Posted by Joe Barros on May 07, 2017 at 16:29:05
A beautiful cool morning greeted 25 birders for the TAS North Key Largo trip. We gathered at the Cracker Barrel in Florida City where we had Boat-tailed Grackles, Eurasian Collard Doves, Mourning Doves, Gray Kingbirds, and crows. We set off for our first stop at Alabama Jacks and the Card Sound Road & Bridge area where we located a vocal Yellow Warbler that allowed all to see. Prairie Warblers were heard singing as well. Unlike previous years the activity was light except for the caged rescued Muscovy (Can we count this one). At the end of the causeway we worked to identify black specs on the horizon, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Osprey, Forster‘s Tern…. Lucky for us the bird that was called a pelican, no it is an egret, finally the Great White Heron flew towards us until we made the right call which many claiming, I knew it was that all along. We moved on passing by Crocodile Lakes where the water levels were high and made our way to Carysfort Circle where the warbler activity was high. Many Cape May Warblers, a Palm, Northern Parula, Blackpoll, and an Indigo Bunting were seen wildly feeding in a flowering Jamaican Dogwood. As we searched for more warblers the song of a Black-whiskered Vireo was heard singing. He flew overhead and then allowed great views by all. We walked the circle adding a beautiful Magnolia Warbler, and Black-throated Blue Warbler when Paul, working ahead of us heard a Cuckoo call. We gathered and heard the call again with a bird flying this way then again that way. Some saw Mangrove Cuckoo and some saw Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Then the bird moved again flushing a second bird and both birds with confirmed with the Mangrove Cuckoo flying closer allowing all to view. We decided to head out to Gulfstream where several Western Spindalis were being reported. There we found another flurry of Cape May Warbler activity along with a few other warblers but after an overall blanketing of the area no spindalis was found. We continued on to Dagney Johnson where the bird activity was low and the hunger was high. We decided to have an early lunch at the Buzzard’s Roost, our traditional lunch stop, where our party of 20 were welcomed and attentively served a delicious fare with refreshing ales. Having a full tummy and heading back north stopping by Gulfstream was a no brainer. A few of us returned to search for the spindalis and with patient persistence the male Western Spindalis was located feeding high in the fig. We all had great views even though the bird was deep in the tangle. Also added in this stop were Gray Catbird and Tennessee Warbler. On this cool morning following a dry spell the butterfly activity was low and took a back seat although several were noted. Thank you to Linda Evans who was working the back of the birding pack helping those who wanted slow down and notice our other winged friends. Thank you all who joined Linda and me for our end of the season TAS bird walk. We look forward to seeing you at our next bird walk. Joe Date: May 6, 2017 I counted 47 species. Please let me know if you have a bird to add to the list. Birds seen Magnificent Frigatebird Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron (Blue & White Forms) Green Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Red-shouldered Hawk Laughing Gull Royal Tern Least Sandpiper White Crowned Pigeon Rock Pigeon Common Ground Dove Mourning Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Mangrove Cuckoo Red-bellied Woodpecker Great Crested Flycatcher Gray Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Black-whiskered Vireo Blue Jay Fish Crow Purple Martin Barn Swallow Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird European Starling Common Myna Tennessee Warbler Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Yellow Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Blackthroated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler (Many heard singing) Western Spindalis Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Butterflies ( ashort list of some that I saw0 Cassius Blue Giant Swallowtail Longwing Julia Zebra Longwing Gulf Frittilary Large Orange Sulpher This trip summary was created using the eBird app for iPhone and iPad. See eBird for more information. Joe Jose Francisco Barros, DDS Sent from my iPhone