Tropical Audubon Society

South Florida’s Voice of Conservation

Today 3 birders joined me on this trip around the Flamingo area of the Everglades, along with stops on the way back to the park entrance on West Lake, Paurotis Pond, Mahogany Hammock, and Pa-hay-okee Lookout Tower. While some of the hoped for/expected species like Short-tailed Hawk, White-crowned Pigeon and Barred Owl were missed for the day.

However, a total of 61 species were seen with some species highlights being. 8 American Avocets moving around Eco Pond while acting closer dabbling ducks due to the water level, this pond also shared 13 Black-necked Stilts, 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 4 of the 5 warbler species seen in the day, the only House Wren and Painted Bunting (seen only by me for a second) of the day and a very cooperative group of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers!

Due to tide changes, most of the birds in the sandbank were gone by the time the walk started, with only the 100+ flock of American White Pelicans keeping company when the water came in. Before that, some species that shared views for the early risers included Black-bellied Plovers, flyover Roseate Spoonbills, Royal, Sandwich and Caspian Terns, and the one duck of the day in the form of a Red-breasted Merganser.

Guy Bradley trail and the Amphitheater didn't provide much besides the only Spotted Sandpiper and American Kestrel of the day, and an Everglades Racer in the grass.

Driving out to Mrazek Pond gave better views to repeat Belted Kingfisher and other water birds along with 3 juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons. West Lake gave little variety along with the other trails of Mahogany Hammock and Pa-hay-okee Lookout Tower, so the last highlights of the day were before reaching the trip end in the Paurotis Pond, that gave us not much at first except for a white morph Great Blue Heron, but the quick stop soon showed wonders with a group of Glossy Ibis flying over the pond the whole time, having 1 Wood Stork lead to 3 and then 48 of them in a tall kettle! and the cherry on top was an adult Bald Eagle that seemed keen in showing off as it flew over us.

Overall, great day, wished more people could have joined, but that's for a different time. Hope to see some of you in the A.D. Barnes walk on December 9th and here is the full bird list of the day:

Red-breasted Merganser 1 (Seen before the walk started)
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove 3
American Coot 6
Black-necked Stilt 13
American Avocet 8
Black-bellied Plover 2 (Seen before the walk started)
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 5
Laughing Gull 9
Caspian Tern 1 (Seen before the walk started)
Royal Tern 5 (Seen before the walk started)
Sandwich Tern 1 (Seen before the walk started)
Black Skimmer 1
Wood Stork 48
Anhinga 9
Double-crested Cormorant 13
American White Pelican 154
Brown Pelican 5
Great Blue Heron 9 (at least one White Morph)
Great Egret 42
Snowy Egret 44
Little Blue Heron 11
Tricolored Heron 12
Cattle Egret 16
Green Heron 7
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
White Ibis 83
Glossy Ibis 5
Roseate Spoonbill 6 (Seen before the walk started)
Black Vulture 27
Turkey Vulture 24
Osprey 15
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1 (Seen before the walk started)
Red-shouldered Hawk 5
Belted Kingfisher 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 9
American Kestrel 1
Eastern Phoebe 9
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 9
White-eyed Vireo 5
American Crow 52
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Tree Swallow 14
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 16
Gray Catbird 3
Northern Mockingbird 6
European Starling 12
Common Grackle 4
Boat-tailed Grackle 13
Common Yellowthroat 8
Northern Parula 2
Palm Warbler 22
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 3
Northern Cardinal 9
Painted Bunting 1