Posted by Paul Bithorn on January 10, 2004 at 23:47:03:
The Tropical Audubon Society Fieldtrip to Everglades National Park on Saturday, January 10, 2004 started out a little slow as a cold front moved in and the high winds and overcast skies kept the passerines at bay.Fortunately, the weather cleared up around noontime and we ultimately ended up with a respectable 15 warbler species, including Orange-crowned, Northern
Parula, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated, Pine, Prairie, Palm, Black and White, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-breasted Chat.
A quick drive by Flynn’s before the walk produced Western Kingbirds and Northern Flickers.
Our first stop was the Greenway, just outside the park, where the male Vermilion Flycatcher was glowing on a fence rail, much to our delight.
The highlights at Lucky Hammock and the Annex were Purple Gallinule, Sandhill Crane American Pipit, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orange-crowned Warbler,
Grasshopper Sparrow and Painted Bunting.
A King Rail was heard at Taylor Slough and a Great White Heron stood alongside a Great Egret for excellent comparison. Anhinga Trail had two Least Bitterns, Yellow-crowned Night Herons and a Northern Waterthrush. Research Center Road produced “raptormania” with a dark morph Swainson’s
Hawk, a dark and light morph Short-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northen Harrier and a Cooper’s Hawk. Paurotis Pond had White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks. Nine-mile Pond had a juvenile Bald Eagle and Caspian Tern. The West Lake boardwalk had several of the aforementioned warbler species. Mrazek Pond had Black-crowned Night Heron, Blue-winged and
Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail.
Two menacing American Crocodiles were quite a spectacle for our group including birders that hailed from Virginia, Massachusetts and Idaho, as they basked in the sun (the crocs not the birders) on the wrip-wrap on the lock at the Flamingo Marina.
Eco Pond had Purple Gallinule, a calling Sora and Least Bittern, Glossy Ibis, an adult Bald Eagle and an Alligator with an Opossum tail hanging from
his jaws, but the showstopper was (8) Lesser Nighthawks giving us close-up views of their moth-like flight during civil twilight.
We had 89 (by my count) species for the day. Life is
good..............................