No Screech Owls today. 2nd year we have been skunked on this species.
We headed to the point of Veteran's Memorial Park at dawn as the tide was set to be -1 and we hoped for some shorebirds along the meager beach front. We found a large group of Willets near the picnic area right away.
The loudest noise permeating the air was that of hundreds of Laughing Gulls loafing and feeding on the open sand and mud.
Also hanging out in the gloom was a single Semi-palmated Sandpiper.
That bird was foraging near the lone Little Blue Heron in the area.
Flocks of Forster's Terns, Double-crested Cormorants, and White Ibis added to the filled skies as the clouds continued to blanket the views.
There began to be some breaks in the cloud banks as we added Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Red Knots, and others to our species list. It reminded me of Indiana Jones witnessing the Sun pointing to the tombs.
We then headed off to Joe's Creek to see what we could stir up. Invasives have clogged up some of the better open areas. Specifically Brazilian Pepper. We found no Swamp Sparrows though they were here in past years. We did manage to scare up a Sora and watched as Rosette Spoonbills and Wood Storks soared overhead.
Blue-grey Gnatcatchers were ever-present all day but hard to photograph.
We missed finding any Goldfinches this year but we did have some nice things pop up like Eastern Towhee and Carolina Chickadee. I was almost caught off-guard when a few Pine Warblers dropped in just in front of me.
Checking the canals, we got a few more species but not as many as in previous years. Cooper's Hawks, Mallard, our single Black-crowned Night Heron hiding in the far branches and a near skeleton of what we determined to be that of an otter. At least we had a Black and White Warbler show up just in time!
We made a fast run over to 66th street to look for Least Bitterns but were unsuccessful. Here, the rest of the team scans for the Bitterns.
A quick lunch break allowed me to scan some of the other local ponds but there was nothing of note. We had Blue-winged Teal, Coots, Moorhens and a few turtles finally getting a chance to bask in the emerging sunlight.
We headed back to Veteran's Park after Dave and Jim scored an American Bittern near a local strip mall and I searched for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron that has been in the area for years. It was not to be found today but there were other things to photograph. Where the Night Heron should have been there were only scores of Fiddler Crabs leading me to believe that the bird hasn't been here for a while.
Nearby, Palm Warblers erupted from the grasses and lit in the oaks. Most were Western Palm Warblers.
A bright glint of yellow caught my eye and revealed a pair of Eastern, also known as Yellow, Palm Warblers.
We continued to tick more species as we moved along, 91 in total for the day, but my interest was captured by the Spotted Sandpiper we first discovered early in the day. As the light broke through I was able to finally get some good shots of this bird which was not too concerned of my presence.
It only regarded me with apprehension a few times as I scrambled down the rocks to get a better view but would then figure I was no threat and begin foraging again.
Every now and again it would grab a small meal hiding in the sand and enjoy a quick snack to eat.
Besides having a Sora almost jump into me, this was some of my favorite moments of the day. Being close to a lovely bird and enjoying the fresh new cold front moving through.
Awaiting the totals for the day but this was the best set of numbers I have had in this spot over the years. Can't wait until next year!
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