Posted by Brian Ahern on March 27, 2003 at 17:00:35:
RBA
* Florida
* Statewide
* Date March 27, 2003
* FLFL0303.27
-Birds mentioned:
RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER**
**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 a SPECIAL Florida Rare Bird Alert for 03/27/03. 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.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
A male RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER first found on Tuesday 25th on Boca Chita Key by a park ranger, was relocated today Thursday 27th by a group of south Florida birders. The Honeycreeper was re-found in large Sea Grape tree where it was first seen on Tuesday, this is a short distance heading south on the nature trail on the west side of the key. Photos, videotape and audiotape of the bird were taken to document this potential first North American record. The bird’s range includes the island of Cuba, where it could have been blown in from, due to the strong southeasterly winds, which have occurred throughout the month of March. There were no bands on the bird and it was in perfect alternate plumage. It seemed to favor the two large Sea Grapes in the area and appeared wild in nature while hopping and creeping amongst the limbs. Boca Chita Key is an island just north of Elliot Key; unfortunately there are no tour boats to the key so birders will have to make their own arrangements to get there for the time being. Also, there are no bathroom facilities or drinking water on the key. If arrangements can be made to ferry birders to the island in an organized way an update will be posted ASAP (P. Bithorn & all). Delorme p. 119
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