Posted by Stefan on September 27, 2003 at 21:15:48:
After the TAS Matheson walk, David LaPuma, Inga and I swung by Castellow Hammock and found a male RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD zipping around the butterfly garden in front of the nature center. David and Inga left shortly after and I was back on my own. Snooping around a later longer, I found a second RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, this time a female. A storm was brewing and it started to drizzle. The thermals overhead must have been excellent as I saw a light phase SWAINSON'S HAWK, an osprey, several vultures and hundreds of swallows. Also in this loose mix was a MERLIN who had just picked off one of the swallows. Oddly enough, he kept circling around for 2-3 more minutes with the swallow dangling off of his tallons before finally disappearing low.
A single PEREGRINE FALCON was sitting in a field close to Lucky Hammock. Maybe one of those two seen by Raul earlier this week.