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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 14:11:08 03/06/05
On Saturday, March 5, 2005, Rock Jetty (Raul Urgelles) and I headed down to the Florida Keys in search of year-birds and beer-birds. The weather was picture perfect as we tallied (69) species.
Our first stop was Carysfort Circle off old 905 in North Key Largo to look for Brown-crested Flycatcher and a Clay- colored Sparrow first reported by Brennan Mulrooney on February 16th. As soon as we opened the door of my vehicle the whip call of the Brown-crested Flycatche as heard and we easily located the bird. A second bird called back and we eventually spotted both together. Other flycatchers in the area were Eastern Phoebe, Great-crested Flycatcher and a pair of Western Kingbirds. The Clay-colored Sparrow was also located where the paved road turns west in a Bougainvillea and soon thereafter began feeding along the paved road on weed seeds. This bird is not shy!! White-crowned Pigeons were also in the area. Carysfort Circle is about 2 miles south of the intersection of 905 and Card Sound Road. As long as you bird from the road, you don't need a backcountry permit. A dark morph Short-tailed Hawk and adult Broad-winged Hawk were seen along 905 and an adult Bald Eagle along US 1.
On to Long Key State Park, where we arrived about 9:30 a.m., we birded until 11:30 a.m. No female Western Spindalis but Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-rumped, Palm and Prairie Warblers, Northern Parula, Ovenbird and Purple Martin were seen from the parking lot in front of the nature trail. A single Sanderling, our only shorebird of the day, was seen during a brief stop at Anne s Beach.
On to the Flamingo Restaurant for lunch, where we washed down delicious conch fritters and blackened-dolphin sandwiches with Kilian Red.
We headed to A.D. Barnes in Miami-Dade County, where we easily located the wintering Wood Thrush near the elevated boardwalk. We also located Magnolia, Orange-crowned, Yellow-throated, Pine, Black-throated Blue and American Redstart bringing our warbler count for the day up to eleven. Yet another Broad-winged Hawk was seen in the pinelands.
We finished up with a Red-whiskered Bulbul in the residential area north of Baptist Hospital on Kendall Drive and a pair of Hill Mynas in South Miami.
Life is good living in paradise.
KeysBirding.030505
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