SAMUEL A. GRIMES 



In summer one may see the Gray Kingbird in Florida, and 

 only rarely does one of this species get as far north as South 

 Carolina, 



At Flamingo, good land birding can often be found in 

 the mangroves at the campgrounds. Two excellent birding 

 areas are closed to the general public, but birders may 

 obtain permission and directions to reach them from a, park 

 ranger. These are Snake Bight and Bear Lake. The roads 

 to both these areas have good land birding, and the White- 

 crowned Pigeon and Mangrove Cuckoo can often be seen. 

 Snake Bight is an excellent place for shore birds and water 

 birds. Flamingos are occasionally found at Snake Bight but 

 are seldom seen from the end of the road. Bear Lake oflrers 

 good water birding, with many species of ducks and wading 

 birds present in the winter. The evening flight seen from 

 the end of the Bear Lake Road is an impressive sight. A 

 stop at Paurotis Pond often produces water birds, including 

 the Mottled Duck and the Caspian Tern (winter). (Pages 

 12-13 of "A Field List of South Florida Birds," 1961). 



Richard L. Cunningham 



FLORIDA KEYS AREA 



In travelling along the Florida Keys to Key West via 

 U. S. 1, the bird watcher can see many species from the 

 highway, especially the Cattle Egret, the wintering Broad- 

 winged, and Sparrow, Hawks, as well as an occasional Red- 

 shouldered, and Short-tailed, Hawk may be observed on 

 wires above the roadsides. Many other birds, doves, king- 

 fishers, flycatchers, blackbirds, etc., may also be seen there. 

 Look for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, and 

 Anis, in Islamorada. Take old highway through town. Look 

 for an Osprey's nest on top of a high winch in the stone 

 quarry on Windley's Key. This nest has been occupied 

 for several years. 



Shore birds will be observed on either side of the road 

 wherever tide conditions are right to produce flats for them 

 to feed on. At a large marl pile, where a lot of digging 

 has been done on the ocean side of Lower Matacumbe Key, 

 there has been a big concentration of skimmers, terns, gulls, 

 herons, plovers, sandpipers, etc. Feeding in the shallow ponds 

 on Long Key at Layton's and other points, watch for 

 spoonbills, herons, egrets, including Reddish Egret, ibises and 

 yellowlegs. 



Burrowing Owls have nested on the golf course at 

 Marathon beyond the Sombrero Yacht Club House. Wil- 

 son's Plovers and Least Terns nest there, too. At the 

 Marathon High School in the mangrove area Clapper Rails 

 may be heard. 



The wooded area at the Indian Museum in Marathon 

 has nesting Black-whiskered, and White-eyed, Vireos, Car- 

 dinals and Ground Doves, as well as many wintering land 

 birds. Permission to enter these private grounds may be 

 secured at the Museum. 



Don't miss Little Duck Key at the west end of the 7 

 mile bridge. There are Savannah Sparrows in the grass. 

 Painted Buntings, and a Mangrove Cuckoo might be located 

 in the mangrove area. For shore birds of many kinds, look 

 in the shallow pond on the Gulf side and on the sand bars 

 off shore. 



In the inlet on the ocean side of Bahia Honda Key, shore 

 birds can always be seen, herons, including the Yellow- 

 crowned Night Heron, as well as the Great White Heron, 

 and maybe a Wuerdemann's (hybrid). Sandwich Terns may 

 often be seen here, also Reddish Egrets. 



On Big Pine Key, look for Red-bellied Woodpeckers 

 and Red-shouldered Hawks. 



At Key West, the best spot for birdwatching is the 

 Municipal Gardens on Stock Island by the golf course. 

 White-crowned Pigeons can always be seen here. In the 

 Key West cemetery you might find Scissor-tailed Fly- 

 catchers, Western Kingbirds, and Bullock's Orioles. Over 

 the Gulf may be seen Frigatebirds, and sometimes hawk 

 migrations. Along Rest Beach by the ocean, if there is any 

 water in the old salt ponds, look for rails, ducks, herons, 

 coots, gallinules, Common Snipe, and sometimes Avocets. 



Christine Bonney 



(Note: Herb Alley, at the Key Haven Motel, in Tav- 

 ernier, runs boat trips into Florida Bay during some of the 

 winter months. Write him for information.) 



DONNA N. SPRUNT 

 The White-crowned Pigeon is a West Indian species that 

 includes the Florida Keys in its range. 



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