Posted by John Boyd on March 13, 2003 at 07:41:13:
Roughly 20 birders participated in last Saturday's trip to the Everglades. We met at the Coe Visitor's center, where the highlights were multiple Brown Thrashers and a Yellow-throated Warbler. We followed a different route than previous trips. We immediately headed to the sparrow area about a mile past the Mahogany turnoff. We had hoped to find a singing (Cape Sable) Seaside Sparrow, but they did not cooperate. One or two did pop up briefly, and a few people got an unsatisfying look through the scope at one.
From there we went to Mahogany Hammock, in search of Barred Owl. We didn't find Barred Owl there, but did hear an Eastern Screech-Owl. Stephan spotted the bird of the day, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. After a fair amount of searching, the group refound the bird. A flock of Goldfinches was also seen, as well as Parula, Prairie Warbler, and Blue-headed Vireo. A Robin was calling inside the hammock.
Our next stop was Paurotis Pond, where we found Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, the usual waders, and 2 White Pelicans. Before too long we had also spotted 1, then 2 Swallow-tailed Kites. We noticed another raptor near one of the kites, and the kite started diving at it. The other raptor was a Cooper's Hawk, and the kite persisted in its attacks until the hawk left the area.
West Lake was next. It added BW Teal, B+W Warbler, and American Redstart to our list, as well as American Crocodile. At Flamingo, the bar was already well-exposed even though it was 1 1/2 before low tide. A pair of Willets were our only shorebirds for the day (no century day!). A runt Laughing Gull got our attention during lunch, but in the end, it was only a Laughing Gull. Black-throated Green Warbler was found near the visitor's center.
We finally picked up Short-tailed Hawk over Eco Pond. Part of the group also had a flyover Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We then checked out the hammock at the start of the Coastal Prairie Trail (it was too hot to be out on the exposed trail). There were Indigo Buntings on the trail, and an Eagle was seen overhead outside.
We then headed back toward Miami, with our next stop at Royal Palm. The Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were in the usual spot, and we admired the breeding plumage waders and baby Anhingas. Although we had missed Barred Owl at Mahogany, we heard two calling back and forth near the old Ingraham Highway.
Research Road was next, where Pine Warbler became our 10th warbler species and we added some woodpeckers and Towhee. We ended the day with a collective total of 90 species.
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Muscovy Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Willet
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Eastern Screech-Owl
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Parula
Myrtle Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow