01/07 Everglades National Park TAS Walk

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Hi all, Fifteen birders met us on a chilly Saturday morning for the annual TAS Everglades National Park Birding all-day trip. This year we had birders join us from as far as the Bahamas for this fun-filled walk! We also enjoyed the company of local birders and friends from the Audubon of Western Everglades who come out to this event yearly. We kicked off the morning with great looks at the continuing SMOOTH-BILLED ANI just outside the national park. We loved all the high fives being shared, it was a lifer for many in the group! We turned the caravan around and headed into the national park with Anhinga Trail/Royal Palm being our first stop. High water levels continue to lead to little nesting activity from the Anhingas and Double-crested Cormorants along the trail. Birds were scarce, but we managed to find two targets, PURPLE GALLINULE and SHORT-TAILED HAWK (both morphs). Gathering back at the parking lot we discovered that a few cars had been vandalized by the Royal Palm Black Vulture gang. We headed out to Research Road where we quickly found our target species, WHITE-TAILED KITE, two birds hunting the fields and resting on a low perch allowing scope views for the group! Next up would be Long Pine Key where we picked up BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, DOWNY-WOODPECKER and PINE WARBLER. A group lunch was enjoyed along the lakeshore where we had another SHORT-TAILED HAWK flyover. By now the impending inclement weather ahead of the cold front had made its way to the glades. Winds picked up rapidly and the skies darkened, but we pushed on to Mahogany Hammock where a LIMPKIN, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and PILEATED WOODPECKER highlighted the stop. We attempted to located a Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow with no success, winds had picked up by this point and a light rain began to fall so we decided to turn around and look for some birds along the way back. A stop at Sisal Pond was the final stop for the day, here we encountered a large feeding flock of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, a WHITE-EYED VIREO, WORM-EATING WARBLER and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER were also seen. EASTERN PHOEBE and GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER were also present. Along the shore we found LITTLE BLUE HERON, SNOWY EGRET, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON AND GREAT BLUE HERON. We also enjoyed the company of a BELTED KINGFISHER and a group of raucous BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. Even though the rain cut the day short we all enjoyed some wonderful birds and great company. Thanks to all that came out for this field trip. See you next year! Nature is Awesome Angel & Mariel

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