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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 15:44:12 04/11/05
Belgian birder Bruno Bergmans and I spent Sunday at several South Florida birding haunts in search of lifebirds for the young neurology student at Leuven University in Belgium, who is here to give a lecture on genetics and their relationship to epilepsy, in the hopes of finding a cure.
Ninety-six birds later, Bruno was amazed at the diversity of species we have in South Florida and the utter splendor of Everglades National Park, where we would spend the better part of the day. The mosquitoes were not bad and the weather was quite comfortable.
The colony of West Indian race of Cave Swallows has returned to the bridge at the Florida Turnpike and S.W. 216th St. as well as several other bridges heading south on the turnpike.
Our second stop was Lucky Hammock and the Annex, where Bruno marveled at a Pileated Woodpecker nesting in a telephone pole. A pair of Brown-crested Flycatchers were well seen as they called to each other from powerlines along S.W. 232nd Avenue.
A White-tailed Deer greeted us at the entrance of to the national park in Florida City. Anhinga Trail was slow due to the high water levels, but a Purple Gallinule was still present and Gumbo Limbo Trail had several warblers including Worm-eating, Cape May and Black-throated Green.
Swallow-tailed Kites glided above us throughout the park as did several juvenile Bald Eagles.Paurotis Pond had one Wood Stork and one Roseate Spoonbill nest, and watching two apparent first year spoonbills practicing their breeding display with a constant rocking motion was quite amusing. An Eastern Kingbird (FOY) flew in as we scoped the mangrove rookery.
Highlights at Nine-mile Pond were a Caspian Tern and a White-crowned Pigeon feeding at eye level on Pigeon Plums. Thanks to a report from Shannon Mayorga, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was a real treat for both of us as it hawked for insects at Mrazek Pond.
A male Shiny Cowbird (FOY) fed amongst Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings in front of the visitors center.Two American Crocodiles were spotted behind the Flamingo marina. Low-tide at Flamingo produced White and Brown Pelicans, Black Skimmers, Laughing Gull, Royal and Forster's Tern, Willet, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone and Black-bellied Plover.
The Flamingo Campground had a Black-whiskered Vireo and a small flock of American Goldfinches.Eco Pond highlights were two male and two female Orchard Orioles (FOY)along with two Gray Kingbirds (FOY). Thanks go out to Bryant Roberts for tipping us off to the orioles.
Research Road had a pair of Common Mynas at the Research Center. A White-tailed Kite was spotted perched on a snag from the old missile base at the end of the road. A large family of Pine Warblers was seen foraging in the Slash Pines along the road.
We easily located a Red-whiskered Bulbul and two White-winged Parakeets in the residential area across from Baptist Hospital north of Kendall Drive.
A quick stop at A.D. Barnes produced a single Common Nighthawk (FOY), Yellow-chevroned Parakeets and the resident Cooper's Hawk.
As a footnote, Saturday, April 9th, while birding with Ken Hollinga, Kevin Sarsfield and Juan Villamil,a Cuban Yellow Warbler was pished up from the mangroves on the west side of Card Sound Road just south of the Card Sound Bridge. Park in the lime-rock parking lot on the east side of the road. A Brown-crested Flycatcher was seen at Careysfort Circle along with several warblers. A Black-whiskered Vireo has returned to my neighborhood in Virginia Gardens (6231 N.W. 39th Terrace) near Miami International Airport. If you are birding for psittacids in nearby Miami Springs, stop by and drive around the above address with your windows down. The bird is quite vocal. A pair breeded near my house last summer.
Life is good...................ask Bruno if you don't believe me!
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