The Everglades are one of the most iconic natural areas in the country. When people think of them they of a tropical swamp full of alligators and mosquitos, and you wouldn't be wrong to think that. But there is so much more to the Everglades. This is an incredibly unique area, especially when compared to the rest of the country. Located just north of the Tropic of Cancer, the Everglades are home to flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere else in the United States.
This is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. The Seminoles held out for ages here due to the inaccessibility of the area. And it's less than an hour's drive from the Miami suburbs. With the Columbus Day banking holiday it was a no brainer to make the trip here to chase some of the unique birds.
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| American Crocodile |
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| Florida Softshell Turtle |
But there is also a mix of hammocks, or small islands of trees that elevate about the water to provide ample habitat for many other species of birds. Our first experience with one was very productive with a stunning male Black-throated Blue Warbler. Things really picked up at our second stop, Mahogany Hammock. A stunning Prairie Warbler was very cooperative, but it was not the best bird on the trail.
A larger bird moved in the trees above the trail, which was very odd. The trees seemed too dense for anything larger than a warbler to move, and by the time my eyes registered it was a bird it was gone. TJ, likely annoyed about having to look for a bird that was likely gone, pretended to be patient. Then the dark bird flew to an opening in the canopy that left it perfectly in the light. WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON! Some people will be surprised that I got hyped over a pigeon, but it's more than just a pigeon.
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| White-crowned Pigeon |
It's no secret that I hate established exotics like Rock Pigeon, but this is a different bird. WCPI is a primarily Caribbean species that extends north enough to be in the Everglades.. They are very secretive and apparently impossible to photograph. And here it was, basking in the sun for perfect views.
Our next stop was Flamingo, where we walked around the beach in search of shorebirds. Highlights were a lifer Red Knot, and the best views I've ever had of Black Skimmer and Wilson's Plover. For someone who is absolute garbage at identifying shorebirds it was very helpful in getting Wilson's Plover down. We also stopped at the marina for one of the better nature experiences of the trip. This is probably the easiest place to see American Crocodiles in the United States, and we were really fortunate to see 2 of them. They are finally rebounded after nearly being extirpated in the 1970s. On the other side of the bay we got to see at least 10 West Indian Manatees frolicking in the water.
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| Wilson's Plovers |
I could hardly sleep that night, as Sunday brought the search for the most sought after bird: Snail Kite. Another locally threatened species, Snail Kites are found throughout central and southern Florida. Finding them can be a bit of a challenge, as they depend on water levels to find their main source of food, the Apple Snail. Finding one would be hard, as you can't actually see them in the park. The best place is along Hwy 41 on the Miccosukee Reservation just across the street from Shark Valley. Your best bet is to just drive the highway and hope you see one above the tall grass. My four eyes were a real advantage in this situation, and within 5 minutes a black raptor was spotted. I slammed on the brakes and pulled over, and sure enough it was a Snail Kite!
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| Frolicking Manatees, a highlight animal of the trip |
I wish I had a romantic story about how amazing it was to watch this bird for 10 minutes, but the Florida humidity had other plans. Everything from my glasses, to camera, to binoculars fogged up once we got out of the car, just in time for the bird to decide that hanging around a guy who couldn't contain his excitement was too lame for him. He took off and flew out of site, but honestly I didn't care. I got my Snail Kite. We finished the morning with a 15 mile bike ride around Shark Valley, which offered incredible views and was probably my part of the park. Birding wise it was pretty uneventful. We had tons of Palm Warbler, which I always get excited for, and 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
We woke up on Monday morning after going shark diving with a pretty flexible schedule. We decided to head to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo to potentially get some last birds. On our drive down we had tons of Bald Eagles and Osprey. The park is as small as it is impressive, and it's really small. It feels way more tropical than it did in the Everglades, which makes sense given how much farther south it is. There are a few short trails, and all appeared pretty birdy. The best bird was a Short-tailed Hawk flying overhead, but we also had White-crowned Pigeon and lifer Cape May Warbler right outside of the visitor center. We finished the trip out by kayaking through mangroves, which unfortunately meant I didn't have my camera on me when 3 Magnificent Frigatebirds circled overhead. It was stunning, these massive birds look even better in person, and it was great to finally soak in views of a nemesis bird.
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| Anhinga |
Miami is an excellent birding destination, even though we didn't go at the best time of year. I'd really suggest February, as it is likely drier so you'll get more waders in the Everglades, while still getting good winter birds with the off chance of a wandering Caribbean vagrant. Our shark diving took up a ton of time which kept us from getting Florida Scrub Jay and likely a few others, but obviously that's something you have to do. Next stop: Puerto Rico!
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