Phoebes Big Sit 2023 — Phoebes Birding

Saturday, October 7, 2023 • AD Barnes Park • Report by Elizabeth Gushee, Images Courtesy of Ana Lima and Michele Louden, eBird compiled by Miriam Avello

The rattle call of a Belted Kingfisher hung in the air as the members of the Phoebes Birding group settled into their lawn chairs to count birds for the Phoebes’ second annual Big Sit event. Can you count a bird that’s heard but not seen during a Big Sit? Yes, you can! Following the Big Sit rules (an event initiated in 1992 by the New Haven, CT Bird Club), birds that are seen or heard can be counted, as long as those birds are seen or heard from within the boundaries of a circle no more than 17 feet in diameter.

The Phoebes selected South Miami’s A.D. Barnes Park for their Big Sit and picked a shady spot for their circle, strategically situated under the shade of fruiting trees and within eyesight of the pond. The site proved to be a good one, as multiple warbler species and a Baltimore Oriole were spotted in the fruit trees, feeding on insects and berries. The pond produced several wading birds, including a Tricolored Heron and a Great Egret, as well as other water-oriented birds, such as the Common Gallinule, Double-Crested Cormorant and the aforementioned Belted Kingfisher. As the morning progressed, raptors began to appear, soaring far above the Big Sit circle. The Phoebes were treated to spectacular views of a Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Broad-winged Hawk, and Osprey. And yes, since they were spotted by Phoebes sitting within the circle, they count!

As the morning progressed, the birding slowed, and by 11:00 AM the Phoebes’ 2023 Big Sit was in the history books. Between 8:00 and 11:00 AM, a total of 46 species were observed. Not bad for a 17-foot circle!