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Posted by Vince Lucas on 12:53:11 02/04/08
All:
My apologies for this late report. A small caravan of Naples area birders/visiting birders followed Alan Murray and me from Naples out to STA-5, south of Clewiston, via back county roads. The severe drought is taking its toll on ranchland and pastures as all vegetation is a dried-up brown coloration. The little water that is left has some good concentrations of waders, shorebirds and a few ducks. One such area in near the intersection of CR833 & CR835. There were good numbers of American White Pelican, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbill, Mottled Duck, Least Sandpiper & yellowlegs as well as other common waders out in the remaining wetlands here. The Snail Kites that frequented the canals across from the Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm have apparently moved on as we didn't see any either going out to STA-5 or returning back to Naples. We did see one along CR846 several miles west of the intersection with CR833. Crested Caracara were plentiful along all roads and a few Sandhill Cranes were also seen. At least five Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and one Western Kingbird were seen about .5 miles east/northeast of the Deer Fence Canal along CR835.
Later, on our return trip back to Naples, we stopped at the Deer Fence Canal near the entrance to Chuck Obern's Organic Farm to search for the Cassin's Kingbird that has lingered there all winter. We found it almost immediately, along with eight or so Western Kingbirds. In addition, we found Pine, Palm & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-headed & White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the bald cypress trees along the canal. In the canal itself was one lone male Hooded Merganser feeding with a group of waders consisting of Great & Snowy Egret, Tricolored, Great Blue & Little Blue Herons and a pair of Limpkins.
Along CR858 on the Hendry/Collier County line we saw one Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at their usual location but we didn't stop to check to see what else was around. However, we did stop on Oil Well Rd. (CR858 east-west leg) near Sunniland and found one Grasshopper Sparrow in the weedy field owned by the Pacific Tomato Growers.
Here's the list of STA-5 for 02/02/2008. Thanks to Margaret England for organizing these trips and to my buddy Alan Murray for driving and putting up with me. Thanks also to the 65 or so folks (including Venice Audubon) who came out to see the spectacle at STA-5 on Saturday. They certainly weren't disappointed!
Water levels are at the lowest we've ever seen at STA-5 perhaps accounting for the numerous shorebirds and huge numbers of waders and American White Pelicans. . . .
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck >300
Fulvous Whistling-Duck -- Only 1! I've heard from reliable sources that more than 1000 of these ducks have been shot by hunters this season. . . .
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail -- 2
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback -- 2
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck -- 2
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican >200
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 >250!
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite -- 4
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
Peregrine Falcon -- 4
Sora -- 1
Purple Swamphen -- 8
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane -- 2
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet -- 12
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin (Photographed for the non-believers out there and you know who you are. . . .)
Stilt Sandpiper -- 5
Long-billed Dowitcher >1000
Wilson's Snipe >40
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern --12
Black Skimmer >400
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 1 (Rarely seen along Blumberg Road)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl -- 1
Belted Kingfisher
Loggerhead Shrike
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow Warbler -- 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle
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