Posted by Paul Bithorn on February 08, 2004 at 10:52:45:
On Saturday, February 7, 2004, Kevin Sarsfield, Juan Villamil and I headed north to Indian River and Brevard Counties in search of year-birds and beer-birds.
Our first stop was Pelican Island America's first National Wildlife Refuge established by President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903. The Centennial Trail Boardwalk, with planks engraved chronologically with the most recently named National Wildlife Refuges to numero uno…….Pelican Island, led us to the viewing platform. We could not relocate the Brants but enjoyed American Oystercatchers, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier, Parula Warbler and Swamp Sparrow.
Sebastian Inlet State Park had a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull and we soon headed north along A1A to Jetty Park. We spotted several Northern Gannets over top of the Dunes in a feeding frenzy, spearing into the baitfish-filled waters. We pulled over and scoped the waters finding two birds that piqued our interest about 300 yards out. They were gull-sized, with Northern Gannets and Brown Pelicans loafing in the water nearby for good size comparison. One bird was all-dark and the second bird had a dark cap and breast band. The tail projection on the lighter bird was Ruddy Duck-like, projecting beyond the primaries. The small-headed appearance led us to believe they were Parasitic Jaegers, an adult and a juvenile.
Arriving at Jetty Park, we bumped into John Ault from Lake City and old friend and former Miami-Dade County birder, Steve Gross with neighbor Steve Backes from Valrico on the west coast. Before long, Ron Smith and family joined in the search for the white-winged visitor’s from the north. The Glaucous and Iceland Gulls had not been seen so we headed off to Merritt Island N.W.R. but not before seeing Bryant Roberts, Patti Orr, et al. in the parking lot, there to join in the search. I hope the birds turned up for our birding faithful.
Kudos to Phyllis Mansfield and the rehab center for helping the juvenile Glaucous Gull along on its road to recovery. I was present last Saturday when she very calmly placed a blanket over the weakened gull and placed it in a large box. Rehabbers are the salt of the earth.
Along the drive north we stopped at a roadside park in Titusville to check out a pair of Mallards in the Indian River. When we approached they swam away from us and appeared to be non-feral.
Once indide the refuge, Pump-house Road was our first stop. After scoping both ponds, we located a large brown bird with head tucked in amongst the Ring-billed Gulls, which turned out to be the Long-billed Curlew. Black Point Trail held nine species of duck but the highlights were American Avocets feeding in unison in the shallow waters next to the road and a Clapper Rail that offered great looks feeding under some small Red Mangroves before running back to its roost at civil twilight.
The rail capped off another “Century Day” with exactly 100 species seen. Porky’s BBQ in Titusville slaked both our appetites and thirst as we celebrated a great day of birding and seeing old friends. Life is good...................
Paul Bithorn
pblifeisgood@hotmail.com
pbithorn@plumbers519.com
Virginia Gardens, Florida
Miami-Dade County