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Posted by Robin Diaz on 12:20:35 03/13/13
March spring migration can be hit-or-miss in Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP but it was interesting this morning. The park was very quiet early, with few birds around. However, at 9:10, birds began streaming in off the ocean near the lighthouse. From a stationary spot on the south end of the Nature Trail, I watched pulses of warblers stage at various trees, then dive into the large Strangler Fig next to the trail and start chowing. They also zipped over to large trees north of the trail. Some species came in small flocks -- I watched 3 Yellow-throated Warblers fly in together and a tight flock of 5 Black-and-white Warblers hit the tree together.
I had 11 warbler species, all Caribbean migrants. Cooper's and Broad-winged Hawks and Magnificent Frigatebirds were airborne.
Birds leaving locations south of us were probably pushed eastward by west and northwest winds last night. It took them a while to fight the headwinds in order to land.
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