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Posted by Paul Bithorn on 19:15:15 10/23/05
Cabin fever, which gripped most of South Florida in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Wilma, would not keep ten birders from participating in Tropical Audubon Society's annual fall field trip to Shark Valley and Loop Road on Saturday, October 22, 2004, co-led by mi amigo, Juan Villamil. We had an excellent day of birding with 82 species seen or heard. Overcast skies and high humidity made the weather a little steamy but a total lack of mosquitoes was a pleasant surprise, despite high water levels in the water conservation areas and the national park.
Fifteen species of warblers were seen including Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue,Black-throated Green, Yellow-throated,Yellow, Prairie, Palm, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Black & White, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Northern Waterthrush.
Our first stop was the S-333 South Florida Water Management District structure just west of the Miccosukee Casino on the Tamiami Trail (US 41). The highlight was a heard Least Bittern. Our next stop was Water Control Structure S-334 in Area 3B, the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area. A distant Snail Kite, small flock of Blue-winged Teal and a House Wren were seen in the area. A Limpkin was heard calling from the marsh.
At Shark Valley, a single Purple Gallinule, Red-Tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and several warblers were seen with Yellow and Chestnut-sided Warblers being the highlights.
The Pinecrest area of Loop Road had a nice mixed flock of warblers and vireos with Blue Headed and White-eyed Vireo, Magnolia and Black-throated Green Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, along with a Tufted Titmouse being the highlights. We heard a Barred Owl calling nearby and spotted him flying to a roost, where he could not be relocated. Water levels are high on the dirt road portion of Loop and it is closed except for local traffic, so we we decided to head back to the city.
The Cutler Wetlands began luring us south to search for Black-headed and Franklin Gulls, two South Florida rarities, that had been photographed earlier in the day by Trey Mitchell and Larry Manfredi, documenting this tremedous find by the dastardly duo of Toe and Rock Jetty, aliases, Roberto Torres and Raul Urguelles. Who are those guys?
After more than an hour of following the gulls - they were constantly on the move with three adult Bald Eagles and a Peregrine Falcon feeding in the area - our persistence paid off! John Boyd located both gulls amongst at least twenty Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a couple hundred Laughing Gulls and a single Ring-billed Gull. A Bay-breated Warbler, reported by Rock Jetty, remains near the double gate at A.D. Barnes, where Juan and I stopped on the way home.
A Southern Black Racer and Florida Water Snake at Shark Valley,a nonsensical Otter (Otter nonsense) playing in the middle of Loop Road and Orthalicus Floridensis tree nails found nestled in the West Indian hardwood hammocks along Loop Road, rounded out a great day of communing with nature.
Life is good..........exploring the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp. Stay safe.
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