Spring 2008
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The northbound migration of songbirds through Florida this past spring could be best described as “back to normal.” Unlike 2007, when weather conditions produced spectacular fall-outs in southeast Florida, and migrant warblers were being seen even into late May, favorable weather this spring allowed songbirds to move quickly through the state on their way to northern breeding grounds. One notable fall-out occurred in late April, in particular at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne, when hundreds of warblers were reported. By early May, only a handful of migrants were still being seen. During Tropical Audubon Society's annual mid-April pilgrimage to Ft. DeSoto County Park, on Florida's Gulf Coast, the group tallied just twelve species of warblers, compared with twenty-six during last year's trip. While we were treated to a few neotropical migrants, including Summer and Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeak, Painted and Indigo Bunting and Orchard Oriole, both diversity and numbers of individuals were down considerably compared with the 2007 trip. To add insult to injury, two rarities for the area, Brown Creeper and MacGillivray's Warbler, were discovered mere hours after our departure from the park!
In spite of the slow season overall, a few notable birds were reported in the area during spring. In early April, a probable La Sagra's Flycatcher was discovered at Lucky Hammock, just outside the entrance to Everglades National Park. In mid-April, a visiting birder photographed a tyrant flycatcher at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge that he believed was either a Tropical or Couch's Kingbird. Brown-crested Flycatchers, which are now annual during winter in Everglades National Park, were seen at Matheson Hammock Park in late April and Bill Sadowski Park in mid-May. A Blue-winged Warbler was found in late April at Matheson Hammock; Swainson's Warblers were reported during the month at both Matheson and A D Barnes Parks. A Yellow-green Vireo was briefly seen in late April at Key West Botanical Garden on Stock Island. During the first half of May, Connecticut Warblers were discovered at several locations, including A D Barnes Park, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, and Bonnet House in Ft. Lauderdale. Also seen at Bonnet House was a Mangrove Cuckoo, a species rarely reported on Florida's east coast north of Miami-Dade County. Smooth-billed Anis nested successfully at the Old Griffin Road location in Broward County; an ani was also photographed during May in Pembroke Pines. Yet another ani, likely a migrant from the Bahamas, was reported from the recently opened Virginia Key Beach Park.
Baird's Sandpiper, a western shorebird seen only occasionally in Florida, was found during April at two south Florida locations: Cutler Wetlands and the Dry Tortugas. Cutler Wetlands also hosted several White-rumped Sandpipers during the month. In early April, a Fulvous Whistling-Duck was found there. Also during April, a Masked Duck was discovered in wetlands at a gated community in Pembroke Pines. Other rarities seen in the Dry Tortugas during the season included a Red-footed Booby, up to two Black Noddies and an Antillean Short-eared Owl. In mid-April, an injured Red-billed Tropicbird was discovered at Crandon Marina on Key Biscayne and taken to a local wildlife rehabilitation center. Later in the month, another tropicbird was spotted over the Broad Causeway, but couldn't be identified to species. Off Miami's coast, during a late-May search for tropicbirds and other pelagic species, an immature Red-billed Tropicbird was seen, photographed and videotaped by that trip's lucky passengers. Also seen during the trip were Brown Booby, Audubon's Shearwater, Wilson's and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel and Bridled and Sooty Tern.
—Brian Rapoza
TAS Field Trip Coordinator