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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 20:07:27 03/02/13
Eleven birders joined me for today's TAS trip to Martin County. We began just south of the border at Jupiter Ridge Natural Area, where we found our first target species, Florida Scrub-Jay. We then proceeded to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where admission was free for today's Scrub-Jay Festival. In scrub habitat near the park entrance, we found another scrub-jay, as well as several Red-headed Woodpeckers, recent park colonizers, apparently attracted to the many snags present in this hurricane-disturbed habitat. We also spotted two female Hooded Mergansers on one of the small ponds in this area. On the Kitching Creek Trail at the west end of the park road, we failed to find any hoped-for Bachman's Sparrows, but settled for the sight of two river otters frolicking in the creek. After lunch in the picnic area along the Loxahatchee River, but before leaving the park, we stopped briefly at Hobe Mountain. This 86-foot high sand dune provides spectacular views of the park as well as beautiful homes along the Intercoastal Waterway to the east (including that of golfer Greg Norman). Surrounding the observation platform are what are most likely the highest-elevation poisonwood and gumbo-limbo trees in the state!
We then headed inland to Dupuis Management Area, just east of Lake Okeechobee. Along the way, we spotted an immature Crested Caracara feeding roadside with several vultures. Along the auto road in the management area, we checked two areas where Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have been recently introduced, but the only woodpeckers we saw were Red-bellied and Downy. Also seen in this area were Swallow-tailed Kite, Eastern Bluebird (listed as rare on the management area checklist I have) and Painted Bunting. A Barred Owl was heard. Before heading home, I drove down to Port Mayaca, at the west end of SR 76, where the St. Lucie Canal meets Lake Okeechobee. Spotted here were two adult Bald Eagles, several Forster's Terns and three gull species, including Herring.
The trip list:
Mottled Duck
Hooded Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Common Gallinule
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Blue Jay
Florida Scrub-Jay
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
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