Posted by Vince on March 22, 2004 at 17:45:54:
All:
I had the distinct pleasure of leading the 2004 "Century Run" for the Naples Bird Club yesterday, 03/21/04. This annual event was my idea, originating in 2001. Essentially, a group of us tries to find 100 birds (a "century") in one day, all in Collier County. I am glad to say that we broke the all-time record set by us last year with 121 ABA countable species!
We started out at 7:15AM at the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk on the Tamiami Trail. Across the highway from the parking lot we found Ovenbird, House Wren, FOTS Barn Swallow and many other common passerines. The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk yielded some nice additions to our day list including a flock of a dozen or more Cedar Waxwings (where were they all winter?); Magnolia, Black-and White, Prairie, Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Warblers; FOTS Red-eyed Vireo which continually sang not 30 feet from us but yet failed to reveal itself; Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos; Swallow-tailed Kite, Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers among others. Right off of the boardwalk, a Cottonmouth slowly devouring a frog was an interesting sighting as well. A few Ruddy Daggerwings were also nice to see.
We then motored east along US Rte. 41 toward Carnestown where we found a bonanza of birds on the freshwater "ponds" on the southside of the highway. Included in the many waders and shorebirds seen here were several Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowithchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin, and a group of 30 or more Black-necked Stilts. Several American White Pelicans, American Coot, Blue-winged Teal and a flyby Northern Harrier were also noted.
Afterward, we headed north on S.R. 29 to Sunnyland and turned east on C.R. 858 toward the Collier/Hendry County line. We stopped several times to watch graceful Northern Rough-winged and Tree Swallows hawk for insects or perch on telephone lines. At one location, the air was perfumed by the scent of orangle blossoms and the melodious song of Eastern Meadowlarks serenaded us as a Sandhill Crane family with chick showed itself to the group. Some of our group were lucky enough to see a Crested Caracara. About a mile or so from the point where C.R. 858 makes the sharp right-angled turn north (near the Hendry County Correctional Facility) we hit paydirt with a small group of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks which I have seen here in the past. This is one of a few locations left in the county where one can see these ducks. There were also many Glossy and White Ibis here along with several Mottled Ducks. The canal held a few Common Moorhens and Pied-billed Grebes but the hoped-for juvenile Purple Gallinule that I've previously seen here was a no-show. Perhaps the 10-foot long alligator that shared the same territory with it, ate the bird?
At the aforementioned location near the Hendry County Correctional Facility, we readily found the Western Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that have been there all winter. We were careful not to venture out on Wainwright Rd. that runs in front of the prison grounds lest we risk the ire of the prison guards for "tresspassing" on this otherwise "public" road. A huge beehive (honeybees? Africanized "Killer Bees"?) under a Smilax tangle near a telephone pole was fascinating to watch. Their "buzzing" was audible from several hundred feet away.
We then headed north on C.R. 858 to Immokalee Rd. (C.R. 846) and headed back west through Immokalee. We found a hen Wild Turkey along this road trying her darndest to hide in some wetland vegetation. She finally gave up and simply meandered away allowing great looks by everyone in the group. The hoped-for Solitary Sandpiper at the Immokalee Ranch was a no-show but was replaced by a Greater Yellowlegs instead. Along this same road, we saw a family of feral pigs and a few White-tailed Deer. A few members of our party saw a Purple Gallinule along this road.
Further along, east of Corkscrew Sanctuary, we saw a strange sight. Apparently, one of the ag-growers had too many tomatoes or perhaps they were diseased or something (who knows)? Anyway, in a field along the highway, there were huge piles of tomatoes rotting in the afternoon sun. Literally, there were thousands of Cattle, Great and Snowy Egrets as well as herons, etc. around these tomato piles. Apparently, they were attracted to the flies and other insects coming to the piles. Here were also had several Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks and the only Killdeer for the day. All-in-all, this was a surreal scene! We all got to see a Limpkin atop a Carolina Willow along a small waterway as we neared Corkscrew Sanctuary.
Our group arrived at Corkscrew Sanctuary after 1:00PM. We ate our lunch at the picnic area and then did the boardwalk. The butterfly garden had a solo Malachite (butterfly) nectaring on a Tropical Milkweed. Best birds at Corkscrew Sanctuary were a very co-operative Ovenbird at the Visitor Center feeders, the Summer Tanager (that has wintered there), several banshee-screaming Limpkins (most readily viewed), a fleeting glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler, male American Redstart, several Black-and-white warblers, numerous Northern Parulas, a few heard Pine Warblers, Pileated Woodpecker and a very co-operative Swamp Sparrow. We could not wait for the hoped-for Painted and Indigo Buntings to come to the feeders and had to settle for American Goldfinches as a consolation prize instead. A few Swallow-tailed Kites graced us with their presence as did a few Wood Storks, which, like last year, have mostly abandoned their nests yet again this year, due to high water levels at Corkscrew Sanctuary.
At this point, it was after 3:00PM and we still hadn't gone to Tigertail Beach or any of the other coastal areas. We made one final stop at the Collier county Agricutural Co-op to see the Purple Martins hawking insects above their "condos". It was after 4:00PM before we actually arrived at Tigertail due to backed-up traffic on C.R. 951 leading into Marco. I swear that that island is going to sink into the Gulf of Mexico one day with all of the people and development that abounds there! On Hernando Drive, on the way to Tigertail Beach, we had a pair of Burrowing Owls perched on the stakes that marked their roped-off "territory", right next to the Coldwell Banker "For Sale" sign. . . .
Tigertail Beach was fantastic despite the strong offshore 20+mph winds. Right offshore in the Gulf, we had numerous Northern Gannets (mostly juveniles) "divebombing". These birds are migrating north along the Gulf. We also saw at least one Magnificent Frigatebird "out there". We had FOTS Least Terns at Tigertail. I believe that this is the earliest that they have arrived there but I am not 100% certain. Shorebirds were numerous and easy to see. We saw all of the expected shorebirds including all of the plovers except Killdeer as well as a few Marbled Godwits, Red Knots, Western Sandpipers and Dunlin, etc. Uncommon were the 7 Black-necked Stilts on the lagoon which I have seen previously at Tigertail and a "Western" Willet. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was in among the many, many Royal Terns, Black Skimmers and gulls (mostly Ring-billed and Laughing as can be expected with a few Herring Gulls added for good measure) about one mile north up the beach. There were also a nice representation of Forster's Terns and two Caspian Terns present but no Sandwich Terns. Several American Oystercatchers were nice to see as well.
As it was getting dark, I tallied the day's birding effort. We had 119 species, tying last year's number! We still hadn't visited Mackle Park, Brigg's Nature Center, Fritchey Road Wetlands, the Rose-ringed Parakeet Staging Area, Eagle Lakes Community Park or the North Naples Wastewater Treatment Plant. What to do? Obviously, we had to make a very quick decision. I opted to take the remaining die-hard birders (most had dropped out earlier) to Shell Island Road and Brigg's Nature Center. With luck, we could still add Florida Scrub-Jay, Eastern Towhee and Chuck-will's-widow to our list of birds seen. We dipped on the scrub-jays (which are not doing all that well at Briggs) but we did hear calling Eastern Towhees and Chucks, thus bringing our total to a respectful 121 species and a new Century Run record for the day!
Big misses: Eastern Phoebe, Common Ground-Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and most expected duck species such as Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, and Ruddy Duck. I think that next year, given better planning, 130+ species is possible for the Century Run.
I'd like to thank all who were involved in making this year's Collier County Century Run a successful one!
Anyone wanting a complete list of the birds we saw may contact me offline.
Cheers.
Vincent Lucas
Naples