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Posted by Rick Schofield on 17:38:59 03/22/13
I'm back after a short(?) hiatus and will try to be more diligent about posting reports from our weekly Wednesday morning Loxahatchee NWR birdwalks.
Last week and this, we gathered at the boat launch area 1/2 hour before sunrise so we could witness the dawn flyout from the interior of the refuge. Last week we froze to death. This week we were attacked by swarms of mosquitoes. But in both cases the flyout was really, really nice.
As if orchestrated by George Balanchine, the roosting birds came out in waves. First the Great Egrets (flying east and northeast), then the Snowies (flying due north up the L-40 canal). Next came the Tricoloreds with Black-crowned Night-Herons interspersed (again flying due north up the canal). Two Snail Kites appeared, as if out of nowhere, for their pas de deux and moved off to the northeast. Finally the corps de ballet -- the Ibises both White and Glossy -- came out by the hundreds (if not thousands) and flew off to the east. Incongruously, several Pileated Woodpeckers passed overhead *into* the interior. What's with that?
It was pretty much over by 7:30 when we left to meet back up in the Marsh Trail parking lot to start our standard route.
The adult male Snail Kite was cruising the C-6 impoundment (right next to the Marsh Trail parking lot) and his girlfriend(?) was hanging out in a distant cypress tree. She stayed in that same tree for probably 1 hour!
We checked out the Great Horned Owls -- 2 owlets, no mom, but dad nearby. While scoping two American Kestrels on the high tension lines on the eastern boundary of the refuge, we noticed the beginnings of a Monk Parakeet nest on one of the towers with several birds hanging upside-down on the cross-beam. We had a few Black-necked Stilts fly overhead as we checked out the Kestrels/Monks.
There were a few little birds around the Visitors' Center but not a whole lot. We had the four P's -- Palm, Pine, Prairie, and Parula -- plus Yellow-rumped and Black-and-white. Migration has not hit our area in a big way yet. (Yes, the Parulas and Catbirds are coming though in decent numbers, but nothing else -- Yet.)
When we returned to the Lee Rd side of C-6, the female Snail Kite was still hanging out and gave exceptional views up-close before she eventually flew. I say "female" without being absolutely sure if "it" wasn't a juvenile, but I'd be happy to have comments.
We didn't walk the cypress strand at the end of Lee Rd because we wanted to check out Marcello's recent report of a Blue Bunting along the east canal that separates Loxahatchee from Bedner's Farm. Unfortunately, we dipped on it and the Indigo and Painted Buntings (but we did get the local Marsh Wren). Maybe we were too early because he had them later in the day.
Rick
Loxahatchee NWR--Marsh Trail, Palm Beach, US-FL
Mar 20, 2013 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.75 mile(s)
Comments: Weekly Wednesday morning birdwalk, Marsh Trail, Loxahatchee NWR, Boynton Beach, Florida. 18 birders. Rick Schofield, leader.
55 species
Mottled Duck 20
Blue-winged Teal 8
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Limpkin
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl 3 (two owlets on nest; no female to be seen; male nearby)
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Monk Parakeet
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
Prairie Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13460069
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
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