Posted by Alex on June 12, 2003 at 23:13:26:
In Reply to: Matheson Hammock posted by Felipe on June 12, 2003 at 22:10:09:
Lowtide is the best, of course. Again, in winter dowitchers can be found. Crandon Beach and Bill Baggs are better which can be seen in the distance from Matheson across the Bay. Those two places are on Key Biscayne. Again winter is better. Occasionally willet, and sanderling, turnstones, and least sandpipers may be found a little more often. Rarely, Wilson's and Semipalmated Plovers may come around, but more often in Crandon Park in Winter. I am sure the odd Black-bellied Plovers have turned up there.
Next time you go to a State or National Park, I would HIGHLY reccomend a book called "A Birder's Guide to Florida" by Bill Pranty. The book has a picture of a soaring Swallow-tailed Kite on it and has a wire binding. It is the best book a Florida birder has had. It tells you all the exotics that have occured and bred, where to find birds in Florida, the occurence of the birds and how esily you can find them throughout the year. Info on our Florida Specialties and everything else you can imagine. Once you have it and read some of it's section on South Florida, you may never have to ask questions on where to find birds again. Be prepared to pay around $20, though.
For those who may be interested in the expanding range of the Meditteranean Gecko, 3 were caught by me last night in my house of Miami Shores. Besides the ever present House Geckos and Indo-Pacific Geckos, this new "bumpy skinned" lizard has joined our property. I have seen these before in the Keys and a hotel near Cape Canaveral, but not in Miami. I also found a 5 foot beautiful Corn Snake in a neighbors yard while mowing their lawn. I put it in a tree unharmed.