[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Paul Bithorn on 19:54:49 07/20/14
On Saturday, July 19, 2014, I joined my good friend, Kevin Sarsfield,
for a day of birding in the Palm Beach County Agricultural Areas. The
day was hot and muggy, reaching real feel temperatures of over 100
degrees due to the slack winds. We hit Holey Land/Rotenberger W.M.A.
Road with highlights of Red-shouldered Hawk, an estimated 600 Purple
Martins, Eastern Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Yellowthroat and
Eastern Meadowlark. A playful River Otter was seen on the paved road
and a Hispid Cotton Rat and a Marsh Rabbit rounded out the mammals
seen.
Heading north on US 27, we had a flyover of 2 Black-bellied Whistling
Ducks, saw several Mottled Ducks, a King Rail actively feeding in a
drainage ditch between the Sugarcane fields, a Purple Swamphen,
Kildeer, 6 Least Sandpipers and a multitude of Black-necked Stilts.
SR 827 had a Barn Swallow and a rather confiding and calling, male
Northern Bobwhite that stood on a rock within 30 feet of us, as I
mimicked its call.
Brown s Farm Road had Roseate Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, 2 Purple
Swamphens, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Western Sandpipers, Kildeer and 2
Semipalmated Plovers in a flooded field.
SR 880 and Sam Senter Road were quiet, but Gladeview Road had several
flooded fields, with the field about 4 miles from the entrance holding
Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks, 60 White Pelicans, an
estimated 80 Roseate Spoonbills, 75 Wood Storks, Laughing Gull, 2 Black
Terns and 2 Gull-billed Terns.
We headed to Sonny s BBQ in Clewiston for lunch and saw many
Swallow-tailed Kites on the rim of Lake Okeechobee. staging for the
migration south, as well as a multitude of Ospreys.
We started the drive south at 2 p.m. and found ourselves sitting
outside of Woody s West End Tavern, enjoying a good cigar and quaffing
a couple of tasty Lagunitas India Pale Ales. Much to our delight, a
pair of Scarlet-fronted Parakeets, that are nesting in scupper on the
parapet wall, flew in, and two Spot-breasted Orioles fed in some nearby
Christmas Palms, as a Red-tailed Hawk glided over the FEC Railway
property. A nice finish to a great day of birding, with a total of 62
species seen, including 7 shorebird species.
Life is good .looking forward to our TAS field trip on Saturday,
August 30, 2014. Hope to see y all there.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]