Bird Board
Wakodahatchee & Sem Chi TAS Walk 1/25/20
10 People joined me today. Got to Wako before 7 to get parking spaces as both Green Cay and Peaceful Waters are closed. No problem that early. Usual sightings, BC Night Herons, tons of Green Herons and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Cormorants and Anhingas are nesting while the Cattle Egrets and Wood Storks are still contemplating. Great Blues are nesting and saw one couple with a fairly big chick. Only 3 Purple Gallinules but 8 Gray-headed Swamp Hens. A few Glossy Ibis, a pair of Blue-winged Teal, two fly-over Mottled Ducks, a pair of scouting Martins and one Sora. Warblers only included Palm, Myrtle and Common Yellow Throat. Also a Marsh Rabbit and large Florida Green Water Snake which had either just eaten or was pregnant.
Left for Sem Chi around 10 a.m. Were lucky enough to see a Shiny Cowbird pair along with some Brown-headed Cowbirds at the plant. As well as a fly-over juvenile Bald Eagle, a Red-tailed Hawk, Harrier and Roseate Spoonbill. Down the road about .5 miles we scoped for the Pacific Golden Plover. Dipped. There were lots of Black-bellied Plovers, a few Gull-billed Terns and some Caspian Terns along with Ruddy Turnstones, Long billed Dowitchers and Dunlin. We checked one more time at the plant for Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Nada. Home around 2 pm. Nice weather good people.
Comments
Nice birds. No Neotropic Cormorant? I think I saw that same rabbit:-)
We had a couple of hybrids for sure. John Boyd was pretty sure he did see a Neotropic fly toward Green Cay just as we were entering Wakodahatchee, only a quick look. But you know what they say about gut feelings, they're usually right.
I also forgot to mention that at Sem Chi we had a cottontail rabbit haul a** down the road when it saw us. Quite a sight.
Interesting. I didn't know it was hybridizing there. Saw it when I was there during turkey day week and got some decent photos. It was with the rabbit and a load of whistling-ducks on the tree covered berm you walk past before the last section of boardwalk. It was my first time here, what a great place.
What and where is "Sem Chi?" Checked TAS locations but didn't find it.
Thanks for all the info you give us.
Sem Chi Rice Mill is adjacent to Stormwater Treatment Area 1W in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Palm Beach County. Several rarities have been seen there recently; see the South Florida Rare Bird Update for details.
The neotropic cormorant is generally still at Wako most days - though sometimes it might be out foraging or flying around. It's usually on the first (closest) island after the berm to the left, usually near the center of the island and down a little lower rather than at the top of the tree.
A shot last week zoomed in looking for that white chevron around the bill to ID it:
https://g1.img-dpreview.com/57277431341048309FC8B0724D14788E.jpg
Thanks, Bryan, and for the SF Rare Bird Update site.
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