Friday 30 November 2012

Florida 10th November 2012


Had expected to spend just a few hours at Green Cay Wetlands near Boynton Beach. Its a small area of wetlands completely surrounded large urban sprawl. The boardwalk seems to be very popular with walkers. As a result of all this foot traffic, all the birds present are completely habituated to people. The views of herons and egrets in particular were outstanding. You are literally looking down on most of the stuff while they carry on feeding without a care in the world. The Little Blue Herons were amazing to see hunting at such close quarters. It's a photographers paradise. I spend nearly half the day here. I had hoped visit Wokadahchee Wetlands but they were closed for renovation.
Next onto Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. A huge area just to the West but far, far poorer than Green Cay even for numbers of birds never mind views of birds. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow and the Merlin shots below are the only shots not taken at Green Cay.
After heading South past Miami (didn't bother going near the place for all the Cat C parrots) I tried Castellow Hammock Preserve . There had been a Rufous Hummingbird and some Ruby-throats reported here recently but a quick look in the area produced no hummingbirds nor anything of note for that matter.
Final site of the day was Matheson Hammock Park where a Blue-winged Warbler and two Red-headed Woodpeckers had been reported. The latter is rare this far South and is one I wanted to see while I was planning the trip. Yet another dip however, three Ovenbirds being the only birds of note. Overnighted in Homestead for the next three nights which was only a stone's throw from the Everglades which I was to spend three days in.


Common Yellowthroat


Common Yellowthroat

Palm Warbler

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk
White Ibis, Tricolored Herons (juvenile and adult), Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egret.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Adult Green Heron



Juvenile Green Heron


Great White Egret


American Bittern with frog

Glossy Ibis
Glossy Ibis

Tricolored Heron
 
Adult Little Blue Heron, rather elusive birds.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron (looks familar...)


Adult Snowy Egret
Adult Great Blue Heron
Adult Great Blue Heron
White Ibis
White Ibis
Cattle Egret
Wood Stork

Pied-billed Grebe


Juvenile/first-winter Common Gallinule
More advanced first-winter Common Gallinule
Adult Common Gallinule, check out that massive frontal shield.

Prairie Warbler

Female Boat-tailed Grackle
White-winged and American Mourning Doves

Male Red-winged Blackbird
Male Mottled Duck
Male Mottled Duck


Adult male Blue-winged Teal
(First-winter male?) Blue-winged Teal
Juv/fem Green-winged Teal

Adult male Anhinga


Taiga Merlin, acting very Hobby/Red-footed Falon like, sitting up on the top of a huge dead trees feeding on dragonflies.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow


Terrapin sp.

Alligator

Thursday 29 November 2012

Florida 9th November 2012

Started off at the Viera Wetlands, typical drive through site. Decent selection of species on the well vegetated ponds. A few duck on the nearby "Click Ponds" also.
Finished up at Three Lakes Management Area where I had Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Meadowlark, Snail Kite, Purple Gallinule, Prairie Warbler, etc..

Juv-female Blue-winged Teal

Belted Kingfisher with European Starlings.

Northern Mockingbird

Boat-tailed Grackles

American River Otter

Wilson's Snipe

Anhinga

Female Ring-necked Duck

Female Redhead


Female Red-winged Blackbird

Wilson's Snipe

Red-shouldered Hawk

Double-crested Cormorant

Savannah Sparrow

Male Ring-necked Duck

First-winter female Lesser Scaup and female Redhead

Male Ring-necked Duck, first-winter female Lesser Scaup and female Redhead

First-winter female Lesser Scaup

First-winter female Lesser Scaup

Alligator

Adult Blad Eagle

American Robin

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Common Ground Dove

White-eyed Vireo

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher


Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers