Posted by Kathleen V. on June 15, 2003 at 16:12:46:
A startling sight: small bat hawking, chased by screech owl, who was chased by big chuck-wills-widow, each one bursting out after the other right over my head, all in a circle! The chuck wills really come out for big night moths going for potato vine flowers that open at night. Screech owl watched by 2 juveniles while bathing luxuriously in the birdbath at midday for a few hot, dry days, never saw that before. Screech owls are battling the starlings each evening for the new nest box, with blue jay/red bellied woody cheering section. Spot-breasted orioles everywhere, peeling thin strings from coconut palm leaves, eating schefflera fruit, singing, hanging around mockingbirds. 2 swallow tailed kites cruising my slash pine dome, a 20 year 1st for me in East Broward. Cooper hawk nests; east end, north side of Heritage Park, follow the feathers and bones and look up in the Aust. pines, also east end, east side of Lauderdale Mem. Cem. in the hugest tree. Had a friendly chat with the fledgling on the ground there.
And WOW, Stilts are raising 3 or 4 young in the shallow spoil pond created by construction on Nova Dr. in Davie in front of Publix. You can easily watch them up close every day, esp. in the AM, so cute! Snakes, mostly everglades racers, popping out everywhere giving the birds a hard time, or vice versa!