Killdeer - Last Bird of the Year

Saturday, December 31st



Eastern Phoebe seen today at Wild Turkey Strand



Much enlarged image of one of today's turkeys

Yeap, just about 10:30 this evening I could hear a Killdeer calling as I stopped at the convenience store on way home from work.  So that would be my last bird for 2011.  I thought that the last birds might be the flock of Wild Turkeys I watched feeding in the field beside my place of work.  Had four hens and two males with very long beards.

 I am going to end the year count at 275. Not so big a number, but not bad for not traveling outside of my area very much this year.  Made it up to the Chicago area for a few days back in June.  Best bird for the year was probably the recently seen vermilion flycatcher. Some birds I managed to add this year included sedge wren, mississippi kite, barn owl, red-whiskered bulbul, Philadelphia Vireo, Canada warbler, Cory's shearwater and greater scaup.  Some I dipped on this year include white-tailed kite, king rail, purple sandpiper, white-tailed tropicbird, white-faced ibis, red-necked phalarope, American golden plover and greater flamingo.

Next years goal will be to match 2011. I expect logistics will keep home more in the new year. I will bird when I can.  Be seeing you out there!!!  I hear the there maybe a cinnamon teal up in Sarasota.

 1. 01 Jan Killdeer
2. 01 Jan American Kestrel
3. 01 Jan White Ibis
4. 01 Jan Tree Swallow
5. 01 Jan Red-shouldered Hawk
6. 01 Jan Palm Warbler
7. 01 Jan Great Egret
8. 01 Jan Great Blue Heron
9. 01 Jan Eastern Phoebe
10. 01 Jan Boat-tailed Grackle
11. 01 Jan Belted Kingfisher
12. 01 Jan Anhinga
13. 01 Jan Wood Stork
14. 01 Jan Fish Crow
15. 01 Jan American Coot
16. 01 Jan Ring-billed Gull
17. 01 Jan Lesser Scaup
18. 01 Jan Little Blue Heron
19. 01 Jan Loggerhead Shrike
20. 01 Jan Mottled Duck
21. 01 Jan Savannah Sparrow
22. 01 Jan Northern Mockingbird
23. 01 Jan Osprey
24. 01 Jan Northern Harrier
25. 01 Jan European Starling
26. 01 Jan Redhead
27. 01 Jan Common Grackle
28. 01 Jan Cattle Egret
29. 01 Jan Brown Pelican
30. 01 Jan Pied-billed Grebe
31. 01 Jan Blue Jay
32. 01 Jan Ring-necked Duck
33. 01 Jan Eurasian Collared Dove
34. 01 Jan Northern Cardinal
35. 01 Jan Mourning Dove
36. 05 Jan Eastern Whip-poor-will
37. 06 Jan Double-crested Cormorant
38. 06 Jan Wilson's Snipe
39. 06 Jan Turkey Vulture
40. 06 Jan Rock Pigeon
41. 06 Jan Red-bellied Woodpecker
42. 06 Jan Common Ground Dove
43. 06 Jan Brown-headed Cowbird
44. 06 Jan Pine Warbler
45. 06 Jan Hairy Woodpecker
46. 06 Jan Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
47. 06 Jan Black-crowned Nightheron
48. 06 Jan Gray Catbird
49. 07 Jan Bald Eagle
50. 07 Jan Wilson's Plover
51. 07 Jan Black Skimmer
52. 07 Jan Dunlin
53. 07 Jan Forster's Tern
54. 07 Jan Laughing Gull
55. 07 Jan Long-billed Curlew
56. 07 Jan Piping Plover
57. 07 Jan Red-Breasted Merganser
58. 07 Jan Reddish Egret
59. 07 Jan Royal Tern
60. 07 Jan Sanderling
61. 07 Jan Semipalmated Plover
62. 07 Jan Short-billed Dowitcher
63. 07 Jan Willet
64. 07 Jan Black-bellied Plover
65. 08 Jan Black Vulture
66. 08 Jan Common Moorhen
67. 08 Jan Glossy Ibis
68. 08 Jan Least Sandpiper
69. 08 Jan Lesser Yellowlegs
70. 08 Jan Tricolored Heron
71. 08 Jan Roseate Spoonbill
72. 08 Jan Sandhill Crane
73. 08 Jan Snail Kite
74. 08 Jan Snowy Egret
75. 08 Jan Sora
76. 08 Jan Limpkin
77. 11 Jan American Goldfinch
78. 11 Jan White-winged Dove
79. 11 Jan Painted Bunting
80. 11 Jan Indigo Bunting
82. 11 Jan Chipping Sparrow
83. 11 Jan Eastern Meadowlark
84. 11 Jan Red-headed Woodpecker
85. 11 Jan Great Crested Flycatcher
86. 11 Jan Yellow-rumped Warbler
87. 11 Jan Broad-winged Hawk
88. 11 Jan Crested Caracara
89. 11 Jan Florida Scrub Jay
90. 11 Jan American Crow
91. 11 Jan Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
92. 11 Jan Western Kingbird
93. 11 Jan Red-tailed Hawk
94. 11 Jan Cooper's Hawk
95. 11 Jan Greater Yellowlegs
96. 12 Jan Northern Shoveler
97. 12 Jan Ruddy Duck
98. 12 Jan Red-winged Blackbird
99. 12 Jan American Avocet
100. 12 Jan Black-necked Stilt
101. 12 Jan Blue-winged Teal
102. 12 Jan Hooded Merganser
103. 12 Jan Long-billed Dowitcher
104. 12 Jan Common Goldeneye
105. 12 Jan American Oystercatcher
106. 12 Jan Spotted Sandpiper
107. 12 Jan Herring Gull
108. 12 Jan Common Loon
109. 12 Jan Caspian Tern
110. 12 Jan American White Pelican
111. 16 Jan Monk Parakeet
112. 16 Jan Burrowing Owl
113. 20 Jan Tufted Titmouse
114. 20 Jan Eastern Towhee
115. 20 Jan White-crowned Sparrow
116. 20 Jan Song Sparrow
117. 20 Jan White-eyed Vireo
118. 20 Jan Carolina Wren
119. 20 Jan Carolina Chickadee
120. 20 Jan American Bittern
121. 20 Jan Whooping Crane
122. 20 Jan American Robin
123. 20 Jan Say's Phoebe
124. 25 Jan Downy Woodpecker
125. 25 Jan Eastern Bluebird
126. 25 Jan Prairie Warbler
127. 25 Jan Common Yellowthroat
128. 25 Jan Brown-headed Nuthatch
129. 25 Jan Green-winged Teal
130. 25 Jan Gadwell
131. 25 Jan Canvasback
132. 25 Jan Northern Pintail
133. 25 Jan American Black Duck
134. 25 Jan Black-bellied Whistling Duck
135. 26 Jan House Wren
136. 26 Jan Western Sandpiper
137. 26 Jan Ruddy Turnstone
138. 26 Jan Marbled Godwit
139. 29 Jan Red Knot
140. 31 Jan Black-and-White Warbler
141. 31 Jan Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
142. 31 Jan Pileated Woodpecker
143. 31 Jan Northern Flicker
144. 01 Feb Blue-headed Vireo
145. 02 Feb Horned Grebe
146. 02 Feb Wild Turkey -
147. 02 Feb American Wigeon
148. 02 Feb Nanday Parakeet
149. 06 Feb Yellow-crowned Nightheron
150. 06 Feb Muscovy Duck
151. 08 Feb Brown-crested Flycatcher
152. 08 Feb Green Heron
153. 08 Feb Purple Gallinule
154. 08 Feb Northern Parula
155. 08 Feb Peregrine Falcon
156. 08 Feb Common Myna
157. 09 Feb Wood Duck
158. 11 Feb Merlin 
159. 12 Feb House Sparrow
160. 20 Feb Yellow-throat Warbler
161. 20 Feb Ruby-crowned Kinglet
162. 21 Feb Fulvous Whistling-Duck 
163. 21 Feb Cassin's Kingbird
164. 21 Feb Purple Swamphen
165. 01 Mar Bachman's Sparrow
166. 01 Mar Brown Thrasher
167. 01 Mar Great Horned Owl
168. 01 Mar Northern Bobwhite
169. 01 Mar Red-cockaded Woodpecker
170. 02 Mar Swallow-tailed Kite
171. 07 Mar Barn Swallow
172. 20 Mar Smooth-billed Ani
173. 22 Mar Louisiana Waterthrush
174. 22 Mar Yellow-throated Vireo
175. 23 Mar Bronzed Cowbird
176. 23 Mar Mitred Parakeet
177. 23 Mar Egyptian Goose
178. 23 Mar Red-whiskered Bulbul
179. 28 Mar Black-throated Green Warbler
180. 30 Mar Hermit Thrush
181. 01 Apr Northern Rough-winged Swallow
182. 01 Apr Ruby-throated Hummingbird
182. 03 Apr Purple Martin
183. 05 Apr Solitary Sandpiper
184. 05 Apr Gull-billed Tern
185. 05 Apr Groove-billed Ani
186. 05 Apr Hooded Warbler
187. 05 Apr Least Tern
188. 05 Apr Orchard Oriole
189. 07 Apr Barred Owl
190. 07 Apr Common Nighthawk
191. 10 Apr Magnificent Frigatebird
192. 10 Apr Red-eyed Vireo
193. 10 Apr Northern Waterthrush
194. 11 Apr Eastern Screech-Owl 
195. 12 Apr Pine Sisken
196. 12 Apr Swamp Sparrow
197. 16 Apr Gray Kingbird
198. 19 Apr Greater Scaup
199. 19 Apr Whimbrel
200. 26 Apr Black-throated Blue Warbler
201. 26 Apr Pectoral Sandpiper
202. 28 Apr Blackpoll Warbler
203. 29 Apr Eastern Wood-Pewee
204. 29 Apr Eastern Kingbird
205. 29 Apr Yellow Warbler
206. 29 Apr Philadelphia Vireo
207. 29 Apr Rose-breasted Grosbeak
208. 03 May Bobolink
209. 10 May American Redstart
210. 10 May Cape May Warbler
211. 15 May Semipalmated Sandpiper
212. 17 May Yellow-billed Cuckoo
213. 17 May Magnolia Warbler
214. 17 May Bank Swallow
215. 30 May Black-whiskered Vireo
216. 30 May White-crowned Pigeon
217. 30 May Roseate Terns
218. 30 May Antillian Nighthawk
219. 03 June Snowy Plover
220. 14 June White-breasted Nuthatch
221. 14 June Trumpeter Swan
222. 14 June Cedar Waxwing
223. 14 June Black-capped Chickadee
224. 15 June Dickcissel
225. 15 June Field Sparrow
226. 15 June Grasshopper Sparrow
227. 15 June House Finch
228. 15 June Baltimore Oriole
229. 15 June Blue Grosbeak
230. 15 June Mallard
231. 15 June Canada Goose
232. 16 June Mute Swan
233. 17 June Warbling Vireo
234. 17 June Marsh Wren
235. 18 June Willow Flycatcher
236. 18 June Sedge Wren
237. 30 June Least Bittern
238. 30 June Mississippi Kite
239. 30 June Summer Tanager
240. 30 June Black Tern
241. 28 July Acadian Flycatcher
242. 03 Aug Wilson's Phalarope
243. 03 Aug Stilt Sandpiper
244. 10 Aug Barn Owl
245. 10 Aug Upland Sandpiper
246. 10 Aug Cliff Swallow
247. 28 Aug Common Tern
248. 01 Sep Worm Eating Warbler
249. 01 Sep Prothonotary Warbler
250. 04 Sep Blue-winged Warbler
251. 08 Sep Tennessee Warbler
252. 22 Sep Blackburnian Warbler
253. 25 Sep Cerulean Warbler
254. 25 Sep Ovenbird
255. 29 Sep Short-tailed Hawk
256. 01 Oct Canada Warbler
257. 02 Oct Sharp-shinned Hawk
258. 02 Oct Swainson's Thrush
259. 07 Oct Verry
260. 16 Oct Scarlet Tanager
261. 19 Oct Gray-cheeked Thrush
262. 19 Oct Chestnut-sided Warbler
263. 19 Oct Bay-breasted Warbler
264. 19 Oct Orange-crowned Warbler
265. 23 Oct Pin-tailed Whydah
266. 12 Nov Eurasian Wigeon
267. 13 Nov Cory's Shearwater
268. 13 Nov Greater Shearwater
269. 13 Nov Lesser Black-backed Gull
270. 13 Nov Northern Gannet
271. 13 Nov Brown Booby
272. 13 Nov Pomarine Jaeger
273. 13 Nov Parasitic Jaeger
274. 14 Dec Vermilion Flycatcher
275. 14 Dec Swanson's Hawk

Lee County Birding Blitz

Wednesday, December 28th

Pair of Snowy Plovers at Bunche Beach

Today I had a day off of work and I had weighed my options on what to do.  I could clean house or go birding. So birding it is!!   Next set of options is were to bird.  I very much want to chase after some interesting birds like the green-tailed towhee at Safety Harbor, the ash-throated flycatcher at Lucky Hammock, there is a lasagre flycatcher in Miami or maybe the western tanager in Coral Gables.

 But logistics required I stay close to home.  Therefore I elected to run a Lee County wide birding blitz. Quick stops at a number of venues with the goal of identifying one hundred birds. Lots of experienced birds can do this on a regular basis, but I have never managed more than an eight-six count in a day to this point. Locally the best sites to visit for such challenge would be Six-mile Cypress Preserve, Harn's Marsh, Bunche Beach, Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge,  and various other spots for specific birds.

I started shorted after dawn, on a chilly, windy day, with my patch on Domestic Street, then onto Six-mile Cypress Preserve.   Six-mile provided six warblers, three woodpeckers and a couple of vireos.

Had hoped for wood duck here, but dipped on that. By now I already had fifty-four species as of 9:30 am. From here to I had to run an errand which ate up about an hour and then I made a quick visit to Broadway entrance to Estero Bay State Park with the idea of finding eastern towhee, house wren, eastern bluebird, bobwhites and maybe a scrub jay. But the trails were very quite. No birds here today.

Piping Plover

On to Bunche Beach were the tide was low and slowly rising.  The effects of red tide were evident by all of the dead fish on the beach.  Mostly mullet. Lots of birds present and very few people due to the chilly weather and red tide scare. Had almost all of the expected species and thought I had a flock of about fifteen red knots fly-in. But as I approached their location I could not spot any of them.  Did get fifteen Piping Plover and three Snowy Plover. Plus a Common Loon and a pair of Horned Grebes, but no red-breasted mergansers. Missed also on American white pelicans, the long-billed curlew, frigatebirds or oystercatchers. Got to see a pair of Bald Eagles flying over head, which got the hundreds of terns, gulls, skimmers, willets, pelicans etc to rise up into the air at once.  From here I was now at an eighty count.

Next onto Harn's Marsh were I re-found the pair of American Wigeons along with Limpkins, Snail Kites, Ring-billed Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Mottled Ducks, Sandhill Cranes and Blue-winged Teal.

Starting to get a bit late and still need to push on. Headed to Alva to the White's feeders. Got a beautiful male Painted Bunting, and Indigo Bunting and a pair of White-winged Doves. Then traveling west along North River Road towards Cape Coral. Watched this area for any caracara or wild turkey.

In northern  Cape Coral a family of Florida Scrub Jays can be found near the new Kismit R.O. water plant. At the scrub jay site, I easily relocated the Great Horn Owl still using a nest atop a lone pine tree and as I was checking another tree where I last saw the jays, I was startled by the second owl, who was roosting here. The jays I found sitting on a wire next to my car.  Checked on the burrowing owl nest sites here as well, but none were visible. One surprise here was finding a Savannah Sparrow on a wire with the Mourning Doves. Now it is getting close to dark and I only need two more birds to reach my goal.

The ballfields on Pelican Blvd was home to more burrowing owls and a colony of monk parakeets. Unfortunately the sun was about to set and the parakeets were quite.  None seen or heard as they were probably already snuggled into their nests to try and stay warm. Did manage to find on Burrowing Owl sticking its head up out of the ground.

With darkness I was done. And missed my goal by one. Some of the birds I dipped on today should have been easy, such as a northern cardinal or a common ground dove.  Maybe on another day.

1.      Muscovy Duck

2.      American Wigeon

3.      Mottled Duck

4.      Blue-winged Teal

5.      Ring-necked Duck

6.      Lesser Scaup

7.      Common Loon

8.      Pied-billed Grebe

9.      Horned Grebe

10.  Wood Stork

11.  Double-crested Cormorant

12.  Anhinga

13.  Brown Pelican

14.  Great Blue Heron

15.  Great Egret

16.  Snowy Egret

17.  Little Blue Heron

18.  Tricolored Heron

19.  Reddish Egret

20.  Cattle Egret

21.  Black-crowned Night-Heron

22.  White Ibis

23.  Glossy Ibis

24.  Black Vulture

25.  Turkey Vulture

26.  Osprey

27.  Snail Kite

28.  Bald Eagle

29.  Northern Harrier

30.  Red-shouldered Hawk

31.  Red-tailed Hawk

32.  American Kestrel

33.  Common Gallinule

34.  American Coot

35.  Limpkin

36.  Sandhill Crane

37.  Black-bellied Plover

38.  Snowy Plover

39.  Wilson's Plover

40.  Semipalmated Plover

41.  Piping Plover

42.  Killdeer

43.  Spotted Sandpiper

44.  Willet

45.  Marbled Godwit

46.  Ruddy Turnstone

47.  Sanderling

48.  Western Sandpiper

49.  Least Sandpiper

50.  Dunlin

51.  Short-billed Dowitcher

52.  Wilson's Snipe

53.  Laughing Gull

54.  Ring-billed Gull

55.  Herring Gull

      56.  Forster's Tern

57.  Royal Tern

58.  Sandwich Tern

59.  Black Skimmer

60.  Rock Pigeon

61.  Eurasian Collared-Dove

62.  White-winged Dove

63.  Mourning Dove

64.  Great Horned Owl

65.  Burrowing Owl

66.  Belted Kingfisher

67.  Red-bellied Woodpecker

68.  Downy Woodpecker

69.  Pileated Woodpecker

70.  Eastern Phoebe

71.  Great Crested Flycatcher

72.  Loggerhead Shrike

73.  White-eyed Vireo

74.  Blue-headed Vireo

75.  Blue Jay

76.  Florida Scrub-Jay

77.  American Crow

78.  Fish Crow

79.  Tree Swallow

80.  Tufted Titmouse

81.  Carolina Wren

82.  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

83.  Eastern Bluebird

84.  Gray Catbird

85.  Northern Mockingbird

86.  European Starling

87.  Black-and-white Warbler

88.  Common Yellowthroat

89.  Palm Warbler

90.  Pine Warbler

91.  Yellow-rumped Warbler

92.  Yellow-throated Warbler

93.  Savannah Sparrow

94.  Indigo Bunting

95.  Painted Bunting

96.  Eastern Meadowlark

97.  Common Grackle

98.  Boat-tailed Grackle

99.  House Sparrow

American Wigeon



A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk at Babcock-Webb



A bad photo of the American Wigeon at Harn's Marsh

This past Sunday, the 18th,

 I spent about three hours in search of the reported pair of American Wigeons at Harn's Marsh. If I could locate the birds it would give me an  exact 200 count for Lee County for this year.

Walked about five miles and managed to locate the ducks in the company of a flock of Blue-winged Teal just a few yards from were I had parked my car. Should have turned right instead of left I suppose. I had not purposefully targeted 200 birds for a county count, but became interested when my friend Jose Padilla stated that it was his Big-Year Goal for 2011 and as I was only a few birds behind him, why not. Well as of this morning he has 203 according to e-bird. Other sightings at Harn's Marsh included Sandhill Cranes, Tree Swallows, Ring-billed Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Common Galinulle, Coots, my first American Robin for the season, a couple of Limpkins and a couple of Snail Kites. The limpkin and kite numbers are down right now as the higher water level does not help them in search of their apple snails.

Earlier in the day I had checked out Bunche Beach in search of Common Loons and Horned Grebes.  Here, I ran into Ruth Woodall, who was with Curt and Joan. They put me onto the loons and grebes and later on to a Snowy Plover. Seems we are finding snowys here much more frequently these days. Other birds included Least and Western Sandpipers, Black-belled, Semipalmated, Wilson's and Piping Plovers, American White Pelicans, a lone Marbled Godwit, Willets, Sanderlings and the usual waders and gulls. Ruth did invite me to the Bird Patrol's Christmas Count at Bunche Beach on Monday. I would have loved to attend, but my work scheduled did interfere.

A Brown-headed Nuthatch at Babcock-Webb

Today, Wednesday the 21st, last day of fall, I birded Babcock-Webb in Charlotte County.  Had not been to this venue for a couple of months.

Arrived a bit after seven am.  The camp grounds were full and swamp buggies were parked all in a row. Small game hunting was continuing on this property, but I went ahead and spent three hours birding without hardly seeing anyone else.

Flock of Tree Swallows at Babcock-Webb

Checked out the Red-cockaded Woodpecker colony along Oilwell Grade. Was on site for the emergence of at least three of the woodpeckers from their nest holes. There were lots of Yellow-rumped, palm and Pine Warblers present in a number of mixed flockes which included a couple of Brown-headed Nuthatches, several Bluebirds and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, plus a Downy Woodpecker, a Hairy Woodpecker and a  Northern Flicker. Did hear several Eastern Towhees and Eastern Meadowlarks today.  Sandhill Cranes were also numerous, along with Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets plus a couple of Wood Storks. Got a very close viewing of a swirling flock of hundreds of Tree Swallows. 

There is so much energy in their rapid and fluid flight to no-where as they move inmass. Other birds today included Red-shouldered Hawks, Kestrels, Northern Mockingbirds, Belted Kingfishers, White Ibis, Eastern Phoebes, Red-winged Blackbirds, House Wrens, Gray Catbirds, and red Cardinals

Vermilion Flycatcher in South Florida.

Wednesday, December 14th

A male Vermilion Flycatcher

Elected to run solo on a visit to Dade County, particularly to locate the Vermilion Flycatchers at the C-111 canal near the Everglades National Park. I had a number of target species in mind as well, including white-tailed kite, swainson's hawk, red-whiskered bulbul, bronzed cowbirds, purple gallinule and any ducks, sparrows or exotic species.

Left home about 5am for the long drive across the Tamiami Trail (US41) for my first of several spots I had planned on. By 8am I was in the parking lot of LaCarret's Restaurant on SW 40th Ave. It was very busy there with the expected urban birds, Grackles, House Sparrows, Rock Pigeons, Starlings, Ring-billed Gulls, Eurasian Collared Doves, but the bronzed cowbirds were a no-show while I was there.

Egyptian Geese at Kendell Baptist Hospital campus

Mitred Parakeet

Next was the Neighborhood north of Kendell Baptist Hospital. Patrolled the area in search of red-whiskered bulbuls.  Did not find them but did get Loggerhead Shrikes Northern Mockingbirds, Blue jays, Monk Parakeets and Mitred Parakeets.  At the hospital campus it was very quite until the Mitred Parakeets showed up, briefly, till a flock of Fish Crows disturbed them. A pair of Egyptian Geese and Muscovy Ducks were by the ponds and a Red-tailed Hawk flew over head.

Was interested in locating any addition parrot species. So next moved onto Matheson Park in Coral Gables, were it was very quite too. Looked for any birds, besides the parrots and hill mynas I was interested in. Best I found was a herd of cats. At this point it was starting to get very windy which is not good on a birding trip.

Next traveled south down Old Cutler Road toward Black Point Park. Kept an eye out along Old Cutler Road for any interesting sightings like peafowl or other exotics. At Black Point I was interested in any sea birds. Found the usual gulls, pelicans and cormorants. Best bird was a Spotted Sandpiper.  Next stopped at the nearby Dump Marsh and Cutler Wetlands.  The dump marsh had several Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, a few American Wigeons and a lone Gadwall and Red-breasted Merganser. Lots of Coots and several Common Gallinules. Heard later that lesser nighthawks and barn owls have been seen here recently.

Spotted Sandpiper at Black Point Park

At Cutler Wetlands the lighting was very bad. Missed out on identifying a few species because of the lighting, but did get a Herring Gull, American White Pelicans, Blue-winged Teal, Mottled ducks, more Coots and Common Gallinules. Had three Greater Yellowlegs and a single Lesser Yellowlegs too.

Gassed-up and had lunch in Homestead were I searched for any white-winged doves or common mynas.  But the winds were very gusty and no doubt the birds were sheltered somewhere out of sight.

Now it was time to locate the Vermilion Flycatcathers at C-111 Canal. Easily located one of them. These birds are not seen very often in south Florida. A few can be found wintering in the pan handle, but it was very conveint for a pair to show up here. It was a a LIFER.

Purple Gallinule

Just down the road is The Annex and Lucky Hammock. Again the winds really hampered birding. Did find the reported Western Kingbird and three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on the fence bordering the main road. But seems that the small birds were hunkered down in the shrubs and grasses.  Did not even see or hear any catbirds or cardinals. Normally this is a good location for wintering raptors and was still so today. Had a couple of Northern Harriers, three American Kestrels, a Swainson's Hawk, a Red-tailed Hawk, a pair of Red-shouldered hawks, another pair of Short-tailed Hawks and a lot of Turkey Vultures with a few Black Vultures mixed in. Did dip on the white-tailed kite.

Purple Gallinule

Highlights in Everglades National Park, included a Purple Gallinule and several Anhingas on the Anhinga Trail, Green-winged Teal at Mrezek Pond, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers at Eco Pond and at Flamingo had hundreds of Laughing Gulls, several Osprey including one being harassed by a Bald Eagle and a Red-brested Merganser. Out in the bay could be seen several American White Pelican and Black Skimmers. An American Crocodile was seen at the marina.

From here headed for home with brief rechecks at Lucky hammock and C-111 for white-tailed kite.  Still dipped, so headed for home.

Loggerhead Shrike at C-111

Pied-billed Grebe at Mrezak Pond



Black Vulture at Nine-mile Pond.



Day's List (68)

Egyptian Goose, Muscovy Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican,

Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures,

Osprey, Bald eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Killdeer, Spotted sandpiper, Great Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Black Skimmer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, VERMILION FLYCATCHER, Western Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, palm Warbler, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed cowbird and House sparrow.

Reptiles (2) American Alligator, American Crocodile