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Posted by Susan Schneider on 14:58:51 06/21/08
I launched around low tide at 8 from the 173rd St public access, paddling south through the northern portion of Biscayne National Park. It's a wilderness experience most of the way, and yet from one location I could see Black Point, Miami, Miami Beach, and Key Biscayne, all at once. Guess I'm in a city after all! The weather was great, with light winds and wispy clouds, enough to spare me the backbreaking summer solstice sun, but still light up the shallow depths below. It was an exceptional day for rays: I found myself right next to one Spotted Eagle Ray and one Stingray, the best looks I've ever had, and saw numerous others "winging" away as I approached. I also had my best look ever at a small Bonnethead Shark that approached to check me out, then left with a casual flick of its tail.
The bird highlight was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron; I also saw one Little Blue Heron and numerous Cattle Egrets, one Brown Pelican, and several Least Terns. I have yet to hear a Mangrove Cuckoo on these trips this year, which causes me some concern; last year I enjoyed a family of three. Prairie Warblers and Cardinals were singing, but that was it. A Hill Myna called once.
Other sealife highlights were periwinkles above the water and several small whelk-looking, rather colorful snails in the seagrass beds. I always enjoy fiddler crabs when they're out and about, and I spotted a few mangrove crabs and two dead horseshoe crabs. I still haven't learned all the fish species, but did identify yellow-finned mojarra at all ages (always common), 1 sergeant major, 1 checkered pufferfish, a couple barracuda, and large schools of silversides (some jumping out of the water when I was paddling fast). Several intriguing mystery fish had longitudinal stripes, reddish fins, and big eyes with faint eyestripes.
Good birding,
Susan
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