I had been planning to use a long layover in Miami, enroute from the Yucatan to Nicaragua to try to pad my ABA list with Common Myna, but luck was favoring me and a Northern spindalis has been hanging out at Markham Park less than an hour from the Miami airport. Kay and I rented a car at the airport and dashed for the park. We got there about 2:30 PM and stalked the area for a couple of hours without any luck. Really very quiet, midday birding. The Spot-breasted orioles that it has been hanging with were not to be found either. As dusk approached a threesome of photographers arrived bringing energy to the search, and after about half hour I the bird just popped up onto a tree near where I thought I’d seen it fly to much earlier. I got great looks and very poor photos, but one of the photographers crowded the bird and it flew a couple of minutes before I managed to locate Kay and get her to the site. It never reappeared.

We did manage to find the flock of 5 Spot-breasted orioles though, and they were a nice life-list addition for Kay. The photographers promised to send me photos of both birds, and when they do I’ll post them.

Off to Managua in the morning, and maybe if I’m really lucky a Common myna will be at the MacDonalds nearby and I’ll tick them on the way.