Parakeets

 

March 14th

          Saturday, we played some ugly golf in gale force winds.  While golfing, we saw two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying around.  That night we had a special dinner to celebrate my in-law’s 72nd wedding anniversary. 

          Yesterday, Mike and I went birding at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge which is a little west of Boca.  We walked around the dikes at the refuge and saw a few good birds including a Purple Gallinule, Pileated Woodpecker, and two new warblers, an American Redstart, and a Prairie Warbler.  I wish Mike had been able to get a photo of the Prairie Warbler but it’s really difficult to photograph such a small flitty bird. 

          After our walk, we drove around and got great looks at a pair of Wood Ducks and Mottled Ducks.  As we were leaving the refuge, we saw several Monk and Nanday Parakeets perched on the telephone wires.  There was a U-pick strawberry field here and the parakeets were swiping some berries.  Both these parakeets are native to South America but are now naturalized species in Florida and are countable in the ABA area.  Today we are leaving Boca and heading to the west coast.  

(6 new First of the Year species, total in Florida 56)

          Black-bellied Whistling Duck

          Purple Gallinule

          Monk Parakeet

          Nanday Parakeet (scarce)

          American Redstart

          Prairie Warbler

                                           Monk Parakeet

                                           Nanday Parakeet

                                           Purple Gallinule

                                           Mottled Ducks

                                           Wood Ducks

     Pileated Woodpecker  (excavating a giant hole)

                                           Gulf Fritillary
            
                             Elaine and Bob Gordon









Comments

  1. AnnMarch 14, 2022 at 5:36 AM

    Wow, mazel tov to Mike's parents on their 72nd anniversary. So great that you were able to celebrate with them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John SobetzerMarch 14, 2022 at 6:38 AM

    72! Congratulations. I just looked it up. They were married before any known bird currently alive on the planet was born.

    ReplyDelete

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