TAS STA-5/Sod Farms Field Trip-August 28, 2004

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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 16:43:37 08/29/04

The Tropical Audubon Society field trip on Saturday, August 28, 2004, to the sod farms in Palm Beach County, offered several birders a mixture of lifebirds and yearbirds.

Several thousand Boat-tailed Grackles-mostly sans tail- were seen along I-75 (Alligator Alley) as we headed to the Alligator Alley/ Government Road Service Plaza on I-75 to meet several birders at 7 a.m. American Bittern, Crested Caracara, Sandhill Crane and Limpkin were seen along Government Road as we headed to STA-5 in Palm Beach County.

We were met by SFWMD staff, John Morman and Nikki Carlson, and split into two groups of about 30 birders each. Water levels were extremely high so shorebirds were pretty much non-existent. A Least Bittern (heard), Ring-necked Duck, Cliff Swallow and Yellow Warbler were the highlights. Kudos to John and Nikki for volunteering their time and Brian Rapoza, TAS Field Trip Coordinator, will be sending a letter of thanks to Henry Dean, the Executive Director of the SFWMD, to be placed in their personnel files.

This area will vastly improve as more waterfowl arrive and will be much more productive for shorebirds in late winter and early spring when water levels go down. See the TAS website for future dated that birders will be let into STA-5. You will be required to sign a hold harmless letter upon your arrival.

A quick stop at the Clewiston boat ramp at Lake Okeechobee produced Laughing Gull and photo opportunities for several birders of two Limpkins at close range along one of the canals.

We stopped for a delicious BBQ lunch at Sonny s in Clewiston before heading off to the Miami Canal west of US 27 from the Lakeport water tower. Bank and Tree Swallows were seen in Ritta and a White-tailed Kite offered excellent scope views as it perched on some power lines on the south side of the canal. The stand of champion Red Cedars had a few Barn Owls and several Black-crowned Night Herons. Prairie and several Yellow Warblers, along with a young male American Redstart, were also seen.

A couple of flooded fields along SR 827 had Black and Gull-billed Terns along with several species of shorebird.
The sod farms and flooded fields east of US 27 in Palm Beach County south of South Bay were very productive.

The highlight was at least a dozen Upland Sandpipers on a sod farm north of and across the Miami River Canal from the large tower along US 27. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, Stilt Sandpipers, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitchers in alternate Plumage, Black-bellied Plovers in alternate plumage, Kildeer and White Pelican were also in the area. The "keek" call of one of the dowitchers was heard for confirmation.

On the drive back to the Doc Thomas House in South Miami we picked up a pair of Spot-breasted Orioles, Lilac-crowned and Orange-winged Parrots along with White-crowned Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Brown Thrasher and Red-eyed Vireo.

Fourteen hours of birding and 98 species later, we called it a day. Rumor has it that a Beck s Light or two was hoisted to celebrate a great day of birding with many dear friends from the Florida birding community.

Here is the list of all species seen or heard by our group:

Pied-billed Grebe
White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga American Bittern Least Bittern (heard)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Muscovy Mottled Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Cooper s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
King Rail (heard)
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull (50)
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Least Tern
Black Tern
Rock Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Orange-winged Parrot
Lilac-crowned Parot
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (flew in front of Brennan Mulrooney along US 27)
Barn Owl
Common Nighthawk
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow (75)
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Spot-breasted Oriole
House Sparrow (98)

Life is good......... having young birders like Andy Bankert, Alex Harper and Felipe Guajardo, share in the fun.

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Comments:	: The Tropical Audubon Society field trip on Saturday, August 28, 2004, to the sod farms in Palm Beach County, offered several birders a mixture of lifebirds and yearbirds. : : Several thousand Boat-tailed Grackles-mostly sans tail- were seen along I-75 (Alligator Alley) as we headed to the Alligator Alley/ Government Road Service Plaza on I-75 to meet several birders at 7 a.m. American Bittern, Crested Caracara, Sandhill Crane and Limpkin were seen along Government Road as we headed to STA-5 in Palm Beach County. : : We were met by SFWMD staff, John Morman and Nikki Carlson, and split into two groups of about 30 birders each. Water levels were extremely high so shorebirds were pretty much non-existent. A Least Bittern (heard), Ring-necked Duck, Cliff Swallow and Yellow Warbler were the highlights. Kudos to John and Nikki for volunteering their time and Brian Rapoza, TAS Field Trip Coordinator, will be sending a letter of thanks to Henry Dean, the Executive Director of the SFWMD, to be placed in their personnel files. : : This area will vastly improve as more waterfowl arrive and will be much more productive for shorebirds in late winter and early spring when water levels go down. See the TAS website for future dated that birders will be let into STA-5. You will be required to sign a hold harmless letter upon your arrival. : : A quick stop at the Clewiston boat ramp at Lake Okeechobee produced Laughing Gull and photo opportunities for several birders of two Limpkins at close range along one of the canals. : : We stopped for a delicious BBQ lunch at Sonny s in Clewiston before heading off to the Miami Canal west of US 27 from the Lakeport water tower. Bank and Tree Swallows were seen in Ritta and a White-tailed Kite offered excellent scope views as it perched on some power lines on the south side of the canal. The stand of champion Red Cedars had a few Barn Owls and several Black-crowned Night Herons. Prairie and several Yellow Warblers, along with a young male American Redstart, were also seen. : : A couple of flooded fields along SR 827 had Black and Gull-billed Terns along with several species of shorebird. : The sod farms and flooded fields east of US 27 in Palm Beach County south of South Bay were very productive. : : The highlight was at least a dozen Upland Sandpipers on a sod farm north of and across the Miami River Canal from the large tower along US 27. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, Stilt Sandpipers, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitchers in alternate Plumage, Black-bellied Plovers in alternate plumage, Kildeer and White Pelican were also in the area. The "keek" call of one of the dowitchers was heard for confirmation. : : On the drive back to the Doc Thomas House in South Miami we picked up a pair of Spot-breasted Orioles, Lilac-crowned and Orange-winged Parrots along with White-crowned Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Brown Thrasher and Red-eyed Vireo. : : Fourteen hours of birding and 98 species later, we called it a day. Rumor has it that a Beck s Light or two was hoisted to celebrate a great day of birding with many dear friends from the Florida birding community. : : Here is the list of all species seen or heard by our group: : : Pied-billed Grebe : White Pelican : Double-crested Cormorant : Anhinga American Bittern Least Bittern (heard) : Great Blue Heron : Great Egret : Snowy Egret : Little Blue Heron : Tricolored Heron : Cattle Egret : Green Heron : Black-crowned Night Heron : Yellow-crowned Night Heron : White Ibis : Glossy Ibis : Wood Stork : Black Vulture : Turkey Vulture : Muscovy Mottled Duck : Ring-necked Duck : Osprey : White-tailed Kite : Cooper s Hawk : Northern Harrier : Red-tailed Hawk : Red-Tailed Hawk : Crested Caracara : American Kestrel : King Rail (heard) : Common Moorhen : American Coot : Limpkin : Sandhill Crane : Black-bellied Plover : Killdeer : Black-necked Stilt : Greater Yellowlegs : Lesser Yellowlegs : Willet : Spotted Sandpiper : Upland Sandpiper : Least Sandpiper : Pectoral Sandpiper : Stilt Sandpiper : Short-billed Dowitcher : Long-billed Dowitcher : Laughing Gull (50) : Gull-billed Tern : Caspian Tern : Royal Tern : Least Tern : Black Tern : Rock Pigeon : White-crowned Pigeon : Eurasian Collared-Dove : White-winged Dove : Mourning Dove : Common Ground-Dove : Orange-winged Parrot : Lilac-crowned Parot : Yellow-billed Cuckoo (flew in front of Brennan Mulrooney along US 27) : Barn Owl : Common Nighthawk : Belted Kingfisher : Red-bellied Woodpecker : Pileated Woodpecker : Eastern Kingbird : Gray Kingbird : Loggerhead Shrike : Red-eyed Vireo : Blue Jay : American Crow (75) : Fish Crow : Purple Martin : Tree Swallow : Bank Swallow : Cliff Swallow : Barn Swallow : Carolina Wren : Blue-gray Gnatcatcher : Northern Mockingbird : Brown Thrasher : European Starling : Northern Parula : Yellow Warbler : Prairie Warbler : American Redstart : Northern Cardinal : Red-winged Blackbird : Eastern Meadowlark : Common Grackle : Boat-tailed Grackle : Brown-headed Cowbird : Spot-breasted Oriole : House Sparrow (98) : : Life is good......... having young birders like Andy Bankert, Alex Harper and Felipe Guajardo, share in the fun. : :
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