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FLORIDA TRIP REPORT 2ND - 16TH OCTOBER 1998,
Despite being a family holiday Dad and I managed to see 108 species. We spent the 1st week in the Orlando area and the 2nd on the Gulf Coast at Bradenton. Our fortnight also included 2 days at Key Largo which enabled us to spend 1 ½ days birding in the Everglades National Park. There is plenty of opportunity for birders on a similar family holiday to see a good array of species. For example we saw plenty of birds at Disneyland and at the Kennedy Space Center. I recommend buying Bill Pranty's A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO FLORIDA, which proved invaluable to us.
Species | Comments |
Pied-billed Grebe | A single on a small lake on the Lindfield's estate, Orlando on 3rd and 4 on the Eco pond in the Everglades NP. |
Magnificent Frigatebird | common on the Gulf Coast often mobbing Brown Pelicans. |
Brown Pelican | common at Cape Canaveral, Everglades and Gulf Coast sites. |
Anhinga | common where there is suitable habitat. |
Double-crested Cormorant | as above. |
Yellow-crowned Night Heron | 6 on Beer Can Island were our only records. |
Green-backed Heron | Common at most sites with an exceptionally tame bird on a canal at the Magic Kingdom. |
Tricolored Heron | Common at most wetland sites. |
Little Blue Heron | Fairly common at most wetland sites. |
Reddish Egret | 3 on the Terra Ceia Causeway in Bradenton on 10th October |
Cattle Egret | Very Common. |
Snowy Egret | Very Common. |
Great White Egret | Very Common. |
Great Blue Heron | Common. |
Wood Stork | Common but is in decline. |
Glossy Ibis | Fairly Common. |
White Ibis | Fairly Common. |
Roseate Spoonbill | 2 feeding alongside the Terra Ceia causeway at low water on 10th October. One of the highlights |
Sandhill Crane | 3 were feeding in a field alongside a campervan park near Lindfields Estate on 6th. |
Mallard | Common especially at the theme parks. |
Mottled Duck | 6 were ever present on a small lake behind our villa in Bradenton. |
Blue-winged Teal | 6 were on the Eco pond, Everglades NP on 13th. |
Wood Duck | A female was on a small pond in the Lindfields Estate on 3rd. |
American Purple Gallinule | A single showed well on an airboat trip in the Everglades 12th and a juvenile at Eco Pond on 13th. |
Moorhen | Common. |
American Oystercatcher | Surprisingly we only saw on a single at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Semi-palmated Plover | A maximum of c50 were noted at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Kildeer | 8 showed very well in the carpark at the Kennedy Space Center on 8th. |
Grey Plover | Small numbers were noted at several Gulf Coast sites. |
Willet | Common on Gulf Coast beaches. |
Greater Yellowlegs | Our only record was of 3 birds on the mudflats at Fort De Soto on 11th |
Spotted Sandpiper | A very confiding bird at Beer can island on 10th was our only record. |
Short-billed Dowitcher | c10 at Fort De Soto on 10th and 11th. |
Turnstone | Common on Gulf Coast beaches. |
Sanderling | As above. |
Western Sandpiper | A single on Beer Can Island on 10th, 13 showed down to 5 ft! on the Terra Ceia causeway also on 10th and a group of c100 were at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Least Sandpiper | c50 were with Western Sandpipers at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Laughing Gull | Very Common. |
Ring-billed Gull | An Adult showed well on Fort De Soto beach on 11th and was in a typical mood, harassing anything that moved! |
Herring Gull | 2 adults were noted in Sarasota bay on 15th. |
Forster's Tern | Very common on the gulf coast. |
Sandwich Tern | Recorded in small numbers in Sarasota bay on 15th. |
Royal Tern | Very Common on the Gulf Coast. |
Black Skimmer | A maximum of 500 were roosting on a sand bar off Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Turkey Vulture | Very Common. C1,000 were circling over Orlando on 5th. |
American Black Vulture | Common but recorded in small groups. |
Bald Eagle | Common. Several in the Orlando area. |
Snail Kite | An adult showed well hunting along a ditch in the Everglades NP on 12th. |
Red-shouldered Hawk | Fairly Common |
Red-tailed Hawk | Common. |
Osprey | Very Common. |
American Kestrel | A single at Beer Can Island on 10th and 6 in the Everglades NP on 12th & 13th were our only records. |
Merlin | A juvenile over Lindfields Estate on 3rd. |
Peregrine Falcon | A male was hunting over the Everglades on 12th. |
Wild Turkey | 3 at the entrance to MGM studios was our only record. |
Rock Dove | Common. |
Mourning Dove | Common. |
Common Ground Dove | Fairly Common. |
Belted Kingfisher | Common on or near suitable habitat. Often seen perched on wires. |
Red-bellied Woodpecker | A single at Lindfields on 3rd & 6th, 2 at Beer Can Island on 10th and 4 in the Everglades NP on 13th. |
Northern Flicker | 5 at Mead Botanical Gardens on 5th were our only records. |
Downy Woodpecker | 2 on the Lindfields Estate on 3rd. |
Great Crested Flycatcher | A single showed well allowing identification on 10th at Beer Can Island. |
Acadian Flycatcher | A single showed well in scrub on the Lindfields Estate on 3rd. |
Eastern Wood-peewee | A single at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Tree Swallow | 4 flew south over our apartment in Lindfields on 3rd and c10 were feeding over the Flamingo Visitor Center on 13th. |
Chimney Swift | 2 flew south with Tree Swallows over Lindfields on 3rd. |
Blue Jay | Surprisingly only 1 record, a single outside our apartment in Bradenton on 15th. |
American Crow | Common. |
Fish Crow | Common in the Everglades and at Key Largo. |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Very Common. |
Hermit Thrush | A single showed well feeding amongst leaf litter in Mead Botanical Gardens on 5th. |
Wood Thrush | A single showed well at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Swainson's Thrush | A single proved elusive in a small thicket at Fort De Soto on 10th and 11th. |
Loggerhead Shrike | Common. |
Gray Catbird | A single responded to pishing at Mead Botanical Gardens on 5th, a single showed well at Fort De Soto on 11th and 4 were feeding at the campsite in the Everglades NP on 13th. |
Northern Mockingbird | Very Common and can do an excellent impression of a police siren! |
Brown Thrasher | A single at the Flamingo Visitor Center, Everglades NP on 13th was our only record. |
European Starling | Common in Orlando. |
White-eyed Vireo | Very Common. |
Red-eyed Vireo | A single at Lindfields n 3rd, 10 + in Mead Botanical Gardens on 5th, and a single at Fort De Soto on 10th. |
Prothonotary Warbler | A stunning male showed very well at Beer Can Island on 10th. One of our highlights. |
Northern Parula | A 1st winter bird at Fort De Soto on 11th was our only record. |
Black and White Warbler | A single at Fort De Soto on 10th and 4 in the Flamingo Car park, Everglades NP n 13th. |
Magnolia Warbler | A 1st winter showed well at Beer Can Island on 10th. |
Yellow-throated Warbler | 2 stunning males showed well in bushes at the Flamingo Visitor Center, Everglades NP on 13th. Our bird of the trip. |
Prairie Warbler | 4 1st winter birds were noted in the Everglades NP on 13th. |
Palm Warbler | Common. A maximum of c50 was noted at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Ovenbird | A single proved to be very elusive at times at Fort De Soto on 10th & 11th. |
Common Yellowthroat | Common particularly in the Everglades NP. |
American Redstart | A 1st Winter/female showed well in the same tree as a Northern Parula at Fort De Soto on 11th. |
Bay-breasted Warbler | A superb adult male showed well for at least 30 minutes at Fort De Soto on 10th. So well that it caused me to miss a stunning male Hooded Warbler! |
Hooded Warbler | Dad gripped me off with a stunning male, see above. |
Chestnut-sided Warbler | A 1st winter male showed well at Fort De Soto on 10th. |
Tennessee Warbler | At least 4 were at Fort De Soto on 10th and a single at Eco Pond, Everglades NP on 13th. |
Indigo Bunting | A female showed well to Dad! At Fort De Soto on 10th whilst I was preoccupied with an Ovenbird. |
Chipping Sparrow | A single came to crisps! At MGM studios on 5th and 2 were feeding near rubbish bins at Kennedy Space Center on 8th. |
Swamp Sparrow | A single showed well near the campsite at Flamingo in the Everglades NP on 13th. |
Eastern Meadowlark | 2 males were singing on wires near the entrance to the Everglades NP on 12th. |
Red-winged Blackbird | Common. |
Brown-headed Cowbird | A pair at the Kennedy Space Center on 8th was our only record, probably overlooked. |
Common Grackle | Very Common. |
Brewer's Blackbird | At least 20 was noted at MGM studios on 5th. |
Boat-tailed Grackle | 25+ were noted scavenging around rubbish bins at Kennedy Space Center on 8th. |
House Sparrow | Common. |
Summer Tanager | A 1st winter male and a female were a real treat in scrub near the Lindfields Estate on 3rd. |
Rose-breasted Grosbeak | An adult male was being mobbed by Palm Warblers at Fort De Soto on 10th. |
Barn Swallow | Large numbers were recorded over the Everglades NP on 12th and 13th. Unfortunately close scrutiny didn't reveal any other species. |
Northern Oriole | A female showed well in Mote Marine Aquariums car park, Sarasota on 15th. |
River Otter - Mead Botanical
Gardens
Racoon
Grey Squirrel
Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Beaked Whale - under rehabilitation at Mote Marine Aquarium
Marsh Rabbit
Florida Alligator
American Crocodile - Everglades NP
Mud Turtle
Garter Snake
Green-backed Turtle*
Nurse Shark*
Barracuda*
Stingray*
Blonde Ray*
Parrot Fish*
*All recorded on a glass bottom boat at Pennekamp Coral Reef off Key Largo
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