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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 21:47:22 09/05/11
It s not been often in my experience that I thought I had a legitimate shot at seeing thirty or more shorebirds in south Florida in one day. An opportunity seemed to present itself this weekend; one combination to reach thirty would be to see all 24 species reported from the Belle Glade area yesterday, then add at least six more species from coastal beaches on the west coast. I started my attempt by visiting sod farms and flooded fields on US 27 and CR 880 near Belle Glade, where in three hours, I managed to see 21 of the 24 species seen there yesterday:
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Upland Sandpiper (about a dozen at King Ranch on US 27, another dozen at Six Mile Bend on CR 880)
Ruddy Turnstone
(two)
Sanderling (one, on the west side of the flooded fields on CR 880)
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper (one, on the west side of the flooded fields on CR 880)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (two, at Six Mile Bend)
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope (still many at the flooded fields on CR 880)
Red-necked Phalarope (one juvenile at the flooded fields on CR 880)
The three species I missed were Solitary and Spotted Sandpiper and Willet. I headed west via CR 835, 833, 846 and 858, but failed to find a Solitary Sandpiper anywhere along the route. My first stop upon reaching coastal Lee County was at Dog Beach, near Lovers Key State Park, where I added Willet and Marbled Godwit. At Little Estero Lagoon, I added five more shorebirds, bringing my total to 28:
Snowy Plover (one)
Wilson s Plover
Piping Plover
American Oystercatcher (four)
Red Knot (about thirty)
As I was walking back along the lagoon toward my car, a large shorebird flew past; I initially thought Long-billed Curlew. When I re-found it, I was surprised to discover that it was in fact a Marbled Godwit with a strangely deformed bill. I snapped a few photos with my iPhone, the least awful of which may be viewed by clicking on the Link below.
My last stop before heading home was Bunche Beach, where I hoped to add the Long-billed Curlew reported last week on eBird from this location. That and a Spotted Sandpiper or Whimbrel would bring me to thirty, but it was not to be; I failed to find any new shorebirds there.
At least now I know that with a little more luck, (or Toe and Carlos' help to find Solitary and Spotted Sandpiper), reaching thirty is definitely doable.
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