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Posted by Vincent Lucas on 16:35:32 04/02/11
I decided to go down to the Big Cypress National Preserve today to see what migrants had arrived and to try to add to my Collier County Big Year (CCBY). I managed to find three new birds for my CCBY list, bringing the total to 184. I tried futilely once again for King Rail along appropriate habitat sites on US Rte. 41 aka Tamiami Trail. Looks like King Rail is going to be another jinx bird for me. Next, I went down the Collier County portion of Loop Rd. from Monroe Station all the way to Sweetwater Strand. The road has been graded and is easily driven in any vehicle! However, they are still working on putting in new culverts as evidenced by the massive dump trucks that were coming toward me from the opposite direction. It is incredibly dry everywhere and Sweetwater Strand, like many other places, is nearly devoid of water. Still, there is a large 'mud puddle' replete with a single resident gator at approximately 3.1 miles from the Monroe Road turn-off from US Rte. 41 heading south on Loop Rd. or .9 miles from the "Last Chance To Turn Around" sign on Loop Rd.. There, I found a pair of FOTS Prothonotary Warblers (CCBY #182). I believe that they breed at this site as they are there well into June. Other warblers seen at this location were Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula and Palm Warbler. Other birds present were Great Crested Flycatcher, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle, Gray Catbird, Carolina Wren and other common species. However, a Barred Owl with a 'gimpy' eye posed nicely for photos. Heading back toward the Kirby Storter Boardwalk on US Rte. 41, I found a FOTS Eastern Kingbird (#183 in a beautifully restored/burned over grassland at MM65. I even got to photograph it. Kirby Storter had the usual birds but Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler & Common Yellowthroat were new for the day. Blue-headed and White-eyed Vireo were also new birds for the day but the hoped for Red-eyed Vireo didn't materialize. The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve yielded a male American Redstart and more of the same species already encountered. My last stop was Marco Island and Tigertail Beach. I had heard that the Least Terns were back and I readily found them (#184 for my CCBY). I also photographed a Burrowing Owl on one of the side streets on Marco Island. All in all, a beautiful day in SW Florida with some great birds. I sure hope we have a good migration this spring! You can see a few of today's photos here;
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=110150&id=1452300618&l=e9a26c9e27
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