Re: TAS Key Largo Trip 5/16/04

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: Correction: : Before too many people notice and come racing down to the Homestead Racetrack, I put Northern Shrike in my Key Largo Report and of course meant Loggerhead Shrike. : So Sorry. : Joe Barros : : The TAS Key Largo bird walk this past weekend was again well attended and successful. Anytime you can attract two-thirds of the “Life is Good” Bird-a-thon team you can expect many birds followed by cold beers. : : Common Myna, Starlings, House Sparrows, Boat-tailed and Common Grackles greeted us bright and early at the Florida City BK Lounge. : : Along Card Sound Road and the causeway Magnificent Frigate birds, Pelican, Double-crested Cormorants, WHITE-CROWNED PIGEONS, and Northern Mockingbirds were seen. : : The wind kept the Prairie warblers and Cuban yellow warblers quiet and out of site at Alabama Jacks Except for a lone AMERICAN REDSTART. : : Further down at Dagney Johnson North Key Largo Botanical Site BLACKPOLL, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, COMMON YELLOW-THROAT WARBLERS were seen along the trail as were multiple, White-eyed and BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS. Also seen were Green Heron, Least Tern, GRAY KINGBIRD, and Northern Cardinals. : : The highlight of the trip for many was a pair of MANGROVE CUCKOOS that called, flew back and forth over the trail, and exhibited courtship behavior. Yellow-billed Cuckoos were also heard calling at the park entrance. : : A quick run to John Pennekamp State Park to check for the previously reported Bahama Mockingbird came up empty. So we headed over to the Buzzard’s Roost for some not-so-empty mugs of black and tans and delicious dolphin sandwiches to quench our thirst and appetite. : : Later some went to the Homestead race track and found numerous Black-necked Stilts and Black-bellied Plovers in breeding plumage. Also seen there were Northern Shrikes and Common Nighthawks. : : Also Seen: : : Great White Heron : : Great Egret : : Cattle Egret : : White Ibis : : Laughing Gull : : Rock Pigeon : : Eurasian Collard Dove : : Mourning Dove : : Red-bellied Woodpecker : : Great Crested Flycatcher : : Blue Jay : : Red-winged Blackbird : : The Key Largo walk is the last of a very successful series of bird walks, nature walks, slough slogs, bike trips, carpool trips and van trips presented by Tropical Audubon Society. Our calendar begins in late August and continues almost every weekend through mid May and the trips reach the panhandle to Key West and the Tortugas. If you were to have attended each trip you would have had the opportunity to have seen well over 220 species of birds. Check out next year’s calendar at tropicalaudubon.org. : : Thank you to Brian Rapoza and all the dedicated Tropical Audubon Society Trip Leaders. : : Joe : : P.S. We also have a snorkeling trip coming up this weekend 5/22/2004.

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