A.D. Barnes Park Fall Migration 2010 (Aug-Sept) (1 Viewer)

I thought I'd post my bird sightings at A.D. Barnes Park here for part of fall migration just to show what is around or passing through -- anything seen in this park can probably be seen at any other migrant trap, so go out and look!

Location: A. D. Barnes Park
Observation date: 8/22/10
Number of species: 18

Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) - Cairina moschata (Domestic type) 1
Green Heron - Butorides virescens 1 Almost turned into a meal by a Cooper's Hawk.
White Ibis - Eudocimus albus 1
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto 11
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 6
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 10
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 25
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 18 Large number of these little passerines, which were the dominant species in the park along with American Redstarts and Red-eyed Vireos. A conservative number as the entire park was not covered.
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 4
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 1
Northern Parula - Parula americana 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 1
Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica 3
Prairie Warbler - Dendroica discolor 4
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 2
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 15
Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 15 Bumper crop of Northern Cardinals this year -- a high number for the park. Lots of young birds.

Carlos

I can add a Green Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Cape May Warbler (2), and a Blackburnian Warbler to this September list:

Location: A. D. Barnes Park
Observation date: 9/12/10
Number of species: 28

Great Egret - Ardea alba 3
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis 17
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto 8
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 9
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus 1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 18
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 10
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 3
Common Hill Myna - Gracula religiosa 10
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 6
Northern Parula - Parula americana 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Dendroica pensylvanica 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 7
Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica 2
Prairie Warbler - Dendroica discolor 4
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 7
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 7
Worm-eating Warbler - Helmitheros vermivorum 2
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla 8
Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 4
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 2
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula 3
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 1

Carlos

Wow thanks for the list carlos there are some there I have not yet sighted..were your warbler and vireo sightings in the back area by the nature trails or did you spot some throughout the park grounds?

A.D. Barnes is a funny place, in that there seems to be no one best spot. I usually just look everywhere and keep my ears open -- leave no tree unsurveyed.

Listening for gnatcatchers usually helps me pin down feeding flocks. Also, as a tip, if its dark because it is cloudy or early in the morning, I tend to look in the sunny areas outside of the hammock first. If it is very bright/hot outside, I go straight into the center of the hammock for the birds.

Carlos

Thanks for the advice

I went there this weekend. I don't have the patience or the eye Carlos has, but even I got 4 "new" birds -

Summer Tanager
Black and White Warbler
Red eyed Vireo
Northern Parula

eta: these were in the hammock behind the nature center

eata: make that 5 new birds - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher!

Congratulations, merryslug! I have had many life birds at A.D. Barnes -- it is truly one of Florida's best migration traps for passerines. This Saturday, I was there in the afternoon as part of the North American Migration Count. I was assigned to do both Matheson and A.D. Barnes. Here is my checklist for A.D. Barnes:

Location: A. D. Barnes Park
Observation date: 9/18/10
Number of species: 29

Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) - Cairina moschata (Domestic type) 9
Great Egret - Ardea alba 1
White Ibis - Eudocimus albus 5
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 1
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus 5
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto 20
White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica 1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 18
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 4
Alder Flycatcher - Empidonax alnorum 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus 1
Yellow-throated Vireo - Vireo flavifrons 1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 11
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 12
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 12
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 25
Northern Parula - Parula americana 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Dendroica pensylvanica 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 3
Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica 2
Prairie Warbler - Dendroica discolor 5
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 10
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 1
Worm-eating Warbler - Helmitheros vermivorum 3
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla 13
Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 8
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 1
Boat-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus major 1

Carlos

I added American Redstart here yesterday (yay!). I'm pretty sure I've seen them before in the big oak trees in front of the hammock, but I didn't get pictures until now.

Birds were all over the woods, but nobody wanted to pose for photos. I got fuzzy shots of the Redstart, Vireos, Cardnials, and a Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Carlos , can I ask is there a particularly good spot to see the European Starlings?

merry,

Do you want to photograph European Starlings? Just look in any open areas feeding on the grass in the morning. Any big parking lot should also have plenty. Most numerous bird in urban South Florida, hands down.

Carlos

hi
it sounds like you two are having a great old time. I wish I was there with you !
By the way if its a photo of Starlings you want we have millions. Im sure I could send you a snapshot!!
Savi

csanchez7 said:

merry,

Do you want to photograph European Starlings? Just look in any open areas feeding on the grass in the morning. Any big parking lot should also have plenty. Most numerous bird in urban South Florida, hands down.

Carlos

Click to expand...

I guess the problem is I tend to "write off" most black/black-ish birds as grackles or cowbirds and move on. I should look more closely.

The really ironic thing is, I literally typed that question then grabbed my camera and dog and went for a short hike in a little natural area nearby. What's the only bird I saw? You guessed it - European Starling.

merryslug,

You shouldn't be getting that many cowbirds down here. I have not seen a Brown-headed Cowbird in Miami-Dade since May. Most black/dark birds you will see in urban South Florida should be Boat-tailed Grackles and European Starlings, occassionally also Common Grackle in more wooded areas. Red-winged Blackbirds are common to abundant in many areas, as well.

Carlos

csanchez7 said:

merryslug,

You shouldn't be getting that many cowbirds down here. I have not seen a Brown-headed Cowbird in Miami-Dade since May. Most black/dark birds you will see in urban South Florida should be Boat-tailed Grackles and European Starlings, occassionally also Common Grackle in more wooded areas. Red-winged Blackbirds are common to abundant in many areas, as well.

Carlos

Click to expand...

Yeah, I just used to see them everywhere where I grew up, so I tend to not pay enough attention to black birds in parking lots. Seems like the parking lot bird around here is usually a Grackle, but I need to look a little closer I guess if I'm missing the Starlings.

savi said:

hi
it sounds like you two are having a great old time. I wish I was there with you !
By the way if its a photo of Starlings you want we have millions. Im sure I could send you a snapshot!!
Savi

Click to expand...

How about you come visit in sunny Florida??

I birded A.D. Barnes in the late morning today for a couple hours, tallying up 12 warbler species. Highlights included Tennessee Warbler in the fig trees just north of the lake, and a Blue-winged Warbler near the first parking lot as one makes a left entering the park. Another unusual sighting was a Savannah Sparrow in a grove of trees near the rehabilitation center -- my first for A.D. Barnes and quite early, I believe. This might be my last effort for this spot for the season, as I will be going to Ecuador in a few days!

Location: A. D. Barnes Park
Observation date: 9/26/10
Number of species: 32

Anhinga - Anhinga anhinga 1
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus 1
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus 2
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto 4
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 3
Chuck-will's-widow - Caprimulgus carolinensis 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 4
Yellow-throated Vireo - Vireo flavifrons 2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 12
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 27
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 16
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 16
Blue-winged Warbler - Vermivora pinus 1
Tennessee Warbler - Vermivora peregrina 1
Northern Parula - Parula americana 9
Cape May Warbler - Dendroica tigrina 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 13
Blackburnian Warbler - Dendroica fusca 1
Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica 3
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus 2
Prairie Warbler - Dendroica discolor 11
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 8
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 3
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla 4
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis 1
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 10
Boat-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus major 4

So many warblers I haven't seen! I envy you your eye. And your trip to Ecuador Have fun!