Posted by Bill Boeringer on May 14, 2001 at 13:51:02:
John Boyd & I did the Loop Rd/W Kendall NAMC on Saturday. We started at dawn at the Kendall "owl field" and recorded several calling N Bobwhite. At the new high school on 167th Ave we had 300 Bobolink and 2 more calling Bobwhites.
On to SR41 and Big Cypress: The area is REALLY dry and held down numbers of birds. Most big numbers on waders were in concentrated areas. Snail Kite was real disappointment. John had one "maybe" in the morning. In late afternoon, we made second effort and came up with one more at the first lock west of Krome on SR41. On the plus side, Limpkins were very visible and we totalled 10 on the way to Loop Rd.
Hairy Woodpecker was a great bird, a Dade lifer for both John & I (my previous Count bird a couple of years ago was in Monroe Co section). It was along SR41 about a mile west of bend into Big Cypress, and we had it by both view and voice, and in comparison with 2 Downy Woodpeckers.
On Loop Rd, we had 2 Prothonotary Warblers in the same location they've been (and nested) in past years. There were also several singing Red-eyed Vireo, Titmice, Gnatcatchers and several other late migrant warblers. 2 Barred Owls were close and cooperative for videotape.
An American Robin was a real surprise, neither of us had seen one in SoFla this late. Also a big surprise was a pair of Semipalm Plovers at a half-dried pond on Loop Rd, one of the few patches of water anywhere.
Shark Valley was almost devoid of birds, and we saw no young of any species, a real change from prior years.
Tamiami airport had its "Aviation days" and the crowds prevented checking all the Burrowing Owl burrows, but we total 10 in 3 burrows.
The day ended in civilized fashion, in my backyard with a cold beer, tallying Screech Owl, Hill Myna, and Black-hooded Parakeet.
Other day sightings: River Otter, Fox, Raccoon, concentrated alligators in any water, and 28 hot air balloons.