Matheson Hammock to Dump Marsh

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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 17:00:36 11/02/05

Today, on what appears to be the last day of my unscheduled "vacation", I spent the morning at Matheson Hammock Park. On the way I drove through the neighborhood across from Baptist Hospital. Two Red-whiskered Bulbuls were where I almost always see them, at the intersection of SW 89 Avenue and SW 87 Street.

Matheson Hammock Park is still officially closed, so I parked at the nature trail lot on Old Cutler Road and walked in. The service road into the western side of the park is blocked by several downed trees but the adventurous can negotiate around, over or under these. As for the nature trail through the hammock, if you thought it was bad after Katrina . . .

The picnic area on the east side of the park looks OK, but the portion of the nature trail that passes near the restrooms is buried with downed trees. The road to the marina/beach is flooded in sections, as is the trail that parallels the road.

Here's what I saw at Matheson:

Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
Common Moorhen
Ruddy Turnstone
Laughing Gull
Royal Tern
White-crowned Pigeon (they were everywhere!)
Mourning Dove
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Hill Myna
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole

I stopped briefly at Bill Sadowski Park but the trails were closed. I added Yellow-throated Vireo near the parking area. Headed next to Cutler Wetlands. Had I known about this mystery duck . . . Saw the group of Northern Shovelers, but most were tucked. Mottled Duck were also present. Among the hundreds of Laughing Gulls, I found Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and two Franklin's. Also present were Dunlin and dowitcher sp.

I ended the day at Dump Marsh, where I added:
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
American Coot
Loggerhead Shrike
Boat-tailed Grackle

Add Muscovy Duck, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove and House Sparrow, seen en route, for an 81-species day.

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Comments:	: Today, on what appears to be the last day of my unscheduled "vacation", I spent the morning at Matheson Hammock Park. On the way I drove through the neighborhood across from Baptist Hospital. Two Red-whiskered Bulbuls were where I almost always see them, at the intersection of SW 89 Avenue and SW 87 Street. : : Matheson Hammock Park is still officially closed, so I parked at the nature trail lot on Old Cutler Road and walked in. The service road into the western side of the park is blocked by several downed trees but the adventurous can negotiate around, over or under these. As for the nature trail through the hammock, if you thought it was bad after Katrina . . . : : The picnic area on the east side of the park looks OK, but the portion of the nature trail that passes near the restrooms is buried with downed trees. The road to the marina/beach is flooded in sections, as is the trail that parallels the road. : : Here's what I saw at Matheson: : : Brown Pelican : Double-crested Cormorant : Anhinga : Great Egret : Snowy Egret : Yellow-crowned Night-Heron : White Ibis : Turkey Vulture : Sharp-shinned Hawk : Cooper's Hawk : Red-shouldered Hawk : American Kestrel : Common Moorhen : Ruddy Turnstone : Laughing Gull : Royal Tern : White-crowned Pigeon (they were everywhere!) : Mourning Dove : Yellow-chevroned Parakeet : Ruby-throated Hummingbird : Belted Kingfisher : Red-bellied Woodpecker : Yellow-bellied Sapsucker : Downy Woodpecker : Eastern Wood-Pewee : Eastern Phoebe : Blue-headed Vireo : Red-eyed Vireo : Blue Jay : Fish Crow : House Wren : Blue-gray Gnatcatcher : Gray Catbird : Northern Mockingbird : Brown Thrasher : European Starling : Hill Myna : Northern Parula : Magnolia Warbler : Cape May Warbler : Black-throated Blue Warbler : Black-throated Green Warbler : Yellow-throated Warbler : Prairie Warbler : Palm Warbler : Black-and-white Warbler : American Redstart : Ovenbird : Northern Waterthrush : Common Yellowthroat : Scarlet Tanager : Northern Cardinal : Indigo Bunting : Painted Bunting : Common Grackle : Baltimore Oriole : : I stopped briefly at Bill Sadowski Park but the trails were closed. I added Yellow-throated Vireo near the parking area. Headed next to Cutler Wetlands. Had I known about this mystery duck . . . Saw the group of Northern Shovelers, but most were tucked. Mottled Duck were also present. Among the hundreds of Laughing Gulls, I found Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and two Franklin's. Also present were Dunlin and dowitcher sp. : : I ended the day at Dump Marsh, where I added: : Pied-billed Grebe : Great Blue Heron : Tricolored Heron : Cattle Egret : Gadwall : American Wigeon : Blue-winged Teal : Northern Pintail : American Coot : Loggerhead Shrike : Boat-tailed Grackle : : Add Muscovy Duck, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove and House Sparrow, seen en route, for an 81-species day. :
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