Posted by John Boyd on October 07, 2017 at 23:10:20
Nancy Freedman and I birded part of Everglades National Park today. We started at the Coe Visitor's Center, went to Lucky Hammock, then Anhinga Trail, Research Road, Mahogany Hammock, and finished with a picnic lunch at Long Pine Key. We found 49 species of bird. Highlights included 3 Blue Grosbeaks just north of Lucky Hammock, a Great White Heron by the Taylor Slough bridges, and Philadelphia Vireo and Chestnut-sided Warbler in Mahogany Hammock. We found 12 warbler species, 11 of which were present at Mahogany Hammock. The Coe Visitor's Center, Lucky Hammock, Anhinga Trail, and Long Pine Key were all quiet. There were few birds and NO alligators at Anhinga Trail. A Pileated Woodpecker did fly over the end of the straight part of Anhinga Trail, and a Merlin flew by on the way back. The only Anhinga we saw was leaving! Gumbo Limbo Trail and the Old Ingraham Highway remain closed, as was Pa-hay-okee. Mahogany Hammock was very active. Most of the boardwalk at Mahogany Hammock was fine, there were only a couple of places where repairs had been made to the railing. Our list of warbler species was Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Prairie Warbler.