Posted by C.J. on July 13, 2003 at 15:15:29:
In Reply to: Palm Beach Sod Farms posted by Paul Bithorn on July 12, 2003 at 23:50:52:
: Suffering from a bad case of the summer birding doldrums, Juan Villamil, Kevin Sarsfield, and I birded several South Florida sites in search of early fall migrants. Holeyland/Rotenberger W.M.A. on the Palm Beach/Broward County line produced one Smooth-billed Ani where the paved road ends on the south side of the canal. Heavy construction from the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (C.E.R.P.) is still in progress. Common Yellowthroats and Eastern Towhwees continue to sing.
: The sod farms and flooded fields east of US 27 in Palm Beach County, south of South Bay, produced a half-dozen White Pelicans, a couple dozen hatch year Barn Swallows and Purple Martins congregating before their southerly migration. A Roseate Spoonbill was mixed in with all of the herons and egrets. Several Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, Kildeer and a lone peep sp. were the only shorebirds present. Two Least Bitterns were seen at a rockpit off of SR 827. Seven Barn Owls were in the Red Cedars along the Miami Canal west of Ritta along with a group of Black-crowned Night Herons. Swallow-tailed Kites were in abundance around Lake Okeechobee along with a first year Bald Eagle.
: After lunch at Sonny's BBQ we headed west to SR835 and then south on SR833 (Government Road). Several Sandhill Cranes, a lone Wood Stork and a Purple Gallinule were the best birds along the route. Cannon Hammock had White-eyed Vireos and a hatch year Carolina Wren. One of the Vireos made a call note I had never heard, very reminiscent of the wheep call of a Great-crested Flycatcher.
: A couple of tasty Charleston Lagers served as our celebratory libation in honor of our first taste of the fall migration. Life is good............knowing Juan is on the road to recovery.
Not far from where you were on Government Road just south of the enterance at a gas station is a nice surprise. When I was in the area last month I stopped for a lemonade at a gas station along 846 on the way to Corkscrew and Immokalee, I noticed some people birding in a small fiels just south of where I was. I walked up to them and they said they were on some Eurasian Tree Sparrows. I set my eyes on 9 small sparrows dust bathing. With all my guides the only possible bird could be the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, but the birds I saw lacked the obvious black cheek "dot". Fortunatly after a while I had an explanation for them. Because of a recent trip to Italy, I was able to i.d. them as the Italian Race of House Sparrow,
(Passer Montanus). Unlike the House Sparrows here we know and dislike, these ones were chunkier and were not tame at all, staying atleast 100 feet from us, fleeing whenever approached. Also they did not do the regular House Sparrow thing and did not hang around human habitation, and were more inclined on staying in the weedy field. The only obvious differance between the two House Sparrow races is the male Italian race has a chestnut-colored cap as opposed to a gray cap. I liked the Italian ones more than the nominate race birds. I saw 9+ plus of this race, and also saw some nominate race sparrows foraging for food near a dumpster not far from there. Then it was off to Corkscrew for Carolina Chickadee, Titmice, Parula, Gnat-catcher and Brown-headed Nuthatch. I got all of 'em. I also saw a Sun Conure near Immokalee.