[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by David Scott on 19:06:22 12/14/04
I recently put my records onto a spreadsheet, and found that I was having an unintentional Big Year. Three weekends left, I was 10 short of 400. Not breaking any records, but I'm unlikely to come near it again any time soon. Living in Boston, I'd been lucky enough to spend time in Texas, California and a few days around Orlando (to take care of the Jay, Woodpecker, Kite, Gallinule, Limpkin, etc) this year.
Two weekends ago I turned up nothing on a long day of searching for alcids, gulls, winter finches and my nemesis the Northern Shrike, grew discouraged, and realised that I would have to take to the air. Miami offered the best combination of flights, birds and intelligence (this website, slightly dated ABA guide).
Got down late Friday night, found a motel well after midnight, with a Barred Owl flying across the road on the way down. Second of the year, (needed Barn), but owls are always special. A good sign. Two games to play, then, life birds and year birds.
Day 1, Saturday 11th
Couldn't immediately find Lucky Hammock, so just headed into ENP. Found a WORM-EATING WARBLER on the Gumbo Limbo trail, and a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER at Mahogany Hammock. Other birds included Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-throated Green, Prairie, Palm Warblers, Parula, Redstart and Bald Eagle. Spoonbills and Vermilion Flycatcher at Pilotis Pond. Down at Flamingo, I had the pelicans, a huge group of Skimmers, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Reddish Egret, R-b Merganser and a Baltimore Oriole. A very useful chat with a local birder encouraged me to try the Snake Bight trail, but had a wander up the Bear Lake trail first, which produced SHORT-TAILED HAWK (1 light adult and two dark birds) and terrible views of your secretive WHITE-CROWNED PIGEONS. And so to Snake Bight, and trial by mosquito. Never put myself through quite so much to see a single bird. Scanned the mudflats, finding herons, egrets and so on, but nothing pink. Worried by the bushes, which blocked about half the horizon? Scanned again, looking further out, and there they were. 36 GREATER FLAMINGOS. About an hour after the high tide. Unmistakable, even with binoculars. With the scope, I could see a couple feeding, a couple having a bit of a preen, most just roosting. Not sure I've had a better moment birding. Mosquitoes not so bad on the way back, and even had some better views of the pigeons.
Stopped off for the Florida City Burger King Common Myna, and had some Mitred Parakeets in Kendall, while looking for something more countable.
Day Two
A brilliant but ambitious plan, which fell apart when the birds didn't show. Missed the Smooth-billed Anis at Fort Lauderdale airport. Tried walking the perimeter fence. The cops wanted to know what I was up to. Birds. Oh yes, what birds? They hadn't seen them either. But rest assured that the police are protecting us from terrorists disguised as birders, with insufficient background research.
Markham County Park, for the Snail Kite. Missed one when my back was turned, despite the best efforts of a very nice lady whose name I forget (sorry). Great place, though, and we enjoyed the Purple Swamphens, making their occasional forays about the grass. And a purple gallinule, a personal favourite.
The clock ticking, I drove to Fort Myers beach to look for shorebirds. Found a WILSON'S PLOVER, but couldn't turn up any Red Knots. Embarassingly, many thousands have migrated right past me in Massachusetts. Also had Least, Western Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Royal, Forster's and Sandwich Terns, and more of those excellent Skimmers.
Clock still ticking, gave up to try for the SNAIL KITE again, and had a couple from the car while driving back on US41. Not very satisfying, but I couldn't find their supposed roost site at the Indian Restaurant. Spectacular show of wading birds, though. Huge numbers (>1000) of white ibis flying in to roost, as a few Black-crowned Night Herons set off for the night shift. And a Limpkin.
Day 3
Fed up driving, so decided to stick in Miami and look for countable exotics. But the traffic was miserable, so stuck in the car anyway. Found very little at AD Barnes - Blue-headed Vireo, Prairie and Palm Warblers, maybe a Cooper's Hawk. Too early, perhaps, a cold morning.
Matheson was more productive, with B&W, Yellow-rumped, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, Northern Parula and Pileated Woodpecker in the area near the entrance parking. A flock of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets. At the time I thought that these were the countable ones, but perhaps not. Should I have checked them more closely for White-winged? Hmm. Saw a couple more groups during the day.
Tried the Tropical Gardens, well worth the visit even without the birds, finding the same parakeets, and the Hill Myna. Couple of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Some sort of monstrous iguana.
Drove around Kendall for a while, finding nothing on the wires. Patrolled on foot, and found a RED-WHISKERED BULBUL singing on the corner of 72nd Ave and 98th St. 12pm. (Incidentally, how can a grid system be so confusing?) Great bird.
Fed up with the traffic, and didn't want to end my trip with a failed search for the Oriole, so headed over to Bill Baggs. Not much there, but a Frigatebird from the causeway on the way back. Magnificent, of course.
Quick search along Curtiss Parkway in Miami Springs turned up Monk, Mitred and possibly Red-masked Parakeets, and then the airport and home.
8 year birds, 7 life birds, and 6 non-countable exotics. At least a couple of these are bound to become established (?), so that gives me 400, although it might take a few years yet.
Thanks again to the local birders I met, and those of you who've posted on this site recently. Enjoy your goldfinches!
David Scott
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]