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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 18:17:18 08/01/09
Today I ventured north to Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area in Glades County, with stops in the Everglades Agricultural Area before and after my visit. My first stop of the morning was at Harold Campbell Public Use Area; two Least Bittern, seen in flight, were the only notable sightings there. Driving back to US 27 on Holeyland Road, a King Rail flew across the road in front of my car; I can't recall ever seeing a King Rail in flight! I stopped at a flooded field on US 27 across from the radio tower, but sun conditions were not optimal for scoping whatever was there, so I decided to return to that spot in the afternoon.
I've explored much of Fisheating Creek WMA, both by canoe and on foot, but until today had never explored the Fort Center area, which is accessed from Banana Grove Road, on SR 78, eight miles north of US 27. The nature trail (about 4 miles round-trip) provides access to Cowbone Marsh, a communal roosting area at this time of year for up to half of the US population of Swallow-tailed Kite. Many kites were soaring overhead when I arrived mid-morning. During my three-hour hike to the marsh and back, I also tallied the following:
Mottled Duck
Wild Turkey (a flock of about 20)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
On my way back south, I detoured to the Belle Glade area in search of flooded fields. I found some on Sam Senter Road, north of CR 880. Present were Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper. This area may warrant another visit later in the month. I ended my day back at the flooded field across from the radio tower on US 27, where I found everything seen on Sam Senter Road, plus Fulvous Whistling-Duck, dowitcher sp. and Black Tern, the latter including several in breeding plumage.
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