Posted by Paul Bithorn on June 22, 2002 at 20:46:41:
Inspired by Wild Bill Boeringer's Father’s Day trek to Big Cypress/Loop Road last weekend, I ventured out this morning, Saturday, June 22, to one of my favorite summer birding haunts. Hundreds of Purple Martins continued to congregate along the powerlines on Tamiami(Tampa-to-Miami) Trail.
Shortly after entering the Loop at Monroe Station,I was greeted by a Limpkin on the dirt road between a campground and Sweetwater Slough, which proved once again to the best area to bird. The roads are the best I have ever seen them. Even a compact cars would have no problem traversing the 20 mile loop. The mosquito index was surpringly low for this time of year.
This area is the southernmost breeding range for Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Northern Parula. They were all easily found in the Sweetwater Slough area at the first bend. A bonus bird was a Hairy Woodpecker considered rare anywhere in South Florida.
I was also disappointed at not being able to locate any Prothonotary Warblers in the cypress stands.
Eastern Bluebird, Pine Warbler and Eastern Towhee were seen in the pinelands. Mammalian critters seen included White-tailed Deer, Racoon and Marsh Hare.
Life is good........Texas, here I come. Yippy kiyay!