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Posted by Carlos Sanchez on 18:23:33 11/01/08
Peter and Morris and I went to Lucky Hammock this morning in the hopes of finding Yellow-breasted Chat and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Although we got neither, we had an amazing day of birding with scores of amazing birds which would be 'bird of the day' on any given day.
Highlights:
Before meeting up with Carl Edwards, Tricia, and her sister on the east side of the road out in the fields, we had a SWAINSON'S HAWK feeding out in the grass. Later, we would see a second Swainson's Hawk perched in a tree. A CRESTED CARACARA was scoped out on a leafless tree out in the horizon -- amazing to find one in southern Miami-Dade!
In the shrubbery on the east side of the road, we had a late YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO out in the open, stunning views of BELL'S VIREO, and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW among the hordes of Savannah Sparrows. Also, a male PAINTED BUNTING.
Lucky Hammock itself had many winter plumage INDIGO BUNTINGS, and a late CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER plus a FOS RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET on the same tree.
To top it all off, Peter suddenly cried out "goose!" and I put my binoculars up at the striking white bird with the black primaries and reddish bill. I screamed out "SNOW GOOSE!" Carl Edwards also saw the bird.
Later, Carl Edwards graciously invited us to go on a canoe trip to go see the American Flamingos out in Snake Bight. We just could not refuse. It was an amazing spectacle going out there. A quick stop at Mzarek Pond produced a couple AMERICAN WIGEONS for Peter. At Snake Bight, we had nearly a dozen very bright pink ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, countless waders and shorebirds, dozens and dozens of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS. We also had about half a dozen REDDISH EGRETS and both YELLOW-CROWNED and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS. Despite the shear number of birds, the stars of the show were two AMERICAN FLAMINGOS which were feeding out in the flats. Wow! As we got closer, the waders suddenly got spooked and began taking off. The American Flamingos decided to make a break for it, and we quickly focused our binoculars on them as they flew off. These were our best views. Carl Edwards took out his scope and focused on where they had landed, finding the rest of the flock of nine total flamingos. They were resting out in the sandbar now.
Here is the day list:
LUCKY HAMMOCK/ANNEX:
Snow Goose
Great Egret
White Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Harrier
Swainson's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
ALONG THE WAY TO FLAMINGO + MZAREK POND, we added:
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
Anhinga
Common Moorhen
American Coot
American Crow
Loggerhead Shrike
AT FLAMINGO AND SNAKE BIGHT, we added:
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
Green Heron
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron (plus a Great White Heron)
Wood Stork
Roseate Spoonbill
American Flamingo
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Barn Swallow
Where else can you see a Swainson's Hawk from the west, a Snow Goose from the north, and an American Flamingo from the south on the same day? South Florida birding rocks. :)
Carlos
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