Florida Rpt 4/23-4/25

GREGORY.B.MILLER@bge.com
Tue, 27 Apr 1999 09:46:39 -0400


Howdy All!

It was all I could handle.  The little twitcher's rubberband was wound
tight with the last remaining Southwest Airlines freebie burning a hole in
my pocket from last year's escapades.  Two possible lifers in Florida, the
STRIPE-HEADED TANAGER near Bradenton, and 2 KEY WEST QUAIL-DOVES on the
Southeast coast (Ft Lauderdale and Miami) were reported.

I arrived in a Bradenton motel at 1:00am early Friday morning.  After a
rousing 5 hrs of sleep I found myself amazingly wide awake and excited at
the prospects of seeing a lifer.  I arrived anxiously at the tanager locale
about 7:15am.  The last report I had (Wednesday) said that the berries on
the tree on which the tanager was feeding were nearly gone.  I hoped I
wasn't too late as I hurried the 50 yrds from the parking area at the
Coquina Baywalk.

Although I was looking into the rising sun, I could make out several
figures standing at the fork ahead.  There were talking with each other and
not looking at the fruiting tree, which meant the bird was not there...at
least not now, I hoped.

It was with great relief that I received the news that the tanager had been
seen only 5 minutes ago and there were still berries remaining. Within 3
minutes, I heard a light tsip-tsip-tsip as the tanager flew into the tree
in front of us, lit, and immediately picked a pink berry and consumed the
entire thing.

I think I gasped in amazement at it as it hopped into direct sunlight only
30 feet away, showing off its highly contrasting plumage of black and white
with bright ochre accents (lower nape, chest, and rump).  I shot a whole
roll of film on the bird.  It was truly breathtaking.

After an hour of euphoric views of a most beautiful life bird, I ventured
further back the trail to the Swainson's Warbler spot (seen 3 days in a
row) and waited, and pished, and did screech owls calls, and waited some
more.  One hour.  Nada.  Ahh.  My nemesis bird has skunked me again (I
whiffed on it last weekend in North Carolina, too).

It's all the time I had patience for--the KEY WEST QUAIL-DOVE was waiting
for me.  It was a good 5 hours to Ft Lauderdale and Hugh Taylor Birch St
Pk.  Alligator Alley along I-75 across South Florida was again fun.
Anhingas were everywhere in trees and soaring in the blue skies above.
Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Hawks added pleasure.  A half dozen
Swallow-tailed Kites were feeding in one large open area on the right.
Wood Storks filled the skies ahead, wheeling in ever-heightening circles.

Since I knew the Ft Lauderdale location well, I went there first.  I
thought this was a smart choice since I would miss Friday afternoon traffic
in downtown Miami.  For that, it was great.  For the bird, it was not.  I
searched the park in 90+ degree heat without success. Again the habitat
intrigued me.  Again I was shut out.  My only finds were a solitary
Black-whiskered Vireo and two unknown exotics (probably Red-masked
Parakeets).

I drove down to Coral Gables for the evening and headed out to Bill Bags St
Pk.  I arrived at 6:40am and was positioned at the closed gate behind two
cars.  There were no signs saying when the park opened.  I figured they'd
surely open at 7:00am, but that time came and went.  At 7:14am I saw a
State Park pickup truck pass in the other lane.  Surely now they'd open the
gate.  At 7:18am, one of the park personnel drove up (at a VERY leisurely
pace) on a bicycle.  I got into my car and started the engine.

I watched in horror as he unfolded the Florida State flag, carefully
fastened to the ropes, and slowly hoisted it up the length of the flag
pole.  Then came the American flag.  I found myself drumming nervously on
the steering wheel.  Didn't he know there was a HUGE rarity in the park?!?!
Aargh.  Then he went over and fiddled with the combination lock on the
gate.  I think he must have redone it 3 times.  Didn't he need some help
getting it open?  I could ram the gate with my little Chevy
rental...anything to get in...I HAD TO GET THERE!

At 7:24am half the gate is open.  I watched him walk over to open the the
other side of the gate.  Geesh.  Did he have to _walk_?  I began to wonder
where all the birders were.  The gate was being opened, the two cars in
front were picnic people and snorkelers, the cars behind me were more
picnic folks.  Was I missing something?

Finally the gates were open.  I put my car into gear--all my patience being
tested.  The man is now talking to the guy in the front vehicle.
 They are speaking in Spanish.  What are they saying?  Why can't the rest
of us go in?!?!  Aargh.  The sun is higher.  The day is later.  I spent 5
hours of hopeless searching yesterday.  I hope the bird hasn't left.

At 7:27am we start moving--BEHIND the bicycle.  Oh, for Pete's sake...does
everything HAVE to be so SLOOOOWWWW?!?  Doesn't he have
some more gears.  Get that bike cranked already.  Let's GOOOOOOOO!!!
Oh, no.  We're stopping again.  He's off the bike.  What's he doing now?
Walking over to another gate and closing it.  My blood pressure is not
doing well by now.  He saunters back to his bike.  The air in Florida is
now already hot.  It'll soon be another 90+ degree day. Great.  Searching
meticulously through brush and tangles for a secretive bird in stifling
heat and humidity.  Just great.

Now what?  Oh, my gosh.  He's talking to the guy in the first vehicle
again.  Can't they let the people through and continue their conversation
LATER?!?!?

OK.  He's back on his bike.  It's slow, but at least we're moving. What?
We're stopping AGAIN?  There's a pay booth ahead.  A sign says $4.  I
desparately go through my billfold, find 3 singles and pick 4 quarters out
the loose change.  30 seconds later he's talking to the first vehicle
again.  I am NOT very happy.  Now he's talking to the guys in the second
vehicle.  Here he comes.  I roll down my window.

"Park doesn't open til 8!"

"WHAT??!?!?"

"Eight O'clock."  And he points to the sign at the booth which says the
park opens at 8:00am.  This sign, of course, is not visible from the
entrance gate.  Aargh.  I sigh out loud.  25 minutes to go.  With all this
waiting, I am certain the bird is leaving...

Amazingly, at 7:45am, he lets the first guy go through the gate, but puts
an orange cone in front of the second car.  What's the deal?!? How fair is
THAT?!?  My face is now probably red as a Scarlet Tanager and my blood
pressure is at 500 gajillion.

Much to his credit, Mr. Park Guy lifts the cone and graciously allows us to
pay and enter and--it's only 7:47.  That HAD to be the world's longest hour
and seven minutes!!!

I arrive at parking lot "B".  Let's see.  My directions say park in the
farthest lot.  I pull into the second lot.  A Gray Kingbird is sitting on a
treetop in front of me.  I take it as a good omen.

Now, to find the Bike Trail.  I walk each direction, but find no signs, no
paths, and no other birders.  Something's wrong.  I flag down a golf cart
pulling some cleaning supplies.

"Where's the Quail-dove?"

"Parking Lot D"

"D?"

"Yeah, the LAST parking lot"

"Thanks"

I'd written down "B" instead of "D".  Now I felt foolish on top of being at
the end of my patience.  But this was my own fault.  I ran back to my car.

My tires screeched as I pulled out of the empty lot back into traffic
headed for the end of the park.  Soon I arrived at Parking Lot "D" which
was now almost full--and there was a whole group of birders.

A whole group of birders?  A secretive bird?  I wanted to find this alone
or with at least the quietest of conditions possible.  I rushed forward
passing the line of birders on the way.  I made it almost to the front with
the leaders before we reached the white plate markers.

Hurriedly I searched for the bird as I heard more and more birders come up
behind us, gabbing away.  I was frantic.  Finally, one of the leaders of
the Tropical Audubon Society found the bird.  I rushed over and found a
place near the front with some others.  We kneeled down so others could
view the bird behind us.  Fortunately everyone got to see the slow-moving
KEY WEST QUAIL-DOVE as it foraged through the underbrush.

It was duller on the nape and upper back than I had anticipated.  I was
told that it was a first year male.  I stayed for over 2 hours and got some
photos.

I met fellow Attuvian, Dan Sanders from Ohio and a group of his birding
friends.  After viewing the bird, I joined them for the rest of the
weekend.  The only thing that rivals the joy of seeing a life bird is
getting the chance to show someone else a life bird.  We even worked on a
few escrow birds, too.  We saw Spot-breasted Orioles (many) at Royal Palms
Tennis Courts and at A. D. Barnes Park--both in Kendall.  Red-whiskered
Bulbuls were at the Tennis Courts, the Baptist Hospital, and a neighborhood
feeder.  At the Baptist Hospital were Monk Parakeets, and both
"Yellow-chevroned" and "White-winged" Parakeets.  "Common Mynas" were in
Florida City near the intersection of Rt 1 and 9336 (the road to the
Everglades).  With the window open at the toll booth at Card Sound while
paying the toll, I heard a Yellow Warbler.  We all pulled off the road
immediately south of the booth and eventually found the "Golden Warbler",
the Cuban race of the Yellow Warbler.  At John Pennekamp St Pk we easily
found Black-whiskered Vireos, but whiffed on Mangrove Cuckoos along the
Mangrove Trail.  It was in the heat of the afternoon anyway.

All in all, a very fine weekend.  Very few warblers and migrants, but the
two life bird additions were well worth it!

-Greg Miller
Baltimore, MD