[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Brian Rapoza on 09:30:35 07/01/10
As a professional educator, I'm on the constant lookout for "teachable moments." On occasion, those teachable moments present themselves as a result of poor decision-making. Such was the case for me yesterday.
It was the last day of the June Challenge, and I was determined to contribute at least one new bird to Team Miami-Dade. According to the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas, the only place in Miami-Dade where Red-eyed Vireos were thought to breed was an area in Big Cypress National Preserve, located northeast of the Dade Collier Training Airport. Seeing that this area could be accessed via Levee 28, a gated road which separates Big Cypress from Water Conservation Area 3A (De LORME Florida Atlas and Gazetteer, p 117, 3A-B), I decided to target this location. Calculating that the spot where the vireos were thought to breed was about 8-9 miles from Tamiami Trail, I realized that the best way to get there was by bicycle. I was at the gate by 6:30 AM and figured I could bike out and back in about four hours. The levee road is excellent for biking, and overcast conditions made the trek a pleasant one. Using my iPhone maps ap, I could see I was in the right area by about 8:00 AM. I stopped periodically to listen to the distinctive song of the vireos, but the only vireo I heard or saw was White-eyed. Since I was seeing lots of other birds, and conditions remained comfortable, I continued this process of biking and birding until about 10:00 AM, when I reached a radio(?) tower at a point where the levee road veers west. A short distance past the tower, a dip in the levee allows water to flow through, preventing me from continuing. Since I no longer had a cell phone signal, it wasn't until last night, when I looked at a DeLORME, that I determined that this spot was about 17 miles from Tamiami Trail, and in Broward County!
Here are the birds that I tallied along the way:
Wild Turkey (two females and three juveniles; a new species for the June Challenge)
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Common Moorhen
Limpkin (many heard)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay (heard)
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Common Yellowthroat (heard)
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
As I began my return trip, I realized that I had not carried with me anywhere near enough water for what was now a much longer trek than planned. In addition, skies had cleared to the point where the sun was a constant presence. Temperatures rose considerably and shady areas became hard to come by. Shortly after my water ran out completely, my legs began to cramp and my fingertips began to tingle, an indication that I hadn t been drinking enough water to begin with. I continued biking southward, resting occasionally, until the leg cramps reached the point where I couldn t bike anymore. At that point, I began walking, using the bike to support me. Considering the distance I still needed to go before reaching my car, I knew that without help, I was placing myself at great risk, so I decided to call 911. I was able to reach a dispatcher; though I could hear her, she couldn t hear me, so I was forced to press on until I could get a better signal. About 20 minutes later, my phone rang; it was my good friend Nancy Moreland! Nancy has had a lifetime of first aid training, so I knew she could get me the help I needed; I quickly explained my situation to her and gave her my location. Over the next two hours, Nancy worked feverishly to try to get someone out to me; because of my location near two other counties, there were jurisdictional issues that at various points involved rescue services in Miami-Dade, Collier and Broward counties, then eventually Everglades National Park Rescue.
Meanwhile, I pressed on, not knowing if help would ever come. About noon, a thunderstorm passed over me and I was soon drenched. This was actually a blessing, as it cooled me down and relieved the cramps a bit. My phone rang several times during the downpour, but only twice was I able to speak with anyone: first Nancy, to get an update on my condition, then one of the rescue services, who asked me to call 911 again so they could get a GPS position. I tried, but was not able to get through. After the thunderstorm cleared, it was back to a relentless sun and oppressive humidity, but I pressed on. At this point the cramps worsened and I began to think seriously about drinking from the mud puddles that had formed in the road. Shortly after 1:00 PM, I saw in the distance two pairs of headlights coming towards me; it was Everglades National Park Rescue! When they reached me, they sat me down on the ground and measured my vital signs. My blood pressure and pulse were at levels that suggested that I may or may not have made it back to my car, which according to rescue personnel was still a seven-mile walk away!
Because of my distance from the nearest hospital, protocol required that I be airlifted out. A helicopter soon arrived and I was loaded aboard; fluids were delivered intravenously. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the emergency room at Baptist Hospital where, with Nancy and her husband Bruce by my side, I patiently waiting for a doctor to examine me. I was finally released about 6:00 PM; Bruce and Nancy then took me back to the Levee 28 gate, where I retrieved my car. My bicycle is still with Everglades National Park Rescue; there was no room for it on the helicopter!
I tell this story because I m confident that I m not the first birder to make the mistake(s) that I did. The lessons learned are obvious and do not bear listing here. I only hope that all of you learn from my foolishness.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]