• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

What species to learn for trip to Southampton Florida (1 Viewer)

les83

Member
Hi there.
I'll be visiting south florida the first week in November. It's a family holiday so I won't be able to bird quite as much as I might like to but I do have mornings free before we set out for the day.
I'll have 2 days in the everglades (Homestead side although will probably do shark valley too)
Then 4 days in marathon in the florida Keys.
What I'd like to know is what birds is it worth me learning before I go, so I can have more fun in the field and hopefully id plenty of what I see.
I have a sibley field guide to Birds of Eastern North America but there's a lots in there so I wonder what local birders reckon I'm most likely to benefit from knowing.
Many thanks for your help! :)
 
Hi there.
I'll be visiting south florida the first week in November. It's a family holiday so I won't be able to bird quite as much as I might like to but I do have mornings free before we set out for the day.
I'll have 2 days in the everglades (Homestead side although will probably do shark valley too)
Then 4 days in marathon in the florida Keys.
What I'd like to know is what birds is it worth me learning before I go, so I can have more fun in the field and hopefully id plenty of what I see.
I have a sibley field guide to Birds of Eastern North America but there's a lots in there so I wonder what local birders reckon I'm most likely to benefit from knowing.
Many thanks for your help! :)

Marathon is great! Make sure to go to Curry Hammock State Park, it's a great place to spot the White-Crowned Pigeon, in the forests surrounding the entrance of the park. There's a beach with lots of interesting shorebirds first thing in the morning, make sure to get there right when they open at 8am to before the windsurfers start to scare them off. In fact, if you get out first thing in the morning you can spot shorebirds like willets and ruddy turnstones almost anywhere in the Keys. And look out in the sky first thing in the mornings for flyovers from magnificent frigatebirds.

There's a spot in the Everglades about 45 minutes west of Homestead called Flamingo, where you can kayak Florida Bay and see tons of local specialties. Black and yellow crowned night herons, brown and white pelicans, occasionally Reddish egrets,
 
Last edited:
Make sure to brush up on fall warblers! The first week of November is still a good time to see a variety of warbler species in South Florida (especially the suburban parks in Miami and Everglades NP).

Common warbler species include Northern Parula, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler. Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and White-eyed Vireo are all likely, as is Great Crested Flycatcher. Suburban parks in Miami often have Baltimore Oriole and Summer Tanager in winter as well.

If you want wetland specialties, I suggest Wakodahatchee Wetlands or Green Cay Wetlands in Palm Beach over Shark Valley -- Wood Stork, Limpkin, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Purple Gallinule, Sora, American Bittern, and others much more commonly seen there. The feeders at Green Cay Wetlands usually have Painted Bunting.

The wires just outside Everglades NP had a wintering mixed flock of Western Kingbird and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
 
Make sure to brush up on fall warblers! The first week of November is still a good time to see a variety of warbler species in South Florida (especially the suburban parks in Miami and Everglades NP).

Common warbler species include Northern Parula, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler. Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and White-eyed Vireo are all likely, as is Great Crested Flycatcher. Suburban parks in Miami often have Baltimore Oriole and Summer Tanager in winter as well.

If you want wetland specialties, I suggest Wakodahatchee Wetlands or Green Cay Wetlands in Palm Beach over Shark Valley -- Wood Stork, Limpkin, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Purple Gallinule, Sora, American Bittern, and others much more commonly seen there. The feeders at Green Cay Wetlands usually have Painted Bunting.

The wires just outside Everglades NP had a wintering mixed flock of Western Kingbird and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

I second Green Cay/Wakodahatchee Wetlands. They are artificial wetlands right in the middle of the suburbs, so you won't get a particularly natural experience like you would in the Everglades, but you almost certainly see a greater variety of Florida-specialty birds there. I think you'd get much more bang for you buck there than the Everglades.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 8 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top