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Posted by Vince Lucas on 22:11:54 11/11/07
All:
Today, 11/11/2007, along with Margaret England, Alan Murray and Steve Buczynski, I had the distinct pleasure of leading some 67 participants of the 2007 ABA Regional Conference being held in Plantation, FL to STA-5 (Stormwater Treatment Area #5), south of Clewiston. Although it was somewhat of an abbreviated tour, due to a late start and long lines for the port-a-let at the beginning of the tour, we still managed to see over 70 species of birds in something like two hours time. We probably missed perhaps ten or twelve species. Not everyone got to see all of the birds as is the nature of almost any field trip. Nonetheless, we did have great looks at such avian "desiderata" as Snail Kite, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, Roseate Spoonbill, and American White Pelican. Some participants saw Purple Gallinule, Purple Swamphen, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Northern Waterthrush & Marsh Wren among others. However, THE highlight of the tour today had to be the pair of Greater White-fronted Geese found by eagle-eyed Larry Manfredi. Is this guy for real? Lol. Needless to say, everyone got great looks at these rare birds for South Florida and yes, this is a new species for the STA-5 checklist, although not a Hendry County record. It is #153 for the STA-5 checklist I believe. Larry digiscoped these birds so perhaps he will post the photo on his website. Thanks Larry! It was good seeing some of the great TAS (Tropical Audubon Society) members like Brian Rapoza, Paul Bithorn, Roberto Torres, Robin Diaz, Arthur Sissman, Patty Cunningham, Steve Siegel, etc., etc.
Here is the list of birds seen today at STA-5 including birds seen along Blumberg Road:
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose 2 -- New species for STA-5
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler 1
Ring-necked Duck >100
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican 11
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill 2
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite 2
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk 4 (including one Krider's Red-tailed Hawk along Blumberg Rd.)
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon
Purple Swamphen 2
Purple Gallinule 2
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Caspian Tern 1
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow 6
Marsh Wren 1
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Northern Waterthrush 2
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle
Leaving Naples at 6:00AM, Alan and I saw our "usual" species along the backroads leading to STA-5 including, Limpkin, Snail Kite (by Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm on CR 835), Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, Burrowing Owl, Sandhill Crane, and Bald Eagle. On the return trip back to Naples, Alan and I found three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and one Western Kingbird along CR 835 near where the dirt road branches off for STA-6. I do not know if this road has a name, sorry. We stopped along CR 858 on the Collier-Hendry County line near the Hendry County Correctional Facility and found two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on the telephone lines on the Collier County side.
If anyone on today's fieldtrip has anything to add i.e. comments on the tour, birds seen, etc. feel free to "chirp" in!
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