The last few days, I've been scrambling around Miami-Dade and beyond looking for those final birds. My last day of the year, yesterday, proved successful.
I got to Lucky Hammock and the Annex first, seeing a WHITE-TAILED KITE at about 6:30 am, land in the hammock, and immediately fly back west, where it had come from. Ironically, this is what Eva and I were really hoping for 1 year ago today when setting out on our first of my year big day. Yesterday, I also saw several WHITE-EYED VIREO, empids, tons of EASTERN KINGBIRD and PURPLE MARTEN in the Immokalee Rd. area. I also was able to find a SOLITARY SANDPIPER east of the C-111 canal that I was looking for for my year, so well worth the early trip.
I then went to Dagney Johnson in Key Largo looking for a BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO, but didn't get to see it after a couple hours of looking (9am-11am). This bird escape me this year, but definitely not for lack of trying.
In the early afternoon, I went to Matheson Hammock to look for the KENTUCKY WARBLER, reported the evening before, but had no luck. I did see a couple WORM-EATING WARBLER, a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, AMERICAN REDSTART, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, and NORTHERN PARULA. Warbler migration is in full swing.
In the afternoon I went up to Miami Shores with Rosana to look for a WHITE-WINGED PARAKEET. We drove around there and El Portal with no luck. We went to Starbucks there at about 4pm and got great looks at a flock of them, and then immediately noticed two RED-MASKED PARAKEET bothered by a Cooper's Hawk. Both of these were lifers for me, but only the WHITE-WINGED is ABA acceptable.
We celebrated last night up in Hollywood with some beers. I'm trying to wrap my head around the conclusion of this adventure still. I intend to put reflections, statistics, and future plans in the coming days in weeks.
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