FLORIDA 
These Red-billed (23 May 2009) and White-tailed (27 May 2009) Tropicbirds were 
both found moribund in Flagler County, Florida. The former (top left; bottom) 
shows more extensive black behind the eye and heavier dark barring on the 
back. Photographs by Michael Brothers. 
RAILS THROUGH 
JAEGERS 
Infrequently encountered in 
ne. Florida, a Black Rail was 
heard at Talbot Island S.R, Du- 
val 19 Mar (TJ et al.). Within 
32 km of Georgia, 3 Limpkins 
414 
remained at Lake Henrietta, Leon through Apr 
(GM et al). Up to 7 Whooping Cranes, prob- 
ably from Wisconsin’s migratory flock, lin- 
gered at Paynes Prairie throughout the season 
OK, FL), and 2 others, likely from Florida’s in- 
troduced resident population, visited L. Apop- 
ka 5 & 8 May (HR). By far the rarity of the sea- 
son and only the 2nd for the continental Unit- 
ed States, a Greater Sand-Plover amazed visi- 
tors at Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval 14-26 
May (ph. RC, m.ob.); its presence was not ob- 
viously associated with any weather system, 
and it appeared to be in its first-alternate 
plumage. Rare on the Atlantic coast, a Snowy 
Plover that wintered at Crandon Park, Miami- 
Dade remained through 9 Apr (CS, James Sigs- 
bee). Rare in spring, 7 Upland Sandpipers 
were reported in Apr in Monroe (2; LaM, 
CrG), Miami-Dade (RoT, CS), Orange (3; HR), 
and Duval (RC). Always a good find, single 
Long-billed Curlews were at Ft. De Soto Park, 
Pinellas l&s: 23 Apr-i- (RoS et al.) and Little Es- 
tero Island Critical Wildlife Area, Lee 16 May 
(CE). At Et. George Inlet, Nassau, Leary had a 
high count of 1048 Red Knots 18 May; 17 of 
season’s 114 banded knots had been in South 
America. A count of 320 White-rumped Sand- 
pipers in Pabn Beach 24 May (MBe) was im- 
pressive, and single Baird’s Sandpipers at Gulf 
Breeze, Santa Rosa 5 Apr (RAD, LD) and 
Huguenot Memorial Park 21 May (Alex Harp- 
er) were rare. On the Atlantic coast, several 
Purple Sandpipers lingered into Apr s. to Bre- 
vard, with the latest photographed at 
Huguenot Memorial Park 27 May (Devin 
Bosler). Also rare in spring were a Buff-breast- 
ed Sandpiper at Dry Tortugas N.P. 15 Apr 
(LaM), a Ruff at Alligator Lake, Columbia 17- 
28 Mar (PaB), and 3 Wilson’s Phalaropes at St. 
Marks N.W.R. 11-19 Apr (Andy Wraithmell et 
al). During the May storm, 5 Red-necked 
Phalaropes came ashore at Ft. Clinch S.P., Nas- 
sau (RoS), with up to 3 at Huguenot Memori- 
al Park (RC), while at the other end of the 
peninsula, one was photographed at Eco 
Pond, Flamingo, Everglades N.P, Monroe 20 
May (BS, TM). Two Red-neckeds were off- 
shore of Ponce de Leon Inlet 10 May (MBr, 
BW), and the next day one was near shore at 
Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral (DF). 
Unusual in spring, a first-cycle Franklin’s 
Gull visited Jaycee Park, Okeechobee 11 & 14 
Apr (DaS). Rare gulls (many p.a.) included 
single California Gulls at Daytona Beach 
Shores, Volusia 2 & 25 Mar (AK, MBr) and 
Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa, Brevard 27 
Mar (MH); a Thayer’s Gull at Daytona Beach 
Shores 2 Mar (MBr, AK) and 2 at Central Dis- 
posal Facility 6 Mar (MH); an Iceland Gull at 
Huguenot Memorial Park 1-2 Apr (RC), one at 
Crystal River, Citrus through 18 Apr (Pat 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
Three Northern Fulmars (here two) were brought into the Marine Science Center, 
Ponce Inlet, Volusia County, Florida on 22 March 2009. Photographs by Michael 
Brothers. 
and a Red-billed Tropicbird 23 May, also in 
Flagler (MBr, *UF); and in Brevard, single 
Masked Boobies at Canaveral N.S. 20 May 
(MH) and Patrick A.FB. 21 May (DF), and 2 
Brown Boobies at Patrick A.FB. 21 May (DF) 
and one perched on the Eau Gallie Causeway 
31 May (ph. Patty Corapi). Notable pelagic 
species offshore were Band-rumped Storm- 
Petrels off Ponce de Leon Inlet 24 May (5; 
MBr et al.) and e. of Dry Tortugas N.P, Mon- 
roe 29 Apr (5; CrG); single White-tailed Trop- 
icbirds 130 km e. of Ponce de 
Leon Inlet 24 May (MBr et al.) 
and 19 km e. of Dry Tortugas 
N.P 27 Apr QS); a Red-billed 
Tropicbird off Biscayne N.P, 
Miami-Dade 23 May (RoT et 
al); and a Masked Booby 78 
km off Ponce de Leon Inlet 10 
May (BW, MBr). Sixty-seven 
Masked Boobies were at Dry 
Tortugas N.P, Florida’s only 
breeding site, 16 Mar (TJ et 
al.), while up to 6 Brown Boo- 
bies loitered there 27 Apr QS). 
More than 20 Brown Boobies 
were counted off Biscayne N.P 
23 May (RoT et al.). Unlike a 
Magnificent Frigatebird at 
Gainesville 20 May (Sea McKeon), Brown 
Pelicans inland in Alachua (2; Geoff Parks), 
Seminole (3; Paul Hueber), and Orange (6; 
EK, BHA, John Thornton) are rare but regular 
and were not the result of storms. 
A Great White Heron wandered n. to St. 
Marks N.W.R., Wakulla 29 Mar QM). Rare but 
annual, up to 2 White-faced Ibis remained at 
Lake City, Columbia through 24 Mar (Bob 
Richter, PaB), and another appeared at McK- 
ethan Lake, Hentando 17-22 Mar (ph. DaS et 
al.). Rare and local in the cen. 
and s. peninsula, a White- 
tailed Kite pair fledged 4 
young at Avon Park Air Force 
Range, Polk 16 Jun (DR), but 
one at Wakulla Springs, 
Wakulla 29 Mar (Chris Borg) 
was a vagrant. Probably ex- 
panding their range north- 
ward, lone dark-morph Short- 
tailed Hawks were reported at 
Chassahowitzka W.M.A., Her- 
nando 8 May (Kristin Wood) 
and n. of Old Town, Dixie 10 
Apr (Sean McCool). A Broad- 
winged Hawk at Port Orange, 
Volusia 16 Apr (MBr) and a 
Swainson’s Hawk at Tampa, 
Hillsborough 3 May (Doug 
Wassmer, Lilian Saul) were 
rare migrants, and a Crested 
Caracara at Frog Pond W.M.A., 
Miami-Dade 14 Mar (TM) was 
far south. 
