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Posted by Toe on 10:00:51 03/01/10
I met Trey right at sunrise at the C-357 where Dan and Rock have reported some nice sightings. Trey was already on the berm when I arrived. Carlos joined us shortly afterwards, saying "Why are you guys here so early, there are no owls here." Trey replied, "Sure there are; it's perfect Short-eared habitat." We walked about 20 yards from that point and up pops a Short-eared Owl from about 60 yards to the right! We got fantastic looks as it flew towards the northern edge of the field. We soon found sparrows, not in large numbers, but great variety. The best thing is that we didn't have to sift through a million Savannahs to get to the other species. While checking out the first sparrows, we heard what sounded like a lion roaring from the north, probably from one of the private properties north of 168 St. At least, we hoped it was in a private property. I've seen a lot of weird animals in private properties in my years in Miami (camel, mongoose, apes, ocelot), but a lion would take the cake! I wonder if Tony Montana lives there?
Directions: take Richmond Drive (SW 168 St) 2.9 miles west of Krome Ave and look for a large water control structure on your left. There will be a large ficus on the left side of 168 St. Park under the ficus and walk south past the yellow gate. Walk 500 feet to the berm and follow the berm to the right. About 800 feet down there will be a single palm and a small dirt road on the right. Stay on the berm. The sparrows were seen to the right of the berm between the dirt road and the bend in the berm about another 1500 feet down. The owl flushed from the same area. Below is the list for the short morning of birding:
Short-eared Owl
Clay-colored Sparrow (3)
White-crowned Sparrow (3)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1, maybe 2, could be same bird)
Grasshopper Sparrow (2)
Swamp Sparrow (3)
Savannah Sarrow (3 seen, more heard, mostly from the left)
Eastern Towhee (2)
Painted Bunting (2)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (quite a few)
Palm Warbler (ditto, but not a nuisance)
American Robin (just 1, weird)
We only covered this one stretch of the berm. There are several cells in the area, and all could potentially have more birds. An extensive scan might reveal even more goodies. Sounds like a nice project for this weekend!
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