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Posted by Bryant Roberts on 19:35:07 11/27/10
A stop at Lucky Hammock on my way to Everglades National Park Thanksgiving morning turned up four Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and a Western Kingbird in the field northwest of the hammock along with the Crested Caracara that has been in the area for the last few weeks. A flyover Peregrine Falcon, Black-throated Green, and Magnolia Warbler were the most interesting birds found farther down the road at the annex. A couple of Short-tailed Hawks were the best birds seen in the Royal Palm Hammock and Research Road areas and little out of the ordinary was seen at Long Pine Key, Mahogany Hammock, and Paurotis Pond. Things got more interesting at the pavilion at West Lake where the flock of several hundred Coots, a couple of hundred Northern Shovelers, a hundred American Widgeon, twenty Blue-winged Teal, ten Ring-necked Ducks, four Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Ducks, two Redheads, a Gadwall and Northern Pintail made up one of the largest and most diverse waterfowl flocks I can remember seeing in South Florida. The day finished off with about six Lesser Nighthawk flying over Eco Pond at Dusk.
Friday morning started off with Cape May Warblers in the Flamingo Campground and a Yellow-breasted Chat calling from beneath the Moonvines at Eco Pond. A stop at the Visitor Center area turned up three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and a Western Kingbird across the road from the old Lodge area. A hike down Bear Lake Road and Bear Lake Trail started off with a late Yellow-billed Cuckoo near the highway but the most interesting birds seen on the rest of the walk were about a dozen White-crowned Pigeons, several Northern Waterthrushes, and a Wormeating Warbler.
My Saturday morning project was a check of the Sparrow Fields north of the Coastal Prairie Trail. The most interesting area was the western end where I found about ten Nelson s Sparrows along with a few Marsh and Sedge Wrens. Two or three Black Rails were heard calling in the southwest part of the fields west of the three large Black Mangroves. The trip finished with a Swainson s Hawk soaring over Lucky Hammock as I was heading home this afternoon.
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