[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Bryant Roberts on 17:52:30 07/26/04
During the weekend (7/24 and 25) in Everglades National Park some of the more
interesting birds seen were; White-tailed Kite, Stilt Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed Gull,
Gull-billed Tern, Forster’s Tern, Mangrove Cuckoo, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated
Warbler, American Redstart, and Prothonotary Warbler.
My weekend was spent camping at Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park with a day
in the Flamingo area. I met up with Susan Schneider at Eco Pond Saturday morning and
before long we got a brief look at a Mangrove Cuckoo as it flew into the central island.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were around as they were most everywhere else we went but the
only other migrant songbird there was a Red-eyed Vireo. The pond was still very low
with an exposed mud island in the middle that held all three “peeps” and a few other
common shorebirds. It was visited for a short time by a Stilt Sandpiper and a Gull-billed
Tern made a few passes over the pond. The birds there were interesting enough but show
was stolen by a large Bobcat which paid little attention to us as it stalked and chased
Marsh Rabbits around the outer perimeter of the pond trail for much of the time we were
there.
After checking to see if Bear Lake Road was closed to motor vehicles, which it was and
will likely be until at least next January, we had lunch on the upper breezeway of the
visitors center. The sandbar was just becoming exposed by the falling tide and was visited
by about 150 Willets and a dozen or so Marbled Godwits along with a good many
dowitchers peeps and other common shorebirds while we watched. Along with the usual
gulls and terns there was a first summer Lesser Black-backed Gull and two winter
plumage Forster’s Terns on the sandbar.
We made the trek down Snake Bight Road that afternoon, Susan on a bike while I went
on foot. The mosquitoes were in their full summer glory, you winter visitors don’t know
what you are missing. There weren’t any Flamingos visible from the end of the trail but
the usual waders were in the bight along with the more interesting “Wurderman’s” Great
Blue Heron and mixed morph Reddish Egrets that can usually be found there. We got
great close up looks at all three “peeps”, Wilson’s Plovers and the usual shorebirds. An
American Avocet that still had some rusty color left on it’s head landed near us and stayed
for a few minutes. A Prothonotary Warbler caught my attention beside the small clearing
before the boardwalk as I was preparing to hike the gauntlet back up to the main highway.
I played tag with the rain as I headed back to the north end of the park. No unusual birds
were seen but the frogs were calling almost everywhere, no doubt making up for lost time
due to the late start of the rainy season. I’m pretty sure I was able to identify about eight
species calling during the weekend, but I’m a rank beginner at frog calls.
My plan on Sunday was to do some birding but spend most of my day taking digital
photos of rock pineland wildflowers and Liguus Tree Snails. I stayed pretty much on plan
until about 9:30 in the morning when the rains started and continued off and on until mid
afternoon. During breaks between showers I was able to spot the White-tailed Kites at
their usual spot along Research Road and see a Yellow-throated Warbler and adult male
American Redstart at Royal Palm Hammock. The water level in Taylor Slough at
Anhinga Trail had risen dramatically since I was there three weeks ago. It has risen to
moderate winter levels and turned from a stagnant opaque green to the usual clear dark
color and is now flowing under the small bridge.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]