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Posted by Ken Blankenship on 21:01:15 04/04/09
I made my way down to gorgeous South Florida slowly but surely after work yesterday. Traffic coming out of Atlanta wore me out so I needed more breaks than usual... anyway...
I really enjoyed some late-morning birding once I arrived at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. It quickly got very hot (especially out on the trails, where I missed the jays!) but it doesn't matter when you're in a great new place. I did OK with raptors there, including a brief aerial tangle between a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and a COOPER'S HAWK for a cool comparison, two AMERICAN KESTRELS, three MERLINS (must be moving through?), one distant SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, OSPREY, and both BLACK and TURKEY VULTURES. Interesting passerines in the area included WHITE-EYED VIREO, PINE WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, PALM WARBLER (3 western), and good numbers of woodpeckers and waders rounded out several hours at the park. I loved the up-close bino looks at Gopher Tortoises at Hobe Sound N.W.R. Visitor Center grounds nearby.
Finally, following some research done by a friend of mine (thanks, Steve!) I found a single FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY on County Line Rd just outside the entrance to Taquesta Park in Martin Co.
From there I headed to the Ft. Lauderdale Old Griffin Rd area to search for Anis. Well, I already knew my chances were slim since it was mid-afternoon. Once I saw how much human, automobile, and air traffic there was along with the associated noise pollution, I gave it a one-hour college try but was not surprised I didn't locate the birds. I think dawn must be best here? Birds coming out to sun? I did find two GREEN HERONS building a nest, was startled when I flushed an Iguana large enough to eat my face in one bite if he wanted to, and got some weird stares from boaters passing by this weird guy strapped with binos and a long-lens camera standing on the canal shore looking intent on something ;)
I finished up at A.D. Barnes Park in Miami, where I found LOTS of happy folks enjoying the habitat as much as the birds. Yo creo que habian muchas fiestas de cumpleanos para ninos hoy - que chevere! I did stumble onto one mini-flock which included 2 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, 1 stunning NORTHERN PARULA, and 4 PRAIRIE WARBLERS. I managed to see my first WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON on a wire adjacent to the park. On the way down to Homestead for the evening, I observed at least 4 COMMON MYNAS (whoopy-doo, right?) in the urban landscape but then, I've never seen one before so it was cool.
...hoping for migrants dripping off the trees tomorrow as I'll turn Key Largo upside down for birds :)
Love Birding Florida so far!
Ken Blankenship
Marietta, GA (Cobb County)
currently in Homestead, FL (Miami-Dade County)
http://www.wingsoverga.com
770-317-8486 (cell)
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