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Surfing birds, Florida trip, Murray Martins, Eno birds



Hi Carolinabirders,

Just recently returned from a trip to Florida, collecting voucher 
specimens for my dissertation research. While I was down there, I managed 
to see the male Masked Duck in Pembroke Pines. I also got to watch a 
Least Bittern hunting and feeding its chicks, and a Green Heron eating a 
spectacularly sail-finned fish (either an exotic Sailfin Molly or a 
native species of killifish), among many more common south Florida summer 
bird species. At least five exotic Purple Swamphens lurked around the 
marsh (a mitigation wetland), alongside the related native Purple 
Gallinules.

On my way from there to drop off my specimens in Gainesville, I 
stopped off at Fort DeSoto Park south of St. Petersburg and saw the 
Heerman's Gull which has been hanging around there for over a year now. 
It and a few dozen Laughing Gulls mobbed me looking for handouts; given 
that they had not done so to any other beachgoers, I can only assume that 
the Heerman's has learned to recognize anyone wielding binoculars as a 
likely source of handouts!

Stopped next at Savannah NWR. Was hoping in vain that this past spring's 
Limpkin might still be around. Best sighting was another Least Bittern 
which flew over the road from one patch of marsh to another. 
Surprisingly, only one Purple Gallinule; I birded here in August 1999 and 
saw at least a dozen of them. Did see at least nine alligators on this 
visit, perhaps they ate all the Gallinules... Or perhaps the Anhingas 
did; they were very common, especially in the clump of dead trees near 
the entrance to the auto tour loop. I can't remember seeing these on my 
August visit, certainly not that many of them.

Spent a day on Lake Murray with my fiance and her family. To add to Jill 
Froning, Kate Finlayson, and Carolyn van Maalsen's observations of birds 
surfing on predatory birds' backs, I saw a Northern Mockingbird near the 
lake repeatedly doing this to American Crows that landed in its 
territory.

My fiance's parents took us out on their houseboat to watch the lake's 
fireworks show (one of the best I've ever seen, and supplemented by a 
lightning storm) Saturday night. Before the show, while we waited for 
darkness to fall, we were treated to an impressive fly-by of a few 
hundred Purple Martins. I've heard that these flocks, which roost on 
islands in Lake Murray, grow to millions before the summer ends.

Returned here just in time to volunteer at the Festival for the Eno on 
Sunday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, I got to meet Jill Froning in person, 
and show off the 4-5 different species of dragonfly nymph in the solar- 
powered stream habitat demonstration. While we were doing that, the 
Acadian Flycatcher that had been singing nearby all through the festival 
(probably the same individual that Sandy Cash and I heard near there on 
the Durham spring count) lit on a branch close behind me and put on a 
brief show. Many singing Red-eyed Vireos and Northern Parulas were 
audible when the music wasn't drowning them out.

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/