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Posted by Tom Friedel on 21:31:19 02/08/08
Hi,
To introduce myself, I am Tom Friedel, Fort Lauderdale resident, web programmer, and amateur photographer/birder. I have met some of you at the Christmas Bird Count, Green Cay, Paddy Cunningham's outings, or elsewhere. I've known about this board for some time, but never looked at it closely, and now see how much I have missed! I hope to participate more in the future.
I took a trip to Cayo Costa State Park and Fort de Soto this winter with one goal of seeing Black Skimmers and American Oyster Catchers. I saw neither, but on the way home, I stopped by a park just north of lake Okeechobee. The Birding Trail guides, which I think are several years old, say this park might have Black Skimmers in the parking lot. Amazingly, it was true! Maybe 100 sit in the center of the parking lot with common gulls, and fly every five minutes when a car comes. Some people chase the birds for fun (I think this is a crime, intentionally disturbing a Florida species of special concern?). My theory is that the gulls stay in the parking lot because sometimes they are fed, and the Skimmers like to be with the gulls, so put up with the cars.
Right now I am visiting my new wife's family in Uruguay, on my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere. I am happy to find quite a few American Oystercatchers here, which I have never seen in Florida. The Rufous Hornero and Eared Dove are in every suburban lawn, and like everywhere else, Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows fill the cities. There is a very common bird exactly like the American Coot but with a yellow bill. Also common is the national bird, the Southern Lapwing. The Guira Cuckoo, Campo Flicker, and Rufous-collared Sparrow are some other probably common birds I've managed to photograph. I am happy to report there are a lot of birds of many varieties here.
tom friedel
p.s., If interested, various photos are on my site birdphotos.com.
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