Station, PO Box 2057,
Lake Placid FL 33862.
Website: http://www.fosbirds.org/
Florida Rare Bird Alert Mail-list: To subscribe go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FLRBA
Florida Birding website: http://www.javaswift.com/floridabirds/
FLORIDABIRDS-L website: http://bkpass.tripod.com/floridabirds.htm
For more information on Florida bird sightings, locations, and
discussion please visit the following archives:
Statewide sightings/discussion listserv:
BIRDBRAINS: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html
FLABIRDING: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlaBirding/
FLORIDABIRDS-L: http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/floridabirds-l.html
Regional sightings/discussion listservs:
North Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nflbirds/
East Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eastbirders/
Southwest Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SWFLBirdline/
Southeast Florida: http://tropicalaudubon.org/tasboard/index.html
Brian Ahern
Tampa, FL.
BrianAhern@aol.com