All:

My apologies for this late report. A small caravan of Naples area  
birders/visiting birders followed Alan Murray and me from Naples out  
to STA-5, south of Clewiston, via back county roads. The severe  
drought is taking its toll on ranchland and pastures as all  
vegetation is a dried-up brown coloration. The little water that is  
left has some good concentrations of waders, shorebirds and a few  
ducks. One such area in near the intersection of CR833 & CR835. There  
were good numbers of American White Pelican, Limpkin, Roseate  
Spoonbill, Mottled Duck, Least Sandpiper & yellowlegs as well as  
other common waders out in the remaining wetlands here. The Snail  
Kites that frequented the canals across from the Ocean Boy Shrimp  
Farm have apparently moved on as we didn't see any either going out  
to STA-5 or returning back to Naples. We did see one along CR846  
several miles west of the intersection with CR833. Crested Caracara  
were plentiful along all roads and a few Sandhill Cranes were also  
seen. At least five Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and one Western  
Kingbird were seen about .5 miles east/northeast of the Deer Fence  
Canal along CR835.

Later, on our return trip back to Naples, we stopped at the Deer  
Fence Canal near the entrance to Chuck Obern's Organic Farm to search  
for the Cassin's Kingbird that has lingered there all winter. We  
found it almost immediately, along with eight or so Western  
Kingbirds. In addition, we found Pine, Palm & Yellow-rumped Warblers,  
Blue-headed & White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the bald  
cypress trees along the canal. In the canal itself was one lone male  
Hooded Merganser feeding with a group of waders consisting of Great &  
Snowy Egret, Tricolored, Great Blue & Little Blue Herons and a pair  
of Limpkins.

Along CR858 on the Hendry/Collier County line we saw one Scissor- 
tailed Flycatcher at their usual location but we didn't stop to check  
to see what else was around. However, we did stop on Oil Well Rd.  
(CR858 east-west leg) near Sunniland and found one Grasshopper  
Sparrow in the weedy field owned by the Pacific Tomato Growers.

Here's the list of STA-5 for 02/02/2008. Thanks to Margaret England  
for organizing these trips and to my buddy Alan Murray for driving  
and putting up with me. Thanks also to the 65 or so folks (including  
Venice Audubon) who came out to see the spectacle at STA-5 on  
Saturday. They certainly weren't disappointed!

Water levels are at the lowest we've ever seen at STA-5 perhaps  
accounting for the numerous shorebirds and huge numbers of waders and  
American White Pelicans. . . .

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  >300
Fulvous Whistling-Duck --  Only 1! I've heard from reliable sources  
that more than 1000 of these ducks have been shot by hunters this  
season. . . .
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail -- 2
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback -- 2
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck -- 2
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican  >200
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill  >250!
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite -- 4
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
Peregrine Falcon -- 4
Sora -- 1
Purple Swamphen  -- 8
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane -- 2
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet -- 12
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin  (Photographed for the non-believers out there and you know  
who you are. . . .)
Stilt Sandpiper -- 5
Long-billed Dowitcher  >1000
Wilson's Snipe   >40
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern --12
Black Skimmer  >400
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 1 (Rarely seen along Blumberg Road)
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barn Owl -- 1
Belted Kingfisher
Loggerhead Shrike
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow Warbler -- 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle

Cheers.

Vince

Vincent Lucas
Naples, FL
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/
http://www.caloosabirdclub.org



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