Bird Walk Wrap-Up: A.D. Barnes Park, September 2021

Bird Walk Leaders: Ana Lima & Roxanne Featherly, Images by Andrea Diamond

The Phoebes’ first bird walk in 18 months was a well-attended outing at A.D. Barnes Park in Miami-Dade County on September 12 that proved to be a heartwarming reunion for many of us and an exciting day for the newcomers to our birding group. Thirty-five participants broke out into two groups, recording a total of 41 species including Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher and Summer Tanager.

Along one very birdy hot spot on a dirt trail winding through the dense tropical hammock we spotted Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Northern Parula. We observed some birds feasting on fruit of the massive Strangler Figs, or foraging among the native flora including Live Oaks, Wild Coffee, Snowberry and Beautyberry shrubs. At the ponds we observed Tricolored, Little Blue and Green herons, as well as Muscovy Duck, Anhinga, and Osprey. A Downy Woodpecker sighting capped the outing as we gathered for a picnic under the oaks.

Many thanks to Phoebe Roxanne Featherly for leading one of the groups, Phoebes Alison Enchelmaier and Beatriz Hernandez for managing the eBird lists, and for those who pitched in to help newcomers learn the birding basics. This is what the Phoebes is all about! Keep an eye on our website phoebesbirding.com where we post upcoming trips and events.

TRIPS HIGHLIGHTS

The group saw a Cooper’s Hawk dive bomb a flock of European Starlings. This is typical of Cooper’s Hawk, which feeds mostly on birds, but also takes small mammals and reptiles. It perches, waits and quickly swoops down to seize prey.

The Eastern Wood-Pewee is a small flycatcher with gray-olive upperparts and pale gray underparts. It feeds on small flying insects (flies, bees, butterflies, wasps and beetles). Some in the group watched this pewee sally out from an exposed branch to capture prey, then return to the same perch. Sometimes this pewee will pose, so-to-speak, for photos unlike many other small flycatchers that stay hidden.

The Worm-eating Warbler is a medium-sized warbler with olive-gray upperparts and buffy, creamy mustard color below. Its mustard-colored head has four contrasting and distinctive bold black stripes. We witnessed it specializing in using its long, pale, decurved bill to pick insects from hanging dead leaves.

Birds We Saw

41 species of birds were seen in total:

Muscovy Duck (Established Feral)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Gallinule
Anhinga
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
White Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cooper's Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Bobolink
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal