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Posted by Chris & Lili on 13:43:25 12/07/08
We started out the day birding Cutler Wetlands with Susan Schneider, on what may very well be her last day birding in S. Florida before heading off to CA. You will be missed Susan!! We struggled IDing waterfowl through the heavy fog for 45 minutes or so, seeing (amongst the usual herons, etc.):
Mottled duck
Blue-winged teal
Green-winged teal
N. Shoveler
Least sandpiper
S.B. dowitchers
Killdeer
Am. avocets
On 97th Ave, heading for Dump Marsh we picked up:
Yellow-shafted flickers (2)
Kestrel
At Dump Marsh:
Tropical kingbird (as soon as we parked)
Red-shouldered hawk
Pied-bill grebes
Black-necked stilts
Glossy ibises
On the way out, while Susan and Lili were chatting I scanned the large flock of several hundred starlings and brown-headed cowbirds that were on the lines near the dump marsh parking area and spotted a gorgeous male yellow-headed cowbird among them. We got great looks for at least 10-15 minutes. Interestingly, this male was being solicited for grooming by an adult male cowbird, similar to the sighting near ENP a few weeks ago. The flock eventually spooked and flew over the landfill, but is probably still in the vicinity. It pays to look for the needle in the haystack!!
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