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Posted by Bill Boeringer on 13:01:31 01/15/11
As our neighborhood Screech Owl called outside my window, I decided last night to enjoy the weather and go down to ENP early this morning. I arrived before light, looking for nightjars along Research Rd., but the only birds I got were Great Horned Owl and Killdeer. At first light, I headed out to the missile base; near the curve I was rewarded with a White-tailed Kite perched in one of the small trees. Driving back towards the pinelands, I had Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Harrier, plus Palm and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellowthroat, and Northern Waterthrush.
I stopped at Gate 2A and walked the trail for a mile or so. There were numerous woodpeckers about, of 4 species (Red-bellied, Downy, Flicker, and Sapsucker). I saw 5 Yellow-bellied sapsuckers along the way. In addition, I had Eastern Towhee, Bobwhite (heard), Pine Warbler, and some flyover Brown-headed Nuthatches.
After that, I drove over to Gate 15 and walked to the mound (we need a name for this thing). On the way in I saw the usual waders, plus a flushed American Bittern, perched Peregrine Falcon, and Ring-necked Duck. Atop the mound were House Wrens and Savannah Sparrows, and scanning the ponds saw 30+Hooded Merganser, Green-winged Teal, and a heard Least Bittern.
On the far side of the big pond on the south side of the mound was a smaller white bird floating along but tough to get detail on, even with the scope. At first I thought it was a gull, but it was quite compact, and very light overall, and I then thought maybe it was a tern (a Gull-billed was reported, so I heard). When I got the scope on it, it just didn't look like a tern--it sat in the water very much like a gull. Fortunately, after a short while it took flight, and despite the tern-like flight, I saw the tail was rounded with a black line near the terminal end. As it got closer I got a bit more detail on the bird- this 1st winter BONAPARTE's GULL was a real surprise, as every one I've seen in Florida has been near the coast (although they do migrate through the interior, and nest in trees).
On the way back from the mound I saw another high-flying White-tailed Kite, the Peregrine (now aloft), and a dark morph Short-tailed Hawk. At my car, next to the gate, I had a calling Barred Owl.
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