Birding Southeast Florida

Rainbow over the Everglades

We left the wilderness of the Everglades to the traffic laden roads of southeast Florida from Miami to West Palm Beach.  The thing is there are lots of "city" birds that are only found among the sky-scraping hotels and intermittent green spaces.

Tree Frogs seem to love campsite electrical boxes

White-crowned Pigeons in Poisonwood Tree

Close up Great Egret

Bronzed Cowbird

   









  We stopped at Kendall and found the Red-whiskered Bulbuls (camera shy - no photos).
We also found 6 species of parakeets in varies places along the route.


















We found Bronzed Cowbirds and Common Mynas in their preferred habitat - Restaurant parking lots.

Common Myna

Brown-crested Flycatcher

With some help from some local birders, we found the sought after Brown-crested Flycatcher at A.D. Barnes Park in Coral Gables.  There was also a late Summer Tanager and many warblers scattered along the park trails.

Summer Tanager

Earth Boring Dung Beetle

     With lots of busy activities in the area, such as the Nascar Speedway Race, the Miami Dolphins game and the college football Noles/Canes game we decided to head north.  We arrived at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge just as the gate opened at sunrise.  Limpkins were calling and did a few fly-bys.

Limpkin

Am. Bittern tries to hide

We then went to Green Cay Water Management Area where boardwalks take you over a couple miles of prime habitat for all kinds of wildlife.

Apple Snail eggs

Banded Watersnake

Bobcat Kitten

Fern Sporangia

Green Heron

Just east a few miles near Boynton Beach area is another great boardwalk at Wakodahatchee Wildlife Area which yielded more interesting sightings.

Purple Swamphen

Tricolored Heron

Dragon-sized Iguana

Showing off his colors

We then spent 4 days at Jonathan Dickinson State Park among the managed Scrub habitat. The perfect place for the Florida Scrub Jay.  This one is inspecting all the bling.

The other end of the park is Pine Forest where we found the hiding Bachman's Sparrow - also camera shy.  But a very cooperative Loggerhead Shrike kept posing in between finding worms to eat.

We are now at the Treasure Coast and Port St. Lucie wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Love & Prayers,  Ty & Ida