Posted by Rock Jetty on January 08, 2016 at 18:44:08
Hello all, I birded the Cutler Wetlands complex (wetland proper, adjacent mini-wetlands, lake, and adjacent Australian pines) and came up with 46 species in an hour. Now, I probably would’ve gotten more considering that I missed some of the usual suspects I have gotten these past few days (American Bittern, Loggerhead Shrike, Turkey Vulture, etc.) but I do try to get accurate counts and this morning WAS impressive. Most of the birds mentioned in the list below were concentrated in the main wetland, foraging. If you want to start a County Big Year now, go to Cutler Wetlands one morning (just before 7am) and spend a couple of hours birding the whole complex – 60 species is very likely. Then move over to the Dump Marsh complex – Mount Trashmore – Black Point areas and 100 species is possible, just in these four closely-situated areas. I would be interested in seeing who can get to 150 or more species for the month of January. I think I’ll try for a January record, ABA and exotics. Carlos Sanchez leads the way with 118 this month so far. As of now, I have 80, but I’m updating every day. Look behind you, the Jetty’s coming. Cutler Wetlands, Miami-Dade, Florida, US Jan 8, 2016 7:45 AM - 8:45 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.2 mile(s) 46 species Muscovy Duck - 6 Gadwall (female) - 1 American Wigeon - 4 Mottled Duck - 35 Blue-winged Teal - 14 Northern Pintail (female) - 1 Green-winged Teal - 6 Red-breasted Merganser - 1 Pied-billed Grebe - 4 Wood Stork - 60 Double-crested Cormorant - 2 American White Pelican - 6 Great Egret - 11 Snowy Egret - 12 Little Blue Heron - 10 Tricolored Heron - 3 Cattle Egret - 1 White Ibis - 60 Glossy Ibis - 30 Roseate Spoonbill - 4 Osprey - 1 Common Gallinule - 3 American Coot - 35 Killdeer - 9 Greater Yellowlegs - 5 Lesser Yellowlegs - 1 Long-billed Dowitcher - 38 Laughing Gull - 1 Ring-billed Gull - 100 Eurasian Collared-Dove - 28 Mourning Dove - 4 Blue Jay - 2 Fish Crow - 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2 Gray Catbird - 3 European Starling - 4 Black-and-white Warbler - 1 Common Yellowthroat - 2 Magnolia Warbler - 1 Palm Warbler - 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3 Prairie Warbler - 1 Northern Cardinal - 1 Red-winged Blackbird - 4 Common Grackle - 4 Boat-tailed Grackle - 1