South Florida and Southeastern US Trip, January 6-16, 2025, Part 1 of 3

I was sitting at home on a cold day in November 2024 thinking ahead to the prospects of the upcoming winter of birding in western NC.  Winter birding in the area can be pretty slow in good times.  But complicating the picture this year was that several of my favorite birding spots were still inaccessible, or completely destroyed, by Hurricane Helene. 

That’s when I started thinking about setting up a mid-winter trip to a southern (and warmer) US location.  I’ve taken several mid-winter trips recently - lower Rio Grande valley In January 2024, Tallahassee in January 2023, and the Atlantic coast of FL in February 2023.  In each case the trips were focused on pursuing 1or more life birds, and were most successful.  So I checked out the eBird ABA Rarities Alert to see if there might be potential life bird targets to pursue this winter.  There was a long-staying Bananaquit near Miami that caught my eye.  Plus, there are quite a number of newly countable exotic Parakeets, Macaws, and Amazons in south FL that would be lifers for me.  The trip was on!

I started planning a south FL trip focused on specialties, exotics, and rarities.  And speaking of rarities, I also found reports of 2 exciting South American species being seen in south FL - Yellow-headed Caracara and Large-billed Tern.  I mentioned the upcoming trip to my good birding friend Bill Hooker, and he expressed interest in coming along.  Soon we were thinking about a trip for 4 of us –including Bill and his wife Anita, plus Bill’s friend Bob Cowan.  Not only were all of us looking for lifebirds and statebirds, but Bill was also working on his county lists, and Bob was embarking on a 2025 big year.  Plus, Anita was great at photographing our target birds.  So there were lots of potential targets for all of us.  And speaking of state and county birds, we decided to drive to south FL instead of flying so we could work on our lists along the way.

After perhaps 200 hours of research, I mapped out a route that would take us down the coast of SC and GA, through inland northern and central FL, then onto south FL.  Then we would return along the Atlantic coast of FL and back through GA and SC.  We tentatively planned it as an 11-day trip including 5 days in south FL.  Though we included more than enough flexibility to pursue any newly reported target birds.  With this itinerary I hoped for 4 new statebirds in SC, 2 in GA, and 10 new statebirds in FL.  And perhaps 2 of those new FL birds would be lifebirds as well.  Though unfortunately the initial trigger for our trip, the Bananaquit, was no longer being seen.

This blogpost summarizes the first portion of the trip.  The next two posts summarize the rest of the trip.

1/6 - South Carolina

There were an amazing number of rarities being seen in SC as our trip neared.  And even though two initial targets (Eared Grebe and White-winged Dove) were no longer being reported, we still had so many targets that we dedicated most of the first two days of the trip to chasing those SC rarities. 

Our first stop was to try for a Black-throated Gray Warbler at Harbison Pond near Columbia.  This bird had been reliable and seen by many from December 26th through 28th, but then not reported again until January 5th, just in time to put it back on our radar screen.  This western rarity was mostly seen on the eastern side of the small lake, and close to the shoreline.  In fact, most photos showed the bird right at the water’s edge.  So we were cautiously optimistic that the Warbler might actually be pretty easy to spot.

As we drove to Columbia we passed through bands of heavy rain as a strong cold front neared the area.  But luckily the rain had not yet arrived when we got to Harbison Pond, so we had a little dry window to find our target.  We started a slow walk down the eastern side of the lake but the only bird we found was a lone Phoebe.  Making matters worse, then the rain started, along with strong westerly winds.  Even though the bird was typically only seen on the east side of the lake, that area was exposed to the rain and wind.  So we decided to try the protected western side – that was a nice theory but we still couldn’t find our target. 

We went back to the east side and decided to give it one more try.  But this time we had no birds at all.  Just then Anita asked me to check out a bird she spotted high up in a tree in the distance.  Although it was pretty far away I could see the classic head pattern of our target bird – we had the Black-throated Gray Warbler!  (SC statebird #1)  No one had reported the bird foraging that high; wonder if the weather had something to do with it.

My statebird map for Black-throated Gray Warbler is inserted below.  The light blue shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range.  The 5 darker blue shaded states are those where I’ve seen it as a rarity.

Next we were on to Fort Moultrie on the coast near Charleston.  This spot is well known for its rarities and this January was no exception – Western Kingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and LeConte’s Sparrows were all being reported there.  When we arrived we spotted a birder in the distance so we made our way over to her.  She had just seen both flycatchers loosely associating together.  And soon we spotted the Western Kingbird on a low perch in the field – a nice rarity but I had seen one at Fort Moultrie in the past.  We spent a few minutes searching for the Ash-throated but with no luck.  Then I played a couple Ash-throated call notes for this tape-responsive species and it flew right into us (SC statebird #2).  I got these passable digi-bin shots of the two birds perched just a few feet apart.

 

We spent the next 30 minutes searching for the LeConte’s Sparrow, and found a nice flock of foraging Savannahs in about the right location, but we had no luck with our target.

Our next chaseable rarities were a male and female Western Tanager just 20 minutes away at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant.  They were seen separately generally foraging in woods near a submarine memorial and nearby across the street.  We had good directions, now we needed the birds to cooperate.

We parked at the memorial and quickly checked the trees there, but had no birds at all.  Then we headed across the road and at least started to find a few birds here and there.  Soon we got to a small wooden bridge that I remembered as being one of the hotspots for the Tanagers.  This spot turned out to be quite birdy, with a number of birds coming out of the brush under the bridge.  Then I noticed a larger bird perched in a bare tree just above the bridge – it was the female Western Tanager.  (SC statebird #3).  It was likely an immature bird with very limited yellow below.  Certainly not the most colorful bird, but still a new statebird.  Here’s a shot of Bob and Bill looking at the Tanager.

Since we found the Tanager so quickly we still had time for one last stop.  There was a male Bullock’s Oriole coming to a nearby private feeder, and even though the general suggestion was to try for this bird in the early morning, we decided to give it a go since we still had time late that afternoon.  We arrived at the residence and headed to the chairs in the backyard to start our vigil.  The homeowners came out to greet us, and put additional jelly in the feeder to entice the Oriole.  And within just a couple minutes the adult male Bullock’s flew in to the feeding station.  I had seen a female in SC a couple years earlier, but it sure was nice to see this beautiful male.

1/7 – Coastal South Carolina

Our first stop of the day was on Edisto Island where up to 2 Long-tailed Ducks had been reported.  Unfortunately, they had not been reported for 4 days, and the locations of the eBird checklists were at multiple spots all along the beach.  So I was a bit worried if we were going to be successful on this search, or at least successful quickly.  But I got a tip that they might be more reliable off the Coots Bar restaurant, so that’s where we started.

When we parked at Coots Bar I looked down the coast to the southwest and was shocked to see numerous jetties jutting out from the beach.  Long-tailed Ducks like to feed along jetties so there could be a dozen or more places to check.  I scanned the first jetty but didn’t find any ducks.  Then Bill said he thought he had them at the next jetty.  Binocular views revealed two small mostly white ducks, and in the scope we confirmed we had the male and female pair of Long-tailed Ducks.  (SC statebird #4)  SC was the last Atlantic coast state where I still needed this species.  The two cross-hatched states in my statebird map (OR, OH), are the last 2 states where I still need this species in its regular range.

We then spent a little time focusing on the shorebirds feeding on the jetties and picked out 2 Knots among the flocks of Sanderlings, Turnstones, and Willets.

As we continued our trek down the coast our next stop was at Bear Island WMA.  And here we quickly picked up Tundra Swans as our key target.  We also kept our eyes open for a White-winged Dove reported there recently, but just found Mourning Doves. 

Our last stop in SC was at the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive in Savannah NWR.  The key target here was a Gray-headed Swamphen which was only the second SC state record.  The bird was first reported some 2 weeks earlier, and was seen daily within 100 yards past port-a-potties located along the drive.  An occasional Cave Swallow or 2 was also reported by some birders in the area, though that target was a pretty long shot.

We quickly found the port-a-potties less than a mile from the beginning of the drive, parked our cars, and began searching the marshes nearby.  Our initial searches yielded numerous Common Gallinules and Coots and a few dabbling ducks, but no big purple marsh birds.  We continued down the road a bit combing through more cattail marshes but still couldn’t come up with our target.  I took a break at one point to look for swallows and found quite a number of Tree Swallows passing quickly by, seemingly in migration.  None looked like possible Cave candidates though all were passing by so quickly that a Cave ID would have been difficult.

We had now come more than 100 yards from the port-a-potties, so I started heading back to recheck the marsh we had just searched.  Just then I spotted a flash of purple color at the edge of the cattails.  I saw a bit more movement and watched as the Gray-headed Swamphen stepped out of the reeds into view.  (SC statebird #5) 

Just as I was getting everyone on the bird, Bill spotted an American Bittern slowly moving through the cattails just a few feet from the Swamphen.  Even when we knew where the Bittern was it was next to impossible to see.

With the Swamphen search complete, I turned back to the swallow search.  As before there were many Trees flying quickly by, but this time I noticed a swallow flying back and forth foraging low over the impoundment.  This one had an orange rump and buffy throat – we had a Cave Swallow (SC statebird #6).  We had at least 3 Caves together at the Swamphen spot, and at least 2 others a short distance down the road.  Each of the Caves were coursing low over the vegetation apparently feeding, while the numerous Trees were flying as if migrating by.  SC was my 5th state seeing Cave Swallow as a rarity.  I’ve also seen the Caribbean group breeding in south FL, and the Mexican group breeding in TX, NM, and LA.

We birded the rest of the Wildlife Drive, finding lots of waterfowl (including a somewhat unexpected pair of Mottled Ducks) and many waders.  And although we wanted to bird there longer, it was time to move on to our next stops.

1/7 – Coastal Georgia

It was now getting late in the afternoon but we had time for 2 quick stops just over the stateline in GA.  The first was at Fort Pulaski to try for the 3 “marsh sparrows”.  Although the tide wasn’t high, which is the easiest time to find these elusive birds, we still hoped to find them in the excellent salt marsh habitat at the fort.  But despite playing a lot of tape we were unsuccessful.  Lastly, we headed to the North Jetty at Tybee Island where there were old reports of Purple Sandpipers, Black Scoters, and a Long-tailed Duck.  But we could only find Turnstones and Sanderlings.  Maybe we could try for them on the way back north later in the trip.

1/8 – North Florida

Our first stop in FL was at the Sweetwater Wetlands in Gainesville for a long-staying Cinnamon Teal.  Although the bird was seen regularly in a large flock of Blue-winged Teal, there had been no reports of our target since January 2nd.  So I was a bit concerned that it had moved on.  As we walked into the park we saw a group of birders coming out.  They told us that the large flock of Blue-wings had moved on and the Cinnamon Teal likely had gone with them.  When we got to the impoundment where the Teal flock had been we found just 6 Blue-wings.  At least the whole area was very birdy, including this Snail Kite that flew in and perched cooperatively nearby.

Next we were on to the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park 45 minutes to the south.  This site had 2 key targets for us: a small number of Vaux’s Swifts that were being seen sporadically, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher.  The Swifts were mostly spotted flying over impoundments at the south end of the park, and the Flycatcher was principally near the northwestern part of the park.  We pulled in and quickly headed to the southern impoundments, but our searches of the skies came up empty.  We noticed a birder in the distance and walked over to him for some local advice.  He mentioned that we just missed the Swifts, as they flew by just 20 minutes earlier.  Surely they would come back, right?  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case over the next 30 minutes. 

We decided to try to change our luck and look for the Flycatcher.  After a short walk toward the northern end of the park we watched and listened to no avail.  We played some tape hoping for a response like we had with the SC bird a couple days earlier, but again with no luck.  Though a couple Eastern Phoebes briefly got us excited. 

After about 90 minutes at the park we decided to cut our losses and head out for one more stop yet that afternoon.  The last stop of the day was about 2 hours to the south in Osceola County where a Whooping Crane had taken up residence with a pair of Sandhills in a subdivision under construction.  This bird was apparently quite reliable, so we hoped we might soon change our luck after missing several consecutive targets. 

When we arrived we first had to drive through a neighborhood of new houses to get to the construction area.  There we found the roads were completed and the subdivision was all laid out, but the houses were not yet under construction.  The Crane was most often reported right in the cul de sac at the end of the road, but there was no obvious tall white bird in site.  Then I looked to the east a bit to a neighboring farm and noticed a white bird in the distance.  With a quick binocular view we confirmed we had our Whooping Crane feeding in the short grass with 2 Sandhills.  (FL statebird #1) 

After watching it feed at the farm for a few minutes it took off and flew right by us, landing in a pond in the cul de sac, giving us great views.  What a great way to end the day!

There was a second Whooping Crane being seen less than 10 miles away.  It turns out that both birds were released in the area in 1999 and had formed a mated pair, but somehow the 2 birds had recently become separated.  You would sure hope that the authorities would try to reacquaint the birds, especially given that the habitat for the one we saw would soon be compromised once construction of the neighborhood was underway.

1/9 – Central Florida

One of the key initial targets for the trip was a Large-billed Tern discovered at the Goodwin WMA.  This South American species was first spotted in the area in the summer of 2023, but then disappeared until being re-found in November 2024.  Interestingly, it or another one spent the summer of 2024 near Naples in the southwestern portion of FL.  Goodwin WMA is only accessible by car on Thursdays, or with a very long walk on Sundays, resulting in a limited number of reports from the area.  The last positive report for the Tern was December 15th, so we weren’t too hopeful.  But with so many birders looking for the Tern, it’s not too surprising that another rarity was found there- a Ruff feeding with other shorebirds in one of the impoundments.  A nice example of the “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect”. 

Now we needed to gain access to the site and find the impoundments where the Tern and Ruff were most likely to be seen.  Not to mention find our target birds!  For this support we turned to David Simpson, one of the local expert birders, and the person who discovered the Tern.  It turns out that he has his own guiding company, and was free on Thursday the 9th, so we hired him for a half day tour.  And since Goodwin is only accessible on Thursdays, we literally planned our entire trip around birding that site the morning of the 9th.

We met David in the parking lot at 8, and birded the immediate vicinity for a while waiting for the gate to open at 9.  A male Vermilion Flycatcher and a Tropical Kingbird were being seen in the area, and we quickly found both birds perched in the same bush.  Later a female Painted Bunting was spotted there as well.  By the time the gate opened at least 20 birders had gathered anxious to get into the site.  We were hopeful that with all those eyes we would find at least one of our target birds. 

Once we got inside we started to get a feel for how immense the site was.   We first drove through several miles of dry savanna until we reached wet impoundments.  Marsh birds and waterfowl were everywhere, including numerous Swamphens and both Gallinules, all the expected waders, and flocks of dabbling and diving ducks.  We spent some time at the impoundment where the Tern would often perch, but we were all realistic that the Tern had most likely moved on.

We eventually made our way to the impoundment where the Ruff and most of the shorebirds were being seen.  There were already at least a dozen birders there by the time we set up the scopes.  Here’s a picture of the impoundment.

After a bit of scanning we eventually spotted the flock the Ruff was likely associating with, but the birds were really far away and most were sleeping.  Mixed in the roosting flock were large numbers of Skimmers, Ring-billed Gulls, and Forster’s and Caspian Terns – though no Large-billed Tern was in the group.  We tried numerous vantage points but mostly just found more sleeping shorebirds.  But after a while we started to find some birds up and about foraging on the flats, including a nice Stilt Sandpiper feeding with both Yellowlegs.  And then as we were about to run out of time, we came upon a large group of mostly Dowitchers feeding a bit closer to us.  And one birder mentioned he might have an interesting bird in the flock.  David looked in that birder’s scope and confirmed they had the Ruff.  It took me a couple anxious minutes but I was finally able to pick it out in the distance.  (FL statebird #2)  FL is the 10th state where I’ve seen Ruff – of course all as rarities.

On our way back out of Goodwin we spotted a couple Snail Kites – a nice way to end the trip to this amazing spot.  Without David’s help we doubt that we would have been able to find the Ruff, let alone find the impoundment where the Ruff was hanging out.

As we continued our drive toward southern FL our next stop was Paul Rardin Park along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee.  This small roadside park had an amazing set of wintering flycatchers, with recent reports including a Vermilion Flycatcher, 2 Western Kingbirds, a Tropical Kingbird, and occasional sightings of the only overwintering Gray Kingbird in the state that year.  Soon after we arrived I spotted a pair of flycatchers on power lines at the edge of the park which turned out to be a Western and a beautiful male Vermilion.  Then another Western joined them.  Soon we were surrounded by Kingbirds, and we counted 4 Westerns and a Tropical, eventually all flying in to perches in the same tree!  Here is one of Anita’s pictures of the Tropical with the rising moon in the background. 

We spent some additional time trying to re-locate the Gray Kingbird without success.  That one will have to wait for the breeding season when they’re common in the right habitats.

It was now late afternoon and we had just enough time for a stop at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill.  This spot is well-known for its blackbirds, with large mixed flocks coming to feed on spilled rice.  Our key target here was Shiny Cowbird which was sometimes seen in those flocks.  I had birded here a few years ago, and the protocol was to park at the edge of the parking lot and bird from the edges, staying away from mill operations.  This strategy was confirmed by my more recent contacts as we prepared for this trip.

We pulled into the parking lot and quickly noted a small flock of blackbirds coming into a nearby dumpster.  Just as we started to focus on the birds several employees came out of the buildings and made it quite clear that we weren’t allowed there.  We made a hasty retreat to our cars, and found a safe spot to park just outside the mill property.  Luckily there was a spot where we could still see the dumpster and all its blackbirds.  The birds would fly into neighboring hedges and trees, stage there briefly, then either fly right into the dumpster, or rest briefly on its edge, before dropping into it out of view.  At times the whole flock would be spooked and all would fly away, only to come back to start the process all over again a couple minutes later.  At best that gave us only brief views of any one bird so we had to be quick with the binoculars.

We spent the better part of an hour there watching the almost constant movement of blackbirds dominated by about 100 Red-wings.  We eventually all got good views of at least 3 Shiny Cowbirds (at least 1 male and 2 females), and at least 3 Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  I also got one view of a Bronzed Cowbird but couldn’t get others on it before it flew off.  Wonder what was in that dumpster that the blackbirds liked so much.

The next 2 blog posts summarize the rest of the trip.

Two Lifebirds and Three Other Statebirds, South Florida, April, 2018

In 2006 and 2008 I added a few vacation days to business trips to south Florida in search of multiple introduced species.  Some were countable lifebirds, like the Spot-breasted Oriole in 2006 and the Common Myna in 2008 which had recently been added to the ABA list.  But others weren’t, like the Purple Swamphen I specifically sought after and found at Pembroke Pines in 2008.  And during that trip I also had a fly-by Egyptian Goose which unfortunately also wasn’t countable.  Then a few years later the ABA added both the Swamphen (though now determined to be the Gray-headed Swamphen) and the Egyptian Goose to the ABA list.  Unfortunately, even though I had seen both species in the wild, I couldn’t count them because that was before these introduced species were determined by the ABA to have sustainable populations. 

So I needed to get back to south Florida to see both the Swamphen and Goose to fill in these new holes in my ABA list.  Unfortunately I haven’t had any business trips to south FL since 2010, so I’ve had no chances to see these very “gettable” species.  Finally an April 2018 family vacation to visit relatives would provide an opportunity to check them off.  So I made sure to set up an itinerary that included a couple days in southeast FL to look for both targets.  Plus of course there are always a few other statebird possibilities to try for.  I targeted two additional possible statebirds – Nelson’s Sparrow likely still hanging around in saltmarshes on the Gulf Coast, and a flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds coming to a rice silo just west of West Palm Beach.

Our first stop was to visit relatives north of Tampa.  These relatives live in a subdivision with next to no native vegetation.  That is except for their backyard, which includes a small grove of natural live oaks.  In our previous trips there, these trees have always seemed to attract some nice migrants.  So on our second day there I spent much of the afternoon sitting in the yard watching quite a number of migrants come and go – mostly Palm Warblers, Yellow-rumps, and a Black-and-white.  Then I noticed another warbler that I initially thought was a Yellow-rumped but soon realized it didn’t have a yellow rump.  Upon closer inspection I realized it was a rare female Cerulean Warbler.  I continued to watch it off and on for the next 20 minutes.  That was a most unexpected surprise for this species that typically migrates into the US across the western Gulf.  FL is my 23rd state for this declining species (see my statebird map below).

The next day I headed off to nearby Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park to try for Nelson’s Sparrow.  I lived in central FL in the late 80’s, and had numerous wintering sparrows which back then were called “Sharp-tailed Sparrows”.  Of course since then this group has been split into 2 species.  Unfortunately I didn’t look close enough to tell whether the many birds I was looking at in the 80’s would become Saltmarsh or Nelson’s Sparrows.  Although I’m sure I saw both of these common wintering species, I decided to only count the Saltmarsh Sparrow on my FL statelist.  So with that somewhat arbitrary gap in my FL list, I researched possible sites for Nelson’s Sparrow.  It was getting late in the season, and there were no recent posts for this species.  But there were April sightings of Nelson’s at this park in 2006 and 2014 - obviously dated but still worth a try.  Besides the salt marsh couldn’t have changed that much over the years, right?

I arrived at dawn at the trailhead for the Black Rail Trail at the state park, and began my walk.  After a short distance through the woodland, the trail emerged into a very nice saltwater marsh – perfect habitat for the Nelson’s, as well as for Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows.  I continued walking along the trail, stopping to play a bit of tape here and there (since Nelson’s can be very tape responsive), but to no avail.  Then after about 30 minutes of watching and listening I finally heard a Nelson’s singing out in the marsh.  I tried to track it down, but it turned out to be too wet so it stayed as a heard only bird.  Later I heard 2 other singing birds, but could never get any visuals.  Interestingly I didn’t have Saltmarsh or Seaside Sparrows while on the walk despite the excellent habitat.

My statebird map for Nelson’s Sparrow has lots of gaps.  First of all, I’ve never had any luck finding it on its Midwest breeding grounds (though I’ve seen it nesting in ME).  I've also seen Nelson's as a nester in 3 Canadian provinces - AB, NS, and PEI.  And my story for Nelson’s in its wintering range along the southern Atlantic coast is the same as it was for FL – I’m sure I saw this species in those states years ago, but my notes are insufficient to be able to count both Nelson’s and Saltmarsh in those states.  So like FL, I’ve only checked off Saltmarsh Sparrow in the states along the southern Atlantic coastline.

As a side note – while along the Gulf Coast I made sure to look at the wintering Willets to be sure I saw a “Western” Willet in hopes that some day this species will be split into two like the “Sharp-tailed Sparrows” were.

Next we were off to southeast FL, and with only a slight diversion we made a stop at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill where 50 or more Yellow-headed Blackbirds had been found feeding with other blackbirds on rice that had been spilled at the mill.  Soon after we arrived I noticed a flock of blackbirds feeding on the ground right next to one of the buildings.  After a short walk I was a safe distance away, and could see many Red-wings, a couple Cowbirds, and 1 or 2 Common and Boat-tailed Grackles, but no Yellow-headeds.  Then I thought I saw a flash of yellow among the flock of blackbirds.  And then as the birds moved around a bit I caught another glimpse of yellow, and eventually spotted an adult male Yellow-headed feeding in the middle of the flock.  The bird didn’t seem too healthy, but it was alive and countable.  I thought about looking for other Yellow-headeds nearby, but since my family was in the car waiting for me, I figured a shorter stop was the better approach.  FL is my 3rd state for this normally western species as a rarity (in addition to MA and NH).

So although it certainly was nice to add 3 birds to my FL statelist, the key targets were still ahead of me – Gray-headed Swamphen and Egyptian Goose as lifers.  With a bunch of eBird research, I found several seemingly reliable locations for the Swamphen not too far from our hotel, but numbers in each case were pretty low.  So I mapped out several possible locations in case I had problems finding my target among the more numerous Common and Purple Gallinules.  My first choice was Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands southwest of West Palm with recent reports having up to 5 Swamphens along with dozens of Gallinules.

I arrived at Green Cay at dawn, and started to walk slowly along the boardwalk which meanders around the wetlands.  Shortly after I arrived I ran into this Anhinga on the railing as if it were welcoming me to the park.

The first area I came to was full of waders, but I only found 1 Common Gallinule.  There wasn’t much marsh habitat there, so I wasn’t too worried yet.  Then a short distance farther along I finally came into some nice marsh habitat that looked suitable for my target.  And sure enough with a quick scope scan I spotted a Swamphen in the distance.  And as I was about to set up for a distant phone-scoped photo, I heard an odd call coming from the marsh right behind me.  I turned and found a much closer Swamphen giving a call which sounded a bit like a Red-headed Woodpecker.  This most cooperative bird provided this nice Kodak moment.

With the pressure off, I continued to walk along the boardwalk at a leisurely pace and found 3 other Swamphens giving me 5 for Green Cay.  And although the Swamphens were outnumbered by the 30 Common and 3 Purple Gallinules, they really stood out.  The park was full of waders and other marsh birds as well, with one of the highlights being a nice visual of a Least Bittern.

Next I was off to search for my next target – the Egyptian Goose.  Research on eBird suggested there was a pair in most every park or golf course in the area that included a freshwater pond.  But most locations had just a few sightings, and never more than a couple birds.  But as I continued to watch the eBird reports I noticed multiple sightings at the Snook Island Natural Area.  Sightings indicated it was a family group with multiple goslings, so this seemed to be my best opportunity.  But like the Swamphen, I came up with a list of other nearby spots just in case I struck out at Snook Island.

After a short drive from Green Cay I arrived at Snook Island and soon realized that the park was actually a coastal reserve including some nice mangroves (and lots of no-see-ums), but had no freshwater.  Not the proper habitat for the Geese.  But it was adjacent to a golf course with several ponds, so that must be the correct location.  I could see a good portion of the golf course from the fenceline along its southern edge, and I first scanned the closest pond but just came up with a few Mottled Ducks.  Farther out in the park I noticed a couple more waterfowl walking in the grass but they were just Muscovy Ducks (countable but I already had them on my FL list).  Then in the far distance I spotted another bird walking in the grass and got the briefest look of an Egyptian Goose just before it walked over a rise and out of view.  That was enough to add it to my list, but it was a miserable view.  So I decided to drive into the golf course to ask permission to walk around the course a bit and try to get a better view.

A couple minutes later I got to the golf course office but couldn’t find anyone to ask permission.  So I decided to just head off on my own, and the first pond I came to had these 2 Egyptian Geese preening right in front of me. 

I had allotted the whole day to look for my 2 lifers, but had them both before mid-morning.  Do I stay out and do more birding, or head back early to join the family on the beach at the hotel?  As a compromise, I decided to make one brief attempt for another possible target– a Tropical Mockingbird.  This bird first appeared at the Lake Worth Beach parking lot in June 2017, stayed into July, and ended up breeding with a Northern Mockingbird.  From notes in eBird it looked like the locals didn’t think it would be countable, though I don’t think the FL rare bird committee has voted on it yet.  Presumably the same bird was re-spotted a couple weeks earlier, and since the parking lot was only a couple miles away, I decided to give it a try.

I first headed to the southern end of the parking lot where the Mockingbird was typically seen last summer.  With a quick scan the only birds I could find were a pair of Collared Doves.  I walked to the middle of the lot and soon spotted a bird on the wires – it was a Mockingbird but which species?  It took a while for the bird to cooperate, but I was eventually able to ID it as the Tropical – no white wing patches, and a wide white patches in the tip of the tail as shown in this photo.

 

Later it was joined by a Northern Mockingbird and the two appeared to be a pair, spending some time checking out suitable nesting sites. 

This is the second Tropical Mockingbird I’ve seen in the US – the first was one on the TX Gulf Coast which later was determined to be an escaped bird.  Unfortunately birders are likely to reach the same conclusion on this one, even though they nest not too far away on the Yucatan peninsula and in the northern Caribbean.

A most successful trip!  With 2 new lifebirds that brings my ABA Continental Area (not counting Hawaii) total to 754, and my Lower 48 list to 734.  And my FL statelist is now at 319 – conservatively not counting the Tropical Mockingbird, at least for now.