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Posted by Robin Diaz on 11:36:01 05/02/10
Michelle Davis, Erica Hernandez, Liz Golden and I just returned from the National Geographic BioBlitz on Elliott Key. We were mostly restricted to the hammock along Spite Highway so our observations (including banding) were ~49 bird species. Banding highlights included Gray-cheeked Thrush, Veery, Blackpoll and Black-throated Blue Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, numerous American Redstarts and Northern Cardinal and White-eyed Vireo pairs, with brood patches on the females. Observation highlights included accommodating Bobolinks that even the non-birders noticed, 2 Dickcissels, Swainson's Thrushes, Painted and Indigo Buntings, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Gray Kingbirds, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, White-crowned Pigeons and 13 warbler species. The stunner for both days was a spring adult male Bay-breasted Warbler.
Though mosquito jackets were needed, the bugs were tolerable by Elliott Key standards. The photo showing children fascinated by a female Black-throated Blue Warbler "says it all" for BioBlitz objectives.
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