Posted by Paul Bithorn on February 18, 2002 at 16:47:39:
The TAS sponsored Flamingo ESL Birding Trip held on Saturday, February 16, 2002 was the harbinger of a great day of birding, especially for those who stuck with us to the end. The highlight of the Flamingo ESL portion of the trip was an adult Great-horned Owl in the oak forest, along with a Blue-headed Vireo. A Carolina Wren was seen in the Brazilian Peppers but the usual night herons were conspicuous in their absence around the pond. This may be due to the the heavy equipment moving around large piles of fill in the area. I hope this work is to improve the park. White-winged Doves were in the Citrus Canker infested orange grove. Keep to the dirt road so as not to spread this disease striking fear in the citrus industry. The wetlands, which are being choked out by vegetation, had little more than Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Yellowthroat and Common Snipe. No ducks or rails were seen or heard.
The second part of the trip was to the SW Regional Library Stormwater Mitigation Ponds, which provided great looks at Purple Gallinule, Purple Swamphen, Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Ducks and a Banded Water Snake.
The grand finale was a trip out to Government Road,in spite of a torrential downpour or gully-washer as we say in the South, which paid off with an American Bittern on I-75 and the stunning male Vermillion Flycatcher 14 miles north of I-75 from the Miccosukee Service Plaza.Two birders from Broward County (sorry I forgot their names) reported a large raptor, which they believed to be a Caracara, about a mile south of the flycatcher. On our return to look for it we found not one but two Caracaras. We also saw Rough-winged Swallows mixed in with the Tree Swallows a little north of the flycatcher. We were back to the library by 12:30 p.m. A side trip to the linear park adjacent to Ft Lauderdale Airport turned up no Smooth-billed Anis, but a Cooper's Hawk was a bonus. Life is good...........especially for the ambitious birder!