A Visit to the Celery Fields and Big Cypress

Tuesday, November 17

Today, with Bob Pelkey behind the wheel, we had planned a stop at the Celery Fields in Sarasota. Then the reports came out about the Mountain Bluebird being seen at the Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress Preserve. So a stop was planned for there as well.

Mountain Bluebird

We arrived in early afternoon and easily spotted the Mountain Bluebird. It was sitting on its spot on a fence near the parking lot. Very unusual to have this western bird in the Everglades. The bird is reported to be a juvenile female and is a lifer for me. Hasn't been reported here since about the 20th.

Some other species seen at the visitor center.

American Alligator

Tricolored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

American Crow

The Celery Fields - Sarasota

Bob and I arrived at dawn and spent the morning mostly around the south cell. Soras could be heard calling and Marsh Wrens heard babbling. Least Bittern was hiding in the flag weed and Purple Gallinule were active as well. Rosette Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and Wood Storks were flying over head. Limpkins were calling and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were just hanging around. Calling Nanday Parakeets and a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds too.

Loggerhead Shrike

Savannah Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Limpkin

Marsh Wren

From here traveled about a mile up Palmer Road to Palmer Lake were we added Northern Shovelers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy Ibis, Laughing Gulls, Forster's Terns Long-billed Dowitchers and a Crested Caracara

Cuban Pewee

Cuban Pewee
Everglades National Park
September 13th.

Recently Larry Manfredi, a Florida birding guide, of South Florida Birding, made an unusual discovery of a Cuban Pewee at the Long Pine Key picnic grounds in Everglades National Park. This bird is probably only the third reported sighting of the Cuban Pewee in the U.S. according to the Florida Audubon.  Official approval is pending. But by all accounts it is the real deal.  Birders have been coming in from all over the country to view this rarity. I was there is morning and waited along with a couple from Marco Island, Florida, who actually just flew in from Michigan and came straight here first instead of home. A couple of other fellas came in from Pennsylvania.  Another couple just came in from birding in Alaska to get a lifer with this rarity.

We waited for three hours, having arrived at the suggested time of 7:00 am.  But the bird was tardy. During the wait we observed many of the usual birds found in an upland pine forest including Pine Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher, an Eastern Pewee, American Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Cardinals and the commonest bird of the day Northern Mockingbirds. By 10 am I was ready to move on and was almost to my car, when Shouts and a car horn could be heard. Yeap, the bird was located.  I really appreciated getting called back. As I was able to join the others in great looks at the bird. LIFER!!! Unfortunately my pics were very poor.  So please check out this photo of the Cuban Pewee taken a couple of days prior. CUBAN PEWEE LONG PINE KEY ENP 2304 #2 taken by Danny Bales.  Compare it to my best shot

Cuban Pewee - Everglades National Park, 09/13/2010

My List for the Day includes The Eveglades and Homestead - (58) 

Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Common Nighthawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Cuban Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Fish Crow, Barn Swallow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Pine Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Orchard Oriole, Common Myna,  Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove,  House Sparrow

American Crow at Long Pine

Mahogany Hammock

Northern Mockingbird, most common bird of the day

Semipalmated Plover at Flamingo

Gator at Anhinga Trail