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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 15:48:45 10/31/10
Fourteen birders participated in Tropical Audubon Society's annual fall field trip to Shark Valley and Loop Road on Saturday, October 30, 2010. The birding was quite comfortable with low humidity, high blue skies and a light breeze.
Seventy species were seen including twelve (12) species of warblers including Orange-crowned, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated, Pine, Prairie, Palm, Black & White, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush and Common Yellowthroat.
Our meeting place was the abandoned airboat concession one mile north of Shark Valley. I arrived a half-hour early and watched a male Snail Kite hunt for Apple Snails and dine on them on the small Bald Cypress just across the Tamiami Canal. As birders began to arrive, the male disappeared, but a perched female gave us distant scope views. Two Limpkins also were seen and a flock of Lesser Yellowlegs flew overhead. A Merlin, Kildeer and Northern Flicker were also in the area.
At Shark Valley, Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawk, Great-crested Flycatcher, Carolina Wren, several warblers, including Orange-crowned, a flock of 20 Wilson Snipes and a flock of 15 Greater Yellowlegs with a single Lesser that flew overhead were highlights.
The tree canopy in the Pinecrest area of Loop Road was quiet until a mixed flock moved through, including Northern Parula, Black and White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and White-eyed Vireo. We were very fortunate that snail expert, Bob Pace, identified several of the color forms of Liguus fasciatus tree snails and the omnipresent Orthalicus floridanus tree snails that we located along the Loop.
When we exited the dirt road in Pincrest, Kevin Sarfield awaited our group and made us aware that a Melospiza species of sparrow and several Painted Buntings were in the area. We relocated both and after scope views of the sparrow feeding in the grasses along the side of the road, the consensus for identification was juvenile Lincoln Sparrow. Thanks Kevin for the great find.
We then birded the Rock Pinelands, heading west on the Loop, near Lucky Cole s place, and were treated to two un-banded Brown-headed Nuthatches, a flock of Pine Warblers, a Yellow-throated Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Downy Woodpecker. An all black Mangrove race of the Fox Squirrel, black morph Short-tailed Hawk and Wood Stork were also seen.
A stop at the campground south of the Loop added Pileated Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Male Snail Kites were seen feeding at the airboat launching areas just east of the entrance of Loop Road and at the S-334 South Florida Water Management District structure just west of the Miccosukee Casino on the Tamiami Trail (US 41).
Life is good............... when quaffing Shiner Bock, St. Paulie Girls Octoberfest and Negra Modelos to celebrate a great day of birding with good friends.
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