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Posted by Vince Lucas on 20:50:26 04/27/08
All:
A picture-perfect day at STA-5, south of Clewiston in Hendry Co. on Saturday, April 26, 2008, saw some 23 folks out enjoying the birds and other wildlife. There were a few avian surprises to be had like the late Red-breasted Merganser flyover as well as a Lesser Scaup seen in one of the impoundments. The 150+ American White Pelicans were not expected for so late in the season and the Northern Bobwhite perched on a telephone line along Blumberg Rd. was a real treat. Belted Kingfishers (several), Western Kingbird (2) and a lone Northern Harrier were the last of their kind remaining from the winter season. However, the most spectacular sighting had to be the nearly 2000 Bobolinks foraging within a hundred feet of one of the dike roads. We watched them for well over 15 minutes. The "din" of their calls was awesome! I would estimate that 98-99% of this flock were males. Several other species seen were in high breeding plumage like the Forster's Tern that coursed through one of the impoundments and the 25+ Long-billed Dowitchers and two Stilt-Sandpipers that were encountered. Nesting was evident everywhere, especially for Boat-tailed Grackles, Black-necked Stilts, Killdeer and a few waders. Alan Murray found a Green Heron sitting on a nest and everyone got to see it. Way cool. Thanks Alan!
On the trip out from Naples to STA-5 as well as the return trip back to Naples, Alan and I found our "usual" birds. Highlights were, in no particular order: Snail Kite (four at the Farm 8 Wetlands just north of the Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm on CR835); Limpkin -- as many as 8 at the same location as well as several other locales along CR833 & CR835; 3-4 Spotted Sandpipers, a dozen or so Least Sandpipers and two Long-billed Dowitchers also at the Farm 8 Wetlands; 3-4 Swallow-tailed Kites near the Collier/Hendry County line; Crested Caracara (CR846, CR833 & CR835); Sandhill Crane family along CR833; Burrowing Owls (CR833); American White Pelican (6 or so along CR833); Wild Turkey (one individual along CR833); Eastern Meadowlarks -- mostly along CR835; Western Kingbird (2 along CR858 near the Hendry County Correctional Facility in Collier County) and calling Bobwhites in a few places that I neglected to note.
Before I forget, there was an "irruption" of one species of Odonate (dragonfly) at STA-5 in numbers that were simply astounding. The species is the Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata). They apparently emerged "en masse" to take advantage of the millions of little midges (I think that's what they were) that were highly annoying to us humans at STA-5.
Here's the list of species seen at STA-5 on Saturday, April 26, 2008. The current checklist total is 159 species. Thanks Margaret!
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 10+
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler 2-3
Ring-necked Duck 2-3
Lesser Scaup 1
Red-breasted Merganser 1 (Late(?) inland spring record)
Northern Bobwhite (Several seen and heard along Blumberg Rd. as well as STA-5 proper)
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican >150!!
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Least Bittern 7-8
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron (white morph aka Great White Heron) 1
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron >10
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill 20+
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite 2-3
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 1
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Sora (several heard)
Purple Swamphen 6-7
Purple Gallinule 4-5
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Spotted Sandpiper 4-5
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper 2 in breeding plumage
Long-billed Dowitcher >25 -- all in breeding plumage
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 2
Black Skimmer >75
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl 1
Common Nighthawk 4-5
Belted Kingfisher 2
Western Kingbird 2
Loggerhead Shrike
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow 3-4
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Bobolink >2000!!!! with 99% males.
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
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