Posted by Bryant Roberts on May 08, 2004 at 17:17:15:
This Friday Russell MacGregor got a call from visiting Virginia birders Larry Lynch and Lauren
Scott who reported seeing fledgling Smooth-billed Anis at the Airport Greenbelt Park. After
visiting the park and confirming that there were five recently fledged Anis at the park being cared
for by at least four adults Russell sent out some emails.
At around noon today (5/8) Mark Berney and I met Russell to locate the Fledgling
Anis he had seen yesterday. We found all five alive and well being
tended by about four adults on the north side of the Perimeter
Road just north of the park. The young Anis were great fun to watch as they clambered
up the chain-link fence begging food from the adults then flying
back down to the Coco Plum hedge or the ground, then climbing
back up the fence to repeat the process. It's a little scary to see such
young birds within a few feet of a busy road, hope they all make it and are not endangered in any
way by the actions of birders. The repeated and unnecessary use of tapes on this Ani flock at
about this time last year was an important factor in my decision to cut back on routine local
birding reports to this and other internet groups.
The Airport Greenbelt Park is located on the north side of Griffin Road between I-95 and US 1 on
the south side of Ft. Lauderdale International Airport.