Posted by Paul Bithorn on June 04, 2001 at 17:43:32:
Now that the duck days of summer are upon us, I felt a tinge of birding withdrawal this Saturday. With the Masked Ducks (if ultimately they become verified as wild birds) closing out a personally tremendous winter and spring of birding (11 Florida lifers), upon completing my yardwork, I thought I heard a Black-whiskered Vireo calling in my yard. Well, having 20 native species in my yard certainly paid off. I located the vireo in my Gumbo Limbo tree (Bursera simaruba), #86 for 7500 square foot yard list. I immediately quaffed a Red Stripe lager to celebrate my good fortune. This morning while meeting with DERM and FEC Railway at the Village Hall I heard another Black-whiskered Vireo calling , which turned up in our champion Short-leafed Fig (Ficus citrifolia). I have never heard much less seen a B-w Vireo in the Village and now two in just three days! While touring the local canal system in hopes of establishing a hydrilla removal program, by introducing sterile Triploid Carp, my tour saw an unscarred 6 foot Manatee swim into the Miami River from the FEC Canal and later saw a Swallow-tailled Kite over the Miami Springs Country Club. Life is good.........