Birdingonthe.Net

Recent Postings from
Florida/Bahamas

Updated on Tuesday, December 11 at 05:48 AM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.

 
In a message dated 12/10/2007 4:24:10 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
vplucas AT comcast.net writes:

It was  low tide and I had not seen grackles looking 
for food on the beach like  this before. Is there an explanation for 
this  behavior?"



I've seen them poking through clumps of seaweed on the beach to feed on  
whatever they could find there to eat. I've also seen them make short work of 

dead crabs on the beach.
 
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All:

A couple of members of the Caloosa Bird Club passed on to me this  
observation of feeding Boat-tailed Grackles at Ft. Myers Beach, where  
BTW,  the Long-billed Curlew remains as of Sunday, December 9th):

"We (Jane Murt & JoAnn Kelley) spotted Boat-tailed Grackles on Sunday  
Dec. 9 on Ft Myers Beach. They were opening and eating coquinas in  
the sand and near the water and acting like shore birds. There were  
15 to 20 of them. It was low tide and I had not seen grackles looking  
for food on the beach like this before. Is there an explanation for  
this behavior?"

Personally, I have not witnessed this type of feeding behavior in  
Boat-tailed Grackles myself. I'm wondering how common it is? Have any  
of you seen this behavior? Here's what Stevenson & Anderson have to  
say about it in __The Birdlife Of Florida__ on page 675:

"Most foraging is done on the ground, as the grackle walks, often  
holding its long, keeled tail high. Frequently it wades into shallow  
water or forages on floating vegetation. The species eats Apple  
Snails, Ampularia sp. fresh-water mussels, insects, spiders, small  
fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds (G.T. Bancroft in litt.), bird  
eggs, carrion, and human garbage. Weed seeds and waste grain comprise  
most of its vegetative diet; it rarely visits bird feeders. During  
winter 1940-41, Sprunt (1941d) observed these grackles at Lake  
Okeechobee harassing Glossy Ibis until they forfeited their crayfish  
catches."

Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Howdy Everybody,

  I'm putting a Google Map in my picture folder on this site to help 
anyone who wants to find the Flycatcher. The folder is titled Bird in 
Florida.

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

Hi Everybody,

  I was fortunate enough to find an Ash-throated Flycatcher at Lake 
Monroe Conservation Area off of Hwy 415 going north to Osteen. Take Hwy 
46 from Mims toward Sanford, turn right on 415, go north about 5 to 6 
miles. The Conservation area is on your right before you get to Reed 
Ellis Road. Go through the gate. Walk to you right to the bob wire 
fence that runs north and south next to 415. Follow the fence south 
until you come up on the first large oak tree. The Flycatcher was 
feeding in a brush pile on the south side of the oak tree. Picture of 
the Flycater posted in my pictures on this site.

Danny Bales

Hi Sarah & All,

That's what I thought, but wasn't sure.

Wes Biggs
 Orlando


SMLJAY AT aol.com wrote:

> Actually Wes,
>
> My snow bunting was found near a beach walkover and parking area (packed
> dirt) , basically at the edge of the dune habitat around where the sea 
> oats and
> like vegetation grows. The picture I have is of the bird perched in 
> the one
> large, half-dead bush that was there, but I originally saw it on the 
> ground.
>
> Sarah
>
> Sarah Linney
> Cocoa, FL
> smljay AT aol.com 
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001 
> )
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  

Actually Wes,
 
My snow bunting was found near a beach walkover and parking area (packed  
dirt) , basically at the edge of the dune habitat around where the sea oats and 

like vegetation grows.  The picture I have is of the bird perched in the  one 
large, half-dead bush that was there, but I originally saw it on the  ground.
 
Sarah  

Sarah  Linney
Cocoa, FL
smljay AT aol.com




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We did have a snow bunting about?7-8 years ago (something like that?) that 
stayed at the?causeway/dam at Guana for several days.? It may have been longer, 
because I think it was almost before all this FLBirds listing.? It was just 
walking around in the grasses. 

thanks
diane reed
st.augustine, florida


-----Original Message-----
From: Wes Biggs 
To: Jeff Bouton 
Cc: SMLJAY AT aol.com; SpaceCoastAudubon AT yahoogroups.com; 
FlaBirding AT yahoogroups.com 

Sent: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:32 pm
Subject: Re: [FlaBirding] re: lapland Longspur and snow buntings (info)







Hi All,

Jeff is probably correct. By the way, you can add Horned Lark as well. 
But another possibility might be that the Florida version of their less 
preferred habitat (dunes & adjacent boardwalks & parking lots) just may 
be for some unknown reason or reasons more to their liking than the 
Florida version of their preferred habitat of short grass fields & 
recently turned ag areas. I know that I've checked out the latter 
habitats for Xmas counts & tours & field trips hundreds if not thousands 
of times & have never run across one of those little guys. In fact, 
there has never been a Snow Bunting found in Florida away from dune 
areas, with the possible exception of Sarah's bird on the air force 
base. On the other hand, both Lapland & Chestnut-collared Longspurs & 
Horned Larks have been found in both habits. So, I think Jeff is 
probably correct regarding longspurs & Horned Larks, but he may not be 
right regarding Snow Buntings. I hope we see some this winter!

Wes Biggs
Orlando

Jeff Bouton wrote:

> Sarah,
>
> All of this is true, of course, but I would point out the following as 
> well. If you look at preferred habitat areas for both of these species 
> within their respective "proper" winter ranges, for every individual 
> or small group that may be found in dune habitat, you will find a 
> flock of 50-100 in short grass fields or recently turned ag fields. So 
> while you should definitely bare this in mind while visiting these 
> areas, I'd have to suspect that if someone were actually targetting 
> these species they'd be much better suited making concerted efforts to 
> check sod farms, etc.
>
> In their common winter range, this ABSOLUTELY seems to be their 
> preferred habitat. I'd suspect if there seems to be a bias presented 
> toward finding Longspurs and Buntings in the dunes in FL it has more 
> to do with opportunistic sightings by people visiting the beaches, 
> more than it is a habitat preference. I'd bet the VAST majority of 
> birders are likely only working these habitats in late summer/early 
> fall when looking for Plovers, Buff-breasted & Upland Sands and would 
> also bet for every longspur/Bunting seen in the dunes there are likely 
> 10x that number inland in some field that went undetected.
>
> Best,
>
> Jeff Bouton
>
> MLJAY AT aol.com  wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Was commenting to Lyn Atherton about the Lapland Longspur up in Duval 
> County
> that there was one in the same area several years ago. Lyn replied with
> this information on other sightings of lapland longspurs closer to here:
>
> "Lapland Longspurs also show up ever so often on the dunes at the 
> south side
> of Ponce de Leon Inlet (New Smyrna Beach). And, years ago, I had one
> calling as it flew over me while I was on the Black Point Wildlife 
> Drive, so the
> Playlinda Beach dunes (and around the parking lots) should be checked 
> for this
> species. Obviously, this species could show up anytime in winter at 
> either New
> Smyrna or Playlinda beaches. And don't forget about the possibility of 
> Snow
> Bunting in these areas!"
>
> So when you all are birding along the Canaveral NS, or up at New Smyrna,
> keep a look out for the Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. I know of a 
> couple
> of sightings of the latter species--one that hung out at one of the 
> parking
> areas at Playalinda for some time and then I had one a couple of years 
> ago out
> at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Maybe all these winter storms 
> will
> drive a couple down this far this winter. Wouldn't that be nice.
>
> Good birding to all,
>
> Sarah Linney
> Cocoa, FL
> smljay AT aol.com 
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001 
> )
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> ---------------------------------
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>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

Jeff is probably correct. By the way, you can add Horned Lark as well. 
But another possibility might be that the Florida version of their less 
preferred habitat (dunes & adjacent boardwalks & parking lots) just may 
be for some unknown reason or reasons more to their liking than the 
Florida version of their preferred habitat of short grass fields & 
recently turned ag areas. I know that I've checked out the latter 
habitats for Xmas counts & tours & field trips hundreds if not thousands 
of times & have never run across one of those little guys. In fact, 
there has never been a Snow Bunting found in Florida away from dune 
areas, with the possible exception of Sarah's bird on the air force 
base.  On the other hand, both Lapland & Chestnut-collared Longspurs & 
Horned Larks have been found in both habits. So, I think Jeff is 
probably correct regarding longspurs & Horned Larks, but he may not be 
right regarding Snow Buntings. I hope we see some this winter!

Wes Biggs
 Orlando


Jeff Bouton wrote:

> Sarah,
>
> All of this is true, of course, but I would point out the following as 
> well. If you look at preferred habitat areas for both of these species 
> within their respective "proper" winter ranges, for every individual 
> or small group that may be found in dune habitat, you will find a 
> flock of 50-100 in short grass fields or recently turned ag fields. So 
> while you should definitely bare this in mind while visiting these 
> areas, I'd have to suspect that if someone were actually targetting 
> these species they'd be much better suited making concerted efforts to 
> check sod farms, etc.
>
> In their common winter range, this ABSOLUTELY seems to be their 
> preferred habitat. I'd suspect if there seems to be a bias presented 
> toward finding Longspurs and Buntings in the dunes in FL it has more 
> to do with opportunistic sightings by people visiting the beaches, 
> more than it is a habitat preference. I'd bet the VAST majority of 
> birders are likely only working these habitats in late summer/early 
> fall when looking for Plovers, Buff-breasted & Upland Sands and would 
> also bet for every longspur/Bunting seen in the dunes there are likely 
> 10x that number inland in some field that went undetected.
>
> Best,
>
> Jeff Bouton
>
> MLJAY AT aol.com  wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Was commenting to Lyn Atherton about the Lapland Longspur up in Duval 
> County
> that there was one in the same area several years ago. Lyn replied with
> this information on other sightings of lapland longspurs closer to here:
>
> "Lapland Longspurs also show up ever so often on the dunes at the 
> south side
> of Ponce de Leon Inlet (New Smyrna Beach). And, years ago, I had one
> calling as it flew over me while I was on the Black Point Wildlife 
> Drive, so the
> Playlinda Beach dunes (and around the parking lots) should be checked 
> for this
> species. Obviously, this species could show up anytime in winter at 
> either New
> Smyrna or Playlinda beaches. And don't forget about the possibility of 
> Snow
> Bunting in these areas!"
>
> So when you all are birding along the Canaveral NS, or up at New Smyrna,
> keep a look out for the Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. I know of a 
> couple
> of sightings of the latter species--one that hung out at one of the 
> parking
> areas at Playalinda for some time and then I had one a couple of years 
> ago out
> at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Maybe all these winter storms 
> will
> drive a couple down this far this winter. Wouldn't that be nice.
>
> Good birding to all,
>
> Sarah Linney
> Cocoa, FL
> smljay AT aol.com 
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001 
> )
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sarah,
   
 All of this is true, of course, but I would point out the following as well. 
If you look at preferred habitat areas for both of these species within their 
respective "proper" winter ranges, for every individual or small group that may 
be found in dune habitat, you will find a flock of 50-100 in short grass fields 
or recently turned ag fields. So while you should definitely bare this in mind 
while visiting these areas, I'd have to suspect that if someone were actually 
targetting these species they'd be much better suited making concerted efforts 
to check sod farms, etc. 

   
 In their common winter range, this ABSOLUTELY seems to be their preferred 
habitat. I'd suspect if there seems to be a bias presented toward finding 
Longspurs and Buntings in the dunes in FL it has more to do with opportunistic 
sightings by people visiting the beaches, more than it is a habitat preference. 
I'd bet the VAST majority of birders are likely only working these habitats in 
late summer/early fall when looking for Plovers, Buff-breasted & Upland Sands 
and would also bet for every longspur/Bunting seen in the dunes there are 
likely 10x that number inland in some field that went undetected. 

   
  Best,
   
  Jeff Bouton
   
  MLJAY AT aol.com wrote:
          Hi All,

Was commenting to Lyn Atherton about the Lapland Longspur up in Duval County 
that there was one in the same area several years ago. Lyn replied with 
this information on other sightings of lapland longspurs closer to here:

"Lapland Longspurs also show up ever so often on the dunes at the south side 
of Ponce de Leon Inlet (New Smyrna Beach). And, years ago, I had one 
calling as it flew over me while I was on the Black Point Wildlife Drive, so 
the 

Playlinda Beach dunes (and around the parking lots) should be checked for this 
species. Obviously, this species could show up anytime in winter at either New 
Smyrna or Playlinda beaches. And don't forget about the possibility of Snow 
Bunting in these areas!"

So when you all are birding along the Canaveral NS, or up at New Smyrna, 
keep a look out for the Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. I know of a couple 
of sightings of the latter species--one that hung out at one of the parking 
areas at Playalinda for some time and then I had one a couple of years ago out 
at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Maybe all these winter storms will 
drive a couple down this far this winter. Wouldn't that be nice.

Good birding to all,

Sarah Linney
Cocoa, FL
smljay AT aol.com

**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



                         

       
---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello, All. 

Ellen Rocco emailed me last night that she found a
Northern Shoveler feeding along side some Mallards on
the southern shore of Lake Davis just south of
downtown Orlando. 

If anyone needs this bird for an Orange County list it
was still there this morning around 9 AM in the same
spot. 

I found a Shoveler a year or so ago a bit to the south
in a retention pond so maybe they are making our
little area a regular haunt. First I have seen at Lake
Davis. 

A couple blocks West at Lake Cherokee, there are a
couple hundred Ring-necked Ducks along with the Wood
Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes and herons and Egrets and
cormorants, and... 

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL


 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 

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Hey all, I headed over to the Volusia County Landfills this afternoon, to
see if I  could find one of the Franklin's Gulls reported several days ago
by Dexter and Alex.  After an hour of sorting out thousand's of Laughing
Gull's, I located one 1st. winter Franklin's Gull.  It was a real pain to
see as it insisted in all ways standing in the middle of several Laughing
Gulls, making it completely disappear at times.  However my patience paid
off as a large dump truck drove by the flock and everyone shuffled, giving
me good looks of the Franklin's. Lots of Herrings, Laughing and Ring-bill
and I scoped out a couple of L. Black-back 1st years, and one Royal Tern (he
seemed out of place being the only tern in the group).  

The landfill is birder friendly, but they have strict rules about where to
bird: which is mainly no birding where there is trash dumping, stay out of
the way of the trucks (who will give a honk here and there just to remind
you they are there), stay off the road and only follow the paved area. All
these rules are posted at the sign in on the left after you enter. 

Directions: From I-4 East, take exit 129 (US-92 E, toward Daytona Beach) to
W. International Speedway Blvd (US-92). After 3.16 miles, turn right on
Tomoka Farms Rd (CR- 415). Landfill 3-4 miles down road. (DeLORME p.75) Sign
in and out at office on left as you drive in. 

Have a good one,

Christian Newton

Davenport



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 
Hi  All, 
Please send me any  interesting bird sightings in West-Central Florida from 
this past fall for  possible inclusion in the Florida Field Naturalist, 
published by Florida Ornithological Society & also North American Birds. The 
focus 

of these  quarterly reports is on rare/unusual birds and other interesting 
sightings (high numbers, interesting behavior, breeding status, etc). If you 
are 

unsure whether  your sighting qualifies, please send it to me anyway. The 
West-Central area  includes: Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee & Sarasota 
counties (I’ll take any sightings from Hardee & DeSoto too). If you have any 

significant bird observations from this fall (1 August - 30 November) in these 

counties  please e-mail them to me at: _BrianAhern AT aol.com_ 
(mailto:BrianAhern AT aol.com)  
PLEASE follow this  format when putting your report together. And PLEASE put 
all  your
observations in phylogenetic order, not in random or chronological  order

Species
Number of individuals
Date(s) 
Location (including  county) 
Observers
Details for species rare or difficult to distinguish  from common species, or 
any unusual behavior or notes.

All observers  whose sightings are published are acknowledged fully in FFN &  
NAB. 
Thank you! 
Brian Ahern
Tampa  Bay, FL.
_BrianAhern AT aol.com_ (mailto:BrianAhern AT aol.com) 



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,
 
Was commenting to Lyn Atherton about the Lapland Longspur up in Duval  County 
that there was one in the same area several years ago.  Lyn replied  with 
this information on other sightings of lapland longspurs closer to  here:
 
"Lapland Longspurs also show up ever so often on the dunes at the south  side 
of Ponce de Leon Inlet (New Smyrna Beach).  And, years ago, I had one  
calling as it flew over me while I was on the Black Point Wildlife Drive, so 
the 

Playlinda Beach dunes (and around the parking lots) should be checked for this 

species. Obviously, this species could show up anytime in winter at either New 
 Smyrna or Playlinda beaches. And don't forget about the possibility of Snow  
Bunting in these areas!"
 
So when you all are birding along the Canaveral NS, or up at New Smyrna,  
keep a look out for the Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. I know of a couple 

of sightings of the latter species--one that hung out at one of the  parking 
areas at Playalinda for some time and then I had one a couple of years ago out 

at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  Maybe all these  winter storms will 
drive a couple down this far this winter.  Wouldn't that  be nice.
 
Good birding to all,



Sarah  Linney
Cocoa, FL
smljay AT aol.com




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All:

Today I lead 14 Caloosa Bird Club members and two guests on a  
fieldtrip to two locales in Collier County: Oil Pad Road in the Ten  
Thousand Islands N.W.R. and the Big Cypress bend Boardwalk in the  
Fakahatchee Strand State Park Preserve. The weather was hot (87  
degrees) with few clouds to help cool the air. We gathered outside of  
Collier-Seminole State Park before carpooling to the other  
destinations and while waiting for some folks to arrive we saw a  
flock of 25 or so American Robins and a Yellow-throated Warbler. The  
highlights of Oil Pad Road in the Ten Thousand Islands were an  
unexpected Reddish Egret, three Swamp Sparrows, a Yellow Warbler and  
8 Sandhill Cranes. Nice numbers of Roseate Spoonbills, Blue-winged  
Teal and Black-crowned Night-Herons were also seen.

Afterward, we drove to the Big Cypress bend Boardwalk where a very  
cooperative Eastern Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) awaited us  
and posed for pictures. I rarely see this darker relative of our more  
common paler South Florida "extimus" race so that was a treat.  
However, another bird was a lifer for some -- a light morph Short- 
tailed Hawk which was rifing the thermals in a kettle of vultures.  
Nothing of note was seen along the The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in  
the Fakahatchee Strand. Here's our day list:

Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk (including one Eastern race)
Short-tailed Hawk (Light Morph)
American Kestrel
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane (8)
Lesser Yellowlegs
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
American Crow
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin (25)
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Swamp Sparrow (3)
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch

Butterflies abounded along Oil Pad Road including many expected  
Mangrove Buckeyes, Salt Marsh Skippers, Barred Yellows, Gulf  
Fritillaries, Queens and White Peacocks. At the Big Cypress bend  
Boardwalk we saw a few Ruddy Daggerwings and Brazilian Skippers.  
Other butterflies seen today were Cassius Blues, Cloudless Sulphurs,  
Dorantes Longtails and Fiery Skippers. Odonates included Rambur's  
Forktail, Black Saddlebags, Eastern Amberwing, Four-spotted Skimmer,  
Needham's Skimmer, Common Green Darner, Blue-faced Darner and Roseate  
Skimmer.

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello, All. 

So, around 7 AM, Charles walks up with a bird in the
bag all casual-like. We weigh it. Seems around Catbird
size. No big deal. We had been discussing the fact
that the Catbirds were quite vocal for the first time
in a month. 

Then I pull this bird out and my eyes widen. I look to
Charles and say, "My gut tells me this is a Fox
Sparrow!" I haven't seen one since my trip to
Washington state last year.

We ended up only capturing 5 birds today. Truth be
told, I was ready to leave after I banding this first
bird. How can I beat this!?

If anyone wants to try for another, I was hearing
sparrow calls before dawn in the same area. I also
headed out into the area past the net lanes later in
the morning and found a LOT of Chipping Sparrows and a
Clay-colored Sparrow near the Red-headed Woodpecker
trees. 

White-tailed Deer almost ran into me several times. I
also heard Brown-headed Nuthatches, Pine Warblers,
Palm Warblers (3 feet in front of me), Ruby-crowned
Kinglets, and Orange-crowned Warblers.

Robins, Goldfinches, and Yellow-rumped Warblers flew
by overhead all morning.

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL


 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Be a better pen pal. 
Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how. 
http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/ 

The Refuge will be closed Monday through Thursday providing there is a  
successful launch on Thursday.
 
  you can call the visitor's center if you like to double  check:
 
 
See you out there!

Thomas J. Dunkerton
Titusville,  Florida



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This morning headed over to the Viera Wetlands to see about finding the  
short-eared owl and had no luck on the first go round. Saw Phyllis and Howard 

Mansfield and they reported having seen the owl earlier in the  morning.
 
No luck on a Cinnamon Teal though.  In fact there were hardly any teal  in 
the wetlands.  Lots of Coots and moorhens (no P. gallinule  either).
 
Saw a few other good things:  
*Cara-cara coming down Stadium Rd.  
 
*2 bald eagles on the south side of the wetlands, perched in a tall pine  
tree.  First visible from the area of the 1st park bench after turning the  
corner where the old nest used to be, then could see again a bit better as you 

turned the next corner (right). Don't know where their nest is, or if they have 

started building--anyone know?
 
*2 ruddy ducks in the SE corner of Cell 1 (cell after the pump station  as 
round the final corner).  More ruddy ducks in the north Click  pond.  Also 
Ring-necked ducks in this pond.
 
Back to the owl...ah, yes the owl.  Was just about ready to turn out  of the 
wetlands when a couple birds flying off the north edge of Cell 2 caught  my 
attention. One was definitely a harrier female, but that bird chasing...?...is 

an OWL!  Then when I drove over there I got unsure because  now there were 2 
female harriers.  Thankfully there was a lady (did not get  her name--VA 
plates) just in front of me that had stopped and walked back toward my car, 
"Did 

you see it?"  No, well I thought I saw the owl. (So I had seen  an owl!)  It 
had perched on the north side of a clump of Braz. Pepper and  luckily a car on 
the road out to the River Lakes Conservation Area had stopped  and was looking 
at the owl.  Drove over there (yes both myself and the nice  lady turned 
around and shhhh...went the wrong way to get out) and had fantastic looks at a 

very awake Short-eared owl! Beautiful bird. The little tufts are just barely 

visible.  This particular clump of pepper is really  the first clump one comes 
to on the River Lakes road, and on the wetland berms  is seen just a bit east 
of the first left turn, across from Cell 2.  This  is FL #315!
 
Another interesting bird note:  Stopped at the first pond as you are  back on 
the paved road (left side if heading east) and was amazed at all the  
shorebirds scattered along the edge. Most of them were Greater Yellowlegs, with 

some Lessers thrown in but once I got the scope out, I ID'd a dowitcher, a 
Stilt 

Sandpiper (juv--still has some rust on check patch), a couple of Wilson's  
Snipes, and several Least Sandpipers.  There was also one very large  gator.  
Several Glossy and White Ibis, etc.  

Sarah  Linney
Cocoa, FL
smljay AT aol.com




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Thirty birders assembled for the Tropical Audubon Society's annual "Exotics" 
fieldtrip on Saturday, December 1, 2007. We met at 1:00 p.m. in the emergency 
overflow parking lot of Baptist Hospital on Kendall Drive and proceeded to walk 
to the neighborhood directly across the street from Baptist Hospital (Brian 
Rapoza's; Birding Florida-pg. 104) on Kendall Drive (S.W. 88 St.) and S.W. 87 
Ave. We walked around several blocks across Kendall Dr. and soon located a 
Loggerhead Shrike, a species in decline in many areas of the country, but 
holding its own in South Florida. We could hear Monk Parakeets concealed in 
their stick-nest built around an FP&L transformer. The recent invasion of 
Cooper's Hawks into South Florida seemed to make the parakeets a little more 
wary about coming out into the open. 

 
The temperature was a balmy 85 degrees, but a 10 knot wind made the 
birding/exercise quite comfortable. A flyover of Mitred Parakeets created a 
little excitement but the birding was rather slow. 

A dark morph Short-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Black and 
Turkey Vultures,Ring-billed Gull and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker were seen during 
the walk. We also located Muscovies, Rock Pigeons, Eurasian Collared Dove and 
European Starlings and House Sparrows on the hospital grounds. 

 
Disappointed in not seeing any Red-Whiskered Bulbuls, we went to "Plan B". We 
piled into several cars and drove slowly through the neighborhood we had just 
walked. One of the cars soon spotted two Hill Mynahs on a telephone pole. We 
heard the ventrilocal call of a Bulbul in the distance and soon spotted one on 
the wire adjacent to the Monk Parakeets stick nest and three parakeets flew in 
to see what all of the excitement was about. Our persistence had paid off! 

 
Our caravan then headed to Miami Springs to the Fair Havens Nursing Home 
(Rapoza pg. 99), where we immediately had two Yellow-chevroned Parakeets 
perched in an Australian Pine. A Spot-breasted Oriole was spotted on a nearby 
wire. Its neon orange head glowed in the afternoon sun. Things were looking up, 
but the best was yet to come. While driving the neighborhood around the nursing 
home, one of the cars found the mother-lode. A flock of Aratingas, like 
Christmas ornaments dotting an Australian Pine, allowed us excellent scope 
views and several photographs. Species identified, included Green Parakeet, 
Crimson-fronted Parakeet, Red-fronted, Mitred, Red-Masked and White-eyed 
Parakeets with a tincture of Yellow-Chevroned Parakeets thrown in for good 
measure. Brian Rapoza's; Birding Florida has an excellent chart on pages 21 and 
22 titled "Parrots of Miami", which list Species, Field Marks, Abundance in 
Miami, Locations, including Miami Springs, Miami Shores/Biscayne Gardens, South 
Miami/Kendall and Other Locations in Miami-Dade. 

 
We spotted a pair of parrots in flight and followed in our cars to where we 
spotted two Orange-winged Parrots in another Australian Pine. This tree species 
is a favorite roost for psittacids, who feast on the cone-like fruit of the 
Casuarinas. We had parked in an alley next to my good friend Bob Calvert's 
house and he soon appeared to check out what all the commotion was all about 
and while enjoying some friendly banter with Bob, his wife Rhonda appeared and 
began taking photos of the group and seeking quotes for an article that she 
will write for the River Cities Gazette regarding our birding adventure in 
Miami Springs. 

 
Our last stop was Apache and Wren near Prince Field and the Miami Springs pool 
on Westward Drive, but saw the flock of sixteen parrots flying in the distance 
as they left their traditional congregational site at dusk. The day before, the 
group included fourteen Orange-winged Parrots and a single Red and 
Yellow-Crowned Parrot. 

 
After five-hours of birding, our group was practically a family. Our exotics 
total finished up at 17 species. Life is good........ urban birding with good 
friends. Yes.....a few Negra Modelos were hoisted as our celebratory libation. 
Hopefully participants will post their photos for your viewing pleasure. 

 
Paul Bithorn
pbithorn AT plumbers519.com
pblifeisgood AT hotmail.com
Virginia Gardens, Florida
_________________________________________________________________
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Does anyone know if Wildlife Drive will be closed any day this week due 
to the shuttle launch Thursday?

Anne Bellenger
Avon Park

All:

Some 39 individuals, consisting of mostly members from Highlands  
County Audubon Society plus the usual "regulars" saw some 70 species  
at STA-5 in Hendry County on Saturday, December 1st. The weather was  
more reminiscent of September than December 1st but who's complaining  
I guess? Highlights were well over 400 Fulvous Whistling Ducks and 100 
+ Black-bellied Whistling Ducks; 3 Northern Pintails and a banded  
Roseate Spoonbill with "E" above "U" (red tag) -- (not the same  
banded bird reported last week) and an American Bittern which posed  
for photos. Big misses were Snail Kite (again) and Purple Gallinule.

In addition to the many Crested Caracara, Sandhill Cranes, Limpkin,  
Roseate Spoonbills, numerous waders and shorebirds we usually see on  
our drive out to STA-5 from Naples via the CR846 - CR833 - CR835 -  
Blumberg Rd. Corridor, the highlight of the trip to STA-5 were 5  
Snail Kites seen along the canal just to the east/northeast opposite  
the Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm on CR835. Alan Murray and I speculate that  
these birds are the missing birds from STA-5 since it is nearby.  
Perhaps the water levels or availability of food (Apple Snails) is  
better at this location as opposed to STA-5, we don't know. At any  
rate, the SFWMD is digging up this canal in front of the Ocean Boy  
Shrimp Farm so the birds may be gone by the time the first Clewiston/ 
STA-5 (FLSO) CBC comes around on December 15th. That would be a  
shame. The same situation occurred when the SFWMD dug up all of the  
exotics and willows along the L-1 Canal further along Blumberg Rd.  
last year. The 20-25 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons that bred there and  
used these shrubs and bushes for cover all disappeared from that site  
after the undercover was denuded. I'll never understand why the SFWMD  
cares so little about the habitat they create for birds and other  
wildlife although, obviously this isn't their intention. The fact  
remains that they do create habitat and then with one stroke, destroy  
it. . . .

On the return trip back to Naples, we stopped at Canon Hammock Park  
where a Barn Owl was flying around the Live Oaks trying to avoid  
detection. A single Western Kingbird and 0 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers  
were present on the Collier-side of CR 858 on the Hendry/Collier  
County line. A quick stop at the new town of Ave Maria in Collier  
County produced the lone Black-bellied Whistling Duck that has been  
present there for a few weeks.

Here is the day list for STA-5:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  >100
Fulvous Whistling-Duck   >400
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail  3
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck   6
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican   8
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill (One banded bird with red tag "E" above "U" -- not  
the same banded bird reported last week)
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon   2
Purple Swamphen   6
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin 1
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt  3
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher  >800
Wilson's Snipe  1
Caspian Tern   2
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow   1
Marsh Wren    3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle

If anyone wants to help out on the first Clewiston/STA-5 Christmas  
Bird Count on Saturday, December 15th, please contact Margaret  
England at  mlelighthouse AT embarqmail.com .

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




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Hi all
 
There is an excellent article on the Stevenson cat killing and the problem  
of feral cats and birds in general in The New York Times Magazine. (BY Bruce  
Barcott).
 
_http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/magazine/02cats-v--birds-t.html?pagewanted=
1&th&emc=th_ 

(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/magazine/02cats-v--birds-t.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th) 

 
Brad Martin
Cocoa, FL



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All:

Some 45-50 birders, comprising of mostly Collier County Audubon and  
[Ft. Myers] Caloosa Bird Club members showed up to take the tour out  
at STA-5, south of Clewiston in Hendry County on Saturday, November  
24th. Highlights included a banded Roseate Spoonbill -- probably the  
same one that we had previously identified as having been banded at  
Alafia Banks near Tampa; 12 species of ducks including only our  
second ever occurrence of Hooded Merganser; Barn Owl (Blumberg Rd.);  
an adult Bald Eagle swooping down to take an American Coot out of the  
water to the fascination of most all observers; and a half-dozen or  
so American Bitterns. A mystery yellowish warbler gave everyone  
decent looks but fits at attempting to identify it. ID's were as  
varied as the skill levels of the observers. Our best guest was a  
very atypical Prairie Warbler. It may have been a nondescript  
Wilson's Warbler as well. It could have also been a somewhat atypical  
Yellow Warbler. Unfortunately, no one shot any decent photos of this  
bird as far as I am aware.

Big misses were Snail Kite, which we almost always see at STA-5,  
although Alan Murray and some other Collier County Auduboners, who we  
were caravanning with, and I saw two across the canal from the Ocean  
Boy Shrimp Farms on C.R. 835, not too far from STA-5. We also saw a  
flock of 25 or so Wild Turkeys along C.R. 833, which evidently  
escaped becoming Thanksgiving dinner. A stop along C.R. 858 on the  
Hendry/Collier County line near the Hendry Correction Facility  
produced three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and four or so Western  
Kingbirds. Unfortunately, the female Vermilion Flycatcher that had  
frequented the same cow pasture in the last couple of years has not  
returned. It may not but we hope that it will.

Here is the bird list for STA-5 (including Blumberg Rd.) for 11/24/2007:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     6
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Hooded Merganser     3
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern - 6
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill (including one banded individual)
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle - 3
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara - 3
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Purple Swamphen - 5
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Western Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe  >50
Caspian Tern - 1
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl - 1 (Blumberg Rd.)
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler (?)
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle

If anyone is interested in taking part in the first STA-5/Clewiston  
CBC on Saturday, December 15th, contact the compiler, Margaret  
England at mlelighthouse AT embarqmail.com  All skill levels are needed.

Cheers.

Vince

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sorry for the late post, but just now getting bird identified. I saw an 
American Golden Plover on the way to work on the NASA Banana River 
Causeway on November 22, 2007. Unfortunately it's the same place the 
Purple Sandpiper was so you need a badge to get there. Anyhow I'll put 
the picture in the flolder on this site. 

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

Hey Everybirdy, 
 
  A leisurely drive through parts of the Refuge in celebration of  Turkey Day 
was rather enjoyable.  And if Thanksgiving was this nice. then,  boy, I can't 
wait to see what I find on x-mas!!  
 
  A Peregrine on the dead snags just past the train tracks on SR  406 headed 
toward Blackpoint.
  Blackpoint was a steady flow of activity.  Already more  american Wigeon 
out there than I remember seeing all last season.
  PLenty of Pintails between stop2 2 and 4.  Stop 4 had  a myriad of 
shorebirds.  Did a quick scan of the usual  suspects.
  Waders in some tight feeding flocks here and there, including  many 
Spoonbills.
 
  I entered Biolab Rd via the National Seashore entrance  road.  Not much 
along the straighaway-yellowlegs and a Cooper's hawk. Flushed a Sharp-shinned 

off the wooded area just before i reached the  lagoon.
  As you travel north along the lagoon and come to the "S" curve,  looking 
out from atop the culvert beneath the road were 4 Black-bellied Plovers and one 

curious looking plover-dark cap, rather bright supercilium-  got  out to 
scope and they flushed-  yep, dark rump too as I suspected it would  have.  
American Golden Plover!
  Rode up to just south of where they landed to get a better  view.  Was on 
the phone with a friend to tell him what I was looking at and  had to hang up 
because, as I spoke, the Golden Plover left the crowd and fluttered down right 

in front of me!!  "gotta go" , said I!   lol
 
  Was treated to viewing a family of 3 Bobcats meandering along  the road as 
I was leaving.
  Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!
 
See you out there!
 
Tom Dunkerton
Titusville, Florida



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Hi All,
 
On Saturday morning after scouting out some sites in Southern Hillsborough  
County for the Alafia Banks CBC, I headed over to Cockroach Bay Road to see if 

any new birds have shown up. At the last pond on the north side of the road  
American Wigeons, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks & Hooded Mergansers are  
now present. I also spotted one of the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that Jeanne  
Dubi & Jeff Palmer found the week before. It was around the northeast corner  
of that same pond, so I decided to follow the mowed path leading out to that  
area. I found a single Western Kingbird & a minimum of 3 Scissor-tailed  
Flycatchers (2 with long tails, 1 short).
 
I went back Sunday at dusk for a brief check along the road and got  to watch 
a Merlin catch a Tree Swallow in flight only a few feet above my  head! There 
is also at least one Great Horned Owl that begins calling around  5:30 PM. 
Late November/early December is about the time Great Horned & Barred Owls begin 

"hooting" for courtship.
 
Best,
Brian  Ahern
Tampa Bay, FL.
BrianAhern AT aol.com
Photos: _www.pbase.com/brianahern_ (http://www.pbase.com/brianahern) 



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All:

Anyone who would like to help out on the Ft. Myers CBC on Monday,  
December 17th is most heartily welcome to participate. All skill  
levels are needed. Although our circle isn't as "glamorous" as  
Zellwood and some of the others CBCs we still regularly get one of  
the highest totals for Burrowing Owls in the state since a lot of our  
circle lies in Cape Coral. There are also a few other surprises such  
as possible Long-billed Curlew (Bunche Beach), Painted Bunting  
(feeder birds in downtown Ft. Myers), and some others. If you can  
help, even for a half-day, please contact the compiler, Vincent  
Lucas, at:

vplucas AT comcast.net

or call


Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I was fortunate to be able to help lead field trips for the A.B.A. 
Conference in Plantation as well as give a presentation.  We had a great 
group of people with great leaders as well.  Below are some of the 
highlights found during the 5-day conference.

Magnificent Frigatebird
Northern Gannet
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Wood Stork
Greater White-fronted Goose 2-birds at STA-5
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

16-species of raptor including,
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Snail Kite
Short-tailed Hawk
Northern Caracara

Purple Gallinule
Purple Swamphen
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
Piping Plover
Wilson's Plover
American Avocet
Red-necked Phalorope
Lesser Black Back Gull
White-crowned Pigeon
Smooth-billed Ani
Burrowing Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl, heard only.
Chuck-will's-widow
Least Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird, a very late bird.
Western Kingbird at least two birds.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Marsh Wren
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Mitred Parakeet
Monk Parakeet
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Cave Swallow
Common Myna
American Pipit
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Blackpoll Warbler
Blue Grosbeak
Painted Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Song Sparrow
Shiny Cowbird
Spot-breasted Oriole

A digiscoped photo of the Greater White-fronted Geese can be seen here:  
http://www.southfloridabirding.com/images/tasphotos/DSCN1687grwhfrgo.jpg

Larry Manfredi
Homestead, FL.
E-mail:  birderlm AT bellsouth.net
http://www.southfloridabirding.com

Birders,
Prominent birder on trial for killing a cat.  I have been  following this 
story on another birding list for a while. Now it has gone  national. 
 
 _http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/us/14cats.html_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/us/14cats.html) 
 
Brad Martin
Cocoa, FL
 



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sorry for the late post. All these sighting were 11/14/07. I saw a 
Purple Sandpiper inside KSC property going to work on the Banana River 
Causeway. I also saw 3 Lesser Black Back Gulls on the beach just north 
of the north jetty at Port Canaveral. (CCAFS property) Didn't get any 
pictures of the gulls, but did get some of the Purple Sandpiper.

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

Went to Shiloh this morning. Trails are getting pretty mucky, but it 
seems like everyone is staying on them. I saw 3 Sharptails. They all 
appeared to be Saltmarsh. A few Swamps moved in with the many Savanahs, 
Marsh Wrens, and Sedge Wrens. Also saw a Clapper Rail. Sharptails 
extremely spooky. Seldom show themselves, and instead of staying in the 
general area they land, they run under the Salacornia (like the Le 
Conte's did at Jessup last year). Hopefully this next cold front will 
bring in new birds. Water level is starting to go down.

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

All:

Today, 11/11/2007, along with Margaret England, Alan Murray and Steve  
Buczynski, I had the distinct pleasure of leading some 67  
participants of the 2007 ABA Regional Conference being held in  
Plantation, FL to STA-5 (Stormwater Treatment Area #5), south of  
Clewiston. Although it was somewhat of an abbreviated tour, due to a  
late start and long lines for the port-a-let at the beginning of the  
tour, we still managed to see over 70 species of birds in something  
like two hours time. We probably missed perhaps ten or twelve  
species. Not everyone got to see all of the birds as is the nature of  
almost any field trip. Nonetheless, we did have great looks at such  
avian "desiderata" as Snail Kite, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Bald  
Eagle, Roseate Spoonbill, and American White Pelican. Some  
participants saw Purple Gallinule, Purple Swamphen, Fulvous Whistling- 
Duck, Northern Waterthrush & Marsh Wren among others. However, THE  
highlight of the tour today had to be the pair of Greater White- 
fronted Geese found by eagle-eyed Larry Manfredi. Is this guy for  
real? Lol. Needless to say, everyone got great looks at these rare  
birds for South Florida and yes, this is a new species for the STA-5  
checklist, although not a Hendry County record. It is #153 for the  
STA-5 checklist I believe. Larry digiscoped these birds so perhaps he  
will post the photo on his website. Thanks Larry! It was good seeing  
some of the great TAS (Tropical Audubon Society) members like Brian  
Rapoza, Paul Bithorn, Roberto Torres, Robin Diaz, Arthur Sissman,  
Patty Cunningham, Steve Siegel, etc., etc.

Here is the list of birds seen today at STA-5 including birds seen  
along Blumberg Road:

Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose   2  -- New species for STA-5
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler     1
Ring-necked Duck     >100
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican     11
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill     2
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite     2
Bald Eagle     2
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk     4  (including one Krider's Red-tailed Hawk along  
Blumberg Rd.)
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Merlin     2
Peregrine Falcon
Purple Swamphen     2
Purple Gallinule     2
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Caspian Tern     1
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow     6
Marsh Wren     1
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Northern Waterthrush     2
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle

Leaving Naples at 6:00AM, Alan and I saw our "usual" species along  
the backroads leading to STA-5 including, Limpkin, Snail Kite (by  
Ocean Boy Shrimp Farm on CR 835), Roseate Spoonbill, Crested  
Caracara, Burrowing Owl, Sandhill Crane, and Bald Eagle. On the  
return trip back to Naples, Alan and I found three Scissor-tailed  
Flycatchers and one Western Kingbird along CR 835 near where the dirt  
road branches off for STA-6. I do not know if this road has a name,  
sorry. We stopped along CR 858 on the Collier-Hendry County line near  
the Hendry County Correctional Facility and found two Scissor-tailed  
Flycatchers on the telephone lines on the Collier County side.

If anyone on today's fieldtrip has anything to add i.e. comments on  
the tour, birds seen, etc. feel free to "chirp" in!

Cheers.

Vince

Hello Everyone,

Its that time of year again when we are once more leading the free Sunday 
Beginning Birding Tours at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. What an 
absolutely gorgeous day it was today!!! We had eight people in the van with us, 
two of them young children. The enthusiasm was marvelous, the birds gave us 
such wonderful views. 


We started with 3 red-shouldered hawks along 402 as we headed to the scrub jay 
section of SR 3. The scrub jays were very cooperative allowing everyone lovely 
views and gave us time to talk about the need to keep as much scrub habitat as 
possible with greenways connecting the scrub area. While observing the scrub 
jay perched in a scrub oak, a pair of downy woodpeckers flew into that same 
tree. 


Our tours always include information about habitats, migration, behaviors, as 
well as fieldmarks and other keys to identifying birds. We often share personal 
stories about special sightings and some of the bird behaviors we have 
witnessed. The children on the tour seemed enthralled. 


At one point on Black Point Wildlife Drive I caught a glimpse of a Northern 
Harrier swooping down right beside the van. I got so excited, I yelled and 
pointed OOHH Marsh Hawk!!! I startled everyone and a few did get that wonderful 
up close view. The bird was within 10 feet of us. 


Before the tour, Cary and I had seen a total of 5 adult Bald Eagles, but on the 
tour we didn't see any :-( 


Our Route for this tour was 402 to SR 3 then 406 to Black Point Wildlife Drive 
where most of the spieces were seen, then back to 406 and 402 to the visitor 
center. There were other species out there that we didn't try to identify or 
point out due to time limits. The water levels are much better now, bring your 
scope and check out the shorebirds! 


Below is our list of birds seen on this tour.

Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican a good sized raft gave a wonderful demonstration of how 
they feed. 

Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tri-colored Heron
Wood Stork
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Hooded Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Northern Harrier
Osprey
American Kestrel
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer (heard)
Black-bellied Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit
Ring-billed Gull
Forester's Tern
Royal Tern
Caspian Tern
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Tree Swallow
Scrub Jay
Fish Crow
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
Yellow-rumped warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Savannah Sparrow

Happy Birding,
Betty Salter
MINWR Volunteer

P.S. The butterflies were very active as  well!

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello, All. 

Settling into our typical late Fall pattern of fewer
birds. However, we finally managed to net 2 Robins!
Have to check the archieves if we have EVER gotten
any. Most fly high overhead. 

Got our FOTS Orange-crowned Warbler and the Red-headed
Woodpeckers were finally gathering acorns at
eye-level. A fun day. 

Photos and banding totals are here:

http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/.html

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL 

__________________________________________________
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Hello, All. 

Just a quick mention that another Sharpie was banded
at Wekiva yesterday. 2 weeks in a row for
Sharp-shinned. Pictures of the rather quiet day are
here:

http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/.html

Also, here at Lake Davis, many American Coots have
arrived to join the lone bird that stayed all year.
Many more Ring-necked Ducks have showed up, too. 

Had my infrequent Red-tailed Hawk land in the oaks
here at home yesterday afternoon. 

Fingers crossed for a better day at Wekiva tomorrow!

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL

__________________________________________________
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My family and I returned to St. Mark's NWR on 10/26 for a little 
birding and hiking. We saw the following species:

Bald Eagles 2
Osprey
Great Blue Heron (in breeding plummage)
Little Blue Heron
Tri-colored Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Lesser Yellowlegs
Common Tern
Brown Pelican
Semipalmated Plover
Willet
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Crow
Vulture
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Wood Stork
Black-necked Stilt

The water levels in the pools seem to be coming back just a little 
after the rains of last week. Saw a few gators, a pygmy rattler, wild 
hogs, six deer and a large number of several varieties of butterflies.

Gordon Cloud

The Eurasian Wigeon is still present in south Miami-Dade along with, 
American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Mottled Duck, 
Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail. There were 
some Ring-billed Ducks last week that could still be present. There are 
up to five American Avocets, a large flock of Long-billed Dowitchers, 
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. I believe that I saw a Pectoral Sandpiper 
that had been there last week with up to three birds present. An adult 
Bald Eagle flew in and scared all of the birds, it landed on the north 
end of the marsh. All of the birds settled down and went back to sleep.

Roberto Torres saw a Franklin's Gull in the boat basin at Black Point 
Marina, so I headed there next. I found two Franklin's Gulls and 
possibly a third. There is also a Laughing Gull present with a very 
orange-red bill. Also seen were Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls 
and Ring-billed Gulls. There is a very large number of Gulls here that 
kept coming and going, it would be worth checking again in the next few 
days.

Cutler Wetlands had many Roseate Spoonbills and Woodstorks as well as 
some ducks. The lake just east of Cutler Wetlands has three Ruddy Ducks 
present.

Also of note in the same lake, was a Spectacled Caiman, I have seen at 
least two others in the area of the landfill and Dump Marsh.  A link  
here for the Spectacled Caiman for those interested:  

http://www.southfloridabirding.com/images/tasphotos/DSCN1674spectacledcaiman.jpg 


Here is an Eastern Phoebe that I digiscoped:  
http://www.southfloridabirding.com/images/tasphotos/DSCN1632eaph.jpg

Here is a photo of a Franklin's Gull with a Ring-billed Gull also 
digiscoped:  
http://www.southfloridabirding.com/images/tasphotos/DSCN1672frgu.jpg



Larry Manfredi
Homestead, FL.
E-mail: birderlm AT bellsouth.net
http://www.southfloridabirding.com

I only located 3 Sharptails today at Shiloh. It was pretty dead there. 
The Harriers had everything down, and quiet. Hopefully a little later 
on in the month the place will get more birds in. Now, if the Harriers, 
and other Hawks will find another place to hunt.....

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

Howdy Everybody,

  Went to Shiloh this morning with Carl Edwards (from West Palm 
area). We were fortunate to find both the Nelson's and the Saltmarsh 
Sharptails. We saw them until about 9:30 A.M. when they just 
disappeared! We went back later, but still no Sharptails.
  The Sharptails feed on the brown reeds at the rivers edge. They use 
the pepper grass (Salacornia) for cover. When you go out there in the 
marsh in search of them stay on the trails already formed by 
fisherman. Try not to disturb the pepper grasses. If you spook a 
Sharptail, follow it by using the trails, stop near the area it went 
in, be still for about 2 to 3 minutes then psh. The Sharptail will 
come up to look at you, and you'll get good looks at it. If the 
pepper grasses get tromped down the Sharptails will leave the area.
  We also saw the Black Scooters, and Surf Scooters where they have 
been reported on the Playalinda Beach road. They were far out on the 
south side of the road. An Ealge tried to get one of them, but they 
kept diving, and the Eagle finally gave up.
  Will put the Sharptail pictues in my folder on this site.

Good Birding
Danny Bales

Headed out to the Cutler Wetlands and Lennar Flow-way this morning on a picture 
perfect day in search of those magnificent flying machines. I would not be 
dissappointed. A dark Short-tailed Hawk and Roseate Spoonbills greeted me at 
the Wetlands. 

 
At the Lennar site I ran into Bonnie Ponwith and others, who immediately put me 
on the Eurasian Wigeon, a county bird,yearbird and beerbird. A Northern Pintail 
drake, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks 
were also present. Bonnie had a Green-winged Teal drake earlier. Bald Eagle, 
Herring, Ring-billed and Laughing Gull along with a Cave Swallow were also seen 
in the area. 

 
We headed to Lucky Hammock and ran into John Kellam. We spotted Grasshopper 
Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow, Bobolink,Painted Buntings and a light 
Short-tailed Hawk along with Rough-winged, Barn and Tree Swallows. 

 
The Annex was quiet, but we found two Western Kingbirds (FOS) sallying for 
insects.We could not drum up the recently seen Willow Flycatcher or Bell's 
Vireo, despite a thorough search of both areas.Cooper's, Sharp-shinned and 
Red-shouldered Hawk along with Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, American 
Kestrel and Osprey rounded out a nice raptor day. Life is good............... 

Paul Bithorn
pblifeisgood AT hotmail.com
pbithorn AT plumbers519.com
Virginia Gardens, Florida
Miami-Dade County
_________________________________________________________________
Climb to the top of the charts!� Play Star Shuffle:� the word scramble 
challenge with star power. 

http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello, All. 

Not a lot to report of note. Last Friday was more
interesting when I wasn't there and they banded a
Black-throated Green Warbler, a female Painted Bunting
and a Sharp-shinned Hawk! 

That was an exciting day!!

We did band our first Swamp Sparrow of the season and
many Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a few of the 'usual'
birds. Friday and today have had a few Hermit
Thrushes.

Most notable was the steady stream of American Robins
which were heading East at dawn and due South the rest
of the morning. 

For shots of Friday's banding efforts and today's,
head to:

http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/

I am still updating the site for today. 

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL

__________________________________________________
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http://mail.yahoo.com 

Saw the Clay-colored Sparrow this morning. It was in the same area as 
first reported in the Shiloh Marsh road of the Merritt Island National 
Wildlife Refuge. This afternoon I saw lots of Robins heading south over 
the Mims area. Bunches of Myrtles came in also. The Clay-colored 
Sparrow Picture will be on this site if anyone's interested.

Danny Bales
Titusville, Fla.

Hello, All. 

I think my earlier worries about missing ducks in
September was all about seeing them return while
taking the boys to school. Once school started again I
thought it was time for them. 

Helps to check the notes instead of the brain!

Anyhow, 4 Ring-necked Ducks are on Lake Davis this
morning, pretty much on time. Usual date has been
first week of November while last year they were here
by Halloween. 

Also, had a Swamp Sparrow in the yard yesterday. First
ever record for my yard a few blocks back from Lake
Davis here near downtown Orlando. 

Andrew Boyle 
Orlando, FL

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

All:

Florida Hometown Democracy needs help. If you care about Florida's  
growth and wish to retain some habitat for future birders doing Big  
Years, Big Counties, Big Anythings, help by signing the petition and  
by getting other registered voters -- your family & friends, to do  
the same. Future birders will thank you and so will the  
environment. . . . what's left of it in this state.

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Florida Hometown Democracy 
> Date: October 31, 2007 1:21:08 AM EDT
> To: flhometown AT yahoo.com
> Subject: FHD in the News, and the need for MORE volunteer petitions!
>
> The Chamber of Commerce, which has long crusaded against the right  
> of citizens to amend the Florida Constitution through petitioning,  
> is now paying their professional collectors $3 per signature for  
> their “Smart Growth” petition!  The Chamber, with a huge war  
> chest funded by St. Joe Corp, Big Sugar, Miami Corp and other major  
> land developers, is rapidly buying their way onto the ballot!
>
> Florida Hometown Democracy is funded only by our grassroots  
> supporters and a few groups like our good friends at Florida  
> Chapter Sierra, and doesn’t have the finances to do likewise.
>
> If you want to save what’s left of Florida and see Hometown  
> Democracy on the ballot, we need you to go all out with us and  
> start sending in lots of petitions now!  ...for Florida ’s future!
>
> Now that "fall" is here, there are many opportunities to collect  
> petitions:  before football games, art festivals, green markets,  
> fairs, walk your neighborhood....next week at the polls all across  
> Florida there will be thousands of Florida voters gathering at  
> polling places - this is THE PRIME SPOT for gathering petitions yet  
> this year!  PLEASE, PLEASE take a clipboard and spend a few hours  
> at your polling place next Tuesday, and each week thereafter till  
> the end of the year collecting petitions for our (YOUR) campaign.   
> We have only these precious remaining weeks to get this reform on  
> the ballot.  This chance to save what's left of the Florida we love  
> will not come around again.
>
> It's up to you.  Start with your household and make sure everyone  
> close to you who is a registered voter has signed.  Please spend a  
> couple of hours each week collecting petitions among your friends,  
> at work, at your favorite gathering spots, church groups, county  
> and city council meetings, send out in your homeowner’s  
> association newsletter, stand in front of your local library,  
> driver’s license office, grocery store, etc.  We need about  
> 125,000 verified petitions over the next 2 months to ensure that we  
> get on the ballot.  We are very close, but we need each and every  
> Floridian to commit to an individual effort to make this happen.   
> Getting Florida Hometown Democracy on the ballot must be an effort  
> that each of you takes personal ownership of.  If we don't make it,  
> you'll know why. It is our heritage and our responsibility to go  
> out and exercise our constitutional right to petition for redress  
> of grievances.  In this case we have a big grievance:  the ongoing  
> destruction of Florida .
>
> Many, many thanks, and Florida ’s future thanks you!,
>
> Lesley Blackner
>
> s, businessmen pooling resources in effort to shut down the Florida  
> Hometown Democracy initiative
> By TCPalm Staff
> Monday, October 22, 2007
> The Florida Chamber of Commerce apparently thinks the state’s  
> cities and counties are doing a swell job of managing growth. And  
> vice versa.
>
> In its latest assault against Florida Hometown Democracy — the  
> citizens initiative that would give voters a direct say on any  
> comprehensive plan changes in their communities — the chamber’s  
> campaign organ is drafting municipalities to fight for the status-quo.
>
> Evidently, a multimillion-dollar war chest and legions of corporate  
> backers aren’t nearly enough for the chamber’s political action  
> committee. It wants to tap tax dollars, too.
>
> By linking arms with the public sector, “Floridians for Smarter  
> Growth” is further exposing the incestuous intercourse between  
> business and politicians.
>
> Answering the chamber’s call-up, the Indian River Shores Town  
> Council dutifully mailed a letter to each of its 2,800 residences  
> this month. In it, the council urged voters not to sign the Florida  
> Hometown Democracy petition. Those who already signed are asked to  
> revoke their support (via another chamber spin-off, “Save Our  
> Constitution”). Watch for more crafty civic appeals as FHD moves  
> ever closer to the 611,000 signatures needed to reach the 2008 ballot.
>
> The chamber’s gambit may strike some as a blatant abuse of  
> government resources and public trust, but the wall between  
> business elites and elected officials was breached long ago. Aside  
> from a few side skirmishes over impact fees (which are passed on to  
> new homebuyers anyway), the Florida League of Cities and the  
> chamber march pretty much in lockstep.
>
> An extreme example of corporatism is Fellsmere, where Sun Ag and  
> other large landholders drive that town’s annexation agenda. Port  
> St. Lucie made itself synonymous with sprawl by working with  
> developers.
>
> But the screws are turning everywhere — even in “slow-growth”  
> Martin County . Meantime, Indian River County ’s cities, including  
> Indian River Shores , are angling to grow by claiming large swaths  
> of unincorporated land.
>
> This is not some new phenomenon triggered in response to Florida  
> Hometown Democracy or attempts at charter government. The Sunshine  
> State has been bulldozing open space for decades, at the rate of 20  
> acres a day.
>
> “The very essence of a locality is its operation as a growth  
> machine. The key motivation for members of politically mobilized  
> local elites is their common interest in growth,” states New York  
> University professor Harvey Molotch. He wrote those words back in  
> 1976, under the title, “The City as a Growth Machine.”
>
> Because land begets wealth, and wealth begets power, local  
> governments become the de facto servants of landed interests. The  
> cross-directorship that rules Florida ensures a close working  
> relationship between developers and public officials statewide.  
> Checks and balances? Government by the consent of the governed?  
> These quaint notions went out with the horse and buggy.
>
> What terrifies the growth-development complex is Florida Hometown  
> Democracy’s threat to disrupt this cozy arrangement by giving  
> residents a direct say in their communities’ future.
>
> Noting the legalistic complexity of “comprehensive planning,”  
> defenders of the current system say the public is ill-equipped to  
> make intelligent decisions on such matters. FHD opponents assert it  
> would be impractical to hold referendums on every tweak of the comp  
> plan.
>
> These claims — echoed by “professional planners,” land-use  
> attorneys and oh-so-sage politicians — reek of utter disregard not  
> only for taxpayers, but for the planning process itself. Aren’t  
> these the same voters who elect the office holders? And if our  
> elected officials are so committed to good, long-range planning,  
> why are they constantly changing the rules?
>
> The obvious answer is that “planning” has become a con game set  
> up by developers, for developers. They have the gall to call it  
> “managing growth.”
> Molotch again: “The clearest indication of success at growth is a  
> constantly rising urban-area population –— initial expansion of  
> basic industries, followed by an expanded labor force, a rising  
> scale of retail and wholesale commerce, more far-flung and  
> increasingly intensive land development and higher population  
> density.”
>
> Any of this sound familiar? It should, as public-private partners  
> keep crafting growth-inducing tools, such as “clustering,”  
> “density transfers,” “planned developments” and “town- 
> villages-countryside.”
>
> Instead of benefiting from a rising tide that lifts all boats,  
> taxpayers are swamped by higher taxes, more congestion, a degraded  
> environment, a hugely overblown real-estate market and, maybe, a  
> few more service-sector jobs. Want to attract or keep better paying  
> jobs? Well, that will cost you extra.
>
> Indian River County residents are discovering this with Piper. The  
> public-private cartel that propels the growth machine dictates  
> higher stakes by raiding public funds in a bid to make the Treasure  
> Coast “competitive.” “It’s the way the game is played,”  
> we’re told.
>
> As business and politics blur, taxpayers may feel they’re getting  
> played in a game of three-card monte. And they’d be right. The  
> elites — both corporate and cracker — call the shots. The best  
> John Q. Public can hope for is trickle-down economics.
>
> Good luck!
>
>
>
>
>
> HELP SAVE WHAT'S LEFT OF  FLORIDA...
> LET THE PEOPLE VOTE to control growth!
> Help put HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY on the 2008 ballot
> Please download and SIGN THE PETITION  !
> http://www.FloridaHometownDemocracy.com
> PO Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, FL .



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

-----Original Message-----
From: do-not-reply AT ebird.org
To: lapwing321 AT aol.com
Sent: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:41 pm
Subject: eBird Report - Joe Overstreet Area , 10/27/07





Location:     Joe Overstreet Area
Observation date:     10/27/07
Notes:     Second Exchange Club Group!  Still no Snail Kites --  water levels 
very high!  Only 4 Caracara at last week's site!  Fox Squirrels!  Overcast!  
75-85F  0-5mph  No rain!  Great Group!  Got to Ranch House with no difficulty!
Number of species:     51

Wild Turkey     6
Northern Bobwhite     X
Double-crested Cormorant     X
Anhinga     X
Great Blue Heron     X
Great Egret     X
Little Blue Heron     X
Tricolored Heron     X
Cattle Egret     300
Green Heron     X
White Ibis     X
Glossy Ibis     X
Wood Stork     X
Black Vulture     X
Turkey Vulture     X
Bald Eagle     6
Northern Harrier     X
Red-shouldered Hawk     X
Crested Caracara     5
American Kestrel     X
Common Moorhen     X
Limpkin     X
Sandhill Crane     X
Whooping Crane     2
Wilson's Snipe     X
Eurasian Collared-Dove     X
Mourning Dove     X
Belted Kingfisher     X
Red-bellied Woodpecker     X
Northern Flicker     X
Pileated Woodpecker     X
Eastern Phoebe     X
Great Crested Flycatcher     X
Loggerhead Shrike     X
White-eyed Vireo     X
Blue Jay     X
American Crow     X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     X
Eastern Bluebird     X
Gray Catbird     X
Northern Mockingbird     X
Brown Thrasher     X
European Starling     X
Yellow-rumped Warbler     X
Palm Warbler     X
Eastern Towhee     X
Red-winged Blackbird     X
Eastern Meadowlark     X
Common Grackle     X
Boat-tailed Grackle     X
Brown-headed Cowbird     X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - 
http://mail.aol.com 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ten birders participated in Tropical Audubon Society's annual fall field trip 
to Shark Valley and Loop Road on Saturday, October 27, 2007. The birding was 
quite comfortable thanks to overcast skies and a light breeze. 

 
Sixty-seven species were seen including eleven species of warblers: Northern 
Parula, Black-throated Green, Black-Throated Blue, Prairie, Pine, Palm, 
Northern Waterthrush, Black & White, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Common 
Yellowthroat. 

 
Our first stop was the S-334 South Florida Water Management District structure 
just west of the Miccosukee Casino on the Tamiami Trail (US 41). The highlight 
was a Snail Kite that flew about 50-yards in front of us and perched nearby. 
This endangered species has been difficult to locate along the Trail with such 
high water levels in the Glades. Perhaps some divine intervention by our late 
friend, Juan Villamil. A Pair of Mottled Ducks Rough-winged and Barn Swallows 
and Loggerhead Shrike were also seen.Our next stop was Water Control Structure 
S-333 in Area 3B, the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area. A heard King 
Rail, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike and a House Wren were also in the area. 

At Shark Valley, a Merlin,Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great-crested Flycatcher, 
Carolina Wren, several warblers and Indigo Bunting were seen, but we were 
unable to locate any Marsh Wrens. 

The tree canopy in the Pinecrest area of Loop Road is slowly recovering its 
lost canopy caused by the winds of Hurricane Wilma, which struck two years ago. 
A pair of calling Barred Owls, Pileated Woodpecker, Black-throated Green and 
Black-throated Blue Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush and a large cluster of 
Orthalicus floridanus tree snails were the highlights for this traditional 
stop. 

 
The Pine Rocklands, west of Pinecrest, produced a pair of Pine Warblers, 
Northern Flicker and Downy Woodpeckers. 

 
Our last stop was Sweetwater Strand, site of many of Clyde Butcher's classic 
black and white prints.The slough was very quiet bird-wise, but a five-foot 
alligator missing a hind-foot piqued our curiosity as to the probable cause of 
the missing appendage. 

A couple Southern Black Racers-one a five-footer- and a feeding white-tailed 
Deer were also seen as we completed the Loop. Road conditions were pretty good, 
the mosquitos were veritably non-existent,the deerflies were few and far 
between and the company was pretty darn good. 

 
Last, but not least, a pair of Limpkins were spotted on top of a Sabal Palm on 
the drive back to Miami. Unfortunately, we were in an area where we could could 
not stop or turn around.A Northern Harrier was seen near the Glades Shooting 
Range. 

Life is good...............in spite of no signs of the Skunk Ape, although 
Arthur Sissman walking well off into the distance at Shark Valley did strike 
fear into the hearts of some small children biking with their parents. 

 
P.S. If you are interested in water issues and the freshwater crisis in 
Florida, read Cynthia Barnetts; Mirage; Florida and the Vanishing Water of the 
Eastern U.S. I am not sure, but I sense that the University of Florida grad and 
Gainesville resident is a birder. 

 
Paul Bithorn
pblifeisgood AT hotmail.com
pbithorn AT plumbers519.com
Virginia Gardens, Florida
Miami-Dade County
_________________________________________________________________
Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Caf�. Stop by 
today. 


http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLtagline 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All:

This morning visiting Kent, UK birders Noel & Mandy Colgate along  
with their their six year old son Matthew and one year old daughter  
Danielle and I birded the Kirby Storter Boardwalk as well as the  
entire Loop Road in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Despite the  
morning drizzle, we managed to find a few lifers for the parents. The  
kids aren't birders (yet). Both of these locales are off of US Rte 41  
aka Tamiami Trail and are in (mostly) Collier County although the  
Loop Road goes through Collier, Monroe & Miami-Dade Counties. At  
Kirby Storter Boardwalk there wasn't much to see in the rain except  
the usual American Redstart, Black-and-White Warbler, Common  
Yellowthroat, many Palm Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers as well  
as calling Pileated woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse (heard only). Red- 
shouldered Hawks and Black Vultures were ubiquitous. Next we ventured  
on to Loop Road and almost immediately upon entering it from the  
Collier County side, we found a Cabbage Palm in fruit/berries which  
held a pair of Summer Tanagers, another Black-and-White Warbler, a  
Yellow-throated Warbler and nearby more Common Yellowthroats, Blue- 
gray Gnatcatchers, Gray Catbirds, Northern Cardinals, etc. etc. A  
little further down Loop Road, still in Collier County, we found an  
early Chipping Sparrow among the many Indigo Buntings along the weedy  
edges of Loop Road. Surely that was one of the earliest records for  
Chipping Sparrows in Collier County. At least it's MY earliest record  
for it. We tried making it into a Clay-colored Sparrow but no go. Did  
I mention there were a lot of Indigo Buntings along the northern end  
of Loop Road in Collier County? Other sightings along Loop Road: at  
Sweetwater Strand (Monroe County) we heard a Barred Owl and saw the  
"usual" waders, etc. but nothing out of the ordinary. There really  
weren't any more notable species of birds seen on the rest of Loop  
Road but it was fun showing the Colgate family such critters as  
Palamedes Swallowtail & Ruddy Daggerwing (butterflies) as well as a  
White-tailed Deer (Kirby Storter), Liguus Tree Snails (Pineland),  
alligators and many Florida Gar along portions of Loop Road. A final  
stop at the old abandoned airboat concession stand on the Miccosukee  
Indian Reservation didn't produce any Snail Kites. Methinks the water  
levels are too high. . . .

Good birding.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Go to this link for the photo of a strutting turkey "on high heels" on a  
Boston street which was with the article I just sent.
 
_http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/23/turkeys_take_to_cities_t
owns/_ 

(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/23/turkeys_take_to_cities_towns/) 

 
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN


************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
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_____________________________________________________________ 
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            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace AT bristolbirdclub.org
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                  EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________

Go to this link for the photo of a strutting turkey "on high heels" on a  
Boston street which was with the article I just sent.
 
_http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/23/turkeys_take_to_cities_t
owns/_ 

(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/23/turkeys_take_to_cities_towns/) 

 
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A NON-BIRDING FRIEND JUST SENT THIS TO ME.  THOUGHT BIRDERS MIGHT  ENJOY IT 
EVEN THOUGH IT IS OUT OF STATE
.  After my stroke, When I was in rehab at the Stallworth on the  Vanderbilt 
campus in Nashville last February, a turkey ran from behind the  building, 
down the sidewalk, across a busy street, through a bank parking lot and up into 

a residential area that abuts the hilltop near  the reservoir on Love Circle.  
It was about 6 AM, before traffic got TOO  wild, so guess he was safe for 
that morning anyway.
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
 
     THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED  FOR EASY PRINTING   
 
 (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/)  
Turkeys take to cities, towns

A wild turkey strolled along a sidewalk on Beacon  Street in Brookline. The 
birds can grow to weigh roughly 20 pounds and  stand 4 feet tall. (Globe Staff 
Photo / Mark Wilson) 
By Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff  |  October 23, 2007 
BROOKLINE - On a recent afternoon, Kettly Jean-Felix parked her car on  
Beacon Street in Brookline, fed the parking meter, wheeled around to go to the 

optician and came face to face with a wild turkey. 
The turkey eyed Jean-Felix. Jean-Felix eyed the turkey. It gobbled. She  
gasped. Then the turkey proceeded to follow the Dorchester woman over the Green 

Line train tracks, across the street, through traffic, and all the  way down 
the block, pecking at her backside as she went. 
"This is so scary," Jean-Felix said, finally taking refuge inside  Cambridge 
Eye Doctors in Brookline's bustling Washington Square. "I cannot  explain it." 
Notify the neighbors: The turkeys are spreading through suburbia. Wild  
turkeys, once eliminated in Massachusetts, are flourishing from Plymouth  to 
Concord and - to the surprise of some wildlife officials - making  forays into 
densely populated suburban and urban areas, including parts of Boston, 
Cambridge 

and, most recently, Brookline. 
Some Brookline residents have welcomed the birds, happy to see wildlife  
strolling amid the nannies with $300 strollers and Trader Joe's shoppers.  But 
many others worry what the keen-eyed, sometimes ornery birds might do, 
prompting 

as many as a dozen calls to the police department every day. 
"Some people are getting very upset," said Brookline police animal  control 
officer Pierre Verrier. "One of the biggest things is, they're  afraid. They 
don't want the turkeys to get hurt. And the other thing is,  they're afraid of 
the turkeys around their children. They don't know what  they'll do." 
As such, Brookline police issued a statement last month, telling  residents 
what they should - or should not - do if they meet a wild turkey  in town. The 
basic advice: stay away from the turkeys.  But still, people keep calling 
police headquarters to report the strangest sight: Turkeys in downtown 
Brookline. 

* * * 
July 20, 9:31 a.m., Rawson Road: Caller reports 18 turkeys in her  backyard. 
"Something must be done," caller says. "It's just not right."  Requests animal 
control officer. 
* * * 
Wild turkeys - the official game bird of Massachusetts - are impressive  
animals that can grow to be roughly 20 pounds and 4 feet tall. By 1851, they 
had 

been eliminated from Massachusetts, a victim of hunting. 
"We were turkey-less for many years," said Wayne Petersen, director of  the 
Massachusetts Audubon Society's Important Birds Area Program. "And  then we 
decided it would be quite nice to get them back on the  landscape." 
Efforts to revitalize the state's turkey population between 1911 and  1967 
failed. Then, in 1972 and 1973, the state Division of Fisheries and  Wildlife 
released 37 turkeys in the Berkshires. These turkeys survived and  bred. And 
between 1979 and 1996, wildlife officials trapped more than 500 turkeys in the 

Berkshires and released them elsewhere in the state. 
Biologists were pleased; today's turkey population in Massachusetts  lingers 
around 20,000. But Marion Larson, an information and education  biologist at 
MassWildlife, said officials had not counted on the turkey's  appetite for 
suburban - and even urban - living. 
"That was something that surprised us," Larson said. "Who knew? The  last 
time there were turkeys in Massachusetts there weren't a whole heck of a lot of 

suburbs." 
This time around, of course, that is not the case, and turkeys have  proven 
especially adaptable to residential living. By his last count,  Verrier said, 
there are at least two dozen wild turkeys living in  Brookline, feeding off 
everything from bird seed to gutter trash and, sometimes, scaring the wits out 

of the townspeople. 
* * * 
September 4, 11:01 a.m., Chatham Circle and Chatham Street: Caller -  who had 
gone under some beech trees to take a picture of turkeys - reports  four 
turkeys chasing him. Requests animal control officer. 
* * * 
The problem, according to some Brookline residents, is that the turkeys  can 
be aggressive at times. Dr. Ruth Smith, an internist from New York  City, was 
staying with a cousin in Brookline a couple of weeks ago when  she was stalked 
by what she describes as a 3-foot-tall turkey. 
"He came at me and, at first, I tried to shoo him away," Smith  recalled. "I 
figured I'd just go 'Shoo!' and he'd go. But he was very  aggressive." 
Smith said she escaped by ducking into the Dunkin' Donuts on Beacon  Street. 
But some of the hounded do not have the luxury of going inside.  Brookline 
postal carrier Rosanne Lane said she has skipped houses on her  mail route 
because turkeys dissuaded her from approaching. 
"They make a lot of noise and I just take off," said Lane. 
Under state law, an animal control officer can kill a turkey if it  creates a 
public safety threat. In 2005, for example, Canton police killed  three. But 
for now in Brookline, it has not come to that, said Verrier.  When dispatched 
to the scene of a turkey, Verrier offers advice  instead. 
He tells people not to feed them, not to be intimidated by them, and to  keep 
their distance. Still, some people cannot help themselves. They need  to be 
near the turkeys. 
* * * 
September 7, 7:39 a.m., Druce Street: Two packs of turkeys (15) in the  road 
. . . Two not getting along. 
* * * 
Over an eight-hour stretch last week in Brookline, a lone turkey walked  
Beacon Street, strutting at times, preening at others, and napping every now 
and 

again in the landscaping near the sidewalk. 
Most people did not even notice. And those who did simply edged a few  feet 
away from him and kept right on walking. 
But as afternoon turned to dusk - and the turkey, a male, moved down  Beacon 
Street into the heart of Washington Square - a crowd began to  gather. 
Some, like Jessica Dolber, snapped pictures. Others, like Kelly Stearn,  
called police. 
But not Kettly Jean-Felix, the woman who had been followed by the  turkey 
earlier that afternoon. 
When she finally left the optician's office on the corner just an hour  after 
being stalked by the turkey, she headed straight for her car. And  this time 
the bird did not notice Jean-Felix. He was too busy eating  peanut shells in 
front of the 7-Eleven  and gobbling to the delight of the crowd. 





************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird AT freelists.org.
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request AT freelists.org 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace AT bristolbirdclub.org
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                  EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________

A NON-BIRDING FRIEND JUST SENT THIS TO ME.  THOUGHT BIRDERS MIGHT  ENJOY IT 
EVEN THOUGH IT IS OUT OF STATE
.  After my stroke, When I was in rehab at the Stallworth on the  Vanderbilt 
campus in Nashville last February, a turkey ran from behind the  building, 
down the sidewalk, across a busy street, through a bank parking lot and up into 

a residential area that abuts the hilltop near  the reservoir on Love Circle.  
It was about 6 AM, before traffic got TOO  wild, so guess he was safe for 
that morning anyway.
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
 
     THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED  FOR EASY PRINTING   

 
 (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/)  
Turkeys take to cities, towns

A wild turkey strolled along a sidewalk on Beacon  Street in Brookline. The 
birds can grow to weigh roughly 20 pounds and  stand 4 feet tall. (Globe Staff 
Photo / Mark Wilson) 
By Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff  |  October 23, 2007 
BROOKLINE - On a recent afternoon, Kettly Jean-Felix parked her car on  
Beacon Street in Brookline, fed the parking meter, wheeled around to go to the 

optician and came face to face with a wild turkey. 
The turkey eyed Jean-Felix. Jean-Felix eyed the turkey. It gobbled. She  
gasped. Then the turkey proceeded to follow the Dorchester woman over the Green 

Line train tracks, across the street, through traffic, and all the  way down 
the block, pecking at her backside as she went. 
"This is so scary," Jean-Felix said, finally taking refuge inside  Cambridge 
Eye Doctors in Brookline's bustling Washington Square. "I cannot  explain it." 
Notify the neighbors: The turkeys are spreading through suburbia. Wild  
turkeys, once eliminated in Massachusetts, are flourishing from Plymouth  to 
Concord and - to the surprise of some wildlife officials - making  forays into 
densely populated suburban and urban areas, including parts of Boston, 
Cambridge 

and, most recently, Brookline. 
Some Brookline residents have welcomed the birds, happy to see wildlife  
strolling amid the nannies with $300 strollers and Trader Joe's shoppers.  But 
many others worry what the keen-eyed, sometimes ornery birds might do, 
prompting 

as many as a dozen calls to the police department every day. 
"Some people are getting very upset," said Brookline police animal  control 
officer Pierre Verrier. "One of the biggest things is, they're  afraid. They 
don't want the turkeys to get hurt. And the other thing is,  they're afraid of 
the turkeys around their children. They don't know what  they'll do." 
As such, Brookline police issued a statement last month, telling  residents 
what they should - or should not - do if they meet a wild turkey  in town. The 
basic advice: stay away from the turkeys.  But still, people keep calling 
police headquarters to report the strangest sight: Turkeys in downtown 
Brookline. 

* * * 
July 20, 9:31 a.m., Rawson Road: Caller reports 18 turkeys in her  backyard. 
"Something must be done," caller says. "It's just not right."  Requests animal 
control officer. 
* * * 
Wild turkeys - the official game bird of Massachusetts - are impressive  
animals that can grow to be roughly 20 pounds and 4 feet tall. By 1851, they 
had 

been eliminated from Massachusetts, a victim of hunting. 
"We were turkey-less for many years," said Wayne Petersen, director of  the 
Massachusetts Audubon Society's Important Birds Area Program. "And  then we 
decided it would be quite nice to get them back on the  landscape." 
Efforts to revitalize the state's turkey population between 1911 and  1967 
failed. Then, in 1972 and 1973, the state Division of Fisheries and  Wildlife 
released 37 turkeys in the Berkshires. These turkeys survived and  bred. And 
between 1979 and 1996, wildlife officials trapped more than 500 turkeys in the 

Berkshires and released them elsewhere in the state. 
Biologists were pleased; today's turkey population in Massachusetts  lingers 
around 20,000. But Marion Larson, an information and education  biologist at 
MassWildlife, said officials had not counted on the turkey's  appetite for 
suburban - and even urban - living. 
"That was something that surprised us," Larson said. "Who knew? The  last 
time there were turkeys in Massachusetts there weren't a whole heck of a lot of 

suburbs." 
This time around, of course, that is not the case, and turkeys have  proven 
especially adaptable to residential living. By his last count,  Verrier said, 
there are at least two dozen wild turkeys living in  Brookline, feeding off 
everything from bird seed to gutter trash and, sometimes, scaring the wits out 

of the townspeople. 
* * * 
September 4, 11:01 a.m., Chatham Circle and Chatham Street: Caller -  who had 
gone under some beech trees to take a picture of turkeys - reports  four 
turkeys chasing him. Requests animal control officer. 
* * * 
The problem, according to some Brookline residents, is that the turkeys  can 
be aggressive at times. Dr. Ruth Smith, an internist from New York  City, was 
staying with a cousin in Brookline a couple of weeks ago when  she was stalked 
by what she describes as a 3-foot-tall turkey. 
"He came at me and, at first, I tried to shoo him away," Smith  recalled. "I 
figured I'd just go 'Shoo!' and he'd go. But he was very  aggressive." 
Smith said she escaped by ducking into the Dunkin' Donuts on Beacon  Street. 
But some of the hounded do not have the luxury of going inside.  Brookline 
postal carrier Rosanne Lane said she has skipped houses on her  mail route 
because turkeys dissuaded her from approaching. 
"They make a lot of noise and I just take off," said Lane. 
Under state law, an animal control officer can kill a turkey if it  creates a 
public safety threat. In 2005, for example, Canton police killed  three. But 
for now in Brookline, it has not come to that, said Verrier.  When dispatched 
to the scene of a turkey, Verrier offers advice  instead. 
He tells people not to feed them, not to be intimidated by them, and to  keep 
their distance. Still, some people cannot help themselves. They need  to be 
near the turkeys. 
* * * 
September 7, 7:39 a.m., Druce Street: Two packs of turkeys (15) in the  road 
. . . Two not getting along. 
* * * 
Over an eight-hour stretch last week in Brookline, a lone turkey walked  
Beacon Street, strutting at times, preening at others, and napping every now 
and 

again in the landscaping near the sidewalk. 
Most people did not even notice. And those who did simply edged a few  feet 
away from him and kept right on walking. 
But as afternoon turned to dusk - and the turkey, a male, moved down  Beacon 
Street into the heart of Washington Square - a crowd began to  gather. 
Some, like Jessica Dolber, snapped pictures. Others, like Kelly Stearn,  
called police. 
But not Kettly Jean-Felix, the woman who had been followed by the  turkey 
earlier that afternoon. 
When she finally left the optician's office on the corner just an hour  after 
being stalked by the turkey, she headed straight for her car. And  this time 
the bird did not notice Jean-Felix. He was too busy eating  peanut shells in 
front of the 7-Eleven  and gobbling to the delight of the crowd. 





************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All:

Sorry for this late posting, but life got in the way. . . . We had 11  
folks show up for this past Saturday's STA-5 tour in Hendry County,  
south of Clewiston. Neil Colgate and his wife from the UK brought  
their young son and even younger daughter with them. Danielle, the  
baby, is one year old, making her the youngest person ever to be on  
one of our STA-5 birding tours! Yeah! I won't bore you with the birds  
we saw going out the backroads of Collier & Hendry Counties to STA-5  
from Naples, just to say that we didn't see anything "unusual". At  
STA-5 itself, we added yet another new species to our expanding  
checklist -- a Prairie Warbler. Can you believe it? It was seen along  
Blumberg Rd. south of CR 835. We also had killer looks at only our  
second Marsh Wren at STA-5. The first one was reported by Ron Smith &  
Brian Ahern earlier in the year I believe. We never saw that bird.  
Anyway, here is the list for STA-5 for October 20, 2007:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  2
Fulvous Whistling-Duck  >400
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal  (several thousand)
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck 6
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern  4
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill  5
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite  2
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon  3
Sora  4 (all heard only)
Purple Swamphen  4
Purple Gallinule  >25 -- The most we've ever encountered at STA-5.  
Perhaps they're back since the Purple Swamphen eradication program is  
in effect?
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin 2
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper  3
Wilson's Snipe  15
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2 (Not common at STA-5)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl  2 (along Blumberg Rd.)
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe (FOTS)
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  >75 (They winter here at STA-5)
Barn Swallow  5
Marsh Wren  (Second record for STA-5)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Prairie Warbler   (New species for checklist)
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle

On our return back to Naples, we stopped at Canon Hammock Park along  
CR835. There were many migrants in the Live Oaks in the park.  
Unfortunately, the lighting was terrible due to the impending showers  
and all of the birds were quite actively feeding in the tops of the  
trees. Despite that, thanks to Alan Murray (mostly), we added some  
nice birds for Hendry County and my Hendry County list:

Magnolia Warbler
possible Tennessee Warbler
possible Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Red-eyed Vireo
Baltimore Oriole
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

We also stopped to photograph an obliging pair of Crested Caracara  
perched in a tree along Blumberg Rd. Go here to see the photo of the  
two:

http://caloosabirdclub.org/VPL/CRCA10202007.jpg

Notice anything "different" about these Caracara? There'll be bonus  
points given to those folks who can correctly name what is not  
usually seen (at least by me) regarding these particular caracara.

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas AT comcast.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello, All. 

Yes, the rain did hold off today. A couple of
sprinkles here and there but nothing to deter us from
getting in a long morning of bandng. Currently,
however, it is pouring (5 P.M.). 

Birds were making chips starting at around 6:15 AM but
after all was said an done it turned out that a lot of
that was from flying birds instead of feeding birds. A
ton of fly-overs.

Best of the fly-overs was not even a bird we would
think of seeing: a pair of Black-bellied Whistling
Ducks which flew through on at least 2 occasions!

No big Warbler fallout but we did have a nice varitey
of birds for the morning which included our FOTS
Eastern Pheobes. First banded even though we have been
hearing them for a couple of weeks. 

Other birds seen/heard included:

Barred Owl
Carolina Wren
White-eyed Vireo
Fish Crow
Northern Harrier (male)
All local Woodpeckers 
Indigo Bunting
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture

For a full list of banded birds, check out the Wekiva
Banding Station web site tomorrow. Still waiting for
official totals. We will have a lot of photos of
banded birds and butterflies and spiders feeding on
and around the now blooming Garberia flowers. 

http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/

Here at home, I had the Red-tailed Hawk seen scanning
yesterday actually fly into the backyard in an attempt
to grab a bird or two. 

It missed. 

Don't usually have Red-tails here directly downtown. 

Andrew Boyle
Orlando, FL


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