South Florida Rare Bird Update
Brian Rapoza: Last updated July 20, 2017
Please post updates on the TAS BirdBoard, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
Black-faced Grassquit
Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported July 20 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street) and drive west 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 192 Avenue and drive south 2 miles. Turn right on SW 376 Street (SR 9336) and drive west 5 miles to the park entrance (fee). From the fee station, continue west 4.2 miles to Long Pine Key Road. Turn left and drive south 1.5 miles to the campground entrance. The bird has been seen in various locations between the campground entrance and the lake. Map
Western Spindalis
Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported July 19 (eBird) Photo (male), Photo (female)
Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street) and drive west 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 192 Avenue and drive south 2 miles. Turn right on SW 376 Street (SR 9336) and drive west 5 miles to the park entrance (fee). From the fee station, continue west 4.2 miles to Long Pine Key Road. Turn left and drive south 1.5 miles to the campground entrance. Three birds, a male and two females, have been seen in the campground. Map
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Levee Park, Clewiston, Hendry County: Last reported July 15 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From US 27 in Clewiston, drive north 0.3 miles on S Francisco Street to Hoover Dike Road. Turn left and drive west 0.3 miles (becomes Public Access Road when the road bends north) to Levee Park (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). Turn left and drive west along the Hoover Dike to the west end of the park. The bird has been seen near the public boat ramp. Map
Tropical Mockingbird
Lake Worth Beach Park, Palm Beach County: Last reported July 19 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95 in Lake Worth, exit at South 6 Avenue (Exit 63). Drive east 0.5 miles to US 1. Turn left and drive north 0.5 miles to Lake Avenue. Turn right and drive east 1 mile to A1A. Turn right and drive south 0.1 mile to the park's south entrance (parking fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen around the lower parking lot at the south end of the park. Map
American Flamingo
Snake Bight, Everglades National Park, Monroe County: Last reported July 16 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street) and drive west 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 192 Avenue and drive south 2 miles. Turn right on SW 376 Street (SR 9336) and drive west 5 miles to the park entrance (fee). From the fee station, continue west 38 miles to Flamingo. Up to three birds have been seen in Snake Bight, about 3 miles east of Flamingo. Snake Bight is accessible by canoe/kayak, best at high tide. Launch from the Flamingo marina (canoe/kayak rentals available). Map
Neotropic Cormorant
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County: Last reported July 8 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Atlantic Avenue (exit 81). Drive east 1.7 miles to Jog Road. Turn left and drive north 1.5 miles to the entrance (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). From the boardwalk t-intersection, turn left. Two birds have been seen on the rookery island on the left side of the boardwalk, past the first berm. Map
Older Reports
Smooth-billed Ani
Tamiami Trail, Miami-Dade County: Last reported July 4 (eBird) Photo
Directions:From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Tamiami Trail (SW 8 Street/US 41). Drive west 4 miles to SW 157 Avenue. Up to two birds have been seen in disturbed habitat west of SW 157 Avenue, either north or south of Tamiami Trail. Map
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key West, Monroe County: Last reported July 3 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From US 1 (N Roosevelt Boulevard) in Key West, drive west to Truman Avenue. Continue west to Whitehead Street. Turn right and drive 0.5 miles to Southard Street. Turn left and follow the signs to the park entrance (fee, open 8:00 AM until sunset). The bird has been seen in vegetation along the moat on the northwest side of the fort. Map
South Florida Specialties
South Florida as defined here includes the following counties: Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach. Click here for locations to see regularly-occurring south Florida specialties. Click here for directions to those locations. BirdBoard reports for these species are also appreciated.