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Posted by Bill Boeringer on 11:14:38 05/12/08
On Saturday I covered my traditional area along US41 and Loop Road for the NAMC.
I arrived at Shark Valley about a ½ hour before dawn and started around the area, quickly picking up calling Chuck-will s-widows and other resident birds. As light increased, I was in the middle of a dense fog at times, I could not see across the canal from the road. Unfortunately, I tallied no waders except for a couple of Great Blue and Green Herons that were obligingly along the canal, and there was no chance at Snail Kite. Fortunately, a few birds continued calling which netted a King Rail and an Eastern Kingbird; however, within about 30 minutes after dawn most of the calling seemed to cease.
Into Big Cypress along 41, fog continued to be a problem. I was able to pick up titmice and gnatcatchers, but few waders. Almost unbelievably, I made it into Collier County with no vultures of either species! One highlight along this stretch, though, was a beautiful Fox Squirrel feeding along the roadside a real SoFla treat.
Reaching the Monroe County section of Loop Road, I spent several hours walking the road around Sweetwater Strand. Usually, I walk off-road as well in the spring, but waters were high and confined me to the road. Highlights were a singing Red-eyed Vireo and at least 4 (maybe as many as 6) Prothonotary Warblers. At one point, I had 3 Prothonotaries mobbing a Barred Owl!
As is probably emblematic of this spring, though, there were few other migrants around. I had 2 Northern Waterthrushes and the resident Parulas, but no Redstarts, no Blackpolls, and no thrushes, cuckoos or other migrants. All the usual residents were there, though-White-eyed Vireo and Great Crested Flycatchers in numbers, Swallow-tailed Kite, and so on. Pileated Woodpeckers were totally silent; I did not hear any at all, and my only one of the day was seen flying silently. The same was basically true for Red-shouldered Hawks, which were heard but relatively quiet.
The rest of Loop Road was oven-hot, dusty, quiet, and protected by all sorts of annoying and/or biting flies.....I did see a couple of otters, though, and a single Spotted Sandpiper....the Pines area was very still, with no Bluebirds, Flickers, Pine Warblers or Towhees; in fact, only a single Cardinal seemed to be active. The Morgan's Landing campground and the Loop Road Enviro center Trail were similarly bereft of birds.
Back on 41 at about 2:00 pm, I tried in vain for Snail Kite and waders; however, water levels appeared high, and birds were apparently scattered, as they are when spring waters are high.
My list (D=Dade, M=Monroe):
Double-crested Cormorant - D2, M1
Anhinga - D1
Great Blue Heron - D9, M1
Great Egret - D9, M5
Snowy Egret - M4
Little Blue Heron - D3
Tricolored Heron - M4
Cattle Egret - D1
Green Heron - D6, M5
Black-crowned Night-Heron - M1
White Ibis - D5, M9
Wood Stork - M1
Black Vulture - D3, M5
Turkey Vulture - D19, M12
Swallow-tailed Kite - M2
Red-shouldered Hawk - D2, M5
King Rail - D2
Common Moorhen - D2
Limpkin - M1
Spotted Sandpiper - M1
Eurasian Collared-Dove - D2
Mourning Dove - D1, M3
Barred Owl - M3
Common Nighthawk - D1
Chuck-will's-widow - D4
Red-bellied Woodpecker - D13, M7
Downy Woodpecker - M2
Northern Flicker - D1, M1
Pileated Woodpecker - D1
Great Crested Flycatcher - D12, M22
Eastern Kingbird - D1
White-eyed Vireo - D8, M24
Red-eyed Vireo - M1
Blue Jay - M3
American Crow - D6, M3
Purple Martin - M1
Tufted Titmouse - D2, M6
Carolina Wren - D8, M9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - D7, M9
Northern Mockingbird - D4, M1
European Starling - D21
Northern Parula - D3, M6
Prothonotary Warbler - M4
Northern Waterthrush - M2
Common Yellowthroat - D2, M1
Northern Cardinal - D15, M11
Red-winged Blackbird - D24, M60
Common Grackle - D16, M41
Boat-tailed Grackle - D114, M2
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