Miami Dec ’19

Back to Miami for work at what I now think is the perfect time to get out of the uk for 2 weeks. Similar birds and in some cases the exact same individuals but a few differences and more of one thing, less of another for example I saw no swallows last year but this year I saw a flock of 200 Northern Rough-winged and perhaps 150 Tree Swallows. Its such a great place to watch incredible birds all before work in the morning or on the occasional half days off from hard graft.

Unsurprisingly my focus was on Warblers and again it was relatively easy to see the common wintering species in the parks and green spaces. I beat my total of 15 last year with 16 species this year.

Black-and-white warbler

Northern Parulas

American Redstarts

Fem Black-throated Blue

Ovenbird

Prairie Warblers

Yellow-Throated Warblers

Myrtle Warbler

Pine Warblers

Common Yellowthroat

Orange-crowned Warblers

Nashville Warbler

 (Western) Palm Warbler

Cape may, Magnolia, Black throated Green were also seen a few times but no photography thereof.

I enjoyed the following Hermit Thrush for about 20 minutes, the only one ive seen in Miami, Its crazy to think at that moment there was Graham’s bird on st Marys making the same movements, lovely bird.

The below Summer Tanager was a tick for me, I saw it in the spot where I found a Western Tanager last year – a Florida Rarity.

I recognized a buzzy little call from spring in Ontario – Indigo buntings, a small flock not exactly in their finery but still nice (below)

An Inqusitive White-eyed Vireo came in to some pishing.

The only sparrow Ive seen in Miami itself, a Chipping Sparrow was present in my ‘warbler spot’ one morning

Broad-winged (Below), Red-tailed, Short-tailed and Red-shouldered (following pic) Hawks were seen as well as Coopers and Sharp shinned.

Osprey

TV’s

(Above) The same Yellow-crowned Night heron that I saw every day last year on my walks into work, along with an Eastern Phoebe along the same fence line as last year and a Ringed Royal Tern. Its mad to think these are the same individuals, especially the phoebe which will no doubt migrate north for the summer and return next winter to the same spot, abit like me!

Tricolored Heron

Some nice 1st winter Ring-billed Gulls for good measure.

The waders are special, mostly very tame and in good numbers.

Short-billed Dowitchers

Semi-palmated plover (showing off its 2 best close up id features in this pic: the white in the throat coming above the gape line aswell as the palmations, just about)

Least Sandpipers

Willet

Piping Plover

Spotted Sandpipers

Again I didnt make it to the everglades but lazily wandering around bumping into warbler flocks is exactly what I had the energy for this trip.