Posted by Brian Bockhahn on November 17, 2003 at 22:15:31:
Quick last minute trip to south Florida found the following. Sorry for the late post, I just got back (to NC)
Nov 12 - Flynn's - 1 Western Kingbird, 3 Loggerhead Shrike. Too windy to canoe out to Snake Bight, so I headed to Keys.
Nov 13 - Sugarloaf Key, 939 southern dead end - two Cape May Warblers and a quick Kingbird sp. flyover. Four miles down the road found a few warblers, Black & White, N. Parula, Prairie, Redstart, a GC Flycatcher and a flyover Jaeger sp., easterly winds. Key West parks virtually devoid of birds. Lakes by airport had some Blue-winged Teal.
Nov 14 - found Shiny Cowbird on Upper Mantecombe Key and Turtle Inn. 2 Western Kingbirds at Flynn's. Headed to ENP, attempted to canoe out to Snake Bight, but the 15 mph wind turned into 25+ when I rounded Christian Point and I couldn't paddle any further. Saw a total of 3 Great White Herons, 1 flyover in Florida Bay, 1 at Eco Pond posing for photos nicely, 1 at Mahogany Hammock access Road. Mzarek Pond had tons of Blue-winged Teal. Evening searcha around Eco Pond found no Nighthawk, but several Yellowthroats, Gray Catbirdand an immature Mourning Warbler.
Nov 15 - Key Biscayne, Crandon Park - found another immature Mourning Warbler and a Yellow-throated hanging out with two dozen Palms in the Crandon Gardens. I wont bother guessing the origin of the Fulvous Whistling Ducks and Sandhill Cranes. Huge flocks of Monk Parakeets in the park. Gave up on trying to find Baptist Hospital through the hoards of traffic. Settled on pedaling the Shark Valley loop, no Snail Kites though.
Total trip list was only 107 birds, 20 Butterflies (including nice pics of Atalas), 16 odonates, 7 herps, 4 mammals, it was mostly bird, drive, bird, drive, didn't even sleep much. And I'll have to challenge the Flamingo's at Snake Bigth to a rematch. How long would it take to get to them by canoe anwyay?