Posted by Brian Ahern on April 18, 2003 at 16:59:44:
RBA
* Florida
* Statewide
* Date April 18, 2003
* FLFL0304.18
-Birds mentioned:
++RED-FOOTED BOOBY**++
++BLACK NODDY++
++LONG-EARED OWL**++
Audubon’s/Manx Shearwater
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD
GREATER FLAMINGO
Common Goldeneye
Short-tailed Hawk
American Golden-Plover
Long-billed Curlew
Gull-billed Tern
Bridled Tern
“CARIBBEAN” SHORT-EARED OWL
SHORT-EARED OWL
Smooth-billed Ani
Mangrove Cuckoo
Least Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Cerulean Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
SHINY COWBIRD
**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 04/18/03. 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.
WAKULLA COUNTY
On Saturday 12th a DARK-EYED JUNCO was seen on the dike behind the fire tower at St. Marks NWR (J. Dozier & J. Murphy). DeLorme p. 50; Pranty p. 76
VOLUSA COUNTY
On Saturday 12th an adult dark phase RED-FOOTED BOOBY was seen on the north jetty at Ponce Inlet. It was seen from the south jetty at Smyrna Dunes Park, the bird was 50 yards west of the radar tower at the tip of the north jetty. The Booby was not seen the following day however (B. Wallace). Also on Saturday on a fishing trip 60 miles off of Ponce Inlet a WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD, 15 BRIDLED TERNS, and a AUDUBON’S/MANX SHEARWATER were seen (B. Wallace). DeLorme p. 75; Pranty p. 176
BREVARD COUNTY
A female COMMONE GOLDENEYE was seen at the Causeway to Merritt Island at Parrish Park on Friday 11th (B. Bergstrom & all). DeLorme p. 88; Pranty p. 176
At Turkey Creek Sanctuary in Palm Bay a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen on Sunday 13th and two were seen on Monday 14th (S. & B. Hills). DeLorme p. 88/96; Pranty p. 181
PASCO COUNTY
A white phase male and dark phase female SHORT-TAILED HAWK are nesting in west Pasco. This will be the second time that this pair's nest has been found over the last 3 nesting seasons. Although the nest is not accessible to the public, (special insurance regulations required and also because of the state of security now imposed on the facility property), the pair can likely be seen hunting in the general area of east New Port Richey; I.E., Jack Mitchell Park on Little Rd, Rancho Del Rio Drive and Alico Pass Rd in the community of Hunter's Ridge and along Starkey Blvd and the entrance into the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness park. Any young birds from this nest will probably be radio tagged, just as the first Short-tailed Hawk fledged in Pasco from this area was (K. Tracey). DeLorme p. 82; Pranty p. 116
PINELLAS COUNTY
On Wednesday 16th at least 17 species of warblers including a male CERULEAN WARBLER were found at Ft. Desoto Park. The Cerulean Warbler was working the Oak trees along the entrance road to Arrowhead. He was been seen twice that afternoon on the left side of the road immediately before the last "No Parking" sign - those signs that warn you not to park on the side of the entrance road (J. Gaetzi). The Cerulean was seen again on Thursday but was MIA on Friday morning. Also the LONG-BILLED CURLEW was reported at North Beach on the same day. DeLorme p. 90; Pranty p. 126
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
A single SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at very close range Tuesday morning 15th in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. The owl may be seen in the prairie west of Peavine Grade, and south of Military Grade about 3 miles into the Park (fide C. Tucker). DeLorme p. 101
PALM BEACH COUNTY
At Lox Rd. two SMOOTH-BILLED ANIS were on the N side of the E-W impoundment trail, 100 yards E of where they usually are, gliding low from perch to perch. They were calling to each other (M. Reid). DeLorme p. 109; Pranty p. 211
BROWARD COUNTY
At the Ft. Lauderdale airport on Monday 14th three SMOOTH-BILLED ANIS were seen by the area on the south side of the "Perimeter Road" around the main runway (enter at the light off Griffin Road and go west to avoid the homeland security vehicle check; the greenbelt park was closed). They were on the ground inside the fence, then briefly on the fence, then in trees on the "park" side of the outer fence, keeping pretty tight with Boat-tailed Grackles (B. Bergstrom & all).
DeLorme p. 115; Pranty p. 216
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
The LEAST FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were still present at Lucky Hammock on Sunday 13th (A. Kirschel). DeLorme p. 122
On Monday 14th at least two, possibly three AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen in afternoon on the mudflats at Crandon Beach on Key Biscayne and on Sunday a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was heard singing near the Lighthouse (R. Diaz). DeLorme p. 119; Pranty p. 222
MONROE COUNTY
SHINY COWBIRDS continue to be seen around the marina at Flamingo inside Everglades National Park (W. Biggs & all). On Sunday 13th two GREATER FLAMINGOS were found at the Flamingo Visitor Center and a light morph SHORT-TAILED HAWK was seen over Flamingo campground at Eco Pond and three GULL-BILLED TERNS were seen over the pond on the same day (S. Diaz, B. Bergstrom & all). A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen on Wednesday 16th near the visitor’s center at Flamingo (S. Diaz). DeLorme p. 121; Pranty p. 234
At the Upper Key Largo State Botanical Reserve a calling MANGROVE CUCKOO was seen on the right side about 150 yards in on Monday 14th (B. Bergstrom & all). DeLorme p. 122/123; Pranty p. 244
A BLACK NODDY has been seen this week on the north coaling docks at Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas (D. Simpson & all). Also A “CARIBBEAN” SHORT-EARED OWL was found inside the fort on the parade grounds (M. Gardler & all). An extremely rare sighting of a LONG-EARED OWL was made at the Dry Tortugas (assuming on Garden Key) on Thursday afternoon 17th. The Owl was not seen on Friday however. There are etremely few reports of Long-eared Owls for Florida and this one will probably represent the southern most record for the Country as photos were taken (L. Manfredi & all). DeLorme p. 126; Pranty p. 262
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