USA Big Cypress Preserve Day 11

My first American Robin of the trip was a flock of 40+ coming into roost with a large flock of Common Grackle 

  Another day spent in the Big Cypress Preserve area, Everglades. It wasn't up to par with yesterday but still we observed some cracking birds including a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. Lara, who is on a road trip from Phoenix, Arizona and one of the Workaways I'm working with, was in control of the wheel as we checked out a site west of Highway 29. Fakahatchee Nature Reserve was a drive along a dirt track surrounded by trees on both sides. A quick look out of the 4x4 produced the usual suspects including Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe and many Black-and-White and Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-eyed Vireo.

Common Ground Dove

Black-and-White Warbler

Eastern Phoebe 

Downy Woodpecker

  We joined Highway 41 off 29 and driving east we stopped off Big Cypress Oasis Visitors Center where there were good numbers of Alligator basking lazily in the heat of the day. also sharing the river were Anhinga and Double-crested Cormorant.
  Driving back west along Highway 41 we pulled off and had a search in a small coppice next to the highway. Did my usual thing in phishing and immediately attracted lots Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe and 2 Great-crested Flycatcher. I continued phishing and I spotted the warbler that I was hoping to see. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler! It showed well but quickly moved through and then out popped a Carolina Wren in front of me.

There must have been at least 20+Alligators in just a minute walk along the river at the visitors center and only meters away from the crowd of people. 

This Anhinga didn't know if it was coming or going as it jungled for ages trying to get this fish in position so it could swallow it

While the Double-crested Cormorants had it all in control.

There were 2 Great-crested Flycatcher in the coppice

Red-shouldered Hawk

  More than satisfied with the Black-throated Blue, we moved on to the next turning and in two hours we made the drive north up the 841 that should of taken normally twenty minutes. The road followed a river that was full of egrets, herons, ibis, Belted Kingfisher, Double-crested Cormorant and Anhinga. From pines we came out into an area of grassland and I said 'We might get a harrier' With in minutes of saying it, there perched very close to road was a female Northern Harrier! However, when we stopped the car, she was gone. This was the case for the pair of Osprey that we encountered and we observed the female catch a fish at very close range from the river. Out of all the Yellowthroat we heard we only managed to glimpse a single. It was the end of the road and we came to a camp site with another coppice nearby. From the car I could see a flock of 40+ American Robin and when we got out of the wagon to have a closer look, there were also Black-and-White, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated and Pine Warbler and a large flock of Common Grackle coming into roost. We finished the day off with an Red-shouldered Hawk before returning back to near Naples.

I lost count in how many Alligators we saw while driving next to the river

Little Blue Heron

Immature White Ibis

We didn't observe this female Osprey catch her prey in the river as the reeds were in the way but you can clearly see that she was successful with a small fish

Great Blue Heron having a good ole stretch

This crazy Black-and-White Warbler almost landed on top of me head as I phished it out in the last hour of light!

We must of seen well over 15 Red-shouldered Hawk on the road today including this immature in the evening light.

Boogie Belgique is a Belgian experimental hip hop and electro swing band (self-described as swing hop^[1])^[2] started by Oswald Cromheecke in 2012.