Posted by Paul on January 08, 2004 at 07:11:25:
Like clockwork the Vermilion Flycatcher appeared as we drove into the Dade GreenPark area. But this time it was in the frequent company of another bird that it seemed to tolerate more than it did the myriad of sparrows. We dismissed it as "just an eastern phoebe" because we were riveted to the antics of the male flycatcher. But then it occured to us that maybe this was a female? Is that possible? Anyone else witnes this interaction?
The water table is dropping in the Park and more birds are congregating in the ponds and pools. The teals still steal the show at Mzarek and now are comfortable to about thirty feet from shoreline. The alligator lolls about pretending it is a log still to no apparent success. But there must be some luck as it seems to hang there.
Flamingo is "all cleaned up" by the shore line by the movie screen. The maintenance people reported that the clamor was too great so they are bearing down on messing the place up. We are all encouraged to report people that are letting dogs run loose, throw trash around, and especially put out multiple fishing rods and leave them unattended.
The osprey is "brooding" her eggs on the mechanics of the boat lift. A fifteen foot croc is drifting by the canoe launch...not particular, it will take people or osprey. The parking lot osprey nest is defending but no eggs yet. And the nest by the cabins seems to be more for show than effort. We watched it for over an hour and the pair only visited to "eat" their catch.
Three white-morphs-of-the-Great-Blue-also-known-as-Great White-Heron-previosuly-known-as.....who cares, a very stately bird, were around eco-pond, the cabins, and one off shore. Ibis are back to eco-pond in great numbers but we sure do miss those white eyed vireos that used to hang in the Brazillian pepper trees, now eradicated. Oh well, the price we pay!
Wood storks are along the highway three miles past Pahayokee and glossy ibis are there too. We also saw great numbers of them at very high altitude in kettles of vultures/buzzards.
Small "lgbs" all around the Vermilion moving in and out too quickly for me to ident. PaulB, Paul L where are you when we need you? For the time being we just have to photograh them and id later. It is very active though around the pump station.
Harriers plentiful around the research center (probably the same one over and over). Red shoulder hawks were literally "doing their thing" in the tree branch by the fish cleaning shed at Flamingo. Our sense of decency prevented us from photographing those birds. We look for a nest soon in the vicinity. Last year they nested in the mahogany tree south of the basin next to the asphalt driveway.
Royal Palm was filled with students from many colleges and it was a thrill seeing their interest in the flora and fauna. Some were very good artists and were sketching the birds, trees, etc.
The weather was 68, with a slight breeze and the widely scattered cloud cover.
Just another boring, ho hum day in the glades!