[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Vince Lucas on 14:34:41 10/19/08
Some 20+ folks came out to STA-5 in Hendry County south of Clewiston yesterday to see what birds were about, including any of our overwintering birds. It was a decent day, although a tad on the warmt side (for me). The BEST bird seen yesterday was a Marbled Godwit -- a rather uncommon inland record and only our second occurrence for this species at STA-5. Other good birds were three Western Kingbirds, one of which we tried to turn into a Cassin's with no luck. I understand that photos were taken of the bird but I haven't seen them yet. Perhaps this will help with a more positive ID. Two Ruddy Ducks were unexpected as well. On the other hand, BIG misses were either of the two species of whistling-ducks. I can't remember the last time that has happened at STA-5. Perhaps the very high water levels had something to do with it. Here is the full list of species seen for STA-5, including Blumberg Rd.:
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal >750
Ring-necked Duck 1
Ruddy Duck 2
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Least Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron (White form) 1
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill 2
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite 3 (one was banded). We haven't seen SNKIs at STA-5 for several months.
Northern Harrier 3-4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon 4
Sora >5 (all but one heard).
Purple Swamphen 8
Purple Gallinule >25 (Seen mostly eating the flowerheads off the tops of Alligator Flag)
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt 2
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Marbled Godwit 1 (Second record for STA-5)
Least Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher
Western Kingbird 3
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow >250 (Very common at STA-5)
Barn Swallow <10
Marsh Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Due to darkness, the pre-tour trip out to STA-5 from Naples via the CR846 ==> CR833 ==> CR835 ==> Blumberg Rd. corridor didn't produce many birds until Alan Murray & I arrived at the wetlands just north of the CR833/CR835 junction. In this wetlands on the west side of CR833 we found the following (not in taxonomic order):
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks -- 25 birds including one family group of about 8 or so ducks.
American White Pelican -- 2 (flyover)
Limpkin -- >10
Roseate Spoonbill -- 2
Blue-winged Teal
Mottled Duck
Wood Stork
Further along CR835 just past the old Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm at the Farm 8 Wetlands, we saw 10 Snail Kites, 15 or so Limpkins plus all of the usual wetland birds.
On the return trip back to Naples, when I finally woke up from my nap :-), i saw my FOTS Eastern Phoebe.
[Missing portions restored by Webmaster]
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]