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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 20:45:50 12/03/12
Thirty-seven intrepid birders assembled for the Tropical Audubon Society's annual "Exotics" fieldtrip on Saturday, December 1, 2012. We met at 6:30 a.m. in the north parking lot of Matheson Hammock County Park. Birders from Toronto, Canada, New Hampshire, Missouri, Orlando, Naples, Fellsmere, and West Palm Beach battled morning showers in the morning with sunny weather and light winds in the afternoon with temperatures in the high-70's.
Our first stop was the dog park at Matheson Hammock, where European Starlings, 60 plus Common Hill Mynas and a pair of Orange-winged Parrots (Amazona amazonica) roosted in a dead Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) A Pileated Woodpecker poked its head out of a cavity in a nearby Cuban Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) offering us close looks, while we searched for two previously reported Red-headed Woodpeckers calling in the Live Oaks near the Scout camp. A pair of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chirriri) were also seen at this beautiful county park built by workers from the Civilian Conservation, adding another exotic species to our list. American Kestrel, a juvenile White-crowned Pigeon, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, House Wren and Common Yellowthroat were also in the area. David Simpson spotted Nutmeg Mannikins (Lonchura punctulata) flying into some Burma Reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana), but we were unable to relocate them.
We arrived at Daria's home around 9:00 a.m. and were greeted by she and her husband, who welcomed us into their home, as several Blue and Yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) fed in nearby Panama Tall Coconut Palms . We watched one macaw eat a small coconut from a Malayan Dwarf Palm (Cocos nucifera). Our Hostess with the Mostess and her husband were gracious enough to provide us with a breakfast feast of fresh fruit, and freshly brewed coffee. A flock of White Ibis and Laughing Gulls adorned the lawn in her backyard, as a hunting, dark morph Short-tailed Hawk gave me a couple of fleeting glimpses. Kildeer and a Spotted Sandpiper were seen on the seawall, along the waterway and a Eurasian Collared Dove perched on a nearby roof.
We were treated to several short lectures related to the Psittacid family, including the research work being done by Dr. Janice Boyd from the Texas A & M s Shubot Exotic Bird Health Center with wild macaws in Peru and the study of avian diseases, threatening the very survival of these rare birds. She touched on the distribution of artificial nest boxes in areas, where free-fling macaws are known to occur, including South Florida, where Daria has taken an active role as a citizen scientist in the research.
A University of Florida researcher discussed her study on seeking a method to eradicate the Africanized bees that have set up hives in most of the macaw nest boxes in South Florida and Central and South America. They also set up camp in Wood Duck, Barn Owl, Eastern Screech Owl and Great-crested Flycatcher boxes.
The final lecture was on working with developers to mitigate property, prior to their developments being approved by local cities, counties, and the State of Florida. The mitigation would include the construction and placement of nest boxes for the use of the aforementioned species, as well as nest platforms for Bald Eagles and Ospreys.
I misplaced the paper that I had with the names of the speakers, so hopefully, Daria can provide a follow-up to my report, so that they may be properly recognized for their excellent conservation work. It was also great to meet several members of the Bird Lover s Club.
I cannot thank her and her husband enough for hosting such a large group. Daria s passion for this species is self-evident when she addresses various groups.
Our next stop, was the area around the Datran Center off of Kendall Drive in search of Aratinga species known to inhabit the area. Brian Rapoza, author of the excellent Falcon Guide; Birding Florida and Tropical Audubon Society s Field Trip Coordinator, led the group to several Mitred Parakeets (Aratinga mitrata) in Royal Palms behind Shorty s BBQ. The group soon discovered that no two Mitred s are alike.
Our next stop was lunch at Havana Spice Café on US 1, where we were greeted by the owner, who treated us to tasty, authentic Cuban Cuisine at a very reasonable price. Studying the paintings on the wall of Cuba - in better days - makes me yearn for a free Cuba, the homeland of my mother. Ironically, the dining area has beautiful paintings of Scarlet and Blue and Yellow Macaws. Exotic species, Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows were seen in the parking lot.
We proceeded to a church on the corner of S.W. 104th St. and S.W. 82nd Ave., where barnyard Chinese Swan Geese, Egyptian Geese, feral and barnyard (Pekin) Mallards and Muscovy ducks, as well as American Coots, Common Gallinules and Green Heron, were seen feeding in the canal behind the church. We got great looks at Yellow-throated Vireo and Orange-crowned and Northern Parula Warblers feeding on caterpillars in a nearby Black Olive (Bucida bucerus).
We headed to a residential neighborhood called Kendallwood, west of S.W. 87th Avenue, and spotted a commune of Monk Parakeets on the power-lines adjacent to their stick nest, imbedded around an FPL transformer. While walking in the neighborhood, an adult Bald Eagle soared overhead and a Loggerhead Shrike was seen perched on a power-line. We climbed back into our vehicles and began a caravan searching for the Holy Grail Red-whiskered Bulbul. Soon after, one of our birders spotted a bulbul in a ficus tree behind a residence, along S.W. 83rd St. A second bulbul was perched next to it and we soon had excellent scope views of the birds, that miraculously sat for a good twenty minutes, affording our birder/photographers close-up shots of this elusive species. Several of the residents came out of their homes to see what all of the fanfare was about and we soon had them gazing into our scopes, much to their delight. The birds remained, as our group headed off to our next stop. The Bird of the Day was a lifebird for about 15 birders.
We headed to the Fair Haven Nursing Home on Curtiss Parkway in Miami Springs and studied Monk Parakeet nests in the Malaleuca trees. A beautiful adult Red-Tailed Hawk soared low directly over our heads. A flock of 15 Crimson-fronted Parakeets (Aratinga finschi) flew overhead and we moved to the Curtis Mansion on Deer Run Drive, the home of Glen Curtis, world famous aviator - pilot license No. 1 - and founder of Miami Springs, Hialeah and Opa-locka. We soon found a mixed flock of aratingas, including Mitred, Scarlet/Red Fronted (Aratinga wagleri), White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucopththalmus) and Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora).
We headed to Truxton Drive, between Hunting Lodge and Hammon Drive and had several aratingas perched on a Texas Sabal Palm (Sabal texana), adding a Red-masked Parakeet (Aratings erythrogenys) to our list. White-winged Doves introduced in South Florida were also in the area, along with Cooper s and Sharp-shinned Hawk and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Our exotics total finished up at twenty-two, including eleven psittacids. Total species seen was sixty-eight. Many thanks to local birders, Brian Rapoza, Nancy Freedman, and Gary and Jocelyn Robinson, who were great co-leaders in helping such a large group navigate safely around the Miami area and to our birders for carefully following directions to all of our stops and returning home safe and sound.
Life is good............................ exotic birding in exotic South Florida. Daria, Dr. Boyd and yours truly, celebrated a great day of birding by quaffing a couple Laughing Skull Amber Ales from Red-brick Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia and Magner s Hard Cider from Ireland at Woody s West End Tavern on Payne Drive in Miami Springs. Delicious smoked fish spread with Jalapeno peppers re-energized our tired bones.
P.S. Tom Rauch, one of our birders, took some great photos that we will post once I attempt to confirm the identifications. If any other of our birders have any photos, please send them to me at pbithorn@plumbers519.com. And I will get them posted. Don t be shy!
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