Florida Birding

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Worth Mathewson

Active member
Marge and I just returned from a guided seven day birding trip to southern Florida. We were in a group with eight other birders. It was excellent! The trip started in the Miami area, and went south to Key West. From there we took a day trip out to Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson. I was able to see 32 new species. Most important, seven of those are only to be seen in southern Florida. The trip resulted in my life list breaking the 400 mark. My goal is 500. While most of the group were non hunters, I couldn't label them as being totally anti. There was one fellow who was an avid turkey hunter and the two of us got along very well. Likely the best birds we saw were the mangrove cuckoo and the red-cockaded woodpecker. But I was able to see the bird I had most hoped for--the white-crowned pigeon. It was as impressive as I had thought it would be.
Not sure about where to go next year. Perhaps Texas? Best, Worth Mathewson
 
Worth~

That sounds like a great adventure!

I have heard it's hard to beat the Brownsville, Texas - but I'm wondering what birds you "need" - desert? shorebirds? et cetera.

All the best,

SJS
 
Very cool, spent a winter working as a biologist in Peninsula FL back in 93-94, birders paradise!
Did you see any crested caracara?? Those were the highlights of my time working there. And the FL scrub jay.
 
Worth, it sure sounds as if this was some magic time. Sure glad to hear you saw so many new species. Do you also take pics or is your time spent with binocs/spotting scopes? No matter what, that was a great accomplishment. I read Steve's question and was wondering the same thing. Good luck.
Al
 
Steven and Carl,
From this point, in order to reach my 500 goal, I think things will slow down. Last year in Ontario I saw 81 species, which include a bunch of the warblers. And this year in Florida, 32. Trips in the years to come very likely will not offer that many. In answer to your question Steven, shorebirds will be important. While I have been interested in birds since a very young boy, and use to collect the bird cards that came in boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda in the 1940s, I am totally lacking in identification skills, especially the little gray and brown jobs. Therefore I need to be with a guide or experienced birder to tell me what I am seeing. Shorebirds are a good example. As were the warblers. After being with two guides, I am totally amazed at their skills. Not only can they tell the species with just a flit look, they can call out the species by song, even if there are five or six birds singing at the same time! Just a guess, but it is likely that I have seen 30-40, or more species in my lifetime that I have had no idea what they were. This is especially true right here in Oregon.
And Carl, yes I saw the caracara (in the same place we saw the snail kite). Also saw the Florida scrub jay. The guide, Larry Manfredi, took us to many different places just to see sometimes a single species. (such as the short-tailed hawk) In fact, the only bird he had hoped for, and we didn't see was the groove-billed ani.
Tomorrow my wife, son and I are off for a quick trip to eastern Oregon (at Summer Lake) to hopefully see the yellow rail. There is a small number that nest there, but I have been warned it is nearly impossible to see them. Rather, one just counts them by playing their call and hearing them answer. Certain not as good as actually seeing one, but apparently that is what one is faced with. Best, Worth Mathewson
 
Good morning, Worth~

Shorebirds are one of my favorite groups. I hope to get to the coast - LI or NJ - mid-summer to catch them heading south. One nice thing about this group is that they can be easier to watch and learn than some others. They tend to be out in the open; they sit still when loafing; you can use a spotting scope - and others can look through the same scope so you can consult on the same bird. On the other hand, an experienced "guide" can be invaluable in sorting out the many plumages during the fall migration.

BTW: Shorebirds of North America - especially the illustrations by Robert Verity Clemm - is one of my most cherished books.

Enjoy!

SJS
 
Groove-billed ani???? I had to look that one up!

Good luck on your quest. Hope you saw or heard your yellow rail.
We have a marsh bird survey going on right now in coastal AL, they play a set of recordings at set stations and record responses by species. Mainly clapper rails, bitterns, moorhens and purple gallinules but they heard at least 2 black rails this year.
 
Worth, unless you are just trying to build your NA list, a trip to Middle or South America would result in a lot of birds - many of new Orders and Families, but also a lot of new species in familiar groups. If you are doing guided trips, Costa Rica would be a great place and they have it "all" from lowland tropical forest on both coasts, seasonal (dry) forest, highland forest and even some alpine areas.
 
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