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Posted by Mitchell Hait and Andy Bankert on 22:52:22 05/08/05
In Reply to: LaSagra's & Thick-billed Vireo 05/08/05 posted by Vince Lucas
Thanks to everyone for their posts.
Andy Bankert and I got a bit later start on things - leaving Melbourne at 1 p.m., fighting traffic, malfunctioning railroad crossing guards and bridges stuck open.
Got the Thick Billed Vireo within 2 minutes of getting to the park - flew right into the tree in front of the visitor center. Pulled ourselves away from it 30 minutes later - shooting all kinds of great video and getting life looks way better than any field guide.
Deployed to park number 2 (thank goodness for the car GPS) - ran into folks who've been searching for the LaSagra's for some 12 hours. Did a bit of walking - said goodbye to same folks who neglected to exchange phone numbers. 2 minutes later - LaSagra's flew into a tree on the SERVICE ROAD at the end of the scenic drive. Great views and song (vocalization). Only 3 of us saw it - but it sang for at least another 30 minutes, and had one more fleeting glimse but could not get it to show for the 8 or so other folks who caught up to us.
Special thanks to all who helped with the initial ID, posting, and to Andy for getting me to make the trip with him.
Dipped on the Connecticut Warbler - but two life birds in one day! I love Florida.
: All:
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: Jill Kaminski asked me to post this to the various listserves, so I am. Of course, you'll have to put up with my writing style though! First, Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. . . .
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: I'm not a religious man but I do consider myself to be a spiritual person. Case in point: I don't think that there is an adequate word in the English language that captures just the correct shade of orange of a sunrise that one sees as he or she drives east across Alligator Alley with fog shrouded low over the glades. It's mystical. With Kirk Whalum playing "Now 'Til Forever" from the "Unconditional" CD on the iPOD coming out of the car speakers, it clinched the mood. That Wild Turkey I saw in the medium of Alligator Alley, just over the Collier/Broward County Line was a bonus too!
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: I arrived at Anne Kolb Nature Center/West Lake Park this morning at about 7:30 AM. The "Birders2" -- John & Irma Levine from L.A., along with another friend whose name escapes me at the moment (sorry), arrived about the same time. We searched the trees in front of the Nature Center and within about five minutes, I had located the bird for the group. It was very cooperative and flew from tree to tree across the paved "path" into a fruiting ficus where it proceeded to "peck" at the ficus fruit. Whether it ate any of the fruit, I'm not certain, but it appeared to me as if it did. Perhaps it was going after some of the many no-seeums that were bothering us. Be forewarned! During this time, Terry Baltimore arrived and got to see the bird as well. It was a lifer for most everyone of us. It was an ABA bird for me as I saw one in the Bahamas about ten years ago.
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: From Anne Kolb Nature Center, all of us caravaned to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Ft. Lauderdale where we parked in the parking lot beyond the second red fire hydrant. While walking in the general area where the La Sagra's Flycatcher had been previously seen, Jill & David Kaminski -- fellow Neapolitans, arrived. Marianne Thomas (from Mass Audubon & local winter Snowbird) also joined the hunt. We split up somehow since the area was vast. Terry Baltimore, Jill & David Kaminski & I walked south(?) toward the first red fire hydrant while the others went in the opposite direction. Terry & I eventually split from David & Jill who walked further on about 150 yards ahead. At about 10:00AM, Jill was the first to spot the La Sagra's about 200 yards north of the first red fire hydrant in a huge ficus tree and both Jill & David waved for Terry & I to join them. The bird called several times, clinching the ID. What a bill this flycatcher has! I haven't heard anyone mention this. We hailed down one of the many maniacal rollerbladers to tell the Levines, etc. to make haste back to where we were looking at the bird. However, by the time they arrived, the bird had flown and despite some two more hours or so of searching, we could not locate it. Hopefully, the Levine's found it later in the day when they said they were going to return for another try. This is a tough bird to find if it isn't calling or moving about and the area is huge. Jill did mark the side of the road with the letters "B-I-R-D" in the dirt. I believe there is a small pile of sticks where this writing is as well --- the exact spot where we saw the La Sagra's.
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: I'm pretty sure I had a Connecticut Warbler but I only had a very fleeting glimpse at it before a woman walking her dog scared it off as the dog's barking was very loud. The behavior and color of the bird were right for Connecticut and I did notice an eyering, although I thought it appeared to be "split". Again, not enough time to study the bird.
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: Other sightings at Birch S.P.: Black-whiskered Vireo (x2). This was a lifer for the Levines (at least Irma). Kaching! Two lifers in one day. Not bad! Pileated Woodpeckers (several) with one nesting in a dead tree across from the second parking area. Warblers: Blackpoll, American Redstart, BT Blue (many but mostly females), Ovenbird (Jill K), & Cape May (me). There were many Chimney Swifts flying around the parking area beyond the second red fire hydrant as well as a pair of White-winged Doves (thanks John!). Of course, there were the usual Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, vultures, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, etc.
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: A good day for sure! Good luck to anyone trying for these birds in the next few days, especially the La Sagra's Flycatcher!
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