Eagle Lakes Park

Tuesday, February 15th

Headed south to Eagle Lakes Community Park in Collier County. Behind the ballfields are the mitigation ponds for reclaimed waste water. This is also an excellent place to bird for Florida wetland species. Saw about all of the expected wading birds including a Limpkin, dozens of Wood Storks a Black-crowned Nightheron and many Glossy Ibis. For water fowl we only had Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Ducks and few Coots present. Other interesting species present was a Northern Flicker, a juvenile Bald Eagle and a young Red-shouldered Hawk molting into adult plumage. Hundreds of Tree Swallows swirled above the lakes and I made an effort to try and see if any purple martnis could be found  as well. But not today. A couple of glimpse of a possible merlin, but never got a good look. Was hoping to possiblely locate a king rail or a bronzed cowbird. Really did not expect the rail, but bronzed cowbirds were a really possibility here.

Osprey

Double-crested Cormorants

Lots of Wood Storks

Pied-billed Grebe

Believe this is a young Red-shouldered Hawk molting into adult plumage

Palm Warblers were everywhere

My List - (42)



Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Limpkin, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle