Cowbirded

Rosana and I went camping at Flamingo in the Everglades this weekend. I had a few birds to try to pick up there, now that summer seems to have set in.

First up was another try at the Cape Sable SEASIDE SPARROW, which turned up nothing. Next was locating a SHINY COWBIRD in a flock of about 40 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS in the parking lot area of the Flamingo visitor's center. Luckily, there were two males SHINYS in the pack, which were very easy to spot. Next up was checking out Eco Pond. We were there at dusk on Saturday with a lot of great birds including AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, WOOD STORK, AMERICAN AVOCET, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and so on. My goal was to try to find a LESSER NIGHTHAWK. With no luck that evening, I woke up at 6am to try again on Sunday, and did not see one then either.

Cuckoo

At Matheson Hammock in Miami this morning, I saw my first of the year MANGROVE CUCKOO.

Western migrant in Florida

On Friday morning, I saw that the birdboard was ablaze with birders having seen a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK at Kendall Indian Hammocks park, not too far from the house. I got myself together quickly, and got there at about 11am. I was the only one at the spot, looking for it in my post-op shoe from Wednesday's ingrown toenail surgery. I spent about a half-hour looking, to no avail. Carl Edwards, a local birder, then came. He played the call, and within 20 minutes, we were treated to great looks at it. Here's a picture that a local birder Toe got of this common western U.S. migrant, but Florida super-rarity.

This was a life bird for me, having just missed its presence on the west coast this past fall.