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Posted by Vincent Lucas on 11:13:08 04/01/12
I may be a fool, but this is no joke. Today, like every other day since January 1st, I went out searching for my Bird-a-Day bird. My target was American Kestrel since they re getting scarce now as they re heading up North. I started out at dawn at the parking lot of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary listening to the calling Chuck-wil s-widows. I just love their call and I always hope that one will fly by me and land somewhere I can see it. From there, after a McD breakfast, I took my favorite birding route out East in Collier County, namely, Oil Well Rd. aka CR858. I looked for the Monk Parakeets that have been reported at Palmetto Ridge HS since January but have yet to see them there. There were about two dozen Glossy Ibis feeding on the lawn in front of the school, mimicking their white brethern affectionately called Florida Lawn Chickens by many. In the pond behind the school, there were still about a half dozen Blue-winged Teal as well as 3-4 Mottled Ducks and some American Coots. At the retention ponds just east of the intersection of Everglades Blvd. & CR858, several Black-necked Stilts, one Greater Yellowlegs and two Pie-billed Grebes were present. In the fenced-in field with the small planted pines, approximately 2.2 miles west of the entrance to Ave Maria, the small flock of Wild Turkeys were feeding. They are almost always at this location whenever I go by there. Approximately two miles west of the intersection of SR29 on CR858, the mated pair of Crested Caracaras were in their usual location atop the Spanish Moss infused Bald Cypress trees on the north side of the road. Like the Wild Turkeys, I see them there a lot. The best bird of the day and my pick for Bird-a-Day, was a beautiful male Merlin perched on a dead Slash Pine snag about 100 feet from the road. This location was approximately two miles west of SR29 on CR858. The Merlin allowed me great scope views and I watched it hunt in the nearby field. It would always return to the same snag. Also nearby, in a dead Norfolk Pine, a flock of 50+ Cedar Waxwings were perched on the dead limbs of the Norfolk Pine. The scene reminded me of ornaments on a Christmas tree. Way cool. Other birds seen along CR858/Oil Well Rd. were a lingering Northern Harrier and two Belted Kingfishers. Eastern Meadowlarks were also singing in appropriate habitat and Common Ground-doves were perched on the telephone lines along the road. Great Crested Flycatchers were clling as well. Swallow-tailed Kites were also out in good numbers as were Osprey & Red-shouldered Hawks. At the set of two bridges further east of SR29, three Roseate Spoonbills, two Limpkins, a few Wood Storks and a pair of Sandhill Cranes were taking advantage of the remaining waterhole there along with other waders. A few Northern Rough-winged Swallowsd were drinking on the fly from the nearby canal. The Yellow Warbler that I ve seen at this location off and on throughout the winter (it was present there last winter as well), was not seen today. On the Collier/Hendry County line, actually just over the line on Wainwright Rd. near the first set of buildings, two Western Kingbirds lingered. I finally saw three American Kestrels on Wainwright Rd. by the not closed(?) Hendry County Correctional Facility. Hopefully, they will remain until tomorrow, when i can count them for Bird-a-Day. On my way back home, I stopped at Gulf Coast High School to check on the nesting Monk Parakeets there. Apparently, they ve moved from their humble stick-nest by the transformer on the third telephone pole in the parking lot parallel to Immokalee Rd. to bigger digs i.e. the Shark Stadium light pole further west in the parking lot. I saw a total of four Monk Parakeets and active nest construction was going on. Not a bad morning here in Collier County. . . .
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