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Posted by Robin Diaz on 13:48:50 10/24/09
The wintering flock of Piping Plovers on Crandon Beach is now 34, with 3-4 banded birds. Wilson's Plover numbers are high (20) and the flock of Black-bellied Plovers fluctuates between 100-150. Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers and 1-2 Western Sandpipers are also on the beach. A few Caspian and Sandwich Terns joined the Royals, while 14-16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls seem to be wintering. FOS Northern Gannets appeared today (10/24) and all were young of the year.
Raptors haven't shown up in large numbers, though falcons are plentiful; 4 Merlins in Cape Florida this morning and 1-2 Peregrines daily. Both light-morph and dark-morph Short-tailed Hawks are around and Michelle Davis had a soaring kettle of Cooper's Hawks earlier this week. A few Sharp-shinned Hawks are around.
In Cape Florida warblers are winding down, with late surprises of Worm-eating and Hooded. East winds blew in a Blackpoll on Thursday and FOS Eastern Phoebes and House Wrens arrived. A Least Flycatcher was hanging around Thursday and the biggest surprise so far was a Marsh Wren in the hammock area.
Virginia Key is looking like "winter" already with Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Yellow-throated Warblers, kestrels and lots of Palm Warblers.
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