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Posted by Vince Lucas on 12:44:07 04/13/08
Twenty-one birders and seven photographers came out to STA-5 yesterday, April 12, 2008 for the semi-monthly birding tour. There were birders there from as far away as New York and in-state birders from the Tampa and Miami area. It was another great day at STA-5 (as usual). We added yet another new species to the ever-expanding checklist for this location when I saw a Blue Jay (yeah!!) fly across one of the open impoundments into a Carolina Willow. It was VERY uncharacteristically secretive and was only lured out into the open for a brief view by aid of a Birdjam/Birdpod. Strange bird to see in this habitat. I think this might be #167 on the STA-5 checklist but Margaret England will have to verify this info. Margaret had to leave the tour early so the herculean task of coordinating attendees was left up to the inimitable Steve "You Da Man" Buczynski. Steve did an outstanding job, even finding a nice flock of about 25 FOTS Bobolinks that were migrating through for the rest of us. The breeding plumaged males were a thrill to see again and everyone still tagging along with the group got to see them. Nice! Other highlights were FOTS Common Nighthawk; Great White Heron (white morph of Great Blue Heron); 19 Fulvous and 6 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks hanging out together in a group on an exposed open area in one of the "marshes" -- something we've not seen before at STA-5; latish American Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks and Northern Shoveler; lingering flocks of Northern Rough-winged Swallows as well as five Western Kingbirds; nesting Black-necked Stilts; a lone Spotted Sandpiper in high breeding plumage picking off midges or some other insects on one of the impoundment roads, totally oblivious to our group and allowing for close-up photos -- see my Flickr site below for the photo; a lone Solitary Sandpiper; one Stilt Sandpiper as well as lingering Norther Harriers, Belted Kingfishers and Palm Warblers. Here's the full list of birds seen at STA-5 including Blumberg Road on 04/12/2008:
Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck (19)
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (6)
American Wigeon (1)
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler (1)
Ring-necked Duck (2)
Northern Bobwhite (heard only)
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican >25
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern (heard only) (1)
Least Bittern (4)
Great Blue Heron
Great White Heron (white morph of Great Blue Heron) (1)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron >25
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (1)
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Woodstork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier (6)
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
Peregrine Falcon (3)
Purple Swamphen (3)
Purple Gallinule (8)
Common Moorehen
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt (nesting)
Solitary Sandpiper (1)
Spotted Sandpiper (1 in breeding plumage -- See my Flickr link below for photo)
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper (1)
Long-billed Dowitcher >25
Wilson's Snipe
Caspian Tern (1)
Black Skimmer >20
Eurasian Collared-Dove (uncommon at STA-5) (1)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Common Nighthawk (FOTS) (1)
Belted Kingfisher
Western Kingbird (5)
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo (heard only)
Blue Jay (New for STA-5) (1)
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow >25
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Palm Warbler (few remaining)
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee (heard only on Blumberg Road)
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Bobolink (25) (FOTS)
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle
On the trip out to STA-5 from Naples the "usual" birds were seen by Alan Murray along with his visiting sister and brother-in-law and me. These included Limpkin, one Snail Kite, one Roseate Spoonbill, one Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, 6 Swallow-tailed Kites, a pair of Sandhill Cranes (still tending a nest), White Pelicans, one Wild Turkey, Wood Stork, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Ground-Dove, Northern Bobwhite (heard) and a few others.
After leaving STA-5, several folks followed us back along CR835 to CR833 for a few miles to see Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (one seen); Snail Kite (one seen); Roseate Spoonbill (one seen); nesting Sandhill Crane; Burrowing Owls (3-4 seen) and Limpkin among other birds.
All-in-all, it was another fantastic day of birding out in the interior portion of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee. Thanks to all who helped make it a memorable day.
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