Monday January 9th
In the first week of this new year did a little birding in Palm Beach and Dade Counties. Checked out some of the rural areas in the Everglades Ag Area looking for Raptors and Barn Owls. Spotted dozens of American Kestrels, three White-tailed Kites, several Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered Hawk, an Eastern Red-tailed Hawks, Short-tail Hawk, Crested Caracara and a Barn Owl.
Came across some flooded fields with Blue-winged and Green-winged Tea, Mottled Ducks, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitchers. Other sightings included Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
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Chipping Sparrow
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA |
Checked out the Sem-Chi Rice Mill and was disappointed that no blackbirds or cowbirds were present and not much of interest seen at the nearby wetlands.
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Glossy Ibis
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach |
Visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach were waking the boardwalk noticed that the rookeries of wading birds hadn't starting nesting yet. Lots of
Wood Storks and various wading bird species were present. Had
Black-belled Whistling Ducks, Gray-headed Swamphens and Green Iguanas
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Palm Warbler
seen at Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres, Florida |
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Gray-headed Swamphen
seen at Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres |
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Tricolored Heron
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach |
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Wood Stork
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach |
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Cattle Egret
seen in Palm Beach County |
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Red-shouldered Hawk
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA |
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Down in Dade County, west of Florida City briefly walked along the L31W Canal. Not much spotted aside from a resting Broad-winged Hawk. At the Souther Gladys Trail 111 Canal/ Pumping Station, saw the
Vermilion Flycatcher, a couple of
Brown-headed Cowbirds, Eastern Phoebes and a White-tailed Kite. |
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA |
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Then at Lucky Hammock, I had run into a very large birding group from Tropical Audubon Society. Best sighting here was a Swainson's Hawk, plus a couple of Short-tailed Hawks. Also added were some Chipping Sparrows and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Spotted a bright Great Crested Flycatcher but would have liked to have spotted the brown-crested flycatcher seen by the Audubon birders..
