Posted by Brian Ahern on March 14, 2003 at 14:14:41:
RBA
* Florida
* Statewide
* Date March 14, 2003
* FLFL0303.14
-Birds mentioned:
++EURASIAN KESTREL**++
RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD**
Short-tailed Hawk
Lesser Black-backed Gull
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD**
Least Flycatcher
BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Dickcissel
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE**
LINCOLN’S SPARROW
White-crowned Sparrow
BREWER’S BLACKBIRD
**This is a review species in Florida. Any details of sightings should be sent to the FOS Records Committee at the address given at the end of this report
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 03/14/03. 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.
LEON COUNTY
One of the CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS is visiting the feeders at Fran C. Rutkovsky home in Tallahassee. If interested in viewing them please contact her at 850-422-3636 or prutkov@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
ORANGE COUNTY
The EURASIAN KESTREL at Lake Apopka Restoration Area, which is northwest of Orlando has been seen on a daily basis since last Wednesday 26th. It is in a restricted area but birders will continue to be allowed up through Sunday 16th, but afterwards access will probably not continue and a daily basis. Harold Weatherman will be at the Lust Rd. gate between 8 & 8:30AM to guide people to the bird. Please meet promptly at 8am at the gate at the end of Lust Road. Directions: From 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) in Apopka turn south onto SR-437. Follow SR-437 for several miles and Lust Rd will be on your right. If you reach Magnolia Park you have gone too far! Follow Lust Rd. all the way to where it ends at the gate and make sure to be there by 8am. Pending acceptance this represents a first state record and only one of a dozen or so for the U.S.! (H. Robinson & all). DeLorme p. 79
HERNANDO COUNTY
Two dark morph SHORT-TAILED HAWKS were seen circling overhead at the intersection of Hwy. 476 and Croom Rd on Sunday 9th (B. & L. Cooper). DeLorme p. 77
PASCO COUNTY
The BREWER’S BLACKBIRD that was found in an old field in Pasco County was last on Sunday 9th. Directions: US Hwy 19 North to Sunray Blvd in Holiday, east past Anclote River after the road changes name to Perrine Ranch Rd. The field that the Brewer's was in is on the right side past the river; it is best to continue to Olde Farm Road turn right and continue on the gravel road till a small pond comes in view while looking back towards Perrine Ranch Road. The Brewer's was along the edge of this pond and then flew over and perched on top of cow dung. However, the bird works the fields on both sides of the road, since earlier in the week it was seen in the right-hand field (J. Bouton & all). DeLorme p. 82
PINELLAS COUNTY
The GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE at Honeymoon Island SRA was last reported be seen on Sunday 9th. After paying the $4 entry fee, follow the main park road to the north. When you come to the turn to the picnic area, continue straight. After this point, the road will curve to the left. Watch for a service road going to the right. This is the area where the bird is. Turn right at the first right turn and park your vehicle in the big parking lot. Proceed on foot back to the previously mentioned service road. From the service road you will see some scrub and brush on the left hand side, there are three tall thin wooden poles stuck in the ground, the Towhee was found in around this area and sang up in the middle of the leafless bush just to the right of the three poles. However the bird could also be in the thick grass & brush on both sides of the service road. It is very secretive staying on the ground or in the dense low scrubs. Its song is a bubbly warble and it gives a call somewhat like a catbird. A tape of it’s call can be helpful in locating this bird, however it has been reported that this technique has been abused in the area recently. Since this is now fast becoming a heavy birded area, tape playing should be kept to a minimum and not left running for lengths of time. PLEASE DO NOT OVER USE A TAPE!! Normally it only takes less than a minute of hearing a taped call for the bird to respond. A suggestion was made that as many birders as possible arrive when the gate opens, and the group get together at the towhee patch and then play the tape together so that there will be minimal disturbance. This is only the second record of this species for Florida!! DeLorme p. 90; Pranty p. 121
On Tuesday 11th a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Redington Shores north of Long Pier (I. Hernandez). DeLorme p. 90
SARASOTA COUNTY
At least one LINCOLN’S & one WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS are still being seen on Center Road, right behind the hill at the Celery Fields. Please park at the recommended parking area on the left (west) side of Center Road, about halfway down the road from Palmer. There is an old foundation(s) of a building here. This is where you should park. Walk north a little ways - there is a shallow ditch perpendicular to the road. The ditch has a white pipe in the middle of it. Most of the sparrows have been either on the ground in the ditch by the platform feeder or in the bushes just behind (north side) the ditch. But they flit all the way over to the trees and bushes at the north end of the parking slabs. DO NOT park or walk on the property (including the driveway) of the property owner on the east side of Center Rd (J. Dubi). Directions: Take the Fruitville Road Exit off of I-75 in Sarasota, head east. Make the first right (Coburn Rd) as you head east on Fruitville from I-75. You will pass Ackerman Park (a small lake) on your right. The area across from the park is the northern part of the celery fields. Continue straight to the intersection with Palmer Rd and make a left. Both sides of this road, up to the gazebo are the celery fields DeLorme p. 97; Pranty p. 140
COLLIER COUNTY
The DICKCISSEL in down town Naples is still present. The bird frequents the southwest corner of the intersection at Third Street South and 13th Avenue near Tony's on Third (restaurant) and the immediate surrounding area. Friday, the Dickcissel was found in the oak tree (possibly a Water Oak) to the left of the Sassy Boutique where the stairs go up to the second floor shops (V. Lucas). DeLorme p. 111
Near Eagle Lakes Community Park, down on U.S. 41 to Greenway & Fritchey Rds. After turning onto Greenway from U.S. 41, about 1/4 mile on the left, you'll see a small lane named Cecil Rd. It is marked. Along this lane in back of the house at 2755 Cecil is a telephone line. On this line a juvenile SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen on Thursday 13th (V. Lucas & all). DeLorme p. 111
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
At the “Krome Rail Road Tracks” site a LINCOLN’S SPARROW was found on the SE corner of the intersection of the tracks with the canal (J. Boyd). Also at least one DICKCISSEL was seen on Saturday 8th. Directions: take Kendall Drive (SW 88th St.) west to Krome Ave. (SW 177th Ave.). Turn left (south) on Krome. Proceed approximately 2 miles to the C-1W canal (Black Creek Canal). Turn left (east) immediately past the canal. Park near the railroad tracks. Check the area around the intersection of the tracks and the canal (V. Lucas). DeLorme p. 118
Last weekend two SHINY COWBIRDS were seen in an area known as Flynn's on the loop between S.W. 209 Ave. and S.W. 212th Ave, well described in the third paragraph on Page 232 of Pranty's; A Birder's Guide to Florida, just off of the main road into Everglades National Park (SR-9336) in Florida City (D. Simpson & A. Bankert). DeLorme p. 122; Pranty p. 232
At Lucky Hammock a LEAST FLYCATCHER is still be reported (D. Simpson & A. Bankert). On Saturday further down the road from Luck Hammock at the “annex” a BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER was reported (fide V. Lucas). Delorme p. 122
MONROE COUNTY
Inside Everglades NP, at Eco Pond a SHORT-TAILED HAWK and SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen last Saturday (B. Boyd & all). DeLorme p. 120; Pranty p. 234
On Tuesday 11th, on a fishing trip off the Florida Keys, a RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD was seen about 10 miles south of the Looe Key Sanctuary off Big Pine Key and Newfound Harbor, in the Florida Keys, Monroe County (D. Marchant). DeLorme p. 124
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