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Posted by Susan Schneider on 20:23:09 05/15/05
What a pleasure to do a count, running a route similar to last year's, seeing how the results stack up!--the misses, the surprises, and, thank goodness, many of the expected birds falling into place. I don't know why, but I couldn't locate any Eastern Towhees this year, while Great-crested Flycatchers were a
new find for the territory; and I ran into almost twice as many White Ibis as last year; and I dipped on Gray Kingbird entirely(a count week bird, though) but heard a lingering Gray Catbird to
compensate . . .
My day started, like last year, with disappointment at dawn:
Despite my scouting trips, no Least Bitterns or King Rail at Taylor WMA off North Krome Av. near Okeechobee Road, and no Snail Kite either, the big news of last year at dawn. And to add
insult to injury, wader numbers were low, and I missed the Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stilts, and calling Limpkin that I had on the scouting trip. What gives? I get up so early for so little? I did have three Common Nighthawks, including one that flew low very near. And finally, around 7:30 AM, one Least Bittern called and the day took a turn for the better. At 8 I flushed an immature Snail Kite and the day was made! Last year's bird was an adult male; this continues to be a good kite site.
Other highlights at this section of Taylor WMA were two very close Mottled Ducks standing right on the trail, to add to my two flyovers at dawn. Also two flyover Brown-headed Cowbirds and a Least Tern. But no Purple Gallinule at its favored spot, and across the street where I had the Manatee and Chickadee on the scouting trip, no luck--just the faithful woodpeckers. The highlight of one of the trails wasn't birds: I found three miniature Tree Snails up on reeds right on the side of the trail. Just like the ones on Key Largo, polished and colorful, but rather far from trees--hope they'll be OK. Finally, the reliable roost of Black Vultures, with 22 huddled on the ground waiting for the thermals, but no sign of the nearby Anhinga roost of last year. By the time I left, the vultures were up and about.
Miami West Park in Doral offered its usual complement of breeding Loggerhead Shrikes, but by then, birding was slow. The little flock of migrant warblers was to be found at the DM ponds on the FIU campus, however, although it was down to four Blackpoll Warblers and one Redstart. My mother helped out with the FIU portion of the day, pointing out a depression where a fox family was hiding.
On to the southeastern access of Taylor WMA, just west of the Miccosukee casino on Tamiami Trail. A distant backlit buteo offered a difficult hawk ID, same as last year--but it hovered, and may have been a Red-tailed (thanks to John Boyd for the suggestion). While sitting on the trail, waiting hopefully for rails to call, I noticed that an immature Red-shouldered Hawk was perched nearby. I admired the hawk in my binoculars while the hawk sussed me out--and out of nowhere, a Loggerhead Shrike
attacked! It dropped in neatly just behind the hawk's head, slid
down its back, raking it with its claws, and made a clean getaway. The hawk appeared confused, and was still focused on
me. Big mistake, as the shrike repeated its attack, the same back-sliding technique. The shrike perched nearby and screamed at the hawk. The hawk screamed back. This little tableau continued for some time, until the hawk got fed up and retreated! And then male and female Red-bellied Woodpeckers whooped it up, screeching at each other and tussling. Not a quiet day at the office.
Well, this was fun, but the King Rail I'd had at this location
never did call, and the small warbler flock didn't show, so I headed for my reliable Purple Gallinule spot--and people were there! I had to wait until late dusk--noting a female Purple Martin flying north meanwhile, at the same place and time where I had two males last year. Then the birds took over the PG spot--and I heard a gallinule-type call, but it might have been a
Common Moorhen, darn. I *did* get to see the small gator that had startled the moorhen/gallinule go after an immature Great Blue Heron, the bird fortunately catching on and moving uneasily away. And then, what do you know, a King Rail did its hip-hurrah call--my last new species for the day.
As I'd hoped, much of the day went like last year: similar
species, similar individual totals--reassuring indeed. Beyond the satisfaction of bringing in the data were the unexpected bonuses that nature so often provides.
Good birding, Susan
53 species, 779 individuals
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Anhinga 4
Least Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 30
Snowy Egret 3
Little Blue Heron 16
Tricolored Heron 4
Cattle Egret 22
Green Heron 24
Black-crowned Night Heron 15
White Ibis 71
Muscovy 13
Mottled Duck 4
Mallard (feral) 4
Black Vulture 36
Turkey Vulture 14
Osprey 1
Snail Kite 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
King Rail 1
Common Moorhen 10
Killdeer 4
Least Tern 1
Rock Pigeon 15
Eurasian Collared-Dove 50
Mourning Dove 14
Common Ground-Dove 3
Monk Parakeet 2
Common Nighthawk 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 12
Downy Woodpecker 7
Northern Flicker 2
Purple Martin 1
Blue Jay 10
Fish Crow 7
Carolina Wren 8
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 32
Loggerhead Shrike 6
European Starling 27
Blackpoll Warbler 4
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 9
Northern Cardinal 8
Red-winged Blackbird 52
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 154
Common Grackle 50
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
House Sparrow 3
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