Posted by Bill Boeringer on May 10, 2004 at 13:19:32:
The day started early, as I headed to the Shark Valley area to hear the first birds of the day. Not very much chorus, though, although a singing Chuck-will's-widow was nice. Once the light came up a bit, I went to the kite area, but was stunned by only a single Snail Kite! Moving farther along the north side, I found one more hunting kite before the big curve, plus calling Limpkin. Waders were in fairly good numbers, and I was surprised to have a pair of Mottled Ducks cruise by.
Along 41 to the Collier line was a bust at all the turn-outs--no titmice or gnatcatchers.
At Monroe Station, I headed onto Loop Road. There were no real surprises on the Collier portion, and no migrants save for a single Northern Waterthrush. A stop at last year?s Prothonotary spot was fruitless.
I arrived at Sweetwater Slough about 0910, and spent the next several hours there. Water levels were about perfect; and there were more waders than normal in the slough, including an improbable Great White Heron. Within minutes of scanning the nesting area of the Prothonotary Warbler from a couple of years ago, a beautiful male ?golden swamp-bird? popped into view! After a few minutes, perhaps concerned I hadn?t seen him, he flew right at me, passing within a foot at eye level, alit on a tree on the south side, and burst into song. A second bird answered with some chips from the north side, although I never saw this 2d bird?perhaps it was on/near the nest...
While taking a couple of pictures of the warbler, the ?usual? Red-eyed Vireo began calling from the same portion of the slough that?s been its site for several years. Parulas were calling everywhere, as were Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers (on the course of the day, Pileateds were very vocal and active). As I meandered up and down the road (½ to 1 mile each way) I had Blackpolls, Redstarts, a calling (then seen) Yellow-billed Cuckoo, several Barred Owls (including one booming its call from about 20 yards away?talk about reverberation in that closed area!), plus the expected species.
Moving down the road brought more of the usual road species?White-eyed Vireos and Great Crested Flycatchers, Tufted Titmice, Parulas, and gnatcatchers. At one culvert stop, I found and was able to observe the nest of a Northern Parula, hidden away in the spanish moss dangling roadside. Blackpolls were also found occasionally in the roadside brush.
Loop Road Hammock Trail was devoid of activity other than 3 Pileateds, and a sunning Brown Water Snake.
The pine highlands echoed with the sound of gunfire, and neither Bluebirds nor Pine Warblers could be located. At the campground, I had Swallow-tailed Kite and 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
A gnatcatcher just over the Dade line was the only one in Dade for the day. Back on 41, rechecks of the kite areas produced no additional sightings. Shark Valley was deadly quiet, although it was 3 in the afternoon.
As I got back to Kendall at about 5pm, I birded south to 167 Avenue, and picked up Common Myna and house Sparrows at Publix (plus a Mother?s Day card for Lissette....)
I ended the day in my yard, picking up some additional Dade species?Spot-breasted Oriole, Hill Myna, Chimney Swift, Loggerhead Shrike, Fish Crow, White-winged, Black-hooded, and Monk Parakeets. It was then off to dinner, where the day was washed away by some icy Sapporo Drafts.
THE LIST: DADE
Double-crested Cormorant 33
Anhinga 7
Great Blue Heron 13
Great Egret 16
Snowy Egret 11
Little Blue Heron 4
Tricolored Heron 14
Cattle Egret 3
Green Heron 17
White Ibis 18
Glossy Ibis 1
Black Vulture 16
Turkey Vulture 10
Mottled Duck 2
Osprey 1
Snail Kite 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Common Moorhen 6
Purple Gallinule 1
Limpkin 1
Rock Pigeon 4
Eurasian Collared-Dove 10
Mourning Dove 4
Common Nighthawk 3
Chuck-wills-widow 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
White-eyed Vireo 17
Purple Martin 6
American Crow 5
Carolina Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 18
Common Yellowthroat 4
Northern Cardinal 23
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Boat-tailed Grackle 199
Common Grackle 12
House Sparrow 8
Common Myna 3
THE LIST: MONROE
Anhinga 8
Great Blue Heron 2 (incl. 1 GWH)
Great Egret 16
Snowy Egret 11
Little Blue Heron 3
Tricolored Heron 6
Green Heron 2
White Ibis 20
Wood Stork 3
Black Vulture 12
Turkey Vulture 11
Swallow-tailed Kite 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Common Moorhen 1
Killdeer 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5
Barred owl 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 17
Downy Woodpecker 9
Pileated Woodpecker 9
Northern Flicker 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 30
White-eyed Vireo 41
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Purple Martin 2
American Crow 14
Carolina Wren 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7
Tufted Titmouse 5
European Starling 1
Northern Parula 11 (nest found)
Blackpoll Warbler 12
American Redstart 5
Prothonotary Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 2
Northern Cardinal 23
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Boat-tailed Grackle 2
Common Grackle 62