Everglades Ag Area

Tuesday July 27th

Fall Migration is starting to kick and in late July and into August, its time to check out the flooded sugar cane fields and sod farms in the Everglades Ag Area south of Belle Glade.

 

Yesterday I made the trip from Ft Myers. 

 I'll usually make a stop at the Levee Park at Clewiston, which I found was not accessible.  This was due to renovations to this section of the Herbert Hoover Dike. The dike was constructed and reconstructed starting at a time because deadly hurricanes that drowned thousands of people almost a hundred years ago. The dike was a boon for agriculture and storm control to protect peoples lives.  But on the negative side these water control features cut off the natural flow of water into the Everglades, seriously effecting the health of the everglades ecosystem, plus issues with rising salinity in Florida Bay, which is an important nursery for fish stocks.  And because the waters from Lake O are blocked from going south, we now have them draining west through the Caloosahatchee River and to the east via the St Lucie Canal. Due to the high nutrient loading effecting Lake O being discharged through these man-made drainages system we have had a few very serious algae blooms along the east coast and into the Gulf of Mexico here at Ft Myers. These algae blooms are being studied to determine how they might be effecting the health of the people  as well as the awful and devastating fish kill.  

Salt-marsh Mallow

Next was a drove south along the Miami Canal.  Seen that it was too early to spot any of the swallow species that will arriving here soon. Was able to see a couple Common Nighthawks and a Bobwhite

Common Nighthawk

Then moved east along the Bolles Road Canal.  Again not very birdy.  Lots of rabbits though and a couple of rats too. Checked out one of the pumping stations were a Barn Owl did flew off.  Had a Gull-billed Tern up the canal. Also had an adult Purple Gallinule with a chick. The adult was running around with a dead frog.  Never saw that before

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule Chick

Purple Gallinule with her frog

Near the intersection of State Road 880 and Brown's Farm Road, which is just south of Belle Glade is a is a Cave Swallow roost. Lots of Cave Swallow, plus Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows.  

Some scruffy cowbirds

Didn't pick up any Upland Sandpipers at sod fields at 8 Mile Bend.  Just some Killdeers. The uppies should be be arriving soon. Will have to return in a could weeks.

Went looking for flooded fields along Brown's Farm Road. Had some success.  Had well over hundred Roseate Spoonbills at this location, a couple of Fulvous Whistling Ducks, several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, lots of Black-necked Stilts with young, about three dozen Least Terns, a half dozen Gull-billed Terns and a lone Black Tern, Not many wading birds or sandpipers. Only spotted a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers and a few Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.  Again I suspect August will be more rewarding

Had to have been hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds, plus Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings and Boat-tailed Grackles. Spotted more Barn Swallows, Common Nighthawks, both Night-herons and a couple of Laughing Gulls.

Solitary Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper
August 15th

   After work this morning I elected to search for warblers at Six-Mile Cypress Slough.  Arrived about 8:30am and found the place to be very quite. Basically had several active Carolina Wrens and that was about it for the visit.  But I was not really disappointed as I had found my First-of-Season Solitary Sandpiper when I checked the flooded fields behind the Rest Stop area at exit 131 on I-75. on my way to Six-Mile Cypress. The solitary sandpiper was in the company of a lone Western Sandpiper, a couple of Glossy Ibis and about seven Killdeer.

Killdeer

Solitary Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Killdeer

Tried checking out the Rest Stop at I-75 and Daniels Road again this morning looking for migrants shore birds. Found several Glossy Ibis, a few Killdeer and Mottled Ducks.  A trio of Black-Necked Stilts flew in and a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs were seen in the company of a, first-of-season, Greater Yellowlegs.

KILLDEER

Had bit of luck photographing the killdeers -

Returned to Domestic Street were  things are a bit slow. Only found a single Burrowing Owl setting atop a low bush, had dozens of Mourning Doves, a couple of Loggerhead Shrikes and Northern Mockingbirds and heard an Eastern Meadowlark. Only a Great Egret on the ponds. The best hit was being able to get a fair photo of a calling Northern Bobwhite sitting atop a fence post.

Northern Bobwhite

With Tropical Storm Bonnie passing close by tomorrow a visit to Bunche Beach could be in order to see if any pelagic birds are pushed into shore. The Lee County Bird Patrol is hosting a bird walk at Bunche Beach this Sunday at 6pm as well.  I am planning on attending.  May try Babcock-Webb WMA on Monday or Tuesday in the early morning. Too hot to bird there later in the day.