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Posted by Vince Lucas on 21:24:44 11/01/08
This morning, November 1st, Alan Murray and I led a small contingent of the [Collier County] Audubon Young Birders Club to the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers, Lee County. The highlight of the trip was seeing two white phase Short-tailed Hawks fly 50 feet over our heads and then catch a thermal and ride it ever so high until they were out of sight. Seeing two Short-tailed Hawks at one time in SW Florida is definitely not an every day occurrence. In fact, seeing any STHA in SW Florida is uncommon. Other birds on our morning walk around the boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough were:
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (several)
White Ibis
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle (2 adults)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Royal Tern
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker (heard)
Downy Woodpecker (heard)
Pileated Woodpecker (several)
Eastern Phoebe x2
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (several)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (many)
Loggerhead Shrike
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler (several)
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Water levels were as high as I have ever seen them at the preserve possibly accounting for the absence or paucity of certain species. Still, everyone seemed to have a good time both adults and kids. Thanks to Gail Boorman for arranging the outing.
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