Posted by Paul Bithorn on November 22, 2003 at 20:51:23:
I had the distinct pleasure of leading 24 birders on Tropical Audubon Society’s annual "Exotics" fieldtrip on Saturday, November 22, 2003. We met at 1:00 p.m. in the emergency parking lot of Baptist Hospital on Kendall Drive. The “Chamber of Commerce Weather” made our adventure that much more pleasurable.
While walking the grounds of Baptist Hospital we located Rock Pigeons, European Starlings, Monk Parakeets, a pair of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets and a surprising Peach-faced Lovebird. A light morph adult Short-tailed Hawk, a female Baltimore Oriole and Yellow-throated Warbler were also seen.
We proceeded to walk to the neighborhood directly across the street from Baptist Hospital (Pranty-pgs. 222 and 228) on Kendall Drive (S.W. 88 St.) and S.W. 87 Ave. We walked around several blocks across Kendall and added Hill Myna and Eurasian Collared Dove. Unfortunately, no Red-whiskered Bulbuls could be located. A Sharp-shinned Hawk soared above us.
We headed to Kenwood Elementary, hoping to find Bulbul and Spot-breasted Oriole, but came up empty. A flock of Mitred Parakeets flew over and a Blue-headed Vireo was in the hammock.
The Royal Palm Tennis Club on S.W. 98th Street was also Bulbuless but an albino Rock Pigeon and House Sparrows were at Mrs. Furshcott’s feeders.
Our final destination was the old Miller Drive Parrot Roost (Pranty-pg. 222 (map)and pg. 227). We drove the neighborhood with the windows down and found a few of the local colony of White-crowned Pigeons, but the first showstopper was four Chestnut-fronted Macaws gorging themselves on the fruit of the Cuban Royal Palm, while a pair of Common Mynas looked on. We soon thereafter located a pair of White-fronted and Lilac-crowned Parrots on some power-lines near the tennis courts on Miller Rd. A Mealy Parrot was spotted in an Australian Pine on the lake adjacent to the tennis courts. We continued to drive the neighborhood when we were startled by a flock of about 50 parrots flying overhead. We followed the flock to the corner of S.W. 64th Street and S.W. 62nd Avenue, where they landed on the power-lines and adjacent Australian Pines. Paydirt.....we had found the mother lode! The flock grew to 75 parrots, including, Red-crowned, White-fronted, Lilac-crowned, Orange-winged, Yellow-crowned and Yellow-Faced Parrots. Our exotics total finished at 16 species. Our group, which by now was down to 11 birders, grinned like a bunch of polecats amidst the cacophony of sound. Life is good..........….. sharing the spectacle of exotic birding with my fellow birders.