Marian and I had the fortune to be offered the chance to stay in a home on Big Pine Key, FL for a couple of weeks before continuing on to Costa Rica to visit Jean and Alan at their home there where they practice regenerative agriculture. I really did not know what to expect here in terms of birding. It is arguably the key in the southern keys area with the most remaining somewhat undisturbed land, in a major effort to save the endangered Key Deer. They are certainly populous in this one key. They walk by the pool every hour or so at the home where we are staying, and you need to drive slowly here to avoid running over these tiny deer, which are a small subspecies of White-tailed Deer.
Overall the birding here is pretty slow right now. I’ve reviewed eBird bar charts and it looks like the passerine migration really doesn’t get going until about the first week of April, and a relatively small number of land-bird species winter here. So far the best places I’ve visited were the “Blue Hole” platorm overlook, a short trail through some small trees to a freshwater pond, where I saw a pair of American Wigeon (the only birds here to make eBird review lists, along with three species of warblers, Palm, Prairne and Black-and-white.
Overall a much more interessting spot was Hahia-Honda State Park, a park that straddles the Overseas Highway, has part of the abandoned old railroad bridge and overlying auto highway that has been declared an historic landmark and is decaying in place, and has three beaches where good numbers of Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone, a few Least Sandpipers, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Osprey, DC Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, and Royal Terns were fun to watch. This Lesser Black-backed Gull stood out immediately with its very dark back, (Marian spotted it first and commented on the vary dark color) and bright yellow legs.
Overall we have primarily relaxxed, I’ve been getting out for a couple of hours early each day hoping for more passerine action, so far without much luck. It is beautiful here though. At the top you can see the view from the chair as I write this post mid-afternoon. I’m really trying to stay relaxed, not race around looking for birds, and just enjoy the beauty and warm weather. It is pretty much 75-78 here every day and night with enough of a breeze near the water to stay cool.
So far two new Florida species, the LBBG and AMWI.
Ed
