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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