Today Jean and I got up early to go to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. It really is a great place. I need to remember to read the fine print. We arrived at 7 AM, tightly locked gates open at 8 AM. Decided to backtrack to Crandon Park where we parked on the street and walked in (also opens at 8 AM but not a fortress). This was a nice decision as we walked to the beach and got nice shorebirding in, easily finding a mixed flock of Piping Plover, Semi-palmated plover, sanderling, BBPL, and one Ruddy Turnstone and one Red Knot. We only spent a short while there, then make a detour to Starbucks for oatmeal and tea for Jean, then back at Bill Baggs by 8:20 AM. The area A was alive with chipping warbler notes, and we quickly found that they were an about even mix of Palm Warblers and Prairie Warblers. I really think there were > 100 of each in that area alone, but IL entered e-bird counts lower to be conservative. gthe PRWA were almost all males. I tried to find the Cape May Warblers noted yesterday, but couldn’t ID one.
Jean got frustrated after an hour or so of pointing at little guys in the trees, and went for a run. I kept at it a while there and then took a rest-of-the-morning walk all over the park. Best birds were a single Blackpoll, Male BTBW, Bobolink that responded to pishing and really surprised me, and one frustrating bitd I could not figure out despite good looks. I need to do more work in the book. I initially thought Yellow-throated vireo. Had two wing bars, yellow spectacles, but had some blackish streaking on the flanks, and lacked the prominant yellow throat and white rest of belly. I definitely meed more study before Texas next week.
See ebird lists.
tomorrow is a city day with Jean. Off to a famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney’s place for dinner tonight. Plant Based Food and Wine.