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Posted by Vincent Lucas on 14:19:00 02/26/12
Saturday, I spent some time in the morning visiting a few locales around Collier County for my Bird-A-Day. I went to C.R.E.W. Marsh in northeast Collier County looking for Hairy Woodpecker but had to settle for a few Pileateds instead. The fog and rain probably played a role in my not finding the bird. From there I went to Immokalee and saw the Red-headed Woodpecker in its usual spot on Lake Trafford Rd. At North 18th Street & 8th Avenue in Immokalee, I found a White-winged Dove on a telephone line. The Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Blue-winged Teal were on the farm pond on CR846, 1/2 mile east of Oil Well Grade Rd. From there I went to check out a Great Horned Owl nest at the Royal Wood Golf & Country Club in Naples. The proud parents were guarding one white fluffball of a baby GHOW on the nest.
Today, I started out the morning by going to the Marsh Trail observation platform at the Ten Thousand Islands NWR. There were literally hundreds and hundreds of all the waders including 50+ Roseate Spoonbills, egrets, herons, ibis, Wood Storks as well as American White Pelicans all concentrated in one large "pool" at about 11:00 when looking south from the observation platform. It was the largest such concentration I have ever seen there in all the years of birding that site. However, the best birds there were a pair of Snail Kites that flew right by me at eye level from the top of the observation platform. SNKIs have been very uncommon in Coller County this year and these SNKI were the first I have ever seen at this location. Other birds present in the marsh were a mated pair of Green-winged Teal, many Blue-winged Teal, both yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, Killdeer, Pied-billed Grebes, and other common birds. Tree Swallows were present but their numbers were much diminished from the last time I visited this site.
From the Marsh Trail, I went to the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in the Fakahatchee Strans State Park Preserve. There was nothing of note in the way of birds except for many singing Northern Parulas and calling Great Crested Flycatchers. A pair of bellowing alligators thrilled many of the other folks at the end of the boardwalk.
A quick stop at the Everglades Area Welcome Center in Carnestown at the junction of US41 & SR29 yielded the two Common Mynas that are ever present at that location it seems.
Next, I went to visit Steve & Margie Pitcher at the volunteer RV campground on Dona Dr. in the Big Cypress National Preserve. A couple of dozen Purple Martins were actively going in and out of the martin houses/gourds. Steve and I successfully found several Grasshopper Sparrows in the adjacent field next to the canal along with singing/calling Eastern Meadowlarks and a few Savannah Sparrows. However, the few Leps we saw there were great! I found several Little Metalmarks that Steve photographed. Also present were quite a few Variegated Fritillaries and a few Twin-spotted Skippers. I hadn't seen the metalmark in several years. So tiny. So cool.
My last stop in the Big Cypress Preserve was the Kirby Storter Boardwalk. Many Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers were about and several calling White-eyed Vireos but little else except for an Eastern Phoebe, Green Heron and several waders. However, THE Bird-A-Day was present and Sooo EASY to see i.e. the Louisiana Waterthrush. It practically jumped up on the boardwalk and no, I didn't use a tape/iPod to lure him in. I didn't even pish!
On the way back up US41/Tamiami Trail in the Big Vypress National Preserve, an Osprey was seen harassing a subadult Bald Eagle as they flew across the highway. My last stop was the Greenway/Fritchey/Laredo Rd. area in East Naples. On Greenway, several Eastern Bluebirds greeted me as I drove down that road. On Fritchey, an American Kestrel was the only bird seen. At the powderpuff tree, across from the Naples Model Aeronautical Club field on Laredo, I saw at least two Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Not a bad morning of birding in Collier County!
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