Florida Trip ~ May 2, 1997

This trip was designed to produce the best opportunities to see the majority of the Florida "specialties"---those birds that are generally only found in the state of Florida. It entailed a counterclockwise route of central and southern Florida, plus a drive down The Keys and a boat trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas. I was very lucky to get Babe Webster to go along with me on this trip, especially since she had been there before on a Bucks County Audubon trip. Not only did I have the advantage of an extra pair of eyes, I had great company, which made the trip much more enjoyable. Being able to share the experience with someone else is always a plus.

After George brought Babe up to the house, my dad drove us to the L.V.I. Airport (formerly known as the A.B.E. Airport) where we boarded our 8:25 AM USAir flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. I had heard from several people that the Miami Airport was a "madhouse", so I got tickets to Fort Lauderdale instead. It turned out to be a good move. The airport wasn't crowded and we were still only a half-hour's drive from Miami anyway.

By the early afternoon, we were settled into our Hertz rental car and headed for the Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area. It was here that a LaSagra's Flycatcher had been seen for several days. Unfortunately, we got there one day too late. It turned out that there was an air show scheduled nearby for the upcoming weekend; and low-flying jets didn't help our chances of finding the bird. We searched unsuccessfully for the flycatcher for several hours but did manage to find my first "lifer" of the trip---a Black-whiskered Vireo. It was a shame that we missed the flycatcher because it was one of the few birds that would have been new for Babe. Other birds that were seen there included White-winged Dove, Northern Parula, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, and Blackpoll Warbler, and Boat-tailed Grackle.

We left Hugh Taylor Birch and drove north to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. There, in the impoundment between Lee Road and the Marsh Trail, we found Wood Stork and Limpkin in addition to Anhinga, Little Blue and Tricolored Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White and Glossy Ibis, Mottled Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, Pileated Woodpecker, and Loggerhead Shrike.

A Limpkin along the Marsh Trail at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

A pair of Loggerhead Shrikes along the Marsh Trail at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

A Wood Stork behind the visitor center at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

At dusk, we left Loxahatchee and made the long drive to the Economy Inn in Sebring.

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Florida Trip ~ May 3, 1997

We started the day by driving south to the Venus Flatwoods Preserve. On the way there, I saw my first Florida Scrub-Jay perched on a wire along Old Route 8 near the Archbold Biological Station.

Florida Scrub-Jay near the Archbold Biological Station, Florida.

When we finally reached the preserve, we heard, and then saw, a Bachman's Sparrow singing about four feet up on a pine branch. This turned out to be very lucky because the bird dropped down into the saw palmetto and was never seen or heard again during the rest of the time spent there.

Venus Flatwoods Preserve

Within a mile of the preserve, we saw Swallow-tailed Kite, Northern Bobwhite, Red-cockaded Woodpcker, Eastern Bluebird, and Rufous-sided Towhee.

Heading back north, we turned off Route 630 and parked along Walk-in-the-Water Road above Tiger Creek. It was here that I had hoped to see Short-tailed Hawk, but we never did find one. We apparently arrived too late to catch the birds "lifting off". We then tried the spot south of Route 630 along Rucks Dairy Road, but to no avail. Birds that were seen while searching for the Short-tailed Hawk included nice looks at a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites and Common Ground-Dove.

Swallow-tailed Kite along Rucks Dairy Road near Frostproof, Florida.

We then headed east to the south end of Lake Kissimmee. Although we didn't find the Snail Kites that we were hoping for, we did see Cattle Egret, Crested Caracara, and Sandhill Crane in farm fields along Route 60, just west of the lake. At Lake Kissimmee State Park, I got within 10 feet of a Sandhill Crane at the park entrance but still couldn't find a Snail Kite.

Sandhill Crane at the park entrance of Kissimmee State Park, Florida.

Returning southward on Route 27, we checked the spot east of Avon Park where Babe had seen Short-tailed Hawk on her previous trip but came up empty once again. From there, we drove to Clewiston where we searched in vain for Smooth-billed Ani.

The cruise control was then set as we took Route 80 west to the Motel 6 in North Fort Myers. There, I got excellent looks at a few Eurasian Collared-Doves on the roof of the motel.

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Florida Trip ~ May 4, 1997

Our first birding stop of the day was the J.N. 'Ding Darling' National Wildlife Refuge. We took the Wildlife Drive and parked at "Stop #5" where we found a large gathering of Double-crested Cormorants and Great and Snowy Egrets, along with smaller numbers of Brown Pelicans, Tricolored Herons, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, and White Ibis. Also there, on the opposite side of the drive, were my first Roseate Spoonbills. It was also at this spot that I got bit by a swarm of 'no-see-ums'. Within minutes, it looked like I had the measles.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the J.N. 'Ding Darling' National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Next, we searched around the Mangrove Overlook for Mangrove Cuckoo. Although I couldn't find it, we were amazed at the numbers of small crabs climbing around on the trunks and branches of the mangroves. Other birds that were found along the Wildlife Drive included American White Pelican, Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Mottled Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, and Pileated Woodpecker.

Reddish Egret at the J.N. 'Ding Darling' National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Immediately after leaving the Wildlife Drive and turning onto Sanibel-Captiva Road, we found a Gray Kingbird perched on a wire. While getting out of the car to get a better look at it, Babe suddenly discovered that she was standing in a group of fire ants. She moved as quickly as she could but still managed to get stung several times. I got a couple of stings while trying to get them off of her. The rest of the trip was spent looking down as well as up.

We left Sanibel Island and drove to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Babe on the boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida.

Although we didn't see any of the Wood Storks the sanctuary is famous for, we did find Anhinga, Great Egret, Little Blue and Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Pine Warbler. One of the highlights there was seeing the adult alligators with young in the swamp just off the boardwalk.

American Alligator along the boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida.

Along Route 858 southeast of Corkscrew, we stopped along the road to watch some Swallow-tailed Kites soaring over a woodlot. No matter how many times I saw this bird, it was still difficult not to stop whenever we spotted one. It is definitely near the top of my list of favorite birds. Next, we motored down Route 29 through the towns of Sunniland and Copeland, still hoping to find a Short-tailed Hawk soaring overhead. None were found, but we did see the signs and fencing along the road that mark the Florida Panther habitat area.

At the end of Route 29, we headed east on Route 41, also known as the Tamiami Trail. We were planning to stop at the Miccosukee Indian Restaurant for a meal, but it was closed. However, it was about a mile east of there at the air boat docks where I got to see my first Snail Kites. We watched them hover over the water, hunting for apple snails. One of the birds continually brought its catch back to a tree by the boat dock. We watched it stick its bill into the shell and pull out the snail and eat it.

Snail Kite at an air boat dock near the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Florida.

We followed a large thunderstorm as we drove towards Miami. Luckily, it stayed far enough ahead of us as to not ruin the rest of our day. We continued east into Miami Springs and birded the area around the Fair Haven Nursing Home. There, we found Monk Parakeets in a tree containing their large nests plus American Redstart.

The Everglades Motel in Homestead was our final destination of the day. As we checked in, the owner proceeded to tell us his story about the night that Hurricane Andrew hit. He told us about the mobile home park that was located across the street and how it was completely gone the morning after. His concrete-walled motel fared a lot better than most buildings in the area.

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Florida Trip ~ May 5, 1997

Our plan for the day was to bird our way down to Key West. My first 'lifer' of the day turned out to be a Magnificent Frigatebird that circled over the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway along US-1, north of Key Largo. Farther down The Keys, we spent a few hours searching Sugarloaf and Saddlebunch Keys for Mangrove Cuckoo. The fact that we were there in the middle of the day probably had a lot do to with us being unsuccessful. We did, however, find Common Ground-Dove, Gray Kingbird, Black-whiskered Vireo, Northern Parula, Prairie and Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Northern Waterthrush. On No Name Key, near Big Pine, we got within several feet of the tiny Key Deer.

Once we reached Key West, we headed for the corner of Flagler Avenue and 17th Terrace. This was the spot that the hotline had mentioned to look for Shiny Cowbird. While standing on the corner, we found several White-crowned Pigeons perched in a tree. It was then that Joe Ondrejko, the property owner, invited us into his house to watch his feeders. His property was like a miniature jungle, which provided great habitat for the birds. From his windows, we got excellent looks at Shiny Cowbirds and the White-crowned Pigeons.

Shiny Cowbird in Key West, Florida.

White-crowned Pigeon in Key West, Florida.

After another unsuccessful search for Mangrove Cuckoo at Little Hamaka City Park, we headed for the Lands End Marina where we secured a parking space of our car for the days that we were going to be on the Dry Tortugas boat trip. After eating, we drove to the Florida Keys Junior College on Stock Island, parked in the lot, and waited for dusk. It was there that I saw the Antillean Nighthawk. Its "fluttery" flight, like that of a bat's, was very different from our Common Nighthawk's.

We returned to the marina and carried our things over to the "Yankee Freedom", our floating home for the next three days.

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Florida Trip ~ May 6, 1997

We were supposed to leave Monday night around 11:00 PM, but because our trip leader, Wes Biggs, was caught in a traffic jam near Miami, we spent the night at the dock and left early the next morning. On the way to the Dry Tortugas, we saw one adult and six immature Brown Boobies perched on a channel marker. Other birds spotted along the way were Northern Gannet, Magnificent Frigatebird, Pomarine Jaeger, and four species of terns that included Sandwich, Roseate, Least, and Bridled.

After docking at Fort Jefferson, we were taken in the skiff over to Bush Key. We saw four more species of terns comprised of Royal Tern and my first Brown Noddies, Sooty Terns, and a Black Noddy! Sooty tern chicks were seen at several spots along the shoreline. The Black Noddy was perched on a dead tree among the Brown Noddies, and a Peregrine Falcon was perched on a nearby snag.

Black Noddy on Bush Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

We were also fortunate to witness a fairly good-sized migration 'fallout' on Garden Key. Birds spotted in and around Fort Jefferson included a Blue-winged Teal, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted, Least, and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Gray and Western Kingbird, Bank and Barn Swallow, Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush, Black-whiskered Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Bobolink, Shiny Cowbird, and fourteen species of warblers that included Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Palm, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, Hooded, Northern Parula, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat. Inside the fort, Cattle Egrets tried to ambush the weaker, small birds coming to the fountain for a drink. We had to be careful to not step on the scores of American Redstarts that were hopping around in the grass.

The inside and outside of Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

One of the most exciting finds on Garden Key was that of a "West Indian" Short-eared Owl that was found roosting on a palm tree at the campground.

"West Indian" Short-eared Owl on Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

After reboarding the boat at the end of the day, it anchored on the west side of the fort. The boat rolled back-and-forth all night long as did my stomach while I was trying to sleep. I thought daybreak would never come.

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Florida Trip ~ May 7, 1997

Our second day on the Tortugas began with us checking the fort for any new arrivals. The only two new ones that were found were a Peregrine Falcon and a Prairie Warbler.

The boat took us over to Loggerhead Key. There, we managed to find Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Black-whiskered Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Shiny Cowbird, and the same warbler species as the ones that were at the fort.

In the afternoon, I was taken in the skiff over to Long Key, where the only North American breeding colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds is located. There were lots of Magnificent Frigatebirds in the trees on Long Key and circling overhead.

Magnificent Frigatebirds on and over Long Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

A young Magnificent Frigatebird near Long Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

We got fairly close looks at the males inflating their red throat patches. A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was also there along the shoreline.

Later in the day, the boat took us northeast to Hospital Key where we got to see Masked Boobies coming in to roost for the night. Also seen were Brown Booby and Magnificent Frigatebird.

After dark, the brightness of the Hale-Bopp Comet was surprising, as was the amount of stars that we never see since they are washed out by night lighting. We were sitting at a picnic table in the campground talking with Dick Novier, a friendly, Florida birder who was also one of guides on the trip when Babe noticed that the boat was leaving the dock about an hour ahead of when it was supposed to. Luckily, Babe was able to get a ride out to the boat on a skiff. I was planning to sleep on one of the picnic tables anyway (since I knew it wouldn't be rolling like the boat), but I never got the chance to get a pillow and blankets. So, I spent the night on the table wearing only my light jacket and using a box of "Ritz Bits" crackers as a pillow. Once again, it was a long night.

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Florida Trip ~ May 8, 1997

Our last day on the Dry Tortugas was spent checking Garden Key for any different species that might have shown up during the night. The only new bird was a Black-throated Green Warbler. We also spent some time on top of the fort, hoping to find a White-tailed Tropicbird. While looking for this 'long shot', we had the always-present Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring overhead.

An adult male Magnificent Frigatebird over Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida.

With everyone back on the boat, we headed for Key West. On the return pelagic, we saw Masked and Brown Booby, Royal and Bridled Tern, and Black Skimmer. Seeing the huge expanse of open water and the conditions the birds faced on the islands made me realize just how amazing it was that any of our migratory birds make it to their nesting areas. I was glad I had taken the Tortugas trip, but I was also glad to get off the boat and onto firm ground.

After piling everything back into our car, we headed back up The Keys. At one spot, we got nice looks at a "Great White" Heron. We reached the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, on Key Largo, with very little daylight left. Just beyond the park entrance, we heard a Mangrove Cuckoo, but it stopped calling before we could find it. At dusk, we heard an Eastern Screech-Owl. However, since the cuckoos had apparently "called it a day", we decided to do the same by driving back to the Everglades Motel in Homestead.

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Florida Trip ~ May 9, 1997

After talking over the situation, Babe willingly agreed that we should head back to Key Largo and try for the Mangrove Cuckoo first thing in the morning. A quick stop at the Burger King along US-1 south of SW 344th Street produced looks at Common Mynas. When we reached Pennekamp State Park, we took a walk down the Wild Tamarind Trail. Just past the point where the trail split, we heard what sounded like the call notes of the bird. Eventually, we determined it to be two different birds calling back and forth to each other. After some searching, Babe caught sight of the bird and directed me onto my 'life' Mangrove Cuckoo. I found it about three feet off the ground. It then flew up near the top of one of the trees where I got good looks at it highlighted by the sun.

Mangrove Cuckoo at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida.

Hurricane Andrew's destruction was very evident along the way to Everglades National Park. There were many empty spaces where people never rebuilt; and whole woodlots were wiped out, leaving nothing left but patches of snapped-off tree trunks. Just inside the park entrance, we parked along the road to Taylor Slough. It was at this spot that a birder on the Tortugas trip had seen Short-tailed Hawks. We, however, weren't that lucky.

We headed down the park road toward Flamingo, making several stops along the way. We stopped at Royal Palm Hammock and walked the Anhinga Trail. There, we saw Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great "White" and Great Blue Heron, more American Alligators, and a Florida Softshell Tortoise.

Great "White" Heron at the Royal Palm Hammock in Everglades National Park, Florida.

Next, we stopped at Paurotis Pond, which held White Ibis and Wood Storks.

White Ibis at Paurotis Pond in Everglades National Park, Florida.

At Flamingo, we started to walk around Eco Pond but got inundated by a massive amount of mosquitoes. Back inside the car, we found all of the car windows covered with mosquitoes wanting to get in and started killing the bunch that did get in. We retraced our route back up the park road with stops at West Lake, Nine Mile Pond, and the area around Mahogany Hammock. Birds seen along the way included Brown Pelican, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and White-eyed Vireo.

Our nest destination was the town of Kendall. On the way there, we stopped near Cutler Ridge and saw the "West Indian" race of Cave Swallow at the canal bridge over SW 216th Street. In Kendall, we stopped at the Furchgott's home, located at the corner of SW 96th Street and 69th Avenue. There, I saw my first Yellow-chevroned Parakeets and a pair of Spot-breasted Orioles in addition to Mitred Parakeets and Blue-crowned Parrots.

Next, we searched the area surrounding the Royal Palm Tennis Courts for Bulbuls. There, on the roof of a house located just outside the tennis club, I got to see my 'life' Red-whiskered Bulbul, thanks again to Babe. We returned to the Furchgott's home where I managed to get some pictures of the Spot-breasted Orioles.

Spot-breasted Oriole in Kendall, Florida.

Also found in the area were Monk Parakeet, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and Common and Boat-tailed Grackle.

We returned to Homestead where we had a nice farewell dinner with Wes Biggs' group and spent our last night's stay at the Everglades Motel.

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Florida Trip ~ May 10, 1997

We birded Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge before heading to the Fort Lauderdale Airport. It was my last chance to find a Smooth-billed Ani. Although we never found one, we did see Anhinga, Green and Great Blue Heron, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egret, White and Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Mottled Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Moorhen, Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Bobolink. We were also surprised to see a Bobcat walking down the dike near the observation tower.

A Bobcat at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Sightings along the highway included Eurasian Collared-Dove, Gray Kingbird, and Purple Martin.

After returning the car with an additional 1400 miles on it, we boarded our flight in Fort Lauderdale and headed for Allentown by way of Charlotte. Of the 155 species seen during the trip, 23 were 'life birds'.

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Florida Trip List

1) Pied-billed Grebe
2) Magnificent Frigatebird*
3) American White Pelican
4) Brown Pelican
5) Northern Gannet
6) Brown Booby*
7) Masked Booby
8) Anhinga
9) Double-crested Cormorant
10) Black-crowned Night-Heron
11) Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
12) Green Heron
13) Tricolored Heron
14) Little Blue Heron
15) Reddish Egret
16) Cattle Egret
17) Snowy Egret
18) Great Egret
19) Great Blue Heron (also Great "White" Heron)
20) Wood Stork*
21) Glossy Ibis
22) White Ibis
23) Roseate Spoonbill*
24) Sandhill Crane
25) Mottled Duck
26) Blue-winged Teal
27) Fulvous Whistling-Duck
28) Limpkin*
29) Virginia Rail
30) Purple Gallinule
31) Common Moorhen
32) American Coot
33) Black-necked Stilt
34) Semipalmated Plover
35) Killdeer
36) Black-bellied Plover
37) Willet
38) Lesser Yellowlegs
39) Solitary Sandpiper
40) Spotted Sandpiper
41) Ruddy Turnstone
42) Semipalmated Sandpiper
43) Least Sandpiper
44) Pomarine Jaeger
45) Laughing Gull
46) Common Tern
47) Roseate Tern
48) Least Tern
49) Sandwich Tern
50) Royal Tern
51) Bridled Tern
52) Sooty Tern*
53) Black Noddy*
54) Brown Noddy*
55) Black Skimmer
56) Turkey Vulture
57) Black Vulture
58) Bald Eagle
59) Swallow-tailed Kite
60) Snail Kite*
61) Sharp-shinned Hawk
62) Red-shouldered Hawk
63) Red-tailed Hawk
64) Osprey
65) Crested Caracara
66) Merlin
67) Peregrine Falcon
68) Northern Bobwhite
69) Wild Turkey
70) White-crowned Pigeon*
71) Rock Dove
72) Mourning Dove
73) White-winged Dove
74) Common Ground-Dove
75) Eurasian-collared Dove*
76) Yellow-chevroned Parakeet*
77) Monk Parakeet*
78) Mitred Parakeet
79) Blue-crowned Parrot
80) Mangrove Cuckoo*
81) Yellow-billed Cuckoo
82) Short-eared Owl ("West Indian" race)
83) Eastern Screech-Owl
84) Common Nighthawk
85) Antillean Nighthawk*
86) Chimney Swift
87) Ruby-throated Hummingbird
88) Belted Kingfisher
89) Red-bellied Woodpecker
90) Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker
91) Downy Woodpecker
92) Red-cockaded Woodpecker
93) Pileated Woodpecker
94) Eastern Kingbird
95) Gray Kingbird*
96) Western Kingbird
97) Great Crested Flycatcher
98) Eastern Wood-Pewee
99) Purple Martin
100) Bank Swallow
101) Cave Swallow ("West Indian" race)
102) Barn Swallow
103) Florida Scrub Jay*
104) Blue Jay
105) American Crow
106) Fish Crow
107) Tufted Titmouse
108) Carolina Wren
109) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
110) Eastern Bluebird
111) Veery
112) Swainson's Thrush
113) Gray-cheeked Thrush
114) American Robin
115) Loggerhead Shrike
116) Gray Catbird
117) Northern Mockingbird
118) Cedar Waxwing
119) Red-whiskered Bulbul*
120) Common Myna
121) European Starling
122) White-eyed Vireo
123) Black-whiskered Vireo*
124) Northern Parula
125) Black-and-white Warbler
126) Black-throated Blue Warbler
127) Cape May Warbler
128) Magnolia Warbler
129) Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler
130) Black-throated Green Warbler
131) Prairie Warbler
132) Bay-breasted Warbler
133) Blackpoll Warbler
134) Pine Warbler
135) Palm Warbler
136) Hooded Warbler
137) Ovenbird
138) Northern Waterthrush
139) Common Yellowthroat
140) American Redstart
141) Rose-breasted Grosbeak
142) Northern Cardinal
143) Indigo Bunting
144) Eastern (Rufous-sided) Towhee
145) Bachman's Sparrow*
146) Dickcissel
147) Bobolink
148) Eastern Meadowlark
149) Red-winged Blackbird
150) Brown-headed Cowbird
151) Shiny Cowbird*
152) Common Grackle
153) Boat-tailed Grackle
154) Spot-breasted Oriole*
155) House Sparrow

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