Monday, June 15, 2015

A Visit to the Conch Republic and Vicinities - Part 4

Sunday, May 25th  Memorial Day

White-winged Parakeets

Just spent Monday morning visiting a few spots around south Miami before heading back to Ft Myers. As today is a national holiday, the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables would be a good place to start the day looking for exotics.



No classes today, so the campus was very quite. And we were hopefully to finally experience the blue and yellow macaws that can sometimes be seen here. We  did see or hear the macaws, but we did find a pair of Common Hill Mynas, a couple of White-winged Parakeets, a single Red-masked Parakeet and lifers in seeing two pair of Scaly-headed Parrots (Pionus maximiliani). They scaly-headed parrots are species from South America.  All of the birds mentioned are local populations of escaped caged birds and their off-springs, that have managed to find a home in sub-tropical Miami.
A pair of Scaly-headed parrots 

Scaly-headed Parrots
Red-masked Parakeet



Affectionate Common Hill Mynas

Black-crowned Night-heron hunting small crabs in the rocks

A Green Anole

We moved on to recheck the campus of the Kendall Baptist Hospital and found the Mitred Parakeets busy feeding in the palm trees. A couple of Egyptian Geese were found at the smaller pond away from the Muscovy ducks, Graylag Geese, Swan Geese and other domesticated ducks on the larger pond.  Bob thought that the Egyptian Geese may have been nesting. 

Last stop for the trip was a location along Snapper Creek Canal for the nesting Cave Swallows seen there. Several were seen flying in and out from under the bridge. We also spotted what I think are Spiny-tailed Iguanas sunning themselves along the canal. 

From here it was time to end the birding and head home. We didn't get all of the photographic opportunities we were looking for, but it was a successful weekend. Next year need to go a few weeks earlier.


Egyptian Goose in Kendall

Great Egret at Kendall

Mitred Parakeet feeding in palm tree
 We found close to a hundred bird species including most of the Florida Keys avian specialties, many south Florida exotic birds and lizards and other south Florida native fauna including Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Key Deer and American Crocodile.
Spiny-tailed Iguana at Snapper Creek Canal


Monday's Bird List
Swan Goose (Domestic type)
Graylag Goose (Domestic type)
Egyptian Goose
Muscovy Duck
Mallard (Domestic type)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Common Gallinule
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-winged Parakeet
Scaly-headed Parrot
Mitred Parakeet
Red-masked Parakeet
Gray Kingbird
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Cave Swallow
Northern Mockingbird
Common Hill Myna
European Starling
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Sparrow








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