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.
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.
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| Common Yellowthroat |
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| Common Yellowthroat |
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| Palm Warbler |
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| Cooper's Hawk |
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| Cooper's Hawk |
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| White Ibis, Tricolored Herons (juvenile and adult), Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egret. |
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Adult Green Heron |
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| Juvenile Green Heron |
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| Great White Egret |
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| American Bittern with frog |
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Tricolored Heron |
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| Adult Little Blue Heron, rather elusive birds. |
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| Juvenile Little Blue Heron (looks familar...) |
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| Adult Snowy Egret |
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| Adult Great Blue Heron |
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| Adult Great Blue Heron |
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| White Ibis |
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| White Ibis |
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| Cattle Egret |
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| Wood Stork |
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| Pied-billed Grebe |
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| Juvenile/first-winter Common Gallinule |
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| More advanced first-winter Common Gallinule |
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| Adult Common Gallinule, check out that massive frontal shield. |
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| Prairie Warbler |
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| Female Boat-tailed Grackle |
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| White-winged and American Mourning Doves |
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| Male Red-winged Blackbird |
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| Male Mottled Duck |
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| Male Mottled Duck |
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| Adult male Blue-winged Teal |
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| (First-winter male?) Blue-winged Teal |
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| Juv/fem Green-winged Teal |
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| Adult male Anhinga |
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| Taiga Merlin, acting very Hobby/Red-footed Falon like, sitting up on the top of a huge dead trees feeding on dragonflies. |
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| Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
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| Terrapin sp. |
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| Alligator |
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