Twenty-seven birders joined Bill Boeringer and Brian Rapoza this past Sunday (8/22/21) for a hot August day of birding in the Everglades Agricultural Area of western Palm Beach County. We spent most of the morning exploring A1-FEB (Flow Equalization Basin) on the west side of US 27. After a short stop at a sod farm north of CR 827 and a lunch stop in Belle Glade, we spent the afternoon birding along Gladeview Road and at the Sem-Chi rice mill, both off of CR 880.
We were able to find most of our target birds before late afternoon thunderstorms rolled in, including Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Gray-headed Swamphen, Limpkin, Least Bittern, Snail Kite and Yellow Warbler at A1-FEB and American Avocet, Upland, Stilt and Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, Gull-billed and Black Tern, Black Skimmer and Burrowing Owl on Gladeview Road. Birders in at least one vehicle spotted a Yellow-headed Blackbird among a large flock of blackbirds along CR 880 near Sem-Chi rice mill.
Thanks to Luis Gonzalez for producing eBird checklists for all of our stops: https://ebird.org/checklist/S93615139; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93615152; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93615199; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93615200; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93615212
Photo of the group assembling at dawn at A1-FEB, courtesy of Bill Boeringer.