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Posted by Carlos Sanchez on 14:49:34 11/09/08
After the Everglades TAS walk on the 8th, I decided to head for Lucky Hammock to look for the Lesser Nighthawks. Although I did not see the nighthawks, I did meet Bryant Roberts. We also had a calling WHIP-POOR-WILL from the hammock itself, which could be seen fluttering around in the canopy afterwards before flying low over the road mere feet from where I was standing. The bird could be calling on the east side of the road, perhaps in the field.
This morning, I got up early to go back to Lucky Hammock and concentrate on the passerines (particularly sparrows). Things were slow at first. INDIGO and PAINTED BUNTINGS on the south side of Lucky Hammock. Andy Bankert located a male WILSON's WARBLER in the oaks near the southwest corner of the hammock -- my 300th life bird! There was also a WHITE-TAILED KITE hovering over the southern fields, plus some NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.
I went over to the east side of the road to concentrate on sparrows. SWAINSON's HAWKS were plentiful -- most soaring low right over my head. At first, I was flushing only SAVANNAH SPARROWS, but I finally managed to flush a couple GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS plus a single CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. While walking north along the edge of the brush, I met Dan Smyth. Although we tried to get more sparrows, the birds weren't cooperative as they kept leaping up from the grass and over deep into the brush where they could not be seen. We did, however, have excellent views of two CHIPPING SPARROWS. Not exciting as an Ash-throated Flycatcher, but still a good bird for Miami-Dade!
Dan Smyth said he also had SEDGE WRENS earlier in the brush that grows alongside the canal that parallels the Lucky Hammock sparrow fields.
In another news, I am still chatless -- but look how many great birds like Crested Caracara, White-tailed Kite, Chipping Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, and Snow Goose I am seeing there while trying to look for it!
Carlos
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