On Saturday, November 11, twenty-eight birders joined TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza for a full day of birding in Everglades National Park. The trip began at the Coe Visitor Center, where Wilson’s Snipe, Anhinga, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Roseate Spoonbill (one flying overhead), Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-gray-Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Common and Boat-tailed Grackle, Common Yellowthroat, Palm and Prairie Warbler and Northern Cardinal were among the 22 species encountered.
During a visit to Anhinga Trail, we tallied 26 species, including Purple Gallinule, Double-crested Cormorant, Least Bittern (heard), Green Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill (three flying overhead), Black and Turkey Vulture, Short-tailed Hawk, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird and Black-and-white Warbler. We also spotted an American Alligator beside the trail that had part of its tail missing.
At flooded fields along Hidden Lake and Research Roads in the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration area, we found 24 species, including Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel and Loggerhead Shrike. At Long Pine Key picnic area, where we had lunch, and in the adjacent campground, we only added two new birds: Brown-headed Nuthatch and Eastern Towhee. Tree Swallow was the only new bird at Pa-hay-okee overlook and Black-throated Green Warbler was the only addition to our list at Mahogany Hammock. Paurotis Pond yielded absolutely nothing. At West Lake, we encountered a flock of American Wigeon but nothing else new.
Our luck finally changed when we arrived in Flamingo. After a brief stop at the marina store, where we saw an American Crocodile and our first Wood Storks of the day, we headed to the amphitheater area of the Flamingo campground. Hundreds of shorebirds, gulls and terns were present, including American Avocet, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Marbled Godwit (over 100 of these!), Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Least and Western Sandpiper, Laughing and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Skimmer and Caspian and Royal Tern. Other birds seen in this area included Brown Pelican, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and several Osprey, including one on a nest!
Our final stop of the day was at Eco Pond, where we found Tricolored Heron, Snowy Egret and a single Roseate Spoonbill. By day’s end, we had tallied a respectable 77 species, all of which are listed in this eBird trip report. Thanks to Luis Gonzalez for recording in eBird all birds seen and heard during the trip.
Roseate Spoonbill: Photo by Brian Rapoza