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Posted by Joel N Rosenthal on 10:40:41 05/11/13
Calm clear weather each morning has permitted me to spend some time this week bonefishing on the flats at Matheson Hammock Park. Monday produced a nice 8 pound fish, and my return engagement on Wednesday produced no fish, but an hour long serenade--if it can be called that-by a mangrove cuckoo. With memories of last weekend's TAS trip to Key Largo, and the attendant frustration while seeking photos of the aforesaid bird fresh in my mind, I did not spend much time trying to see it--as I had only my pocket point and shoot-and as any of you who know me can attest, my motto is "the bird not photographed is the bird not seen". But I did get some shots and video of a yellow crowned night heron feeding on fish and crabs(video link on the title page of the flickr link below). I went back to Matheson this morning and fished for an hour but heard nothing from the cuckoo, until I reached my parked car and heard a faint croaking. Armed with my dslr and big lens and a crudely cobbled playback of mangrove cuckoo calls from the internet, I was quickly rewarded with the sight of the curious bird. We played hide and seek for 10 minutes and I got the photos in the link below. I never got a clear shot of its tail, nor did it vocalize in response to my playback. He/she came into the open to look at me, and after satisfying itself, that I was not one of his kind he disappeared, and remained unresponsive to furhter playback.
The bird was seen/ heard both days between 8 and 9 am at the kayak launch at water's edge at Matheson Park(Drive past the guard house and bear right-go over the bridge and past the boat launch ramps and follow the road to the end where it forms a cul de sac loop. )The bird was first seen and photographed at the far south end in the trees, and then it flew into the trees that overhang the water approx 75 yards north, just about where the night heron was photographed.)
For what it is worth, I believe there were two cuckoos there today.
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