Warblers & Woodpeckers by Sneed B. Collard III

Author:Sneed B. Collard III
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781680511376
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Published: 2018-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

layover birding

In planning our Galápagos adventure, we had decided to schedule two two-night layovers en route to Ecuador. The first, in Portland, was to pick up Amy’s parents and nail down preparations for the trip. The second, in Miami, would give Amy’s folks a chance to rest up from the long cross-country flight and see a bit of the town made famous by fraudulent land deals, cocaine trafficking, and Cuban cuisine. Braden and I quickly recognized additional advantages to both layovers: birding.

The evening of June 20, Amy, Tessa, Braden, and I flew to Portland. Amy’s dad, Walter, picked us up at the airport, and the next morning, Walter and Carol’s brother, Johnny, drove us to the Audubon sanctuary along Balch Creek on the west side of town. I had no idea what we might find, but on this day we outscored the Portland Trailblazers, racking up Western Tanagers, Brown Creepers, Song Sparrows, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Spotted Towhee, and a Lifer for me, Wilson’s Warbler. Braden had seen all but one of these (the Red-breasted Sapsucker) on his earlier trip to Washington with Amy, but the morning added five new species to my Big Year total, and all of us had a blast.

In comparison, Miami two days later proved to be the birding equivalent of the Bay of Pigs disaster. After a long day of flying, Braden and I eagerly arose the next morning and headed out in the minivan I’d rented for the occasion. A. D. Barnes Park had topped lists on several Miami birding websites, and we decided to head there first. When we arrived, we were dismayed to discover a lack of birds of any kind. Instead we entered a kind of Mirkwood Forest. Giant orb-weaving spiders hung between the trees, and hungry stray cats, like orcs, lurked behind every bush and building. I couldn’t prove it, but I suspected that the feral felines had much to do with the avian Armageddon that had blighted the park.

“What should we do now?” I asked Braden.

As it had during our Big Weekend, a military intensity took hold in us. Hot and sweaty in South Florida’s tropical climate, we needed help. Since returning from Texas, Braden had been texting Ted Wolff (of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers fame) every time we had enjoyed a great day birding.

Braden said, “I’ll bet Ted has been to Miami. Maybe I should text him.”

“Do it, Sergeant,” I commanded.

Braden fired off a desperate plea for air support, and within moments Ted responded with coordinates for Brewer Park. We plugged it into Google Maps, and off we went. There we found a few good birds, including Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and Northern Cardinals. We also found more bird-eating invasive species—especially numerous large iguanas—prowling the park.

And that’s pretty much how our morning went. We managed to find a Hill Myna nest in one park and glimpsed a pair of parrots disappearing over the horizon, but for us Miami remained depressingly devoid of birds. Taking pity on us, Ted texted, “Do you have Purple Swamphen and Egyptian Goose? Both are ABA countable.

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