TOP 10 SPECIES
Top 10 lists are voted upon by the participants at the completion of
each tour.
SOUTH FLORIDA and the DRY TORTUGAS: 22-30 April 2004
Leaders: Mike Haldeman and Bob Schutsky
Trip Report by Mike Haldeman
Within 30 minutes of leaving the Miami Airport we were enjoying scope views of a Smooth-billed Ani. One of the last of this species in the US, this individual has taken up residence on the fringes of the Fort Lauderdale Airport. Next we headed to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge for our first views of all the large waders and marsh birds for which south Florida is famous. Among these was a cooperative Limpkin that allowed us a close approach as it dined on its favorite prey – the Apple Snail. Next we visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. This small reserve has a wonderful boardwalk that allows extremely close approach to the very tame marsh birds. Along with numerous herons and egrets with bare parts adorned in high-breeding colors, we had excellent looks at several Purple Gallinules and scope views of Least Bitterns and Soras. Not bad for a travel day with birding that began after noon!
The next day we headed inland to the pinewoods and farmlands near Lake Okeechobee. Here we found numerous Florida Sandhill Cranes, many with fuzzy young tagging along with their parents. Near the small town of Lorida we found five Burrowing Owls and were pleasantly surprised by an Upland Sandpiper actively feeding in an open field. Crested Caracaras are common here and we had great looks at a pair on the side of the road. Florida Scrub-Jays were easily seen at the famous Archbold Biological Station, where we also observed a Hairy Woodpecker. At Venus Flatwoods we were finally rewarded by scope views of a singing Bachman's Sparrow and several nice looks at the local Red-headed Woodpeckers. We had distant, rather unsatisfying looks at Short-tailed Hawk along Fisheating Creek.
Our next stop was Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Here we spent some time sifting through hundreds of shorebirds looking up occasionally to see another flock of Roseate Spoonbills cruising overhead. The highlight was an extremely cooperative Mangrove Cuckoo that came in right above us in the dense mangroves near the entrance kiosk. The bird posed for several minutes before disappearing into the vegetation. A brief stop at Eagle Lakes near Naples gave us looks at the local group of Bronzed Cowbirds as well as Black Skimmers skimming, Least Terns diving, and many more shorebirds.
The boardwalk through the extensive cypress swamps of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary makes this impressive ecosystem uncharacteristically accessible. With the early morning mist still clinging to the treetops and Spanish moss hanging from the branches, the experience is one not soon forgotten. As we sat on a bench watching a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, a Barred Owl appeared out of nowhere to grab a crayfish out of the shallow water. It flew to a nearby branch and worked with its prey for a few minutes. Then it flew higher to give the food to its downy juvenile that had just begun to give its high-pitched calls. At about the same time a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks began to call excitedly and, as the adult owl left its perch, it was strafed by one of the hawks. When the Barred Owl settled on a branch it began singing, "Who cooks for you" and was soon joined in song by its mate. What was obviously a very tense moment for all the raptors involved became quite a wildlife spectacle, performed right overhead, for our group of birders. After Corkscrew we made our way across the Tamiami Trail stopping, or course, to scan the extensive flooded grasslands that the road bisects. We persisted until we had nice looks at Snail Kites, and then drove on to Key Largo for a chance at Western Spindalis. We did not find this Caribbean vagrant, but we did see our first Black-whiskered Vireo.
The boardwalk known as Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park is another spot where the wildlife is well acclimated to people. Here fuzzy white Anhinga juveniles beg for food as many patient American Alligators wait below the nests. Adult Anhingas actually rest on the handrail allowing tourists to sit right beside them, and normal Great Blue Herons are joined by their "Great White" relatives. At other spots within the park we found our first Gray Kingbirds, nesting Wood Storks, Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, and a male Shiny Cowbird. On the day before the tour Bob and I had the chance to walk the infamous Snake Bight Trail. The mosquitoes, while bad, were nothing like they can be, and at the end of the two-mile walk we were rewarded with a single Caribbean Flamingo on Florida Bay. Because of our good luck we decided to give the group the option of making the trek. They chose to go but no flamingos showed. We heard Clapper Rails, found another Barred Owl family, saw two Whimbrel, and experienced several million mosquitoes. That night we went back into the park and soon found a Chuck-will's-widow perched at eye-level near the side of the road. The cooperative bird sang in the spotlight for several minutes.
Our day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park yielded fifteen warbler species and great looks at Gray-cheeked Thrush, Veery, Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon. We saw another Chuck-will's-widow, this one perched silently in the shade of a clump of sea grape. Thousands of Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies were in place at their nesting colony and we could just make out the Masked Boobies on distant Hospital Key. On the way back to Key West we had a fly-by Brown Booby. Elsewhere on the Keys we had great looks at several perched White-crowned Pigeons and even managed a couple of male Bobolinks foraging on a baseball field.
Back in the hustle and bustle of the Miami area we visited a West Indian Cave Swallow colony, then found Red-whiskered Bulbul, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Common and Hill Mynas, and a last minute Spot-breasted Oriole before returning to the airport.
Next year's tour is scheduled for the same dates, 22-30 April 2005.
SOUTH FLORIDA & THE DRY TORTUGAS
April 1999
I'll summarize these ten days with one bird: Key West Quail-Dove in the first hour of the tour. WOW!!!!! And the other nine days and 23 hours were just as much fun. These two tours will be conducted in April 2000. No promises on the Quail-Dove: sorry.................