Common Myna

 Sunday September 15th

Spotted a pair of Common Mynas, hanging out at the McDonalds parking lot in Belle Glade, Florida

Back to the Ag Fields

Lesser Yellowlegs and Black Tern

Friday August 17th

Least Sandpiper

Returned yesterday to the Everglades Ag Fields. Again the most productive flooded area was at Browns Farm Road. Present here were several Black Terns, lots of Black-necked Stilts, Pectoral Sandpipers, American Avocets, Western, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Plus Lesser Yellowlegs, Roseate Spoonbills, lots of Wood Storks and a FOS Belted Kingfisher.

Black-necked Stilt

The nearby Six Bend Sod Farm was much more active than on my last visit. Lots of Pectoral Sandpipers and Killdeer, plus far to the back of the property were a pair of Upland Sandpipers.  Couldn't of spotted them without a scoop.

Dipped on any whistling ducks or gull-billed terns, but get fifty-eight species for the day -

Wood Stork

Mottled Duck, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret , Snowy egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Snail Kite, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Crested Caracara, Common gallinule, Black-necked Stilt, Sandhill Crane, American Avocet, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Upland Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Laughing Gull, Black Tern, Gray kingbird, Fish Crow, Rock Pigeon, Common Ground-Dove, Mourning Dove, Eurasian collared Dove, Great Horned Owl, Common Nighthawk, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Northern Mockingbird, Common Myna, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle,  Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and House Sparrow

Black-necked Stilt

Juvy Black-necked Stilt

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Counted twenty-two Black Terns resting here

Black Tern

Distant look at a pair of American Avocets

Black-necked Stilt

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Common Nighthawk seen at the Ag Fields

Gray Kingbird found in Belle Glade

A poor photo of a Common Myna

seen at shopping center in Belle Glade.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Rainy Day in Miami

Sunday April 23rd

Spring migration can be fun or frustrating for Florida Birders. It all depends of the weather conditions. So far birding activities have been slow till today. With arrival of very much needed rain and westerly winds, we're starting to see some action.

The rains also coincided with a short birding vacation I had been planning for several weeks with the idea of heading for the Florida Keys and southern Miami-Dade  County for neo-tropical migrants, as well as, South Florida specialties.

So, today it's raining. But that is actually a good thing for several reasons. Mostly though, is the fact that in this end of Florida the dangers from brush fires is quite real. In fact, as I am traveling across Alligator Alley toward my destination, smoldering, smoking, blackened remnants of has been labeled the Cowbell Fire in the Big Cypress Preserve can be seen from the highway. There's a large brush fire at Merritt Island NWR their calling the Black Point Fire, and locally in 7,000 residents had to evacuate their homes in Golden Gate Estates where several homes were destroyed and fire fighters even had to help rescue a trapped rhino from a ravaged exotic animal sanctuary.. A smaller brush fire in Lehigh Acres, near Harns Marsh was quickly contained, but more property was destroyed there as well.

Muscovy Ducks can been found in urban areas

through out Florida

Made my first stop on this trip at the Chapel Trail in Pembroke Pines.  It was a quick visit, were I was able to find a trio of Gray-headed Swamphens. Usually we can easily find them at Harns Marsh, but the marsh has been drying up and the Swamphens have had to move elsewhere.

Egyptian Goose

Then onto Kendal Baptist Hospital campus where the waterfowl didn't seem to care much about the rain. Lots of Muscovy Ducks, domestic breeds of geese and duck, a lone Egyptian Goose, a fly over of Mitred Parakeets, Common Gallinules, White Ibis, Fish Crows and House Sparrows.

Crossing over to the north side of Kendal Road, I drove around this neighborhood in search of red-whiskered bulbuls. With the rain slowing down, thought that maybe they maybe  active. Didn't see any, but one feeder was hosting a trio of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets.

The rains have slowed quit a bit now as I entered the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables. This location can be a great site for exotic parrots and other avian species. In the past we have seen Scaly-headed Parrot, Spot-breasted Oriole, Red-masked Parakeet, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, White-winged Parakeet, Chestnut-fronted Macaw and Common Hill Myna. Today I was able to add a pair of Blue and Yellow Macaws, a new bird for me, plus a single Scaly-headed Parrot and a flock of Red-masked Parakeets.

A Blue and Yellow Macaw

Scaly-headed Parrot

 After leaving the campus it was time to check-in at the hotel in Florida City, were after supper there was still time to make a run over to Aerojet Road, outside of Everglades National Park before dark.  Started with White-winged Dove and Common Mynas in town.  But near to the Park I encountered a flock of Peafowl.  Didn't expect that. As it was nearing dusk a number on Common Nighthawks were busy overhead and as I arrived outside at the Aerojet Road entrance to the Southern Glades Trail was  met by at least ten Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a Gray Kingbird and a pair of Western Kingbirds, one of which I suspected was a Tropical Kingbird

Common Myna

A Peahen crossing the road

Western  Kingbird

Best bird seen today was the Barn Owl I spotted flying across the field where the Kingbirds were found. Another noticeable observation that so many of today's sightings were exotic birds. This area hosts a great many exotic plants, reptiles, fishes and bird life. The now infamous Python invasion is another example of a very negative  impact on the environment and Aerojet Road is a location that Python Hunters use locating and collecting these snakes

A Few Exotics in Miami

Tuesday May 26th

The semi-tropical climate in South Florida lends itself well as a new home for exotic plants and animals. A great many are considered to be pests and the most successful can be quite harmful to our local ecology. The rise of the Burmese Python population in the Everglades is a prime example. Ornamental plants and trees have also overtaken local flora like the expansion of the Melaleuca and Brazilian Pepper. Their is a bounty on the Lionfish, which has rapidly prospered on our Florida reefs, upsetting the ecological balance by becoming an aggressive top predator, prolific breeder with no known predators in the Atlantic Ocean. Iguanas have become established in most of South Florida with some getting  to be over four feet long.

 Not all invasives cause great ecological harm. Just a few minutes ago I spotted the House Gecko that has moved into my apartment. I don't mind its presence at all as he'll consume most any insect pests.  Many of the exotic bird species have not become major issues. The Monk Parakeet though builds huge nests artificial structures and have created damage such as electrical outages. But most of the many parrot species in south Florida aren't as disruptive the ecology as originally feared.

This past week-end Bob Pelkey and spent four days birding the Miami and Florida Keys area for exotics and came up with several.

Red-whiskered Bulbul in Kendall

Red-Whiskered Bulbul -  A native of eastern India,

Purple Swamphens - A common native in Africa, southern Europe, much of Asia including Indonesia, and Australia.

Purple Swamphen at Chapel Trail in Broward Count

Common Hill Myna - The Common Hill Mynas are a species of starlings and a very popular cage bird coming from the hill regions of southern Asia. 

Common Hill Mynas seen on the campus of the University of Miami

Egyptian Goose - These geese were once considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians, but are currently a popular ornamental waterfowl. Escapees and there offspring have become more common in southeast Florida's parks and golf courses.

Egyptian Goose seen at Baptist Hospital campus in Kendall

Muscovy Ducks - The Muscovy Ducks we find all over south Florida are actually feral specimens of domesticated Muscovy ducks. 

Muscovy ducklings seen at Baptist Hospital in Kendall

Mitred Parakeet - Mitred Parakeets come from Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina. A large number of these birds can usually be found around the Baptist Hospital in Kendall.

Red-masked Parakeet - Red-masked Parakeets come from the western area of Peru.

Red-masked Parakeet seen at the University of Miami campus

Scaly-headed Parrot - Scaly-headed Parrots range from Brazil through Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. 

Scaly-headed Parrot seen on the University of Miami campus

White-winged Parakeet - Once a very common species in Miami, but its numbers have been falling as the Yellow-chevroned Parakeets.have been increasing.  Both species were once known as canary-winged Parakeets. White-winged Parakeets came from the northern Amazon River Basin.

White-winged Parakeet at the University of Miami campus.

Iguanas - Both Green and both species of Spiny-tailed Iguanas are found in south Florida. Theses populations have there start when iguana pet owners either loose or release the big lizards.

A spiny-tailed Iguana seen at the Snapper Creek Canal

Green Iguana seen on Key West

Other exotics seen included Common Mynas and a Brown Basilisk lizard

Heading to Dade County

Thursday September 19th

Eastern Kingbird photographed By Bob Pelkey at "the Annex"

  Today I joined with Bob Pelkey - wildlife photographer and expedition leader - on a day trip across the state to visit birding hotspots in Miami-Dade County. It was a long, hot day starting for us about four-thirty in the morning. As we headed east, a goal of a one hundred count day was set and we soon had our first bird of the day with a Limpkin calling in the pre-dawn darkness as we passed through Collier County.

 

Bob Pelkey in Action

  Just a few days ago our friends Dr Padilla and Master Birder, Vince McGrath had made the same trip and had a very good experience at our first stop at "The Annex" on Aerojet Road within the Frog Pond WMA, which is just east of the entrance to Everglades National Park. Of special interest here besides migrating warblers were the reports of continuing alder flycatchers and a willow flycatcher.

 

Bob and I arrived about seven-thirty and encountered a large crew of workers armed with machetes assembling at Lucky Hammock. We learned that they were employed by the South Florida Water Management District to clear out exotic foliage, so moved on down the road toward The Annex for the flycatchers. But first we were stopped at the gate by an employee for SFWMD. We'd have to leave the car there and walk the site. The location was being closed off due to folks using the remoteness to conduct non-wildlife viewing activities.

 

We spent a couple of hours here and dipped on the flycatchers, In fact birding wasn't to exciting. Lots of Eastern Kingbirds were present, did get a female Black-throated Blue Warbler and a Northern Parula. A flock of migrating Bobolinks was observed passing overhead and White-eyed Vireos and Cardinals did call from the dense foliage. Only swallows recorded all day were seen here with seven Purple Martins perched on the wires and a lone Barn Swallow flying overhead. As we were leaving we added a Merlin, several Eastern Meadowlarks and Killdeer in the plowed fields. Added Common Myna in Florida City.

Common Myna in Florida City

 

  From here we moved onto Matheson Hammock County Park in Coral Gables. We found very little activity in the picnic area or along the service road area. We did manage a nice male Black-throated Blue Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, a Peregrine Falcon and a Yellow-throated Vireo (265). A lady riding her bike told us of a large flock of birds near the swimming beach, which turned out to be a large number of Wilson's Plover and Ruddy Turnstones, plus a lone Least Sandpiper.

 

Graylag Geese in Kendall

  From here we checked out the nearby University of Miami Campus were we had good success with exotic birds last year, but with the campus busy with the purpose of education, we left for A.D. Barnes Park. Finally at Barnes, near the pool, we found some birds.  Over the coarse of several hours we encountered American Redstarts, Tennessee Warblers, Ovenbirds, Northern Parula, Red-eyed Vireos, Acadian Flycatchers (266), Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-White Warblers, a pair of White-crowned Pigeons, a Peregrine Falcon and a Common Hill Myna (267).

 

Egyptian Goose at Kendall

At a  stop at the Kendall Baptist Hospital campus Bob tried  getting pics of the Mitred Parakeets in flight, but they were just too fast on the wing. Had to have been at least sixty parakeets on hand. At the pond we added a pair of Egyptian Geese, scores of feral Muscovy Ducks, Pekin Ducks and Graylag Geese. As we headed for home and enjoying urban traffic conditions we sighted several Monk Parakeets, a few White-winged Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Rock Pigeons and the usual city bird life. More Muscovy Ducks and another Egyptian goose.

It was a good trip, but we come up short on our hundred count goal. Looking forward to seeing Bob's pics.

                                                                                       Day Count (70) -

Feral Muscovy Ducks

Egyptian Goose, Mottled Duck, Mallard (Domestic type), Muscovy Duck (Feral), Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Limpkin, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Gallinule, Wilson's Plover, Killdeer, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Rock Pigeon, White-crowned Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Monk Parakeets, Mitred Parakeet, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow,  Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Common Hill Myna, Common Myna, European Starling, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackle

Animals - Red Fox and Raccoons (A D Barnes Park)

 

Bronzed Cowbirds - Clewiston

Thursday, March 8th

Western Kingbird

My daughter, Katie and I headed to Hendry County to look for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds before they moved migrated back westward.

Swallow-tailed Kites have returned to Florida and I have seen several carrying nesting materials.  Today several were seen during our travels.  Had three Crested Caracara today as well. Other raptors seen included Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, several American Kestrels, a couple of Northern Harriers and a Bald Eagle. Was hoping for a white-tailed kite but not seen today.

We did successed in locating four Western Kingbirds and a lone Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in the expected location along County Road 835 near Deer Fence Canal Road.  Other interesting sightings included Wild Turkey and a farm pond with a concentration of at least forty-five Greater Yellowlegs, plus three Lesser Yellowlegs, three Long-billed Dowitchers and four Cattle Egrets.

Bronzed Cowbird in Clewiston

Next headed up to Clewiston to look for bronzed cowbirds. At the boat ramp park we found lots of Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, American Coots, DC Cormorants, Rock Pigeons, Grackles, Brownheaded Cowbirds and a pair of Bronzed Cowbirds.



A Common Myna found at Carnestown in Collier County the day before



An Anhinga found at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary the day before

Banded Watersnake at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Long-billed Dowitchers seen at Myakka River State Park on Tuesday

His Bronzed cowbird puffed-up for some reason

Burrowing Owls recently seen in Cape Coral

Florida Scrub-Jay seen in Festival Park in Cape Coral