Tour Narrative
In Brief: The Spring Florida tour provided a great survey of the habitats and avifauna of this remarkable region. Our journey took in such wonderful sights as the seemingly endless “sea of grass” of the Everglades, the beautiful cypress bottomlands, heavily laden with epiphytes and flowers, the upland pine-oak scrub and savannah of the central peninsula, coastal mangroves and bays, and stretches of sparkling white sand beaches. Even the heavily developed metropolitan coastline of the southeast maintains a nice selection of protected areas sheltering much more than just the “exotics.” We had outstanding and repeated views of such wading birds as Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, twelve species of heron, and Limpkin; many birds were on nests and decked out in full breeding regalia. The tropical climate of South Florida also supports large numbers of exotic species, and we located three species of parrot, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Common Myna, and Spot-breasted Oriole. Our trip to the Dry Tortugas was a first-hand look at migration in action, as we were amazed to find three dozen Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 18 species of warbler, and a smattering of buntings, vireos, and thrushes foraging around Fort Jefferson. We were thrilled to have great views of virtually all of the South Florida specialties, with the real standouts including a cooperative pair of Mangrove Cuckoos, a group of Shiny Cowbirds, a retiring La Sagra’s Flycatcher, White-crowned Pigeon, Antillean Nighthawk, and Black-whiskered Vireo. It was a great week, with warm weather and fantastic birding, and I look forward to the 2011 installment.
In Detail: We started off with a bang in the slash pine uplands and brush country north of Fort Myers. At a wonderfully accessible colony, we marveled at extended views of three Red-cockaded Woodpeckers foraging within a few yards of the group. Nearby, a territorial Bachman’s Sparrow was happily singing its haunting song, and we enjoyed lengthy scope views of this sometimes hard-to-see bird. Also in the area were several sprightly Brown-headed Nuthatches, dapper Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a pair of vocal Great Crested Flycatchers, and a couple of the peninsular subspecies of Eastern Towhee with their eerie white irides.
Later in the morning we stopped in a brushy residential area to enjoy Florida’s one endemic bird, the Florida Scrub-Jay. Now very local across central Florida, this species is the cause of much conservation concern, and the nine birds we saw at close range were a real treat. Also of note nearby was a large flock of Black Vultures feeding on a quiet side street; one participant noted that it was a little disconcerting to be in a parked car surrounded by hungry vultures. The rest of the day was spent driving back to Fort Myers and birding wetlands around the city, home to many Swallow-tailed Kites, several Limpkins, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, and three migrant Bobolink males. We capped off a great first day in the field with a brief visit to Sanibel Island, where a flock of Roseate Spoonbills and a very close Anhinga stole the show.
On the second day we awoke to a passing storm that brought torrential rains and impressive lightning. We waited out the worst of it at a windy Gulf coast beach, where we had fine views of Northern Gannets pushed close to shore by the winds, fabulous views of very cooperative Wilson’s Plovers, and a nice mix of shorebirds and terns. We then drove across the Tamiami Trail, passing through nearly 100 miles of marsh, savanna, hardwood hammocks, and cypress strands. This is an awe-inspiring road, the journey sweetened by the hordes of wading birds, Anhingas, and raptors along the way. Highlights included a boisterously singing male Northern Parula at eye level, attractive Palamedes Swallowtails feeding on roadside flowers, two Snail Kites foraging over an extensive patch of sawgrass, and several large American Alligators sunning along the canals. Once across the peninsula, we stopped to visit a long-staying Red-footed Booby in a harbor just north of Miami. After getting frame-filling views of this rarity, we went to try for a reported La Sagra’s Flycatcher nearby. The recent rains had brought in a nice push of migrant warblers, and we reveled in repeated views of Cape May, Black-throated Blue, and Black-and-white Warblers, as well as a few Northern Parulas, Palm and Prairie Warblers, and single Worm-eating and Blackpoll Warblers. After the long and cold winter many of this year’s participants had been through, this kaleidoscope of color was much appreciated, a fitting end to a good day in the field.
The following morning was devoted to world-famous Everglades National Park. First ,though, in rich agricultural areas outside the park, we sifted through a small group of migrant shorebirds, patiently comparing Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers with adjacent White-rumped Sandpipers. The seemingly endless “sea of grass” of the Everglades, complete with tropical hardwood, cyprus and slash pine hammocks and lush coastal mangroves, is an amazing ecosystem to travel through, and birds were seemingly everywhere. The “best” bird in the park was undoubtedly a staked out Smooth-billed Ani, a once-common species now decidedly scarce in Florida, with only a few family groups known in the state. Other memorable moments were a close study of a sunning American Crocodile and nice views of three male Shiny Cowbirds. After lunch we made the scenic drive to Key West, with stops to admire shorebird flocks containing Sanderling and Short-billed Dowitchers coming into breeding plumage. We also stopped at a few hardwood hammocks, where we were thrilled by fantastic views of a very cooperative Black-whiskered Vireo and a pair of striking White-crowned Pigeons. A relaxing outdoor dinner just off the harbor in Key West was a fitting welcome to the southernmost city in the continental US.
A relaxed morning’s ride on the ferry across sparkling azure waters to the Dry Tortugas awaited us the next day. En route to Fort Jefferson we managed to see Brown and Masked Boobies and Green and Loggerhead Sea Turtles. The boat slowed to let us enjoy close views of three Brown Boobies resting on a navigation buoy near the fort; we also had our first views of Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies. We soon saw hundreds of Brown Noddies and Magnificent Frigatebirds, thousands of Sooty Terns, and several dozen Masked Boobies. The fort also offers sheltering vegetation and foraging opportunities for tired migrant birds. We lucked into a nice fallout, with birds lurking in every bush. We saw an amazing 18 species of warbler, from the beautiful Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Blue to the more subtle Worm-eating and Ovenbird. Also present were several Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Dickcissels, four species of thrush (Swainson’s, Gray-cheeked, Veery, and Wood), and dozens of Yellow-billed Cuckoos. One participant happily labeled it as one of the best birding days of his life, and I think few would disagree! On the way back to Key West we were fortunate to have very close views of several Bridled Terns and a few groups of Bottlenosed Dolphin.
Our last day in the Keys was picture perfect. We started out with fantastic views of several courting pairs of Roseate Terns, with Least, Royal, Forster’s, and Common Terns at hand for comparison. Flush with success, we checked out a few tropical hardwood hammocks, where among the smattering of migrants were a few species (such as Western Kingbird, Magnolia Warbler, and Bobolink) that we hadn’t seen on the Tortugas. Also welcome were good views of perched White-crowned Pigeons and several Black-whiskered Vireos. Farther up the Keys we stopped to watch the afternoon feeding of wild birds outside the Wild Bird Center: a herd of 100 hungry Brown Pelicans is somewhat disconcerting, but the amazingly close views of Great and Snowy Egrets, White Ibis, and Great White Herons was truly memorable.
And we finally managed to connect with the nemesis of many a south Florida birder, as we enjoyed lengthy and close views of Mangrove Cuckoo. I always feel fortunate to be in the presence of this species in Florida, and this year’s participants were certainly thrilled, too. On the way to our hotel in Miami we stopped in Kendall to look for some of the established exotics that make this district of Miami famous. Within minutes we lucked onto a beautiful Red-whiskered Bulbul on a telephone wire, which remained in the open long enough for everyone to study it in the scope. Spot-breasted Oriole took a little while longer, but the wait was worth it: an adult perched in a tree for over 10 minutes, offering beautiful views of its electric orange and black plumage. We then headed over to the nearby hospital, where several pairs of Mitred Parakeets had set up nests in the eaves of one of the buildings. After such a wonderful day in the field, settling into a nice Cuban restaurant seemed like just the thing.
On our last day we returned to the southern tip of Key Biscayne to search for a La Sagra’s Flycatcher that had spent the winter along a shrubby trail. After a few hours of searching and a nice encounter with a small group of female Painted Buntings, a few participants managed to get a quick but adequate view of this Caribbean stray. Those who saw it will certainly remember the adrenaline rush that comes with seeing a truly rare bird.
In the afternoon we wandered around a beautiful marsh near Fort Lauderdale. Here we marveled at wading birds in their breeding dress; many species were also feeding young. The sight of a nearly fully-grown Great Blue Heron chick begging for a handout from its parent was priceless, as were the antics of the very young Anhingas looking for their next meal. As we walked the boardwalk, we had very close views of most of the peninsula’s common marsh birds—and scarcer species were in evidence, too, with Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in the shade and three Purple Gallinules stalking the reedbeds. This stunning bird is one of North America’s most colorful, and we were fortunate indeed to watch one striding through the water, the blues, indigos, purples, and greens of its back feathers in nearly perfect light. Our last great find, and the final bird added to our 2010 trip list, came in the form of a Least Bittern incubating eggs in a thick stand of bulrushes. Being able to study such a difficult to find bird at such close range and at our leisure was a real treat, a great way to cap a wonderful trip full of amazing birds and tropical scenery.
- Gavin Bieber
Updated: June 2010