Posted by Brian Ahern on September 26, 2003 at 14:14:33:
RBA
* Florida
* Statewide
* Date September 26, 2003
* FLFL0309.26
-Birds mentioned:
++BLACK-FACKED GRASSQUIT**++
GREATER FLAMINGO
Short-tailed Hawk
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
White-rumped Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Gull-billed Tern
Bridled Tern
Rufous Hummingbird
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
TROPICAL KINGBIRD**
Nashville Warbler
CONNECTICUT WARBLER
MOURNING WARBLER
Clay-colored Sparrow
Dickcissel
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
**This is a review species in Florida. Any details of sightings should be sent to the FOS Records Committee at the address given at the end of this report
Hotline: FLORIDA RARE BIRD REPORT
to report e-mail: BrianAhern@aol.com
compiler: Brian Ahern
transcriber: Same
This is Brian Ahern reporting the Florida Rare Bird Alert for 09/26/03. This report is sponsored by FLORIDA NATURE TOURS, which offers tours to the Dry Tortugas, South Florida, private guiding. For information go to http://www.floridanaturetours.com or call 407-363-1360. Reports are followed by coordinates from the DeLorme Florida Atlas & Gazetteer and the page number of Bill Pranty's ABA guide "A Birder's Guide to Florida" when possible.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
On Saturday 20th, a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen at Ft. Walton Beach. The bird was on Okaloosa Island (Ft. Walton Bch.) at the Island Gulf Center Par Three Golf Coarse. If you go to see it, be sure to let the attendants know that you are there, and please be sure to stay out of the way of the golfers. The attendants are very receptive to birders, and we want to keep it that way (A. Knothe). DeLorme p. 44
DUVAL COUNTY
On Friday 19th, an adult CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen at Little Jetties Park, which is near Mayport on the south side of the St. Johns River outside of the Naval Base (R. Clark). DeLorme p. 58
BREVARD COUNTY
On Saturday 20th, three BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS was seen in the field to the west of the Click Ponds at Viera Wetlands (A. Bankert). DeLorme p. 88
On Saturday 20th, over 50 BRIDLED TERNS were seen from the beach at Coconut Point County Park (M. Hait). DeLorme p. 88
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
At least three (one is an adult male) RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS have been seen in Steve Backes’ yard this past week. Early morning and evening seem best; there are also Ruby-throated Hummingbirds present too. Directions to my house are: Go south on Valrico Rd. from SR 60 to Durant Rd. (through one traffic light to the stop sign). Go west (right) on Durant to the second left (Meadowridge Dr.). Head Southwest on Meadowridge to 1512. Meadowridge is also accessible from Lithia-Pinecrest Road (S. Backes). DeLorme p. 91/92
Another RUFOUS/ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD is being seen at the home of Ed Kwater. The bird spends a lot of time nectaring at a flowering Bottlebrush Tree adjacent to his driveway, then perches on some dead twigs at the top left of the neighbors Ligustrum Tree only a few yards away (there is an American flag at the base of this tree). Birders are welcome to come over and look for this bird. The address is 3803 Cloverhill Court, Brandon, FL. To get here take I 75 south to the route 301 exit and go east on Bloomingdale Avenue. Go several miles to John Moore and turn right. Go down to Bloomingfield and turn left. Go over 6 speed bumps and turn left onto Cloverhill. The House is down at the end of the cul-de-sac on the left. The best place to stand to get good views of the bird appears to be around the mail box or on the sidewalk next to it (E. Kwater). DeLorme p. 91/92
PINELLAS COUNTY
An OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER was found at Ft. DeSoto Park on Saturday 20th. It was seen hawking insects in the large dead trees on the left side of the dirt road that leads into the Tower Area, but was gone the next day (L. Atherton & all). Also seen on Saturday was a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at East Beach Woods. The LONG-BILLED CURLEW has been seen this past week at the North Beach (S. Linney). DeLorme p. 90; Pranty p. 126
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
A female RUFOUS/ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD was seen visiting the yellow flowers of Necklace Pod and the orange-red tubular flowers of Firebush (both native species) at Castellow Hammock Park (22301 SW 162 Avenue; phone 305/242-7688) on Tuesday 23rd. If you show up before or after park hours, park outside on the south side of the gate and walk in. The bird was seen north of the nature center building. There are also lots of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds in and around the Hummingbird & Butterfly Garden in front of the nature center (R. Hammer). DeLorme p. 118; Pranty p. 230
On Saturday 20th, an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found mixed in with 29 Black-bellied Plovers near Flynn's. The plover group was resting on an agricultural field with rows covered in plastic about 0.2mi north of the intersection of SR 9886 and SW 212th on your left hand side. DeLorme p. 122
On Sunday 21st, a NASHVILLE WARBLER was found at A.D. Barnes Park. It was seen inside the small hammock adjacent to the picnic area (J. Boyd). On Thursday 25th, a SHORT-TAILED HAWK was seen over A.D. Barnes Park (J. Rosenburg). DeLorme p. 119; Pranty p. 222
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
The BLACK-FACED GRASSQUIT continues to be seen along the road that leads into Long Pine Key Campground. It seems to favor the area around the private residence. However, the Grassquit is not seen on a daily/regular basis and can be undetected for days at a time, which has proven very frustrating for out of town birders. Most of the sightings seem to take place in the early morning between 7am & 8am or a little after noon. On Friday 26th, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen in the same area as the Grassquit. The flycatcher was in some pines along the west side of the road in the morning (L. Manfredi). .At least 47(!) GREATER FLAMINGOS are still present between Snake Bight Channel and Christian Point (L. Manfredi & D. Santoni). On Monday at Flamingo, Eco Pond had 3 GULL-BILLED TERNS and 4 SHORT-TAILED HAWKS was seen over the parking area around the marina (L. Manfredi). On Wednesday 24th, two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were found along Research Road (L. Synder). DeLorme p. 121/122; Pranty p. 234
DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK
Last week the following birds were found on Garden Key and/or Bush Key: TROPICAL KINGBIRD, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER & a DICKCISSEL (S. Bass). DeLorme p. 126; Pranty p. 262
Good Birding!
Documentation of rarities for FL Ornithological Society Records
Committee should be sent to:
FOSRC, c/o Archbold Biological Station, PO Box 2057,
Lake Placid FL 33862.
Website: http://www.fosbirds.org/
Florida Rare Bird Alert Mail-list: To subscribe go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FLRBA
Florida Birding website: http://www.javaswift.com/floridabirds/
FLORIDABIRDS-L website: http://bkpass.tripod.com/floridabirds.htm
For more information on Florida bird sightings, locations, and
discussion please visit the following archives:
Statewide sightings/discussion listserv:
BIRDBRAINS: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html
FLABIRDING: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlaBirding/
FLORIDABIRDS-L: http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/floridabirds-l.html
Regional sightings/discussion listservs:
North Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nflbirds/
East Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eastbirders/
Southwest Florida: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SWFLBirdline/
Southeast Florida: http://tropicalaudubon.org/tasboard/index.html
Brian Ahern
Tampa, FL.
BrianAhern@aol.com