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Posted by David S. on 16:09:41 11/30/11
At 9:30 am, I checked out Lucky Hammock and the Annex looking for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and anything else of interest. At the Annex, just inside the gate where the new canal is on the east side, there was a male and female Redhead. I traveled about 50 yds. down the new gravel embankment, and noted 13 Least Sandpiper in the mud puddles.
All of the sudden the male duck started thrashing the water with its wings while its head was under water. Closer inspection revealed the duck was in distress, and it never raised its head for 2 minutes before it had died. The female flew off. A 3-4' gator had grabbed the duck by the head and held it under water until it drowned. The gator apparently wasn't big enough to pull it completely under water. What a bummer! Now there's no more Redheads at the Annex! If it's any consolation, I did hear Sandhill Cranes calling on the east side of the Annex.
I continued to Research Road in ENP to gate 15, and hiked to Mt. Everglades. I scoped the north & south lakes for waterfowl. Both lakes had about 17 American Coot, 13 Pied-billed Grebe, and 9 Ring-necked Ducks. One of the ducks was a full-colored drake.
Other birds noted on the hill and the pathway are as follows:
White Ibis 190
Tricolored Heron 4
Glossy Ibis 8
Little Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
House Wren 1
Wood Stork 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Palm Warbler 5
Eastern Phoebe 1
Boat-tailed Grackle 2
I returned to the Annex in the afternoon with my brother to see if the duck carcass had a bird band, but the gator must have eaten it. We did see the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher about 500 yds. west of the C-111 Canal on the south side of the road on the power lines.
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