Twenty-two birders joined TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza on Saturday, September 16 for a birding excursion to two parks in northeastern Miami-Dade County. We began the morning at Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach, where we saw or heard 28 species of birds, including Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (an adult and a juvenile bird), Cooper’s Hawk, Eastern Screech-Owl (apparently flushed from its day roost by Blue Jays), Belted Kingfisher (heard), Downy Woodpecker, Blue-crowned Parakeets (a flyover), Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo and ten warbler species: Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush (heard), Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler and Prairie Warbler.
Those in the group who had not yet called it a day returned to our starting point and enjoyed a picnic lunch together. After lunch, the group drove to Highland Oaks Park, located about a mile north of Greynolds Park. We were only able to bird this park for about an hour before a rainstorm chased us back to our cars. Birds seen before the rains came included Egyptian Goose, Common Ground-Dove and eight warblers, all of which were species already seen or heard at Greynolds Park.
An eBird trip report, listing all species seen or heard, as well as separate. checklists for each park can be viewed here.
Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: Photo courtesy of Brian Rapoza