Posted by John Boyd on April 27, 2019 at 19:54:22
Approximately 25 birders met me at the southern Matheson parking lot. Yellow-chevroned Parakeets were already screeching over as I arrived. Groups of them passed by multiple times during the day. Jim Sigsbee spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo from the parking lot. I also heard a peafowl from the parking lot...we heard more later. Some of us saw the cuckoo again at the beginning of the walk. After that, things went quiet for a bit until we heard a Black-whiskered Vireo near the northern parking lot. We crossed over the park road while searching for it and suddenly found birds. Before we were done, a half-dozen warbler species had been found as well as three vireos. At least one vireo was Red-eyed, and I believe the other two were Black-whiskered (at least one was). Jean found a Spotted Sandpiper by the lake. A Black-crowned Night-Heron flew over as we got a better look at a nicely spotted Spotted Sandpiper. Walking back along the mangroves, we heard a Yellow Warbler singing. Thinking it might be the Cuban race, gundlachi, I played the song. A bird immediately responded. We were surprised to find it was a Common Yellowthoat. There were 3-4 yellowthroats present there. Never did see the Yellow Warbler and I wonder if maybe it was a northern bird. Incidentally, the IOC splits all the mangrove races, both with and without red heads, as Mangrove Warbler. An Orange-winged Amazon was perched atop a dead palm as we approached the parking lot, where a Pileated Woodpecker sat on a couple of the vehicles. We crossed over Old Cutler Road and walked the service road. We saw more of the same warblers and some Catbirds before we got the open area. There, we found both Eastern and Gray Kingbirds. We checked a gash in one of the Royal Palms for Screech-Owl, without success, then angled off along the path toward the canal. More warblers were present, including a Palm Warbler, and we spotted both light and dark morph Short-tailed Hawks overhead, both molting. David saw a flock of Bobolinks as we turned around. I checked the Royal Palm again as we passed by. This time the Screech-Owl was looking out, and all got to see it. We finished by walking the nature trail back to Old Cutler, adding Ovenbird on the way. Brian also heard some Chimney Swifts. There wasn't anything else new on the way back to our cars. We finished at about 11:45, having found at least 38 species. Indian Peafowl (heard) Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Chimney Swift (heard by Brian) Anhinga White Ibis Black-crowned Night-Heron Green Heron (heard) Spotted Sandpiper Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Short-tailed Hawk (light and dark morphs) Eastern Screech-Owl (gray) Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (many) Orange-winged Amazon Eastern Kingbird Gray Kingbird Red-eyed Vireo Black-whiskered Vireo Blue Jay Fish Crow Gray Catbird European Starling Bobolink (seen by David) Ovenbird (seen by others) Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler (heard singing in mangroves) Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Northern Cardinal Painted Bunting (seen by another)