Nice weekend at Presque Isle State Park: sunny Friday, warm/humid/foggy overcast followed by late day sun Saturday, foggy early AM then mild/sunny Sunday. Gull Point fairly quiet, interior activity normal. Trail conditions: dry/good except for typical muddy problem spots like Duck Pond Trail (east).
Lots of pictures forthcoming, meanwhile, these birds/bees from last weekend along Pine Tree Trail + Thompson Bay swamp/pond:
Current contender for new BirdingPI.com Miami, FL HQ is this recently reduced waterfront Italianate villa @ USD $19.5MM – a bargain! Great spot for seeing Ring-billed Gull.
New HQ (?) at sunset
Can’t live in Miami w/o a boat, so it’s off to Crandon Marina Park on Key Biscayne for some boat shopping + birding. (Maybe mostly birding.)
Crandon Marina Park, looking towards marina
Thanks to the kind folks at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center for mentioning this amazing/easy to access spot (+ free parking). Excellent views of Biscayne Bay + lawn/trees/natural beach:
View of bird rookery key @ Crandon Marina
By pure happenstance, the ‘bird of the trip’ (re. unusual sightings) was an amazing Smooth-billed Ani at this spot. First a sound ID via Merlin:
Smooth-billed Ani ISmooth-billed Ani II
Then flying between trees eventually to perch by the park restrooms:
Perhaps common in places like Brazil, this beautiful member of the cuckoo family = rare to see in the US. Per Sibley Birds East (2nd ed., page 200), “Rare and declining [in S. Florida]… recently recorded only a few times each year, mostly single individuals.” A good omen for visiting Miami!
Brown PelicanMore Pelican (S. Miami/NE Coconut Grove area in background)
Don’t see many Black-crowned Night-Heron at Presque Isle. Guess they’re all down south, looking for fish scraps when the charter boats return, like these beautiful adults at Crandon Marina:
Brown Pelican @ Crandon Marina
More Black-crowned Night-Heron:
‘Bird of the trip’ in the common/multiple sightings category was the lovely White Ibis, e.g., this adult at Crandon Marina Park. Plenty more shots of White Ibis to follow.
Boat-tailed GrackleNight-Heron @ nightNight view of downtown Erie from Perry Monument
Coming up soon, lots more from Crandon Park! Plus great ACIF shots at Gull Point!
More from Presque Isle State Park, it’s birds along the Pine Tree Trail xWestern Honey Beeย (Apis mellifera) on goldenrod, perhaps Canada Goldenrod(Solidago canadensis), by Thompson Circle:
As promised, it’s amazing American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in The Everglades west of Miami, FL.
American Alligator
Great way to see an American Alligator or three is via air boat ride; recommend Coopertown (no affiliation) as good for a bit of speedy fun + numerous stops to view wildlife.
On the Coopertown air boat rideEverglades vegetation + air boat docks (far left)More Everglades vegetationBromeliad (species?) in Pond Apple (Annona glabra)
Another great way is the Shark Valley loop road via tram/hiking/biking:
View of Everglades from Shark Valley visitor’s center tram stopMore Shark Valley
Sighted multiple adult and baby Alligators:
Saw a couple adults in the grass by the road, but no photos due to a quick retreat into the water upon approach.
Alligator + python habitat
Alligators are great, plus it makes being close to the water an exciting proposition. Thankfully not a problem at Presque Isle. Yet.
September’s ‘parade of Warblers’ continues at Presque Isle State Park with more recent shots from along the Pine Tree Trail.
First up, more Cape May Warbler (female/immature) – white undertail coverts, streaking on breast and up into neck, yellow-ish underside, olive cheek patch, etc.:
Yellow Warbler
Two of lovely American Redstart (f) – gray head, yellow at base of tail, yellow side chest patches:
Female or immature male Magnolia Warbler – gray head, white eyering, yellow underside, bold/narrow white wingbars, black side streaking:
It was high time to commence BirdingPI.com’s 15-year plan for expansion into the tropical latitudes. Stage 1: find office space in Miami, FL. First part of stage 1: Exit Miami, FL as fast as possible for birding in the amazing Everglades, & worry about the rest later!
Great Egret @ The Everglades, east of Shark Valley
These shots at or near famous Shark Valley* @ Everglades National Park. Plenty of American Alligator, but sadly, no sharks. (Alligator content forthcoming.)
Everglades from boat @ Coopertown air boatsView of Everglades @ Shark Valley
Birds at Shark Valley visitors’ center:
Prairie WarblerNorthern Mockingbird
From the visitors’ center, it’s a flat 14 km (15 mile) round trip ride/walk to the observation platform. Great for viewing wildlife, not so great (on foot) in hot weather. Tram tour was approx. 2 hours at USD $30-ish pp. Plus $30 to get through the main gate to park. Not cheap, but worth it if time/money permits. (Guided tram tour covers wildlife and local history, plus stops for birds/alligators and at the observation platform.) Seasonally, be prepared for rain.
Rain’s moving in
Birds: lots and lots of GBH and Great Egret.
GBH detailGreat Egret in treeMore Great EgretGBH in flight
Wet view from top of observation platform as heavy rain moved through:
Thoroughly soaked there and on the tram ride back to the visitors’ center. Bless you Nikon camera weather sealing.
Runner up for ‘bird of the day,’ great sighting of beautiful Little Blue Heron. Slate-gray/blue body, red neck, black-tipped beak:
LBH IWet heronAnd wet Northern MockingbirdAlso wet, a Northern Cardinal
No contest for ‘bird of the day,’ with several sightings of the amazing Anhinga. Range primarily Central and South America + Caribbean, but as far north as SE coastal US including here in Florida. Female has brown/gray/black neck:
Male is essentially entirely black:
Male Anhinga in rainFemale AnhingaMore male Anhinga in rainMale Anhinga
Great to see a beautiful (and wet) Red-shouldered Hawk:
Yes, it rained a lotThe Everglades @ Shark Valley tram tour
[* Original name for this spot something like Shark River Valley Slough National Park; the Shark River being named for sharks that breed at its mouth by the ocean. Shortened by National Park Service to “Shark Valley” = sounds cooler. (Source: Shark Valley tram tour guide.)]
[Editor’s note: re. American English idiom, ‘high time’ means ‘overdue,’ not under the influence of narcotics. Although hard to tell the difference from this post.]
