Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, June 11
6:40 am-12:20 pm
“In spite of the heat and humidity, it was a good day. I identified 32 species of birds and 14 species of butterflies. Among the pleasant bird sightings were a male Wood Duck flying over, four Barred Owls, three Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and a lone Black-and-white Warbler
working up and down a cypress trunk.
Butterflies were outstanding. White Peacocks were still the most common, but the swallowtails were out in force: 43 Tiger Swallowtails, 41 Palamedes Swallowtails, seven Spicebush Swallowtails, and one Black Swallowtail. In several spots, they were puddling including one group
of four Tiger Swallowtails and three Palamedes Swallowtails that were gleaning minerals from some fresh Panther scat.
With the recent rains, water is up. It’s dry up to marker 3, but there were five spots between marker 3 and marker 6 where water was flowing over the tram. Most were just a couple of inches deep. The deepest was seven inches.
Ida was swimming in her pond early but I didn’t see her on my way out. However, a really large male was making its way across the tram a little beyond her pond.”
BIRDS
Anhinga – 11
Great Blue Heron – 2
Great Egret – 14
Snowy Egret – 12
Little Blue Heron – 5
Tri-colored Heron – 8
Green Heron – 1
Black-crowned Night Heron – 2
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 1
White Ibis – 2
Wood Duck – 1
Black Vulture – 26
Turkey Vulture – 11
Red-shouldered Hawk – 23
Mourning Dove – 1
Common Ground Dove – 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 3
Barred Owl – 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 9
Downy Woodpecker – 1
Pileated Woodpecker – 4
Great-crested Flycatcher – 2
Blue Jay – 2
American Crow – 1
Tufted Titmouse – 6
Carolina Wren – 13
Northern Mockingbird – 2
White-eyed Vireo – 19
Northern Parula – 2
Black-and-white Warbler – 1
Northern Cardinal – 29
Common Grackle – 20
BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 41
Tiger Swallowtail – 43
Spicebush Swallowtail – 7
Black Swallowtail – 1
Zebra Longwing – 6
White Peacock – 79
Ruddy Daggerwing – 19
Viceroy – 12
Pearl Crescent – 1
Great Southern White – 12
Brazilian Skipper – 17
Least Skipper – 3
Three-spotted Skipper – 1
Tropical Checker – 1
DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 21
Blue Dasher – 8
Needham’s Skimmer – 3
Regal Darner – 2
Little Blue Dragonlet – 2
MAMMALS
Gray Squirrel – 1
REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 58
Brown Anole – 8
Red-bellied Turtle – 1
Banded Water Snake – 2
Pig Frog – chorus
Greenhouse Frog – 5
Green Treefrog – chorus
Cuban Treefrog – chorus
By Dick Brewer
http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html