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Posted by Scott Atkinson on 20:38:58 06/07/04
To Tropical Audoboners and those in search of s. FL specialties out there:
This report augments an earlier one I sent today on exotics/psittacids (Tropical Audodon site). This one focuses on natives, in particular the notable species from a May 30-June 6 trip, along with some site notes at the end. I had 118 species over the period, although this was ostensibly a (non-birding) family vacation that began in Orlando and concluded in the Keys/Miami. Still, I had mornings and usually eves also, and was focused on key south and central FL specialties. So much more could be written here but I'll try to keep it to just the hot stuff:
1. RED-FOOTED BOOBY--single imm. brown morph on Hospital Key June 4. This bird looked like the one that Larry Manfredi posted photos of about two months ago. A very probable second bird (white morph adult) was also in the company of Masked Boobies, but as it was on the water off the key, its legs were not visible. Still, viewing through the scope from Fort Jefferson, I picked up reddish tones at the lores and base of gray bill, and noted smaller size than Maskeds.
2. BROWN BOOBY--two flew from channel marker about midway between Key West and the Dry Tortugas, completing a 3-booby day June 4. I also had two white booby, sp. far off near here.
3. SNAIL KITE--6 (2 males, 4 females) seen at one time from Water Conservation Area 2B along edge of Markham County Park in Ft. Lauderdale, June 3. Very accomodating birds; after finding them early morn, I returned to show them to the (normally non-birding) family just after noon. Amazingly, they were still just as active and obvious as earlier, and I videotaped them feeding. Amidst the spectacle of leisurely kite flights and hundreds of waders, I also found the Purple Swamphens (14).
4. WHITE-TAILED KITE--an ad. was seen perched out in the marsh flats along west side of receding Lake Tohopekaliga (near Orlando in central Florida) June 1. Literature suggests rare in FL, especially away from coastal areas. There was also a female Snail Kite here, and 3 other raptor species; a number of oversummering White Pelicans were on the lake. The site is a boat launch access (under revision by construction crew, no problem however) off of Pleasant Hill Rd south of Kissimmee; it is a right turn if heading north toward Kissimmee. This site is not in Pranty; a bit of a walk to a prominent mound overlook to the left is needed. Nearby Lake Toho seemed less active on two visits, although it has 3 semi-tame Limpkins to the west of the park on the s. shore (near a bridgelet opposite Tennessee Street).
5. BLACK NODDY--as advertised, birds were at the north coaling dock at Garden Key/Ft. Jefferson. I expected perhaps 1-2 but found 12 in a loose group at the inshore end of the pilings amongst the Brown Noddy hordes (11:15 a.m.); when I returned at 2 p.m., just two remained.
6. MANGROVE CUCKOO--one heard only June 3 (5 p.m.) at the Key Hammock State Botanical Site off 905 near Key Largo (from the picnic area/archway, head right, down the small road, watch for marked Poisonwood tree on right, aways down). I saw something about right size & color take off from the tree on approach, but could not be sure of identity.
7. SMOOTH-BILLED ANI--3 birds at Airport Greenbelt Park on s. side of Ft. Lauderdale Airpt June 3, about 9:15 a.m. Active feeding along grassy strip right along frontage road along perimeter fence line that you look down on from the park.
8. ANTILLEAN NIGHTHAWK--one heard and seen at Key West Airpt dusk June 3, access via Little Hamaka Park as per Pranty (although the sign for Gov't Road was either absent or obscure approaching from the west). One Com. Nighthawk here also. Another Antillean was heard only at the Key Hammock site near Key Largo at dusk June 4.
9. LA SAGRA'S FLYCATCHER--a bird was seen up close near the Marathon Airpt at 6:43-6:45 p.m. June 4. As we drove through Marathon in the direction of Key Largo, the bird flew directly in front of the windshield just a short distance before the Marathon Airport was visible on the left. I swerved over to the roadside and confirmed field marks. Details: Myiarchus flycatcher with rusty showing in primaries; similar to Ash-throated (e.g., size, brownish-gray upperparts and crest), but notably no yellow on underparts, which were white. Also distinctive was the black bill, which was notably narrow and straight, and stood out in contrast to the pale lores, throat and rest of underparts. The bird never vocalized and flew off southward. The site is apparently quite close to one cited in Pranty (Disabled Veterans Bldg, p. 250, MM 51.0).
10. BAHAMA MOCKINGBIRD--single at City Park in Key West (next to Indigenous Park) at about 8 p.m. June 3. Bird perched at the base of a small aluminum-looking tower on north part of property for 5 minutes before flying off in a northward direction.
11. BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO--I had no trouble finding this species but only heard it singing: 3 at Key Hammock State Botanical Site near Key Largo June 3; 1 at Matheson Hammock Park in Miami June 5 (base of Nature trail); and 1 at Camp Owaissa in Homestead at about 5:30 p.m., also June 5). I'm usually good at getting birds to respond to pishing/similar sounds, but these guys completely ignored me, I guess they did not want to be seen by the similarly-invisible Mangrove Cuckoos!
SITE NOTES FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS VISITING:
WATER CONSERVATION AREA 2B--I found reaching the Water Conservation Area 2B/Markham County Park for Snail Kites pretty tricky for a first-timer. If you're coming west like I was on Hwy 595, the exit is SW 136th Avenue, not NW 136th Avenue as stated in Pranty--I learned this the hard way, passing the SW 136th exit and losing precious time on a turnaround. My second discovery was that Markham County Park is not terribly well-marked, as you head west on the Weston Rd (SR-84), watch for it real soon after you get onto SR-84 (Weston Rd)--there are colored announcements of park events on an overpass bridge going into the park on the right. Third: once in the park, you need to head left immediately past the entrance booth and drive to the Nature Trail sign, parking there and then walking the path through the Australian Pine forest before reaching the gravel maintenance road (right next to the busy highway) that leads (right) to the dike overlook.
A special thanks to Bill Pranty for his super book, which is exceedingly useful despite being 8 years old (at least my note-filled edition); to Brian Rapoza for his terrific bird-finding tips & strategy; and to Nancy at Merritt NWR (and husband Tom) for Orlando area tips. I'm electrified by the experience. Also, Dry Tortugas snorkeling was truly memorable, with the barracudas and many other fish species in attendance. On the return trip we heard great shark stories (one lady claimed a face-to-face near-the-surface encounter that day with a 10-ft. Bull Shark at the limit of the swimming area on Garden Key), we saw 6 sea turtles, several dolphins, and a number of flying fish.
--Scott Atkinson (Lake Stevens, north of Seattle)
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