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Posted by John Boyd on 16:11:22 02/06/11
Roughly 25 birders joined me to bird various location in south Dade yesterday.
We met at the Burger King in Florida City. Besides coffee, the Common Mynas were the big attraction there. Our first major stop was Lucky Hammock. Some of the group spotted a Peregrine nearby. The hammock was fairly quiet as we walked around it and did not yield anything unexpected. We went out into the field were we found Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows. A Northern Harrier sat in the fields as a good number of Tree Swallows swirled overhead. Several American Kestrels were also present and a Sharp-shinned Hawk made a flyby. As we returned to the hammock we heard the Brown-crested Flycatcher calling. Eventually it came close and I think everyone got at least a brief look.
We then tried the Annex. There's a short detour due to construction, but it's still possible to get there. Unfortunately, it was very quiet. After returning to the cars, we drove over to Coe Visitor's Center. It too had little new, and we headed up 217th Avenue. A short visit at 312th St. added Loggerhead Shrike and a gray Harrier, but no flycatchers.
Things started to look up a little at the Homestead Airport, where a Burrowing Owl was very cooperative. We did have to move quickly at one point to get away from some rampaging fire ants.
Castellow Hammock was the next stop. We spotted one of the (presumed) Rufous Hummingbirds as well as several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. An Ovenbird worked the overgrown areas near the feeders. A couple of White-winged Doves were also present. After birding the area, we ate our lunch. A couple of the group spotted some more warblers just before we left.
I hadn't previously included Bill Sadowski Park on the S. Dade itinerary, but the recent reports from there prompted a change. A Magnificent Frigatebird soaring way overhead was a surprise. We found a warbler flock that included 3 species of vireo (Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and White-eyed) and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but we did not find any of the more interesting birds that have been seen lately. A flock of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets flew over before we left for Cutler Wetlands.
We boosted our species totals at Cutler Wetlands, adding 4 ducks (Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mottled Duck), most of the herons, egrets and ibises, and a few shorebirds. Then it was on to Dump Marsh where a young Bald Eagle was the highlight, although it was also nice to see the big flock of White Ibis fly in and out.
Our group total was at least 87 species for the trip. Hard to believe it was a slow day.
Muscovy Duck
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
Magnificent Frigatebird
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Monk Parakeet
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Burrowing Owl
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Common Myna
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Myrtle Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow
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