The Keys

 Friday January 8th

Last weekend I drove back down to the Florida Keys for some first of the year birding, plus some birding at Lucky Hammock at Frog Pond WMA.  

Purple Sandpiper

First birds of the day were Common Mynas in Florida City, then it was onto Key Largo. White-crowned Pigeons frequently seen in flight along with Eurasian Collared Doves and Magnificent Frigatebirds. At Tavernier, made a stop at Harry Harris Beach Park for the Purple Sandpiper. His shorebird is wintering far south of its traditionally range. 

A distant look at the Cuban Pewee

Got to Big Pine Key about 11am and had to do a bit of search for the Cuban Pewee at Blue Hole, in the National Key Deer Preserve.  But I did get a distance look. The alligators at Blue Hole are a bit more uncommon here in then in most of Florida because there is little fresh water habitat available in the Keys. 

Then went onto Key West for the the Red-legged Thrush at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens. Dipped on this bird, but had met some birders who had just seen the American Flamingo at Sammy's Creek Landing WEA on Sugarloaf Key.  Hadn't heard about this flamingo sighting till now and quickly ran down the details and was looking at this bird about forty-five minutes later. Finding the flamingo was a surprise.

American Flamingo at Sugarloaf Key

Tried to get back up to Florida City before dark, but traffic can be so bad here and it was. 

Gray Catbirds were very numerous at Lucky Hammock

On Day 2 headed over to Lucky Hammock.  Lots of potential special birds to see. I actually had a lifer with spotting a Scaly-breasted Munia in the tall elephant grass. Could hear the 'Whit' calls of the Brown-crested Flycatcher. A pair of Painted Buntings, Limpkins, Brown Thrasher, Gray catbirds, Cowbirds and a Northern Harrier were also present. But had to leave before some of the more interesting birds popped up. Still was a fun weekend. Will need to return soon.

Autograph Tree at Key West Tropical Forest

Florida Silver Palm at Blue Hole

Great Crested Flycatcher at Blue Hole

Green Iguana at Blue Hole

Alligator at Blue Hole

Turtle basking at Blue Hole

Spotted Sandpiper at Harry Harris Beach Park

Cuban Pewee

 Sunday November 22nd

White-crowned Pigeon seen on Key Largo

Today, I went on a twitch to see the Cuban Pewee on Big Pine Key.  This rare-to-Florida visitor, was located at Blue Hole in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Pine Key. 

Common Myna seen in Florida City

For me, its a five hour drive from Fort Myers down into the Florida Keys. Made the trip into a two day overnighter, because I also wanted to explorer some of the unique floral communities found nowhere in the US but in the Keys. 

Did make a stop on Key Largo to look for interesting birds, flora and the endangered Florida Tree Snails

Moved on to Big Pine Key, which is just south of the famous seven mile bridge. Much of this Key is  a part of the National Key Deer Refuge. Key Deer are a diminutive and endangered subspecies of White Tail Deer totally endemic to the Keys. Blue Hole is a former rock quarry used to provide material in the construction of Henry Flagler's Railroad through the Keys. Its now the only freshwater lake in the Keys

A Key Deer seen near Blue Hole

As for the Cuban Pewee, it was easily located from the Blue Hole overlook, were it is drawing many interested observers. It would pose nicely for photographs. 

Cuban Pewee seen at Blue Hole

Gallery of Scenes from Key Largo and Blue Hole

Poisonwood at Key Largo
Look but don't touch

Everglades Velvetseed at Key Largo

Lancewood at Key Largo

Florida Tree Snail at Key Largo

Bahama Strongbark

Blackbead at Blue Hole

Everglades Greenbriar at Blue Hole

Coker's Creeper at Blue Hole

Smooth Devil's Claws seen at Blue Hole

Mangrovevine at Blue Hole

Goatweed at Blue Hole

Rough Velvetseed seen at Blue Hole

Florida Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Key Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Chapman's Wild Sensitive Plant 

Kestrel at Big Pine Key

Locustberry at Blue Hole

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