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Posted by Toe on 11:53:26 03/28/05
Do not discount anything in the air, but please watch your driving. I learned that on Saturday. Driving on SW 8th Street, I was stopped at a red light at 47th Avenue when I saw 4 hawks ahead of me doing aerial acrobatics. When the light changed green, I quickly pulled into the first parking lot and grabbed my binocs (the drivers behind me probably made some creative gestures which I ignored). The four hawks: 3 Broad-wings having it out with a SWAINSON'S! I had noticed that one of them was much bigger than the others, but I never expected a Swainson's here. Shouldn't surprise me, though, as one season while working in Coral Gables I got to see both light and dark phase Swainson's fly overhead.
On Sunday I started out at Everglades National Park at 4:30 in the morning. At the visitor's center there were several Chuck-wills-widows calling, and I heard one rail call from the pond immediately north of the parking lot. At Royal Palm, I only heard one additional Chuck. I headed on to Research Road where the first turn at the Hidden Lake trail produced a Barred Owl on the wire. It didn't spook as I got out of the car and stood under it with the flashlight not more than 10 feet away. A little down the road I got good looks at another Chuck-wills-widow in my headlights on the road. There were several calling in this areas as well. I then went 1/2 mile south of Mahogany Hammock to look for Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows. I arrived at 6:08 but didn't see one until 7:00. It sang from atop the grass for a short time before disappearing again. Mahogany Hammock had nothing inside except for some lingering Yellow-rumped Warblers, but I saw some Swallowtailed Kites over the first boardwalk. I then went to Long Pine Key and walked the glade to the east of the trails. A Northern Bobwhite soon flushed from among the grass and gave me some decent looks as it flew away, but I would have preferred seeing it staning still. The pines had a small group of Pine Warblers; imagine that. I ended back at Royal Palm where I saw my year Eastern and Gray Kingbirds. Bird numbers are way down from a few weeks ago, but there's still some interesting stuff around, and I'm hoping some migrants will show soon. It was also hot! Good birding to all.
Toe
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