TAS Bill Baggs/Cape Florida walk

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Posted by Alex on 17:59:40 09/18/04

Paul Bithorn led me and eight other birders through Cape Florida in Key Biscayne for the annual North American Migration Count.
We met on Virginia Key at 7:30 where our first birds were Eastern and Gray Kingbirds, a Loggerhead Shrike, Black-crowned Night-herons, a huge froup of Laughing Gulls, and 3 Prairie Warblers. At 7:50, we headed for the park enterance. White-crowned Pigeons were present just after we crossed to Key Biscayne, as were 2 more Gray Kingbirds. Our first stop was the overflow parkinglot, where we hoped for the best. At first, only a few gnatcatchers and Prarie Warblers were calling, and some Common Ground-doves were singing. Paul tried out his famous screech owl "impersonation" out to atract the few birds that were actually in the area. Only a Red-eyed Vireo made an appearance at first, but eventually an actual screech owl called back. We worked our way around the parkinglot, with only a few more species. Ovenbird, a redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, parula, and a female yellowthroat. A possible empidonax flycatcher species flushed from the seagrapes bordering the parkinglot and the beach, but we could not relocate it. From there, we made our way down the bike trail towards the south end of the park. Not much there either. Red-eyed Vireo, more redstarts, an Ovenbird, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Prairie, parula. Just about it. A Chuck-wills-widow provided a little excitement towards the end of the bike trail. When the group stopped for a short break, we realized that all the birds had congregated at the southern-most end of the park. Next time we should start out the walk there because it was packed with birds. Prairie Warblers were abundant, Common Yellowthroats flushed from the weeds bordering the trail, dozens of Eastern Kingbirds sally-forthed overhead, and upwards 150 swallows (all Barns that we could see) fed above. A Yellow-throated Warbler temporarily stole the show, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo fed alongside the hordes of kingbirds in a ficus, and a Cooper's Hawk soared above with 3 Ospreys. At about 11:15, we headed back to our cars and bid farewell to the rest of the group. I wanted to go Bobolink searching in the big weedy field adjacent to the northwestern parkinglot. After five minutes in the sun, I managed to flush two Bobolinks out of the weeds. Only Paul, Juan, and I remained and we decided to check out the lighhouse area. Nothing around in that area but a redstart, a Northern Ameiva (lizard species), and very tame racoon. We watched an act of stupidity take place: a women holding out a piece of food, and the racoon came. As soon as the animal had moved close enough to her, it violently lunged forward and almost scratched her right hand off. What did she expect?

Paul, Juan, and I made another trip to A.D. Barnes at mid-day. And it was still H-O-T. The park was fairly quite, as expected. Yellow-throated Warblers, Ovenbird, the works pretty much. We found the same birds as at Cape Florida, except a Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, female Summer Tanager, and a female Blackburnian Warbler. Here is the trip list of notable birds from both parks. Bill Baggs list on the left side of the "/", and birds at Barnes on the right side:

Yellow-crowned Night-heron 1/0
Black-crowned Night-heron 2/0
Osprey- 3/0
Cooper's Hawk- 1/0
Red-tailed Hawk- 0/1
Northern Harrier- 1/0
Peregrine Falcon- 0/1
Semipalmated Plover- 2/0 (actually seen on Virginia Key)
Forster's/Common Tern- 3/0
Common-ground Dove- 8/0
White-crowned Pigeon- ~6/1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo- 1/0
Eastern Screech-owl- 1/0 (heard only)
Chuck-will's Widow- 1/0
Belted Kingfisher- 1/0
Empidonax species- 1/0
Gray Kingbird- 4/1
Eastern Kingbird- ~30/~10
Loggerhead Shrike- 1/1
Red-eyed Vireo- 2/4
Barn Swallow- 150-200/0
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- ~20-25/~10
Brown Thrasher- 0/1
Summer Tanager- 0/1
Bobolink- 2/0

Warblers (I'm not even going to give numbers for them. It's too tough to make my own estimates after doing a NAMC at Cape Florida):
Northern Parula
Black-and White Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler- female near Homeless Hammock. Hopefully it will be seen again tomorrow on the next TAS walk.
Yellow-throated Warbler- common at Barnes
Prarie Warbler- abundant everywhere
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart

Good luck at Barnes tomorrow everyone.

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Comments:	: Paul Bithorn led me and eight other birders through Cape Florida in Key Biscayne for the annual North American Migration Count. : We met on Virginia Key at 7:30 where our first birds were Eastern and Gray Kingbirds, a Loggerhead Shrike, Black-crowned Night-herons, a huge froup of Laughing Gulls, and 3 Prairie Warblers. At 7:50, we headed for the park enterance. White-crowned Pigeons were present just after we crossed to Key Biscayne, as were 2 more Gray Kingbirds. Our first stop was the overflow parkinglot, where we hoped for the best. At first, only a few gnatcatchers and Prarie Warblers were calling, and some Common Ground-doves were singing. Paul tried out his famous screech owl "impersonation" out to atract the few birds that were actually in the area. Only a Red-eyed Vireo made an appearance at first, but eventually an actual screech owl called back. We worked our way around the parkinglot, with only a few more species. Ovenbird, a redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, parula, and a female yellowthroat. A possible empidonax flycatcher species flushed from the seagrapes bordering the parkinglot and the beach, but we could not relocate it. From there, we made our way down the bike trail towards the south end of the park. Not much there either. Red-eyed Vireo, more redstarts, an Ovenbird, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Prairie, parula. Just about it. A Chuck-wills-widow provided a little excitement towards the end of the bike trail. When the group stopped for a short break, we realized that all the birds had congregated at the southern-most end of the park. Next time we should start out the walk there because it was packed with birds. Prairie Warblers were abundant, Common Yellowthroats flushed from the weeds bordering the trail, dozens of Eastern Kingbirds sally-forthed overhead, and upwards 150 swallows (all Barns that we could see) fed above. A Yellow-throated Warbler temporarily stole the show, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo fed alongside the hordes of kingbirds in a ficus, and a Cooper's Hawk soared above with 3 Ospreys. At about 11:15, we headed back to our cars and bid farewell to the rest of the group. I wanted to go Bobolink searching in the big weedy field adjacent to the northwestern parkinglot. After five minutes in the sun, I managed to flush two Bobolinks out of the weeds. Only Paul, Juan, and I remained and we decided to check out the lighhouse area. Nothing around in that area but a redstart, a Northern Ameiva (lizard species), and very tame racoon. We watched an act of stupidity take place: a women holding out a piece of food, and the racoon came. As soon as the animal had moved close enough to her, it violently lunged forward and almost scratched her right hand off. What did she expect? : : Paul, Juan, and I made another trip to A.D. Barnes at mid-day. And it was still H-O-T. The park was fairly quite, as expected. Yellow-throated Warblers, Ovenbird, the works pretty much. We found the same birds as at Cape Florida, except a Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, female Summer Tanager, and a female Blackburnian Warbler. Here is the trip list of notable birds from both parks. Bill Baggs list on the left side of the "/", and birds at Barnes on the right side: : : Yellow-crowned Night-heron 1/0 : Black-crowned Night-heron 2/0 : Osprey- 3/0 : Cooper's Hawk- 1/0 : Red-tailed Hawk- 0/1 : Northern Harrier- 1/0 : Peregrine Falcon- 0/1 : Semipalmated Plover- 2/0 (actually seen on Virginia Key) : Forster's/Common Tern- 3/0 : Common-ground Dove- 8/0 : White-crowned Pigeon- ~6/1 : Yellow-billed Cuckoo- 1/0 : Eastern Screech-owl- 1/0 (heard only) : Chuck-will's Widow- 1/0 : Belted Kingfisher- 1/0 : Empidonax species- 1/0 : Gray Kingbird- 4/1 : Eastern Kingbird- ~30/~10 : Loggerhead Shrike- 1/1 : Red-eyed Vireo- 2/4 : Barn Swallow- 150-200/0 : Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- ~20-25/~10 : Brown Thrasher- 0/1 : Summer Tanager- 0/1 : Bobolink- 2/0 : : Warblers (I'm not even going to give numbers for them. It's too tough to make my own estimates after doing a NAMC at Cape Florida): : Northern Parula : Black-and White Warbler : Black-throated Blue Warbler : Blackburnian Warbler- female near Homeless Hammock. Hopefully it will be seen again tomorrow on the next TAS walk. : Yellow-throated Warbler- common at Barnes : Prarie Warbler- abundant everywhere : Worm-eating Warbler : Ovenbird : Common Yellowthroat : American Redstart : : Good luck at Barnes tomorrow everyone. :
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