Special TAS Trip to STA-5

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Posted by John Boyd on 08:16:13 05/24/04

As Brian Rapoza had posted previously, he had made arrangements with S. Florida Water Management District's Kathy Malone to tour STA-5 on Sunday. This area is normally off-limits to the public, but SFWMD is willing to arrange a limited number of visits through local birding groups. We expect to visit the area again on TAS's trip to West Palm Beach on August 28.

Migrant birds were conspicuously absent yesterday, but we still managed to rack up 70 species for the day. We assembled at 6am at the Doc Thomas House, and then drove to the Miccosukee rest stop on Alligator Alley where we met the rest of our group. A Mourning Dove that was missing its central tail feathers prompted comments about a "Fork-tailed Dove".

We headed up Government (Snake) Road, finding a regal Crested Caracara, a Great Horned Owl sitting on a wire, Eastern Kingbird, Northern Bobwhite calling from a fencepost, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, soaring Swallow-tailed Kites, and many of the usual Government Road birds.

Burrowing Owls were seen by some on the way to STA-5. We arrived at STA-5 at about 9am. We were surprised to find some female Ring-necked Ducks as well as the expected Mottled Duck and Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks. As we walked out the dike, surrounded by Moorhens and Black-necked Stilts, we found a pair of Least Bitterns. Further out a Purple Gallinule was seen by some. A walk on a cross dike turned up a female Wood Duck!

By then, it was time for lunch, so we headed to Sonny's in Clewiston. A couple of us spotted a very confusing Snail Kite soaring high overhead from the parking lot. After lunch we made a brief stop at Lake Okeechobee to look unsuccessfully for Limpkin. We had to settle for Caspian Tern, Purple Gallinule, and a perched Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

We had more success looking for Barn Owl along the Miami Canal, finding 3 or 4. The trip was a big success for Felipe, who got double-digit lifers.

After the trip, Susan Schneider and I got to see Felipe's Eastern Screech-Owl when we dropped off at his house.

The trip list follows:

Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Wood Duck
Mottled Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite
Snail Kite
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
Northern Bobwhite
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Laughing Gull
Caspian Tern
Least Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Common Barn-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Sparrow

Follow Ups:

Re: Special TAS Trip to STA-5 - Brian Rapoza 16:51:52 05/24/04 (4)
- Hehe, ik dacht ook meteen aan dat beetje invloed op - Dedicated Server 12:48:20 09/09/04 (0)
- die Reet is anders een gemene man... - Buy Home Hobby Narod Ru 00:38:05 08/08/04 (0)
- What?, don't they know who we are? - Rhematoid Arthritis 22:34:04 07/25/04 (0)
- Re: Special TAS Trip to STA-5 - Bryant Roberts 19:44:21 05/25/04 (0)

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Comments:	: As Brian Rapoza had posted previously, he had made arrangements with S. Florida Water Management District's Kathy Malone to tour STA-5 on Sunday. This area is normally <b>off-limits to the public</b>, but SFWMD is willing to arrange a limited number of visits through local birding groups. We expect to visit the area again on TAS's trip to West Palm Beach on August 28. : : Migrant birds were conspicuously absent yesterday, but we still managed to rack up 70 species for the day. We assembled at 6am at the Doc Thomas House, and then drove to the Miccosukee rest stop on Alligator Alley where we met the rest of our group. A Mourning Dove that was missing its central tail feathers prompted comments about a "Fork-tailed Dove". : : We headed up Government (Snake) Road, finding a regal Crested Caracara, a Great Horned Owl sitting on a wire, Eastern Kingbird, Northern Bobwhite calling from a fencepost, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, soaring Swallow-tailed Kites, and many of the usual Government Road birds. : : Burrowing Owls were seen by some on the way to STA-5. We arrived at STA-5 at about 9am. We were surprised to find some female Ring-necked Ducks as well as the expected Mottled Duck and Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks. As we walked out the dike, surrounded by Moorhens and Black-necked Stilts, we found a pair of Least Bitterns. Further out a Purple Gallinule was seen by some. A walk on a cross dike turned up a female Wood Duck! : : By then, it was time for lunch, so we headed to Sonny's in Clewiston. A couple of us spotted a very confusing Snail Kite soaring high overhead from the parking lot. After lunch we made a brief stop at Lake Okeechobee to look unsuccessfully for Limpkin. We had to settle for Caspian Tern, Purple Gallinule, and a perched Northern Rough-winged Swallow. : : We had more success looking for Barn Owl along the Miami Canal, finding 3 or 4. The trip was a big success for Felipe, who got double-digit lifers. : : After the trip, Susan Schneider and I got to see Felipe's Eastern Screech-Owl when we dropped off at his house. : : The trip list follows: : : Pied-billed Grebe : Double-crested Cormorant : Anhinga : Least Bittern : Great Blue Heron : Great Egret : Snowy Egret : Little Blue Heron : Tricolored Heron : Cattle Egret : Green Heron : Black-crowned Night-Heron : White Ibis : Glossy Ibis : Roseate Spoonbill : Wood Stork : Black Vulture : Turkey Vulture : Black-bellied Whistling-Duck : Fulvous Whistling-Duck : Wood Duck : Mottled Duck : Ring-necked Duck : Osprey : Swallow-tailed Kite : Snail Kite : Red-shouldered Hawk : Crested Caracara : Northern Bobwhite : Purple Gallinule : Common Moorhen : American Coot : Killdeer : Black-necked Stilt : Laughing Gull : Caspian Tern : Least Tern : Rock Pigeon : Eurasian Collared-Dove : Mourning Dove : Common Ground-Dove : Common Barn-Owl : Great Horned Owl : Burrowing Owl : Common Nighthawk : Chimney Swift : Red-bellied Woodpecker : Downy Woodpecker : Great Crested Flycatcher : Eastern Kingbird : Loggerhead Shrike : White-eyed Vireo : Blue Jay : American Crow : Fish Crow : Purple Martin : Northern Rough-winged Swallow : Barn Swallow : Carolina Wren : Blue-gray Gnatcatcher : Northern Mockingbird : European Starling : Common Yellowthroat : Eastern Towhee : Northern Cardinal : Red-winged Blackbird : Eastern Meadowlark : Common Grackle : Boat-tailed Grackle : House Sparrow
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