> / OVH- h(£‘ 'bird^ Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SdCIETY \ VOL. 37, No. 1 March 2009 Pages 1-32 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: JEROME A. JACKSON, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Ft. Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: jjackson@fgcu.edu Vice President: Ann B. HODGSON, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctu- aries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: ahodgson@audu- bon.org Secretary: JAMES Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasurer: PETER G. MERRITT, 8558 SE Sharon St., Kobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmerritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural His- tory, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2010 Charlie Ewell, 115 SW 51®^ Terr., Cape Coral, FL 33914. E-mail: anhinga42@earth- link.net Julie Wraithmel, 2507 Callaway Rd., Suite 103, Tallahassee, FL 32303. E-mail: jwraith- mell@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Karl E. Miller, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: karl.miller@myfwc.com Ann F. Paul, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: apaul@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2014 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: Dgood389@aol.com Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@myfwc.com Honorary Members Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999. 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It is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Ornitholog- ical Society is Division of Birds, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 37, No. 1 March 2009 Pages 1-32 Florida Field Naturalist 37(l):l-7, 2009. OBSERVATIONS OF NESTING SHORT-TAILED HAWKS (Buteo brachyurus) in central FLORIDA Carol Elisabeth Rizralla^ ^ Jay Therien^, and Anne Savage^ ^Department of Education & Science, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 ^Department of Animal Operations, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 ^Email: Carol. X.Rizkalla. -ND@disney.com Abstract. — The Short-tailed Hawk {Buteo hrachyurus) is one of the least understood birds in Florida. With fewer than 200 breeding pairs in the state, little is known about their nesting ecology. We provide a summary of observations of a pair nesting in central Florida over three years. Previous reports suggest this species has low nesting success. However, we observed at least one fledgling every year. The hawks chose nest trees which were larger than a random selection of trees, suggesting that nest site selection of large, mature trees is important to nest success. Short-tailed hawks were also sighted in central Florida earlier than previous reports which may signify a response to climate change. The Short-tailed Hawk {Buteo brachyurus) is considered one of the rarest, least understood birds in North America. Its distribution is pri- marily tropical, with an isolated population of no more than 200 breed- ing pairs in Florida (Meyer 2005, but see Williams et al. 2007). The species breeds from north-central to south peninsular Florida and win- ters in south Florida. Fewer than 75 breeding season locations have been documented since 1951 (K. Meyer, pers. comm.; Meyer 2005; Mill- sap et al. 1996). Little information is available on nest site selection or egg and hatchling development. Of 17 nests in central and south Florida described in detail prior to the present study, most were at 9-29 m height near the top or just be- low the crown of cypress (Taxodium distichum) or pine (Pinus sp.) trees (Ogden 1988, Miller and Meyer 2002). Nest sites were located in large patches of mature swamp forest (>400 ha; Miller and Meyer 2002). 1 2 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Short-tailed hawks usually built a new nest each year, though they in- frequently used nests from previous years. Incubation has been ob- served to be 32-39 days (Meyer 2004, Ogden 1988); however, developmental milestones were unknown. Nest success was low; ap- proximately 41% of nests were successful in fledging at least one young (Meyer 2005). Here, we increase the state of knowledge and report on three years of observing a short-tailed hawk nest in central Florida. Methods On 1 February 2005 we discovered one pair of dark-morph Short-tailed Hawks build- ing a nest in a patch of cypress-loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus) wet forest on Walt Disney World’s Wildlife Management and Conservation Area (WMCA). The WMCA is a 3380 ha network of protected wetland and upland areas in Orange and Osceola counties designed as a buffer area for Reedy Creek. In order to minimize disturbance of the pair, the nest was not revisited until 14 March during which a copulation event was ob- served. The nest site was subsequently revisited 17 times at irregular intervals for ad hoc observation through 28 July. In 2006, we returned to the nest site on 16 February and observed that hawks had returned to the same nest. The nest site was visited ten times approximately every two weeks until 28 August. In 2007, we returned to the nest site on 23 January. During this visit, one hawk was heard calling and another was ob- served perched approximately 50 m from the nest tree. On seven subsequent visits, hawks were never observed at the nest. On 2 April, the active nest was located approxi- mately 180 m from the previous nest. This nest was visited 12 times until 23 July. All visits during the three nesting seasons occurred between 07:00-11:00 EST, with each ob- servation lasting approximately two hours. In order to increase the scope of our observations in 2007, on 14 May we installed a PicoCam Starlight Color Video camera and remote surveillance system (Sandpiper Technologies, Inc.) to record nest activity. The camera was mounted on a fallen log ap- proximately 40 m from the nest tree. A field equipment container housed a video re- corder (Sentinel MAGNUM 4100 Digital Video Recorder), modem (Sprint Raven EVDO V3215E), video server (AXIS 243sa), methanol fuel cell (25W EFOY), methanol fuel car- tridge, and a rechargeable 12-volt marine battery. Details on the surveillance system are available on request. We had to address several technical challenges and lost recording time after rodents chewed through several sections of cable. We replaced the cable, covered it with rodent- proof conduit, and then raised it off the ground to protect it. Our camera position was too far from the second nest to zoom in close enough for detail and backlighting compro- mised exposure. Still, we were able to record two sequences of continuous real-time foot- age in May 2007 lasting 12 and 36 hours, in which we could see hawks flying into and out of the nest and could detect young in the nest. Due to the placement of the camera and our observers, we could not be sure when eggs hatched. Therefore, all references to hatchling age are estimated from the first sighting. Land cover for the WMCA and Walt Disney World property was digitized from a 1998 aerial photo at 30 m resolution. We reclassified the map into seven classes (cypress/bay wet forest, pine/mixed forest, marsh/shrub wetland, water, low intensity use/disturbed land, roads/clearings, and urban) and created a 2.5 km buffer around the 2007 nest site. This distance is considered the maximum foraging area for the species, as determined by direct observation of unmarked birds (Ogden 1975, 1988). We used Arcview 3.2 (ESRI, Redlands, CA) to measure the proportion of each landcover class within this buffer. We estimated nest height for both nests using a laser rangefinder. We collected Rizkalla -Short-tailed Hawk Nesting 3 the following vegetation data for the nest tree and 5 randomly selected overstory trees within a 0.4-ha circular plot {sensu Meyer 2005): tree height, dbh, vertical spread of crown, and basal area. We visually estimated canopy cover from the base of the nest tree in November 2007; this prevented disturbance of the nest since the hawks had not yet arrived for the season, but was late enough in the year to give an accurate measure of canopy cover when the hawks arrived to select nest sites in January/February. We also estimated canopy cover within a 0.4-ha circular plot as the average of four measure- ments in each cardinal direction taken from the base of the nest tree. Results The earliest sighting of short-tailed hawks at our site was 23 Jan- uary and the latest was 25 July. We assume that the same pair has nested in the WMCA in each of the three years. However, turnover of at least one member of the pair has been reported based on observations of radio-tag’ged individuals where old and new hawks were the same color morph (Meyer 2005). Two young fledged in 2005, one in 2006, and two in 2007. Observation dates of important milestones have been as- sembled into a chronology of nesting in this region (Fig. 1), Nest build- ing was observed to occur in February in two years. Incubation posture was observed in Marcli-April. We observed incubation posture for at least 41 days for clutches containing two eggs, which may be longer than the incubation time of a single egg due to asynchronous laying and, therefore, hatching. Nestlings were at least 26 days old when they began hopping around on support branches. At 30 days, they were tak- ing short flights to other branches and neighboring trees. At 33 days, long flights (30-40 m) were observed. Full flight and soaring were ob- served at 43 days. Arrive to area ' Nest building Copulation Incubation Young with down Feather growth Juvenal plumage Hopping/short flights Fledging Leave nest territory Leave area L_ 3333333333333333333333 22222 11111 333333333 22222 January February April May July Figure 1. Short-tailed Hawk nest chronology based on whether the event was observed in 1, 2, or 3 years. Length of integer strings indicates the span of ob- servation dates, and not necessarily the true limits of breeding stages. 4 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST In the 48 total hours of camera recording during the nestlings’ first four weeks, they were left alone once, for 17 minutes. This represents less than 1% of the observation time. Adults other than the breeding pair also visited the nest occasionally. On 24 March, 2006, five adult birds were seen at or near the nest. And in 2007, our camera captured three adults at the nest with the two young on three separate occasions (14, 28, 29 May). Unfortunately, we were unable to observe whether these birds interacted with the young. Both nests were in cypresses. The nest tree used in 2005-2006 was 468 m from the nearest patch edge (Fig. 2) and approximately 28 m high. The 2007 nest was about 21 m up in a 34.5 m-tall tree 580 m from the nearest patch edge. The nest tree was larger than other trees in the area (Table 1) and was in an area with greater canopy closure than in the surrounding circular plot (75 vs. 40.8%). The forest patch contain- ing the nests was 210.6 ha. Land cover in a 2.5-km buffer surrounding the nests was dominated by forest (60.2%). Urban areas, roads and clearings covered 27.3% of the area. Canals, lakes and marsh covered 6.2%. Legend IZU □ CZ] Nest Locations Cypress/Bay \Atet Forest Pine/Mixed Forest Marsh/Shrub V\fetland VVbter Disturbed/Low Intensity Roads/Clearings Urban Figure 2. Land cover in a 2.5 km radius buffer surrounding a 2007 Short-tailed Hawk nest on Walt Disney World’s Wildlife Management and Conservation Area, Orange County, Florida. Rizkalla etal— Short-tailed Hawk Nesting 5 Table 1. Vegetation measurements of the 2007 Short-tailed Hawk nest tree and 5 random trees within a 0.4-ha circular plot. Variable Nest tree Random overstory tree Tree height (m) 34.5 15.2 ± 9.5 Dbh (cm) 70.4 56.4 ± 20.7 Crown height (m) 13.5 4.7 ± 4.0 Basal area (m^) 1.4 0.5 ± 0.3 Discussion Whereas we documented Short-tailed Hawks at our study site in January, previous reports suggested that Short-tailed Hawks nesting north of Lake Okeechobee move northward from south Florida in Feb- ruary (Ogden 1974) and have been sighted in central Florida no earlier than March (Millsap et al. 1996). They return to south Florida in Octo- ber. However, our last sighting was late July. It is possible that the birds remained in the area in August-September, but were not ob- served because they expanded their range once nesting was complete. Summer locations of radio-tagged breeding adults spanned an average area of 320 km^, and up to 844 km^ (K. Meyer, pers. comm.). Meyer (2005) determined that only nine of 22 nests were successful in producing at least one fledgling. Low nest success was attributed to egg failure during incubation. Although we have documented only three nests in as many years, we have observed 100% nest success. The nest tree at our site was larger than the average of 20 nest trees mea- sured by Meyer (2005). We cannot generalize from one tree, but per- haps, larger trees with taller crowns provide greater protection to the nest and increase the likelihood of success. However, if we have ob- served the same nesting pair in each year, the high rate of success may be an artifact of these individuals. Nest success may be due to experi- ence of the hawks, habitat quality, or chance (Meyer 2005), and further study is required to reveal these relationships. Our comparison of the nest tree to random trees within a circular plot concurs with the findings of Meyer (2005); short-tailed hawks choose trees that are among the largest in the stand. The two nest trees we observed were near the center of a relatively small patch, when compared to previous reports (Miller and Meyer 2002). However, the majority of the landscape is forested and likely provides ample re- sources. Ogden (1974, 1988) speculated that a radius of 2.5 km likely covers the foraging area. We saw hawks during the nesting stage at lo- cations 1.8 and 2.5 km away from the nest. However, these were chance sightings and it is important to recognize that these distances do not represent estimates of range size. Indeed, the average area (320 km^) observed by K. Meyer represents a radius of more than 10 km. Fur- 6 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST thermore, home range size likely varies with resource availability across the state and between years. We cannot be certain that our distant sightings were hawks from the breeding pair. We observed more than two adults at the nest in two years and suspect that these were young of the previous year that re- turned to the area. Unfortunately we cannot confirm this as we were unable to see any differences in plumage. Many individuals will not re- produce until three or four years of age. Furthermore, summer ranges of radio-tagged one- and two-year-old non-breeding hawks included na- tal territories (Meyer 2005). Cooperative breeding is rare in raptors (James and Oliphant 1986) and we did not observe any helping behav- ior. Yearlings may stay in the area for foraging opportunities and may be forced to find their own territory when new young fledge due to in- creased competition. Williams et al. (2007) attribute the northward expansion of short- tailed hawks into the southwestern United States to their ability to tol- erate modified habitats and/or to an apparent response to climate change. Note that a tolerance for degraded habitat should not be con- fused with a preference for such habitat (Williams et al. 2007). Within Florida, hawks appear to nest in dense, mature stands of wetland for- est (Meyer 2005) and maximize the distance to urban areas. Although a quarter of the area in our buffer zone was urbanized, these were ar- eas of limited use or concentrated human activity, e.g. a hotel and hor- ticultural facility. Thus, we have not observed such tolerance to otherwise altered habitat. We have observed hawks returning to cen- tral Florida earlier than previously reported. These observations lend support to the suggestion that this species, like many others (Cotton 2003) may indeed, be responding to climate change. Acknowledgments Ken Meyer provided useful advice and comments throughout the study and on this manuscript. Ted Stevens provided additional comments that have enhanced this manu- script. We are grateful to Sue Dubois and Walt Disney World Information Technology team for their assistance with camera installation and observations. Alison Styring, Mauricio Saldarriaga, Heather Pollard and members of the Disney’s Animal Program team assisted in field observations. GIS data was provided by the Reedy Creek Improve- ment District. We gratefully acknowledge Disney’s Animal Programs Cast Conservation Fund for financing this project. Literature Cited Cotton, P. A. 2003. Avian migration phenology and global climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100:12219- 12222. James, P. C., and L. W. Oliphant. 1986. Extra birds and helpers at the nests of Richard- son’s Merlin. Condor 88:533-534. Rizkalla Short-tailed Hawk Nesting 7 Meyer, K. D. 2004, Breeding and Wintering Ecology of the Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo hrachyurus) in Florida. Final Report. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Com- mission, Tallahassee, Meyer, K. D. 2005. Biology and Conservation Needs of the Short-tailed Hawk in Florida. Final Report. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Miller, K. E=, and K. D, Meyer 2002, Short-tailed hawk (Buteo hrachyurus). In The Birds of North America, No. 674 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North Amer- ica, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Millsap, B. a,, M. Robson, and B. R. Toland, 1996, Short-tailed Hawk. In: Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida, VoL 5. Birds (J. A. Rodgers, Jr., H. W. Kale II, and H. T, Smith, eds.). University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Ogden, J. C. 1974. The Short-tailed Hawk in Florida I. Migration, habitat, hunting tech- niques, and food habits. Auk 91:95-110. Ogden, J. C. 1988. Short-tailed Hawk, In: Handbook of North American Birds. Vol. 5. (R. S. Palmer, ed,). Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Williams, S. O,, III, J, P. Delong, and W. H. Howe. 2007. Northward range expansion by the Short-tailed Hawk, with first records for New Mexico and Chihuahua. Western Birds 38:2-10. Florida Field Naturalist 37(1):8-15, 2009. CROSSING THE ISTHMUS: OVERLAND SPRING MIGRATION OF COMMON LOONS {Gavia immer) IN ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA Andrew W. Kratter Florida Museum of Natural History, Box 117800, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611 Email: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu In North America, the Common Loon {Gavia immer) breeds on lakes across Canada and the northern United States and winters in large numbers on the coastlines of the United States, with smaller pop- ulations wintering on large lakes and reservoirs of the interior (McIn- tyre and Barr 1997, AOU 1998). In the spring, the coastal wintering populations stage extensive migrations along both the Pacific and At- lantic coastlines, when large flights can be seen from coastal bird- watching sites (Winter and Morlan 1977, McIntyre and Barr 1997). Springtime migration paths of birds wintering in the interior, includ- ing those on the Gulf of Mexico, are not nearly as well known, but some of these birds would, by necessity, fly overland. Loons probably prefer to fly over water more than over land because they need large expanses of open water to rest and feed. Substantial populations of loons winter in Florida, along coasts of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico (Clapp et al. 1982, Al- exander 1985, Jodice 1993). In the spring, some northbound migrants from populations wintering on the Atlantic coast of Florida undoubt- edly become part of the large numbers of loons that pass off the coast farther north (Powers and Cherry 1983), although some birds may head from wintering areas directly overland to breeding areas in the north-central US., thus reversing their fall migration routes (Kenow et al. 2002). Populations along the western Panhandle of Florida would presumably fly straight north in spring, reversing their fall flight path (Kenow et al. 2002). Populations along peninsular Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast, however, can follow two possible routes: they either can cross the Peninsula to join the northbound Atlantic populations, or fly north to the northern Gulf of Mexico and then overland to breeding sites in the north. The latter course would incur much more overland flight, but the former course may be less direct. In the center of the northern peninsula of Florida (Alachua County), small numbers of Common Loons have been observed fi3dng overhead on spring mornings in late March and April, where the spe- 8 KRATTER—Oyeelanb Loon Migration 9 cies is otherwise rare (Rowan and Manetz 2006; see also Williams 1973). To document and quantify the spring migration of Common Loons over Alachua Co., I conducted systematic sky watches from mid- March to mid-April, 2003-2006. Data on direction and timing were then used to assess the provenance and proximate destination of these loons. Methods In 2003, I began observing loon migration in southeast Gainesville, Alachua Co. (29°38’N, 82°19’W). I spent morning hours scanning the sky, watching for loons flying overhead, from either my backyard at 1201 SE 24th Avenue, Gainesville, or along the Gainesville-Hawthorne recreation trail, south of SE 22nd Avenue. In 2004, 1 also began observing loons from the eastern edge of Pine Grove Cemetery, off SE 22"** Avenue, adja- cent to the other sites. This site has far views of the western and northern horizons, and a somewhat diminished view of the southern horizon. This location allowed for long views of the fl3dng loons, and most loons passing within a ca. 1500 m north-south corri- dor were visible. For loons that passed directly overhead, I had views for ca. 30 secs. Mi- grating loons to the north could be detected as far as at ca. 1000 m; toThe south loons needed to be within ca. 500 m to be seen. In 2005-2006, 1 watched loon migration prima- rily from Pine Grove Cemetery. During the first two years, I recorded only a daily tally of migrating loons. In 2005-2006 I recorded time of each observation, direction of move- ment, and size of each group. I used 10 x 42 mm binoculars for all observations. To associate loon migration with weather conditions, I used weather data from the website of the Jacksonville office of the National Weather Service (http:// WWW. srh.noaa.gov/jax/climate.shtml). Results All but one of the observed loons migrating across Alachua County were Common Loons. On 31 March 2004, a lone Red- throated Loon {G. stellata), in basic or juvenal plumage, was observed flying with 12 Common Loons; this exceptional record is not included in the following analyses. There are only two previous records in Alachua Co. (Rowan and Manetz 2006) of the Red-throated Loon, which is rare along Penin- sular Florida's Gulf of Mexico (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). The total number of loons recorded from 2003-2006 was 712 (Table 1). In 2003, a total of 63 loons was observed migrating on nine days from 21 March through 17 April. In 2004, a total of 102 loons was observed on nine days from 18 March through 14 April. In 2005, a total of 78 loons was observed (0.13/hour) on 10 days from 29 March through 8 April. In 2006, with refined methodology, more complete coverage, and a better knowledge of timing, a total of 470 loons was observed (0.59/hour) during 21 mornings from 16 March through 13 April. Over the entire period of observation, the largest single day count was 193 loons on 4 April 2006; this one day accounts for 27% of all loons seen over the four years. The second largest count was 117 loons on the 10 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. Daily count of Common Loons migrating over Gainesville, Day num- ber 91 corresponds to 1 April in all years except 2004, when 1 April is day num- ber 92. rather early date of 22 March 2006. Aside from this count, the total number of loons seen prior to 25 March during the four years is only 15. Partitioning the data into five-day periods, the interval of 2-6 April was the most active, with 408 loons or 57% of the total. Of the 535 loons recorded in 2005-2006, 85% passed over between 75-105 minutes after sunrise (Fig. 2); the most active five-minute pe- riod was from 85-90 minutes after sunrise, accounting for 11% of the total. However, the rate was highest in 5-minute period from 90-95 minutes after sunrise (1.0 loons/minute). The earliest recorded was a flock of three 58 minutes after sunrise on 7 April. The latest recorded were two that passed 195 minutes after sunrise on 4 April 2005. The size of the flocks was recorded only in 2006. The largest flock was 37 birds (on 4 April 2006). The average flock size was 5.4 loons. Of the 85 independent sightings, 35 consisted of one loon. Of the 467 loons recorded in 2006, all but two groups were heading between east and northeast, with 90% moving between east-northeast and northeast. The exceptions were two loons heading north on 4 April 2006, and one loon heading southeast on 9 April 2006. KRATTER— Overland Loon Migration 11 Minutes after sunrise Figure 2. Migration of loons at five-minute intervals in 2004-2005. Number over bar is the total minutes surveyed in that period over both years. Weather conditions associated with large (>40) numbers of loons migrating over Gainesville were clear or foggy mornings with slightly cooler (than normal) to cold days following cold fronts. The morning of the largest passing of loons (193 on 5 April 2006) was foggy, with the low temperature 3°C below the mean normal low temperature for that date. A cold front had passed on 3=4 April. The following morning (6 April), which had the fourth largest count (43 loons), also was cool (3°F below normal). The second largest passing (117 loons on 22 March 2006) was on a foggy and slightly cool morning (1°F below normal) fol- lowing a cold front on 21 March. Winds were from the north on both 5 April and 22 March 2006, but not on 6 April, when they were from the southwest. The third largest passing (52 on 4 April 2005) was on a clear, cool morning (4°F below normal) following a cold front that had passed on 1-2 April; the winds were from the northwest on 3 April, but from the east on 4 April. Discussion The timing (peak at ca. 90 min after sunrise) and direction of move- ment (almost exclusively between east-northeast and northeast) of 12 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST loons observed migrating over Gainesville, along with known flight speeds of migrating loons (108 km/hr; Kerlinger 1982) and the geogra- phy of the Florida peninsula (Fig. 3), strongly suggests that these birds originate the same morning from the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Key (88 km SW of Gainesville), leaving, on average about 0.7 hr. after sun- rise. The loons then pass over Gainesville ca. 50 min later, most likely continuing northeast until they reach the Atlantic Coast in northern St. Johns Co. at ca. 1.8 hours after sunrise (Fig. 3). This flight would entail a 196-km overland route to cross the Florida peninsula. The loons then could follow traditional migratory routes northward along the Atlantic coast toward their breeding areas (Powers and Cherry 1983). Their flight, over a narrow isthmus of north-central Florida, would have loons that winter off peninsular Florida’s west coast using one of the shortest possible routes to avoid flying overland (Fig. 3) while maintaining a northward component in spring migration. By starting at Cedar Key, the loons cross the peninsula where it is narrow, whereas both north and south of Cedar Key the coast begins to bulges west- ward, away from the Atlantic (Fig. 3). Nevertheless, there are shorter routes in the vicinity; one (172 km) would start 28 km east-southeast of Cedar Key and trend east-northeast to central Flagler County; the other (168 km) would start in central Citrus County and trend east- northeast to northern Volusia Co. These routes would miss Alachua County altogether: the loons would pass about 40 km and 60 km south of my observation sites. Therefore, minimization of overland flight dis- tance may not be the sole criterion for route selection. The vicinity of Cedar Key is known for having sizable wintering populations of Com- mon Loons (Jodice 1993, CBC data); this area may thus provide a bet- ter stopover foraging site for loons migrating north than areas with starting points to the east and south. This concept could be evaluated by conducting springtime loon counts in Marion County at localities ca. 40 and 60 km south of my study site. For birds that winter from Charlotte Harbor south an equally short path with a northward component trends from Charlotte Harbor northeast toward southernmost Brevard Co. There is no empirical evi- dence, however, that loons use these alternative routes. The results presented here suggest that a sizable population of Common Loons winters on the eastern Gulf of Mexico from Cedar Key south, although these populations may be smaller than those in the Panhandle (Clapp 1982, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, P, Jodice, in litt.). Nevertheless, large numbers have been reported locally on the Gulf coast of peninsular Florida. Following an oil spill in Tampa Bay, 500 loons were cleaned in 1970 (Clapp et al. 1982). From 1990 to 2004, the number of loons observed on 21 Christmas Counts on the Gulf KRATTER—Oyerlanb Loon Migration 13 Figure 3. Spring migration routes of loons in Florida. Bold arrows; probable routes; non-bold arrows; routes with no empirical data. A: overland route crossing peninsular Florida over Alachua County. B, C, D; overland routes shorter than A across peninsular Florida, but no empirical evidence for use. E; overwater routes north along Atlantic coast. F; overwater route north along southern Gulf coast of peninsular Florida. G; overwater route from Cedar Key to Big Bend, no empirical evidence for use. H: overland routes from Big Bend area directly north to breeding areas. ® Cedar Key (Levy County); O Gaines- ville (Alachua County). 14 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Coast from Cedar Key south to the Everglades (National Audubon So- ciety website: http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/hr/) averaged 269 indi- viduals/year, with the high annual count of 549 individuals in 1991. The largest number of Common Loons recorded on a Christmas Count in peninsular Florida was 446 on the Cedar Key Count in 1991. Some additional loons winter on inland lakes on the peninsula, most notably on Lake Weir in Marion County (80 km SSE of Gainesville), where up to 96 individuals have been recorded on the Emeralda Christmas Count (E. Scales, pers. comm.). It seems unlikely that these loons would pass over Gainesville during spring migration with a northeast- erly trajectory. Although the flight corridor used over Gainesville ap- pears to be quite narrow, I am clearly counting only a portion of the loons flying along this route. What must have been different individu- als were observed on the same mornings as my observations in north- east Gainesville, 4.8 km north of my site (R. Rowan, pers. comm.). Although distant overland flights are undoubtedly used by some migrating Common Loons (e.g., the large population that winters off Florida’s Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico), overwater flights are prob- ably preferred if available, especially if they have similar costs of tim- ing and fuel. Overland flight for migrating loons probably has higher risks than overwater flight, because loons depend on water if they are grounded by poor flight conditions or sunset. Other options for migra- tion paths for loons wintering on the Gulf Coast of peninsular Florida would include much longer overland flights (straight NNE to NNW to breeding areas in northern United States and Canada), marginally shorter (180 km) overland flights but in an unfavorable direction (straight east across the Florida Peninsula to the Atlantic), or a much longer and more circuitous overwater flight (around Cape Sable in southern Florida, then northward along the Atlantic coast). A similar movement may occur during fall migration; however, the only such record I found involving cross-peninsula migrants was 20 fly- ing south-southwest over Paynes Prairie in Alachua County on 14 No- vember 1976 (J. Hintermister, cited in Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Acknowledgments I thank Patrick Jodice and Rex Rowan for provided unpublished data on migrating loons. Paul Spitzer, Dave Steadman, and Rex Rowan made comments on the manu- script. My black lab Ani provided good company during the loon watches. Literature Cited Alexander, L. L. 1985. Trouble with loons. The Living Bird Quarterly 4:10-13. American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of the Birds of North Amer- ica, 7th edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D. C. KRATTER—Oyerlanb Loon Migration 15 Clapp, R. B., R. C. Banks, D. Morgan-Jacobs, and W. A. Hoffman. 1982. Marine Birds of the Southeastern U. S. and the Gulf of Mexico. Part 1. Gaviiformes through Pele- caniformes. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services, Washington, D. C., FWS/OBS~82/01. JODICE, P. G. R. 1993, Distribution of wintering loons in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Pages 172-193 In The Loon and its Ecosystem: Status, Management, and Environ- mental Concerns (L. Morse, S. Stockwell, and M, Pokras, Eds.). U, S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D. C. Kenow, K. P., M. W. Meyer, D. C. Evers, D. C. Douglas, and J. Hines. 2002. Use of satellite telemetry to identify Common Loon migration routes, staging areas, and wintering range, Waterbirds 25:449-458. Kerlinger, P. 1982. The migration of Common Loons through eastern New York. Con- dor 84:97-100. McIntyre, J. W., and J. F. Barr. 1997. Common Loon (Gavia immer). In The Birds of North America, No. 313 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Powers, K. D., and J. Cherry. 1983. Loon migrations off the coast of the northeastern USA. Wilson Bulletin 95:125-132. Rowan, R., and M. Manetz. 2006. A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Alachua County, Florida, 2nd edition. Published by the authors. Stevenson, H. M., and B. A. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Williams, L. E., Jr. 1973. Spring migration of Common Loons from the Gulf of Mexico. Wilson Bulletin 85:230. Winter, J., and J. Morlan. 1977. Middle Pacific coast region: the changing season. American Birds 31:1041-1045. Florida Field Naturalist 37(1):16-21, 2009. FIRST RECORD OF TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE {Myadestes townsendi) for FLORIDA Andy Bankert^ Bruce H. Anderson^ and Bill Pranty^ ^365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 ^2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792 ^8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667 At 1100 EDT on 9 March 2008, while conducting a bird survey at the Genius Drive Nature Preserve, Winter Park, Orange County, Flor- ida, participant Cecie Catron alerted AB to an unfamiliar bird. AB and BHA identified the bird as a Townsend’s Solitaire {Myadestes townsendi), a thrush of western North America. The survey group of seven observed the bird for 20 minutes while it perched about 3 m above ground in a 5 m bald cypress {Taxodium distichum) before it flew into an adjacent private yard and out of sight. At 1220 the bird re- turned and remained for 45 minutes in a cluster of four trees, each about 10 m in height: one water hickory {Cary a aquatica); one water oak {Quercus nigra)', and two presumed laurel oak x live oak hybrids (Q. laurifolia x Q. virginiana). Photos were obtained. Playback of songs and call notes of Townsend’s Solitaire enticed the bird to respond only once, with a high-pitched “peet” that was not recorded. The solitaire re- turned to the same area at 1700 when more photos (e.g.. Fig. 1) and a video were obtained. When BHA departed at 1800, the solitaire re- mained in the same cluster of four trees where it apparently roosted for the night. On 13 March 2008, BHA and BP, accompanied by four other sur- veyors, returned to the Preserve and found the solitaire in the same general area where it was initially found. It remained until the survey- ors departed at 1130. Initially, the solitaire perched in the tops of ma- ture live oaks and a camphor tree {Cinnamomum camphora) where it was seen eating camphor fruit. More photos were obtained of the soli- taire, as well as a nearby male Western Tanager {Piranga ludoviciana) another species rare in Florida. The tanager shares much of the soli- taire’s montane breeding range in the western North America. How- ever, the two birds did not interact, and the tanager left the area shortly after its discovery. Later, the solitaire flew into adjacent private yards before it descended to the middle levels of the same group of four trees where it was seen on 9 March. On both days, the solitaire was studied at distances of 3-20 m. When perched high on an exposed 16 Bankert ET AL.— Townsend’s Solitaire in Florida 17 Figure 1. Townsend^s Solitaire at Genius Drive Nature Preserve, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida, 9 March 2008* Photograph by Lyn Atherton. branch, the solitaire occasionally made short flights, often returning to the same perch, but it was not observed to capture prey during these flights. In addition, it flew to the ground several times, apparently to capture prey that was not identified. 18 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST The survey team did not return to the Preserve again until 13 April 2008, the date of the next scheduled survey From 0830 through 1200, the solitaire was not relocated, nor was it found on subsequent surveys. The solitaire was about the size of a Gray Catbird {Dumetella car- olinensis) with an upright posture. Overall, the bird was a medium- gray color. The all-dark bill was shorter than the length of the head that showed dark lores and complete white eye-rings that broadened posteriorly. A thin black malar stripe extended from each side of the lower mandible. The throat and belly were whitish, and the flanks had a brownish tinge. On the upper wings, the lesser coverts were the same grayish color as the back and breast. The primary and greater coverts and flight feathers were mostly blackish. The proximal one-fifth of each primary and secondary was pale buff forming one bold stripe across each open wing and two patches on each closed wing. The undertail co- verts were blackish with white tips, and the outer rectrices were largely white. The irides, tarsi, and toes were blackish. The pale tips of the breast and back feathers and some of the greater coverts, as well as the pointed tips of the rectrices indicated that this solitaire was in its second calendar year (Pyle 1997). A slight brownish wash on the gray crown and rump, together with the bold buff stripe on the wings, iden- tified the bird as the nominate race, M. t. townsendi, found north of Mexico (Pyle 1997). The American Ornithologists’ Union (1998) recognizes 12 solitaire species belonging to the genus Myadestes, with a thirteenth species en- demic to South America (Ridgely and Tudor 1989). Townsend’s Soli- taire is the only member of the genus that has been recorded in North America north of Mexico (AOU 1998). It breeds in open montane and subalpine woodlands from east-central and southeastern Alaska, north-central Yukon, west-central and southwestern Mackenzie, southern Alberta, and southwestern Saskatchewan south through the various mountain ranges to south-central California, central Arizona and southern New Mexico. Disjunct populations breed in the Black Hills of South Dakota and in adjacent Nebraska, and the mountains of Durango, Jalisco, and Zacatecas, Mexico (AOU 1998). The species win- ters at lower elevations, mainly in chaparral, desert, and riparian woodland, from southern British Columbia, southern Alberta, Mon- tana and central North Dakota, south to the southern extreme of its breeding range in Mexico, west to the Pacific coast, and east to western Oklahoma, western Missouri, western Texas, and Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, Mexico. In winter Townsend’s Solitaires wander occasionally east to the Canadian Maritimes and New England (AOU 1998) and prior to 2008 had been reported as far southeast as South Carolina (SCBRC 2006), Mississippi (MOSBRC 2004), and Louisiana (LBRC 2008). The only other account of Townsend’s Solitaire in Florida re- BANKERT ET AL.—TOWNSENB’S SOLITAIRE IN FLORIDA 19 ferred to a second-hand report without details from the Keys during “autumn” 1976 (Edscorn 1977a, 1977b). Replacing Townsend's Solitaire in the various mountain ranges from Mexico into South America are the Brown-backed Solitaire (M. occidentalis), resident from Sonora, Mexico, to central Honduras; Slate-colored Solitaire (M, unicolor) ^ resident from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to north-central Nicaragua; Black-faced Solitaire (M. melan- ops), resident from Costa Rica to western Panama; Varied Solitaire (M. coloratus), resident from eastern Panama to extreme northwestern Co- lombia, South America (AOU 1998); and the Andean Solitaire (M. ral- loides), endemic to the South American Andes Mountains from eastern Venezuela to southern Peru and northern Bolivia (Ridgely and Tudor 1989), Two species are endemic to Antillean mountains: the Cuban Sol- itaire (M elisabeth), resident of Cuba, and the Rufous-throated Soli- taire (M. genibarbis), resident of Jamaica, Hispaniola, and from Dominica to St. Vincent (AOU 1998). Three species are resident in the Hawaiian Islands' mountains, the Kamao (M. myadestinus); Omao (M. obscurus); and Puaiolii (M. palmeri). Two other Hawaiian species, the Olomao (M. lanaiensis) and the Ainaui (M. woahensis) are believed to be extinct (AOU 1998). Similar to Townsend's Solitaire, the Black- faced Solitaire engages in altitudinal migration, descending from the high mountains where it breeds to lower elevations at other seasons. These two species are apparently the only Myadestes species known to engage in regular seasonal movements (AOU 1998), Most Myadestes solitaires are rather somberly colored. M. occiden- talism M. elisabeth, and M. genibarbis are distinguished from M. townsendi by having eye-arcs (Howell and Webb 1995, Raffaele et aL 1998), rather than eye rings. M. melanops, M. colorates, and M. uni- color have orange or flesh-colored bills and/or feet (Howell and Webb 1995, Stiles and Skutch 1989, Ridgely and Gwjime 1989). M. ralloides has a rufescent-brown back and silvery bases to the primaries (Ridgely and Tudor 1989). The Hawaiian solitaire species lack the prominent eye-rings (except M, palmeri) and the mostly white outer rectrices of M. townsendi (Pratt et aL 1987). During the winter of 2007-2008 Townsend’s Solitaires were con- sidered in irruption that continued into spring 2008 and were re- ported east to Quebec (six; Baniion et aL 2008), New Brunswick (one; Block 2008), Nova Scotia (one; Block 2008), Massachusetts (two; Hunt 2008), New York (two; Rohrbacher et aL 2008), New Jersey (one; Rohrbacher et aL 2008), Virginia (one; Block 2008) and Tennessee (two; Sloan and Palmer-Ball, Jr. 2008; Block 2008). The earliest of these solitaires were in New York 25 November and 20 December (Ro- hrbacher et al. 2008), Massachusetts 15 and 20 December (Hunt 2008), and Quebec 23, 24 and 25 December (Bannon et al. 2008). The 20 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST latest dates observed included 29 January in Virginia (Block 2008); 20 February in New Jersey (Rohrbacher et al. 2008); 23 February in Massachusetts (Hunt 2008); 21 January (Sloan and Palmer-Ball, Jr. 2008) and 20 April (Block 2008) in Tennessee; and 26 April in New Brunswick (Retter 2008). The Genius Drive Nature Preserve is a 17-ha preserve located in east-central Florida, surrounded by urban development and three lakes. A remnant of the former 81-ha Wind Song estate of Richard and Elizabeth Morse Genius, the Preserve is now under the direction of the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. The Foundation allows Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, and the Orange Audubon Society, Mait- land, Florida, to conduct the Genius Reserve Ecological Restoration Project to restore the property to its historical state and conduct monthly bird surveys. The Preserve includes about 15 habitat types. The solitaire was seen in the vicinity of the Ward House, a vacant two- story restored clapboard house located about 45 m from the north shore of Lake Berry A lawn landscaped with trees and shrubs spreads east and south of the House. The cluster of four trees the solitaire fre- quented is south of the House and 10 m from the shore of the Lake. Two estate homes, a part of Windsong subdivision, abut the Preserve to the east of Ward House. To the north of the House, a young citrus grove meets an extensive stand of mostly mature mixed hardwoods with a landscaped understory, and to the west is a continuation of those hard- woods with an understory of native plants that extends to the Lake shore. The Townsend’s Solitaire was seen on only two days in March 2008. The four-hour surveys were conducted only once each month, and given the rather sedentary nature and inconspicuousness of the bird, the solitaire may have been overlooked during previous surveys. The Reserve is closed to the public, and requests made by BHA to the Foun- dation to allow birders, other than those preapproved to regularly sur- vey the Preserve, access to the property were denied for the reason of liability. The members of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee unanimously voted to accept this record (RC #08-680) 30 August 2008. Acknowledgments We thank Bruce Stephenson of Rollins College and Teresa Williams, also of the Col- lege as well as the Orange Audubon Society, for arranging the monthly surveys, the members of the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation for approving the project and giv- ing us a second opportunity to document the solitaire on 13 March, and all of the sur- veyors for giving their time and talents to survey the Preserve, especially Leesa Sward and Brooks and Lyn Atherton for generously providing copies of their photos and video. Bankert ET AL— Townsend's Solitaire in Florida 21 Literature Cited American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) 1998. The Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC. Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David, S. Denault, and Y. Aubry. 2008. Quebec [Winter 2007-2008 regional report] North American Birds 62:216-217. Block, N. 2008. Sightings, mid-January to early February 2008. Birding 40:28-29. Edscorn, J. B. 1977a. The autumn migration: Florida Region. American Birds 31:166- 169. Edscorn, J. B. 1977b. Florida Birds. Florida Naturalist 50:29-30. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Cen- tral America. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hunt, P. 2008. New England [Winter 2007-2008 regional report]. North American Birds 62:218-222. Louisiana Bird Records Committee (LBRC). 2008. Louisiana Bird Records Committee Review List, http://losbird.org/la_reviewlist_2008.pdf Mississippi Ornithological Society Bird Records Committee (MOSBRC). 2004. Checklist of Birds of Mississippi, http://museum.mdwfp.com/downloads/science/ MOSChecklist.pdf Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Ha- waii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds: Part 1. Columbidae to Plo- ceidae. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, CA. Raffaele, H., j. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Retter, M. 2008. Sightings. Winging It. 20:12-13. Ridgely, R. S., and j. a. Gwynne. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Panama. Second edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Ridgely, R. S., and G. Tudor 1989, The Birds of South America: Volume 1. The Oscine Passerines. University of Texas Press, Austin. Rohrbacher, F., R. O. Paxton, and R. R. Veit. 2008. Hudson-Delaware [Winter 2007- 2008 regional report]. North American Birds 62:223-226. Sloan, C., and B. Palmer-Ball, Jr 2008. Tennessee-Kentucky [Winter 2007-2008 re- gional report]. North American Birds 62:249-252. South Carolina Bird Records Committee (SCBRC). 2006. Official List of the Birds of the Carohnas. httpy/www.carolmabirdclub.org/brc/checklist_of_South_Carolina_birds.html Stiles, F. G., and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. Comstock Pub- lishing Associates, Ithaca, NY. Florida Field Naturalist 37(l);22-30, 2009. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Summer Report: June-July 2008. — This report consists of significant bird obser- vations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Submissions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and sig- nificance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-July), and fall ( August-No vember). Submit observations to regional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. We greatly prefer observations sent via e-mail. Sight-only observations are con- sidered “reports” while only those supported by verifiable evidence (photographs, video or audio tapes, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; Bowman 2006, Fla. Field Nat. 34:90- 102) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: CWA = = critical wildlife area, EOS = end of season, NP = national park, NS = national sea- shore, NSRA = north shore restoration area, NWR = national wildlife refuge, SP = state park, STA = stormwater treatment area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WMA = wild- life management area, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries de- note birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. Summary of the Summer Season The season was uneventful, with no tropical storm activity. FOSRC rarities reported this season (and accepted in Aug 2008) were Tropical-type kingbirds at Gulf Breeze and Fort De Soto Park, and a Yellow-green Vireo at Key Largo. For the second season in a row, a Ring-necked Pheasant was photographed in Florida, this time at Miami. David S. Maehr, 52, was killed in a plane crash in Highlands County 20 June while studying a radio-collared population of Florida black bears. Maehr, Professor of Conservation Biol- ogy at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, was formerly a biologist with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, and author with Herb Kale of Florida's Birds. We welcome Andy Bankert to the FOC; Andy will be compiling reports along the Atlan- tic coast from Brevard to Broward counties. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-DucK: 3 at Silver Lake, Withlacoochee SF {Hernando) 1 Jun (M. Gardler); 6 near Nobleton {Hernando) 1 Jun (D. Grimes); 83 at Viera Wetlands {Brevard) 6 Jun (D. Freeland); 3 at Lake Jackson, Three Lakes WMA {Osceola) 13 Table 1. Birds observed as many as 175 km off Ponce de Leon Inlet {Volusia) 15 Jun (B. Wallace, M. Brothers). SPECIES NUMBER SPECIES NUMBER Cory’s Shearwater 12 Band-rumped Storm-Petrel 4 Greater Shearwater 34 Sooty Tern 12 Audubon’s Shearwater 106 Arctic Tern 2 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 10 Royal Tern 1 Leach’s Storm-Petrel 14 Pomarine Jaeger 1 22 Field Observations 23 Jun (J. Thornton, C. Newton); 2 at Tall Timbers Research Station (Leon) 16 Jun (C. Borg); 1 adult with 17 chicks at the Sarasota Celery Fields (Sarasota) 20 Jun (S. Daughtrey et aL); as many as 9 at W Kendall (MiamLDade) 22 Jun-1 Jul (J. Boyd); 2 at John Chesnut Park, Tarpon Springs (Pinellas) 28 Jun (J. Zarolinski); 4 at Okaloa- coochee Slough WMA (Hendry) 12 Jul (B. Ahern); 2 at Trenton (Gilchrist) 20 Jul (R. Rowan); 2 at Polk phosphate mines 20 Jul (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel); 11 at The Vil- lages (Sumter) 24 Jul (J. Dinsmore); as many as 24 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Orange unless otherwise specified) all season (H. Robinson). Fulvous Whistling-Duck: 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) until 6 Jun (M. Landsman, C. Parenteau); 1 at the Sarasota Celery Fields 20 Jun (S. Daughtrey et aL); 1 at Viera Wetlands 30 Jul (A. Bankert); as many as 9 at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H. Robinson). Common Shelduck: 4 at Viera Wetlands 29-30 Jul (A. Bankert et aL). Egyptian Goose: 1 at Iona Lakes, Fort Myers (Lee) all season (D. & H. Rockstroh). American Wigeon: 1 at STA-5 (Hendry) 19 Jul (M. England et aL). Blue-winged Teal: 1 adult male at Nokomis Golf Course (Sarasota) 1-6 Jun (J. Palmer); 1 at Hague (Alachua) until 12 Jun (J. Hintermister, M. Manetz et aL); 2 (fe- male and male) at Springhill Road STF (Leon) 12 Jun (G. Menk); 12 at STA-5, 14 Jun, and 1 there 19 Jul (M. England et aL); 1 male at Bald Point (Franklin) 16 Jun (M. Forehand); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Jun (H. Robinson); 1 at a Polk mine 20 Jul (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel). Redhead: 1 female at Honeymoon Island SP (Pinellas) 14 Jun (C. Fisher); 1 male at Tram Road STF (Leon) 25 Jun (G. Menk). RinG"NECKED Duck: 1 female at Lake Jackson, Three Lakes WMA 13 Jun (J. Thornton, C. Newton); 10 at STA-5, 14 Jun, and 2 there 19 Jul (M. England et aL). Greater Scaup: 4 at Cypress Point Beach Park (Hillsborough) 1 Jun, and 2 there 6 Jun (C. Fisher). Lesser Scaup: 1 at Newnans Lake (Alachua) 1 Jun (R. Rowan et aL); 1 at Palm Shores (Brevard) 4 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 at Gainesville (Alachua) 19-21 Jun (H. Warren); 1 male at Springhill Road STF 30 Jun was joined by a female 17 Jul (G. Menk, M. Col- lins); 1 at Gulf Harbors (Pasco) 16 Jul (K. Tracey, photo to FOC); 1 at STA-5, 19 Jul (M. England et aL). Surf Scoter: 1 adult male at Tierra Verde (Pinellas) 1-3 Jun (R. Smith et aL); 1 male at Amelia River (Nassau) 16 Jun-3 Jul (P. Leary). Hooded Merganser: 1 at Gainesville 2-4 Jun (B. Carroll, L. Hensley et aL). Red-breasted Merganser: 1 in female plumage at Keewaydin Island (Collier) 5 Jun (C. Faanes); as many as 7 in female plumage at Merritt Island NWR (Brevard) 10 Jun- EOS (D. Freeland, A. Brayton et aL). Ring-necked Pheasant: 1 melanistic male at the Deering Estate (Miami~Dade) in early Jun (L. Johns, photo to FOC). Northern Bobwhite: 105 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Jun (H. Robinson). Common Loon: 5 at Fort Pickens (Escambia) 11 Jun (B. Duncan); 1 in basic plumage at Bald Point (Franklin) 30 Jul (J. Murphy). Horned Grebe: 1 or singles in alternate plumage at Key Vista Park, Bailey’s Bluff (Pasco) 1 Jun (J. McKay) and Green Key, New Port Richey (Pasco) 9 Jun (K. Tracey). American Flamingo: 24 at Biscayne Bay (Miami-Dade) 10 Jun (J. Valadez, B. Booth). Greater Shearwater: 1 found dead at Melbourne Beach (Brevard) 3 Jul (A. Bankert). Sooty Shearwater: 1 at Melbourne Beach 3 Jul (A. Bankert); 1 salvaged at Indialantic (Brevard) 6 Jul (A. Bankert, specimen to Florida Museum of Natural History, Gaines- ville); 1 off Miami (Miami-Dade) 1 Jul (R. Torres, J. Boyd). Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 7 birds 12 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 23 Jxm (D. Freeman et. al.). Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 1 off Miami 14 Jun (R. Torres); 14 birds 37-175 km off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 Jun (M. Brothers, B. Wallace et al.). 24 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Brown Booby: 1 immature off Longboat Key {Manatee) 8 Jun (J. Ginaven). American White Pelican: 79 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Jun, and 1 there EOS (H. Rob- inson); 16 at Fort George River (Duval) 6-7 Jun (R, Clark); 750 at STA-5, 14 Jun, and 5 there 19 Jul (M. England et ah); 62 northbound over New Port Richey 15 Jun, and 84 northbound 4 Jul (D. Gagne); 50 at St. Marks NWR (Wakulla) 18 Jul (M. Collins); 62 at Polk mines 20 Jul (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel). Brown Pelican: 1 at Lake Alto (Alachua) 20 Jun (G. Winn); 1 at Windermere (Orange) 20 Jun (R. Leatto). Double-crested Cormorant: as many as 4 at Pensacola Bay (Santa Rosa) until 26 Jun (B. Duncan). AnhingA: 520 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jul (H. Robinson). Least Bittern: 76 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 Jul (H. Robinson). Great Blue Heron: 1 Wurdemann’s Heron at Destin (Okaloosa) in mid Jun (S. Weaver, photos to FOC); 1 Great White Heron at Viera Wetlands 5 Jul (T. Dunkerton et aL); 1 Great White Heron at Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa) 19 Jul (B. & L. Duncan); as many as 3 (22 Jun) Great White Herons at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H. Robinson). Reddish Egret: 1 at Cedar Key (Levy) 20 Jun (B. McNab, R. Rowan); 1 dark morph at Fort Pickens 23 Jun, and 1 white morph there 18-22 Jul (B. Duncan). Black-crowned Night-Heron: 31 at Lake Woodruff NWR (Volusia) 4 Jim (M. Brothers). White Ibis: 500 at Mitchell Park, Seven Springs (Pasco) 15 Jul (K. Tracey). Glossy Ibis: 8 adults at Lake Jackson (Leon) 5 Jun (G. Menk); 125 along Cockroach Bay Road (Hillsborough) 5 Jun (B. Ahern). Roseate Spoonbill: as many as 3 at Gainesville until 11 Jun (S. Lasseter); 250 at STA- 5, 14 Jun included 1 banded at Jimmie Key, Florida Bay 21 Dec 2005 (M. England et aL); 1 at Lake Davis, Inverness (Citrus) late May-9 Jun (T. True, K. Spilios); 45 at Vi- era Wetlands 24 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 over Winter Park 26 Jun (B. Anderson); 70 at Gulf Harbors 16 Jul (K. Tracey); 4 at Ocala (Marion) 17 Jul (M. Hafner); as many as 25 at Cedar Key all season (R. Rowan); as many as 50 (1 Jun) at Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) all season (H. Robinson). Wood Stork: 340 at Viera Wetlands 24 Jun (D. Freeland). Swallow-tailed Kite: 1 over Green Key 18 Jun (K. Tracey); 520 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Jun (H. Robinson); 4 (2 adults, 2 juveniles) over Lake Virginia, Winter Park (Or- ange) 28 Jun (B. Sicolo et al.); 1 pair bred unsuccessfully near Brooker Creek Pre- serve until 29 Jun, and 20 birds there 1 Jul (B. Walker); 1 fully feathered nestling found injured at Palm Coast (Flagler) 3 Jul later succumbed (M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 16 along US- 17 (Clay) 6 Jul had disappeared by 9 Jul (L. McCullagh); a roost of 35 at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, West Tract (Pasco) 9 Jul (B. Pranty, M. Barnwell, photos to FOC); 26 N of DeLand (Volusia) 16 Jul (M. Wilson); 35+ at STA- 5, 19 Jul (M. England et al.); 200 (40% juveniles) at Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, Clewiston (Hendry) 26 Jul (E. Kwater). Mississippi Kite: 1 pair was nest-building at Green Cove Springs (Clay) 2 Jul (L. McCul- lagh). Northern Harrier: 1 adult female at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Jun (H. Robinson). Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1 at Gulf Breeze 6 Jul (B. Duncan). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 dark morph at Three Lakes WMA 20 Jun (D. Richardson, B. Anderson); 1 mixed pair at New Port Richey until 6 Jul, and 1 light morph there 26 Jul was carrying a warbler (D. Gagne); 2 dark morphs produced 1 dark-morph juve- nile at Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg (Pinellas) this season (R. Smith). American Kestrel: 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 1-29 Jun (H. Robinson). Merlin: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Jul (B. Sanders, details to FOC). Purple Swamphen: 20 at STA-5, 14 Jun (M. England et al.). Purple GallinulE: 2 adults with 3 chicks at Roosevelt Wetlands, St. Petersburg 26 Jun (S. Patterson). Field Observations 25 American Coot: 2 along Cockroach Bay Road 3 Jul (B. Ahern). LiMPKiN: 1 at Dead Lakes (Gulf) 8 Jun (D. Simpson); 6 along the Wacissa River (Jeffer- son) 13 Jul (M. Collins); 1 at Lake Munson (Leon) 30 Jun (G. Menk, M. Collins). Black-bellied Plover: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) 1-4 Jun (H. Robinson); 26 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton); singles in alternate plumage at Little Estero Island CWA (Lee) 14 & 26 Jun (C. Ewell); 4 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP (Pasco) 23 Jun (K. Tracey); 1 at Viera Wetlands 24 Jun (D. Freeland). Snowy Plover: 5 chicks at Little Estero Island CWA 6-14 Jun (C. Ewell); 56 nests and “numerous” chicks at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS (Escambia) 17 Jun (fide M. Cain). Wilson’s Plover: 15 adults and 9 chicks at Little Estero Island CWA 14 Jun (C. Ewell); 38 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 16 Jun (K. Tracey). Semipalmated Plover: as many as 15 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) 1-6 Jun, and as many as 14 there 21 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson); 3 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton); 70 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Jul (R. Smith); 3 at Polk mines 20 Jul (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel); Piping Plover: 2 at Fort De Soto Park 22 Jul (R. Smith). Killdeer: 84 at Viera Wetlands 24 Jun (D. Freeland). American Oystercatcher: 2 adults and 6 juveniles at Little Estero Island CWA 14 Jun (C. Ewell). Black-necked Stilt: 40 along Cockroach Bay Road 1 Jun (B. Ahern); 30 at Viera Wet- lands 24 Jun (D. Freeland). American Avocet: 10 at Merritt Island 10 Jun (D. Bales). Spotted Sandpiper: 1 at Alachua (Alachua) 1 Jun (B. Wallace); 2 at St. Marks NWR 18 Jun (M. Collins); 2 at Springhill Road STF 29 Jun (M. Collins, G. Menk); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Jul (H. Robinson). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 at Mitchell Park, Seven Springs 13 Jul (J. McKay, K. Tracey); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Springhill Road STF 17 Jul (G. Menk). Greater YellowlegS: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) 1 Jun, 1 there (Orange) 16 Jul, and 4 there (Lake) 21 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Trinity (Pasco) 6 Jun (K. Tracey); 16 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton); as many as 5 at Viera Wet- lands 24-26 Jun (D. Freeland); 3 Gulf Harbors 16 Jul (K. Tracey). WiLLET: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 25 Jun (L. Davis); 1 at Springhill Road STF 7 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 Jul (H. Robinson); 100 western inornatus at Little Estero Island CWA 31 Jul (C. Ewell). Lesser YellowlegS: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Jun, 1 there (Lake) 22 Jun, and 48 there (Lake) 27 Jul (H. Robinson); 4 at Viera Wetlands 24 Jun (D. Freeland); 3 at Springhill Road STF 30 Jun (G. Menk, M. Collins); 2 at Gulf Harbors 15 Jul (K. Tracey); 1 at The Villages (Sumter) 29 Jul (J. Dinsmore). Whimbrel: 1 along Howard Frankland Causeway (Hillsborough) 26 Jun (E, Haney, D. Goodwin); 2 at Fort Pierce Inlet SP (St. Lucie) 14 Jul (D. Simpson). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Amelia River 3 Jul (P, Leary); 1 at Blind Pass (Collier) 12 Jul (C. Faanes); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 20-23 Jul (R. Smith et al.); 1 at Bunche Beach (Lee) 20 Jul-EOS (C. Ewell). Hudsonian Godwit: 1 at Cutler Ridge ((Miami-Dade) 18 Jul (R. Torres). Marbled Godwit: 4 in basic plumage at Little Estero Island CWA 14 Jun, and 50 there 31 Jul (C. Ewell); 12 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Jul (R. Smith), and 35 there 18 Jul (G. Quigley); 1 at Fort Pickens 17-18 Jul (B. & L. Duncan); 2 in alternate plumage at Bunche Beach 18 Jul (C. Ewell). Ruddy Turnstone: 2 at Titusville (Brevard) 4-10 Jun (D. Freeland); 14 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Bra3d;on); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) 11 Jun (H. Robinson), Red Knot: 48 at Bird Islands, Nassau Sound (Duval) 4 Jun (P. Leary), and 30 there 26 Jul that included 1 banded in Chile (P. Leary); 40 at Fort De Soto Park 22 Jul (R. 26 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Smith); 10 (7 in alternate plumage and 3 in basic plumage) at Little Estero Lagoon CWA 31 Jul included 2 banded at Sanibel Island in Jan 2007 (C. Ewell). SanderlinG: 100 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Jul (R. Smith). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 260 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Jun, 1 there 11 Jul, and 260 there 27 Jul (all Lake; H. Robinson); 30 at Springhill Road STF 2 Jun (G. Menk); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 3 Jun (C. Parenteau, R. Rowan); as many as 23 in basic plumage at Fort Pickens 4-17 Jun (B. Duncan); 15 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton). Western Sandpiper: 70 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Jul (R. Smith); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16-21 Jul, and as many as 35 there 26-27 Jul (both Lake; H. Robinson); 1 in alternate plumage at Bunche Beach 18 Jul (C. Ewell); 156 at Nassau Sound 19 Jul (P. Leary). Least Sandpiper: 1 at Gainesville 2 Jun (M. Manetz); 1 at Titusville 4 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton); 2 at Viera Wet- lands 24 Jun (D. Freeland); 13 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake & Orange) 13 Jul, and as many as 260 there {Lake) 26 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson); 30 at Springhill Road STF 17 Jul (G. Menk). White-RUMPED Sandpiper: up 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 1-4 Jun (H. Robinson); as many as 3 at Fort Pickens 4-17 Jun (B. Duncan); 2 at Blind Pass 4 Jun (C. Faanes); singles at Merritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton) & 22 Jun (T. Dunker- ton). Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Jul, 4 there 24 Jul, and 5 there 26 Jul- EOS (all Lake\ H. Robinson). Dunlin: 1 at Fort Pickens 4 Jun (B. Duncan). Stilt Sandpiper: 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 1 Jun, 1 there 6 Jul {Orange), and 86 there {Lake) 27 Jul (H, Robinson). Short-billed Dowitcher: as many as 7 at Fort Pickens 4-17 Jun (B. Duncan); 2 at Mer- ritt Island NWR 10 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Brayton); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 11 Jul, and as many as 6 there {Lake) 21 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson); 2 in alternate plumage at Gulf Harbors 15 Jul (K. Tracey); 15, with 5 in alternate plumage, at Bunche Beach 18 Jul (C. Ewell); 1 at Springhill Road STF 22-29 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins); 150 at Fort De Soto Park 22 Jul (R. Smith). Long-billed Dowitcher: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 Jul {Orange) & 11-13 Jul {Lake), and 2 there {Lake) 24 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson). American Woodcock: 2 at Tate’s Hell State Forest {Franklin) 19 Jul (J. Murphy, A. Knothe). Wilson’s Phalarope: 1 female at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 30 Jul (H. Robinson). Bonaparte’s Gull: 1 at Bald Point {Franklin) 14 Jun (J. Murphy), Franklin’s Gull: 1 immature at Lake Apopka NSRA 11-15 Jun (H. Robinson). Herring Gull: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Jun (H. Robinson). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 at Crandon Beach, Key Biscayne {Miami-Dade) 14 Jun (R. Torres). Great Black-backed Gull: 1 at Treasure Island Beach {Pinellas) 20 Jul (S. Harris). Sooty Tern: 1 or more pairs bred at St. George Island {Franklin) 2 Jun (A. Knothe); 1 salvaged at Talbot Islands SP {Duval) 8 Jun (L. Johannsen, specimen to UF). Least Tern: 25 pairs breeding at Port Canaveral {Brevard) 1-30 Jun (D, Freeland et aL); 200 fledglings at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS 17 Jun {fide M. Cain); 258 at Gandy Beach {Pinellas) 25 Jun (D. Kandz); 176 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 27-29 Jun (H, Robinson); 150 adults on nests, 30 juveniles, and 10 chicks at Little Estero Island CWA 1 Jul — the nests were lost to high water by 12 Jul (C. Ewell); 350 at Fort De Soto Park 22 Jul (R. Smith); as many as 7 at Winter Park {Orange) all summer (B. Anderson et al.). Gull-billed Tern: 3 at Brandon {Hillsborough) 1 Jun (E. Kwater); 1 in alternate plum- age at Ponce de Leon Inlet 9 Jun (M. Brothers); 2 at Lake City {Columbia) 24 Jun (J. Field Observations 27 Kmmmrich); 6 at Polk mines 20 Jul (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel); 1 along Cockroach Bay Road 27 Jul-EOS (B. Ahern et aL). Caspian Tern: 67 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6-8 Jun (H. Robinson); 12 at STA-S, 14 Jun (M. England et aL). Black Tern: singles in basic plumage at Ponce de Leon Inlet 5, 7, & 29 Jun, and 1 in first-summer plumage there 10 Jun (M. Brothers); 2 at Cedar Key 20 Jun (R. Rowan); 1 at Gandy Beach 25 Jun (D. Kandz); 18 along Cockroach Bay Road 26 Jun (B. Ah- ern); 2 molting into basic plumage at Caxambas Pass {Collier) 12 Jul (C. Faanes); 1 at a Polk mine 20 Jul (P, Timmer, C. Geanangel); 1 adult at Springhill Road STF 29 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins); as many as 10 (21 & 30 Jul) at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H. Robinson). Roseate Tern: 1 banded adult in alternate plumage at Santa Rosa Island {Escambia) 4 Jun (B. Duncan et aL, details to FOC). Common Tern: 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Jun, 1 there until 27 Jun, and 1 there 25 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 in alternate plumage at Smyrna Dunes Park, New Smyrna Beach 11 Jun (M. Brothers); 3 at Cedar Key 20 Jun (R. Rowan); 8 at Fort De Soto Park 25 Jun (M. McPherson), and 32 second-year birds there 6 Jul (R, Smith); 1 at Fort Pierce In- let SP 1 Jul (D. Simpson); 2 at Nassau Sound 2 Jul (P. Leary). Forster’s Tern: 126 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Jun, 98 there 22 Jun, 32 on 2 Jul, and 5- 24 there 6 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson); 2 at STA-5, 19 Jul (M. England et aL). Sandwich Tern: 15 at Cedar Key 20 Jun (R. Rowan). Black Skimmer: as many as 34 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 1-6 Jun, then as many as 7 there EOS (H. Robinson); a colony of 275 at Talbot Islands SP 2 Jul was reduced to 59 birds on scrapes 24 Jul, and no birds by 29 Jul, thought be the result of high tides and human interference (P, Leary), POMARINE Jaeger: 1 in weakened condition at New Smyrna Beach 2 Jun (M. Brothers); 3 off Miami 14 Jun (R. Torres); 1 at Siesta Key Beach {Sarasota) 4 Jul (B. Finkel- stein); 1 bird 8 miles off Sand Key {Pinellas) 12 Jul (S. Czaplicki). White-winged Dove: 1 along Cockroach Bay Road 1 Jun (B. Ahern); 4 at Spirit of the Wind WMA {Hendry) 12 Jul (B. Ahern); 79 at The Villages {Marion) 28 Jul (J. Dins- more); 2 adults at Green Key all season, with 7 birds there 20 Jul (K. Tracey et aL). Mourning Dove: 2370 at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Jul (H. Robinson). Diamond Dove; 1 in W Alachua 16 Jun-17 Jul (J. Hinson, photo to FOC). Peach-faced Lovebird: as many as 5 continued at Orlando {Orange) all season (C, Ca- tron et aL, photos to FOC by A. Boyle) where they have been seen since Apr 2006 (J. Hole). Rose-ringed Parakeet; 1 female at Ponce de Leon Inlet 1-4 Jul (M, Brothers, photo to FOC by B. Wallace). Monk Parakeet: 20 at Patrick Air Force Base {Brevard) all season (D. Freeland). Black-hooded Parakeet: 3 at Grove City {Charlotte) 20 Jun (S. Daughtrey); 2 at Lake- land {Polk) in late Jun {fide T. Palmer). Aratinga SPECIES: 1 apparent White-eyed Parakeet at Ponce de Leon Inlet 28 Jun (M. Brothers). Burrowing Owl; 11 at Site B-70, Eglin Air Force Base 7 Jun, and 24 there 6 Jul (L. Fen- imore, B. Duncan et aL); 1 pair with 3 young along Joe Overstreet Road {Osceola) 20 Jun (D, Richardson, B, Anderson). Chuck- WILL’S-WIDOW: 55 during a night survey at Cape Canaveral Air Station {Brevard) 4 Jun (D. Freeland). Belted ICingfisher: 1 or singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 20-22 Jun and 13 Jul (H. Robin- son); 1 at Newnans Lake 21 Jun (R. Rowan); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 24 Jun (M, Landsman); 1 female at Ormond Beach {Volusia) 26 Jun (M. Brothers); 2 (female and male) N of Ormond Beach 6 Jul (M. Brothers); 1 at Merritt Island 6 Jul (B. Paxson); 1 at Green Key 9 Jul (K Tracey); 1 at Lake Gem Park {Orange) 21 Jul (G. Quigley). 28 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Hairy Woodpecker: 1 at Pensacola {Escambia) 15 Jun (B. Tetlow); 1 juvenile at Three Lakes WMA 20 Jun (D. Richardson, B. Anderson); 2 at Spirit of the Wind WMA 12 Jul (B. Ahern); 2 at Alachua all season (B. Carroll, B. Enneis). *Tropical-TYPE Kingbird: 1 at Gulf Breeze 10 Jul (B. Duncan, accepted by FOSRC); 1 photographed at Fort De Soto 16 Jul (L. Atherton, accepted by FOSRC). Eastern Kingbird: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jul, and 2 there 21 Jul (H. Robinson). Gray Kingbird: 1 at STA-5, 19 Jul (M. England et ah); 7 along Cockroach Bay Road 20 Jul (B. Ahern). Yellow-throated Vireo: a family of 3 at Genius Reserve, Winter Park {Orange) 28 Jun (A. Bankert et al.); 1 at Pinecraft Park {Sarasota) 18 Jul (J. Dubi). Red-eyed Vireo: 1 migrant at Ormond Beach 13 Jul (M. Wilson); 1 migrant at Lake Ap- opka NSRA 16 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 migrant at Pinecraft Park 18 Jul (J. Dubi); 2 mi- grants at Mead Garden, Winter Park {Orange) 19 Jul (P. Hueber). *YelL0W-GREEN VireO: 1 at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks SP {Monroe) 18 Jun (L. Manfredi, photos to FOC, accepted by FOSRC). Black- WHISKERED Vireo: 1 of the race harbatulus at Gulf Breeze 16 Jun (B. Duncan). Florida Scrub-Jay: 1 at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, West Tract 16 Jun & 24 Jul (B. Pranty, B. Ahern); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Orange) 24 Jul (H. Robinson). Tree Swallow: 1 adult at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Jul (H. Robinson). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: as many as 5 migrants at Altamonte Springs {Seminole) 31 May-5 Jun (P, Hueber); as many as 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA until 22 Jun (H. Robinson); 12 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve {Pinellas) 9 Jun (D. Goodwin); 5 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Jul (R. Smith). Bank Swallow: at least 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 Jul-EOS, with 7 there 26 Jul (H. Rob- inson); 1 at Bald Point 30 Jul (J. Murphy). Cliff Swallow: as many as 6 (21 Jul) at Lake Apopka NSRA 2-21 Jul (H. Robinson); 2 at Fort Pierce Inlet SP 14 Jul (D. Simpson). Barn Swallow: 13 migrants at Altamonte Springs 18 Jul (P. Hueber); 20+ at STA-5, 19 Jul (M. England et al.); 60 at Duda, Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Jul (C. Pierce). Carolina Chickadee: as many as 3 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 7 Jun-5 Jul (D. Good- win et al.); 1 at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park {Miami-Dade) 5-15 Jul (B. Rapoza, photos to FOC by A. & M. Abreu). Tufted Titmouse: 8 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 5 Jul (R. Smith et al.). American Robin: 1 in song at Columbia {Columbia) 17 Jun (J. Krummrich). Gray Catbird: an active nest at Gainesville 17 Jul was abandoned within two weeks (M. Manetz). Common Myna: 2 at Page Field Commons, Fort Myers all season (K. Cressman et al.). Bahama Mockingbird: 1 at Key Largo {Monroe) 18 Jun (R. Morris, C. Rasmussen et al., photos to FOC). Yellow Warbler: 1 in song at Cape Romano {Collier) 4 Jun (C. Faanes); 1 migrant at Green Key 22 Jul (J. McKay). Black-throated Green Warbler: 1 at Hillsborough River SP {Hillsborough) 24 Jul (D. Goodwin, E. Haney). Yellow-throated Warbler: 2 migrants at Green Key 9 Jul (K. Tracey); 1 at Kendall 9 Jul (B. Rapoza); 1 migrant at Altamonte Springs 18 Jul (P. Hueber); 1 migrant at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Jul (H. Robinson). Prairie Warbler: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jul, and as many as 2 there 24 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson). Palm Warbler: 1 at Gainesville 8 Jun (R. Rowan, details to FOC); 1 at Largo {Pinellas) 10 Jul (G. Deterra, photo to FOC); 1 at Bald Point SP {Franklin) 28 Jul (J. Palmer). Blackpoll Warbler: 1 male at Gulf Breeze 1 Jun (B. Duncan). Black-and-white Warbler: 1 male at Orange Springs {Putnam) 1 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 at Citra {Marion) 13 Jul (G. Jannise); 1 at Gainesville 13 Jul (R. Cavalieros); 1 in fe- Field Observations 29 male plumage at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, West Tract 17 Jul (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 1 at Pinecraft Park 18 Jul (J. Dubi). Prothonotaky Warbler: 1 migrant at Green Key 24 Jul (K. Tracey). Louisiana WATERTHRUSH: 1 at Fort Pierce Inlet SP 10 Jul (D. Simpson); 2 at Melrose {Bradford) 12 Jul (J. King); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 13 Jul (R. Rowan); 1 at Bronson {Levy) 14 Jul (D, Gagne); singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 16, 24, & 30 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Inverness {Citrus) 24-26 Jul (E. Smith). Hooded Warbler: 1 at Withlacoochee SF, Jumper Creek Tract {Sumter) 19 Jul (B. Ah- ern); 1 at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, East Tract {Sumter) 27 Jul (B. Pranty); 1 male at St. Augustine 31 Jul (J. Kern). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 male in song at Lake Poinsett {Brevard) 1-30 Jun (D. Freeland, A. Banker! et ah); as many as 13 (13-15 Jun) at Lake Apopka NSRA all sea- son (H. Robinson). Summer Tanager: 1 migrant at Duda, Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Jul (C. Pierce). Indigo Bunting: as many as 29 (22 Jun) at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H. Robin- son). Painted Bunting: as many as 4 (1 Jun) at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H, Robinson); 1 in female plumage at Cutler Ridge {Miami-Dade) 6-12 Jul (R. Torres, G. Schrott et al.). Shiny Cowbird: 1 adult male in song at Cedar Key 13-16 Jun (D. Henderson); 1 adult male at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jul (H. Robinson); 2 adult males at Green Key 7-10 Jul (K. Tracey, photos to FOC). Bronzed Cowbird: 12 or more, including two courting pairs, several other adults, and several juveniles at Homestead {Miami-Dade) 12 Jul (B. Pranty et al., photos to FOC); 1 fledgling fed by a female Red- winged Blackbird at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park {Broward) 23 Jun (B. Roberts); 1 at Cutler Ridge {Miami-Dade) 5 Jul (R. Torres, T. Mitchell, photos to FOC); 1 at Acosta Farms {Miami-Dade) 6 Jul (S. Siegel). Orchard Oriole: 16 at Lake Apopka NSRA 13 Jun (H. Robinson); 1 female at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 17 Jul (R. Smith, S. Lemieux). Baltimore Oriole: 1 immature male at Altamonte Springs 25 Jul (J. Judefind). House Finch: 1 at N St. Augustine 10 Jun (J. Kern); 3 at Titusville {Brevard) all sum- mer (T. Fiorillo). American Goldfinch: 1 male in alternate plumage at Clermont {Lake) 27 Jun (J. Ste- fancic, photo to FOC). Pin-tailed Whydah: as many as 3 in female plumage at New Port Richey 16-21 Jul (K. Tracey, B. Pranty, photos to FOC). Contributors; Brian Ahern, Bruce Anderson, Lyn Atherton, Danny Bales, Andy Banker!, Mary Barnwell, Brian Booth, Chris Borg, John Boyd, Andrew Boyle, Al Bray- ton, Michael Brothers, Monica Cain, Bob Carroll, Cede Catron, Roberto Cavalieros, Roger Clark, Marvin Collins, Kim Cressman, Stan Czaplicki, Susan Daughtrey, Lloyd Davis, Gail Deterra, James Dinsmore, Jeanne Dubi, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Margaret England, Becky Enneis, Charlie Ewell, Craig Faanes, Lenny Fen- imore, Burt Finkelstein, Teresa Fiorillo, Charlie Fisher, Melissa Forehand, David Freeland, Dot Freeman, Dave Gagne, Murray Gardler, Chuck Geanangel, John Gi- naven, David Goodwin, Debbie Grimes, Matt Hafner, Erik Haney, Sandy Harris, Dale Henderson, Linda Hensley, June Hinson, John Hintermister, Paul Hueber, Genie Jann- ise, Laura Johannsen, Libby Johns, Joyce Judefind, David Kandz, Jackie Kern, Joyce King, Alan Knothe, Jerry Krummrich, Ed Kwater, Mary Landsman, Shirley Lasseter, Patrick Leary, Renne Leatto, Sid Lemieux, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, Lenore Mc- Cullagh, Jim McKay, Brian McNab, Mia McPherson, Gail Menk, Trey Mitchell, Roy Morris, John Murphy, Chris Newton, Jeff Palmer, Tom Palmer, Scott Patterson, Craig Parenteau, Bob Paxson, Cheri Pierce, Bill Pranty, Gallus Quigley, Brian Rapoza, Chris 30 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Rasmussen, Dexter Richardson, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, Dick & Helen Rock- stroh, Rex Rowan, Bob Sanders, Bob Sicolo, Steve Siegel, David Simpson, Effie Smith, Ron Smith, Ken Spilios, Joyce Stefancic, Betsy Tetlow, John Thornton, Pete Timmer, Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Ted True, Juan Valadez, Barb Walker, Bob Wallace, Helen Warren, Sharon Weaver, Meret Wilson, Geoff Winn, and Joe Zarolinski. Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662; billpranty@hotmail.com). Regional compilers are Brian Ah- ern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617; brianahern@aoLcom; Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792; scizortail@aol.com), Andy Banker! (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951; ravenboy@cfl.rr.com), John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196; boydj@fiu.edu). Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561; Town_Point@bellsouth.net), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991; anhinga42@embarqmail.com), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606; bevalhansen@earthlink.net), Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304; no email), Paul Miller (Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 NW 192nd Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida 34972; Paul.Miller@dep.state.fl.us), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Flor- ida 32257; pegpowell@comcast.net). BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FOS FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special endowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the journal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological So- ciety and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FOS FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M, Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C* Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith 31 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989): Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. EOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Kobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 32 Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural History, RO. Box 117800, Uni- versity of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aol.com Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: TOM PALMER, 1805 26th Street, N.W., Winter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: Reed F. NOSS, University of Central Florida, Depart- ment of Biology, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816-2368. E-mail: rnoss@mail . ucf edu Web Page Editor: Stephen Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne, FL 32951. E-mail: webmaster@fosbirds.org INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in and near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manu- scripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http:// www.fosbirds.org/FFN/FFNGuidelines.htm) for style, especially noting that manu- scripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standardized English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to Reed F. Noss, Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Observations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/Record- Committee/FOSRC.php) should be sent to the Secretary of the Committee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 37, No. 1 March 2009 Pages 1-32 CONTENTS ARTICLES Observations of nesting Short-tailed Hawks (Buteo brachyurus) in central Florida Carol Elisabeth Rizkalla, Jay Therien, and Anne Savage 1-7 Crossing the isthmus: overland spring migration of Common Loons (Gavia immer) in Alachua County, Florida Andrew W. Kratter 8-15 First record of Townsend’s Solitaire {Myadestes townsendi) for Florida Andy Bankert, Bruce H. Anderson, and Bill Pranty 16-21 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Summer report: June-July 2008 Bill Pranty 22-30 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends of FFN 31 FOS Special Publications 32 1^ H3 \ia3 Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 37, No» 2 May 2009 Pages 33-73 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: JEROME A. JACKSON, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Ft. Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: jjackson@fgcu.edu Vice President: Ann B. Hodgson, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctu- aries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: ahodgson@audu- bon.org Secretary: JAMES Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasiu*er: PETER G. Merritt, 8558 SE Sharon St., Kobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmerritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natmral His- tory, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2010 Charlie Ewell, 115 SW 51®^ Terr., Cape Coral, FL 33914. E-mail: anhinga42@earth- link.net Julie Wraithmel, 2507 Callaway Rd., Suite 103, Tallahassee, FL 32303. E-mail: jwraith- mell@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Karl E. Miller, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: karl.miller@myfwc.com Ann F. Paul, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: apaul@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2014 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: Dgood389@aol.com Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@myfwc.com Honorary Members Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999. All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, especially its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing to the Treasurer. Annual mem- bership dues are $25 for individual members ($30 overseas), $30 for a family membership, $15 for students, $45 for contributing members, and $40 for institutional membership; one-time contributions for life membership are $400 for individuals and $500 for families. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist and the FOS newsletter Snail Kite. Subscription price for institutions and non-members is $20 per year. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is pubhshed quarterly (February, May, September, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Ornitholog- ical Society is Division of Birds, Florida Musemn of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 37, No. 2 May 2009 Pages 33-73 Florida Field Naturalist 37(2):33-44, 2009. SHOREBIRD AND LARID USE OF MUDFLATS AT LAKE OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS Paul N. Gray\ Bill Pranty^, Gregory R. Schrott^ AND James W. Tuckers* ^ ^Audubon of Florida, RO. Box 707, Lorida, Florida 33857 E-mail: PGray@Auduhon.org ^8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667 E-mail: hillpranty@hotmail.com ^Archbold Biological Station, Avon Park office, 475 Easy Street, Avon Park, Florida 33825 ^Current address: Oxbow Meadows, Columbus State University, 3535 South Lumpkin Road, Columbus, Georgia 31903 Abstract.— -Few data have been published on the use of mudflats in Lake Okeechobee, Florida by shorebirds, larids, or other birds. In five airboat surveys along the northwestern shore of the lake during drought conditions in mid~2007, we observed 24 species of shorebirds and 11 species of larids, with a maximum one-day total of more than 20,000 individuals. Among these observations were several that represented first reports for Lake Okeechobee and/or Okeechobee County. At approximately 187,000 ha, Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the southeastern United States. It is managed for multiple purposes, among these water storage for flood relief, water supply for agriculture and millions of residential customers, recreation, and as wildlife habitat. Management is facilitated by the Central and Southern Florida for Flood Control and Other Purposes (C&SF) project, a vast network of canals, wa- ter control structures, and levees, including the 240-km-long Herbert Hoover Dike that encircles the lake (Steinman et al. 2002). The C&SF project grants agencies a great amount of latitude over management of the lake's water levels, but conflicts between management goals create constraints often contrarj^ to “natural” ecological functioning. Lake Okeechobee provides large areas of wildlife habitat. About 38,000 ha of littoral-zone marshes fringe the lake, and these have been 33 34 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST deemed large enough to support regionally significant populations of wading birds (Smith et al. 1995). Extreme weather patterns periodi- cally overwhelm C&SF management goals, creating widely fluctuating water levels. Lake Okeechobee recently has experienced both high-wa- ter and low-water impacts to the littoral zone. These severe fluctua- tions in water levels have reduced fish stocks (Johnson et al. 2007), extirpated the Snail Kite {Rostrhamus sociabilis) as a breeding species (Bennetts et al. 2002), and limited use of the lake by waterfowl and other aquatic birds (David 1994, Havens and Gawlik 2005). In the absence of volatile weather, C&SF management goals enacted in 2000 maintain water levels deeper than those needed to provide opti- mal wildlife habitat (LOLZTAG 1988, Johnson et al. 2007). Approxi- mately 95% of the rooted aquatic vegetation in the lake grows at lake- bottom elevations between 3. 4-4.6 m NGVD (National Geodetic Vertical Datum, i.e., elevation above mean sea level) and optimal water level range is generally considered between 3.7 to 4.6 m NGVD (Johnson et al. 2007). However, the highest planned water levels were 4.7-5 m NGVD) in October (the end of the wet season in south Florida), flooding the shallow- est areas of the littoral zone with 15-45 cm of water. The lowest planned water levels were 4.0-4.7 m in May (the end of the dry season), exposing no more than 19% of the marsh area (USAGE 1999). These target water levels kept most of the marsh inundated for long periods, which greatly restricted available habitat for shorebirds and other mudflat specialists. Although a moderate-sized body of literature exists for use of Lake Okeechobee habitats by waterfowl, wading birds, and Snail Kites, there are few data for use by shorebirds and larids (see Havens and Gawlik 2005 for summaries). An 18-month wildlife survey of Lake Okeechobee between May 1997 and November 1998 (USAGE 1999) de- tected only 12 species of charadriiforms: one plover (two individuals); six sandpipers (maximum of 111 individuals), two gulls (maximum of seven individuals), and three terns (maximum of 26 individuals). Wa- ter levels were maintained at or above 4.0 m, flooding more than 80% of the littoral zone during this period. Due to drought conditions during 2006 and 2007, water levels in Lake Okeechobee dropped to a record low of 2.7 m in July 2007, and re- duced the size of the lake to only 118,500 ha (SFWMD 2008). The drought exposed the entire littoral zone and portions of the unvegetated lake bot- tom, and some of these habitats remained unflooded for several months. In this note, we document use of these ephemeral habitats for foraging, roosting, or breeding by large numbers of shorebirds and larids. Methods We surveyed Lake Okeechobee one day per month, April-August 2007. PNG and BP participated on all five surveys, while JWT and GRS missed one or two surveys each, Sur- Gray ET al—Shoeebirbs and Larids on Okeechobee Mudflats 35 veys were restricted to the northwestern portion of the lake in Okeechobee County, from Taylor Creek to Tin House Cove (Glades County), and were always within 6 km of the Herbert Hoover Dike (Fig. 1). The primary survey sites were around Eagle Bay Island and islands off the mouth of the Kissimmee River (the latter are normally inundated year- round), but we surveyed other flats and coves along the shoreline as time and conditions allowed. We used a portable GPS (Global Positioning System) unit to map our survey routes. Sites were surveyed from the airboat and on foot. We concentrated on shorebirds and larids, but we recorded other significant bird observations as encountered. We searched Stevenson and Anderson (1994) and the Field Observations reports in Florida Field Naturalist (1992-2007) to determine which observations were “new” to Lake Okeechobee and/or Okeechobee County. We obtained water levels at Lake Okeechobee from SFWMD (2008) for each of our survey days (Table 1). House Cove Figure 1. Northwest shore of Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee County, Florida, showing general airboat routes (dotted lines) during bird surveys, April-Au- gust 2007. Most routes ranged from 40-50 km and generally followed “shore- lines” and adjacent flats, varying with water levels and the amount of unvegetated habitats available. 36 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST ® 3 ^ ^ ^ 3^ ^ oa ©3 *2 < © !S ^ ^ gi a g ® © ^ © ® 3 g » ^'S I o -a g w © ”8 a I © Ii|^ ^32 I I I I I NTOlOiOCqOiTHlOlO I I I i2 I I I I “S""3 I §1 I , 00 o o ® ^ ^ 00 I ^ I I ^ ^ d O ^ § w e m u O , Gray etal. — Shorebirds and Larids on Okeechobee Mudflats 37 w 41^ ^ g 05 pfi ^ .1-*! * Q p2 0^ 3 ^ ^ .S H t-4 w o 38 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST A S o S 45 « ’43 ^ £ M S 5 !>: W d ?M ' .h ^ cn Eh Eh Gray ET AL.—SUOEEBIEDS AND LARIDS ON OKEECHOBEE MUDFLATS 39 Results We spent a total of 28 hours in five days surveying aquatic birds at Lake Okeechobee. Surveys lasted 4-9 hours and covered 40-50 linear km each, except on 27 July, when airboat engine problems limited the survey to 100 minutes. Survey effort varied according to water condi- tions, bird abundance, and the amount of unvegetated habitats avail- able. Extensive mudflats were present during our first three surveys, but nearly all of these flats were covered by 1-2-m tall vegetation by 27 July and 19 August. We present data for 43 bird species and three spe- cies-groups, with shorebirds accounting for 24 species and larids 11 spe- cies. We observed several species that are rare inland, such as the Willet, Red Knot, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and breeding Gray Kingbird (scientific names are presented in Table 1). Owing to the paucity of shorebird and larid reports in the region, we documented 10 “firsts” for Okeechobee County and six “firsts” (plus two breeding “firsts”) for Lake Okeechobee. We provide details for noteworthy sightings; a report is any obser- vation, while a record is documented by photographic evidence (ph.) taken by BR We copied our digital photos onto a compact disk sent to the Florida Ornithological Society Archives (FOSA 132) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville. Lesser Scaup: one adult male at Eagle Bay Island 8 June (ph.) was presumed to be a hunting cripple; PNG often saw this bird during spring and summer 2007. Roseate Spoonbill: a flock of ca. 65, with no adults in alternate plum- age, roosted off the mouth of Taylor Creek 27 July (ph.). Semipalmated Plover: observed at Eagle Bay Island (ph.) and south of the Kissimmee River on every survey except 27 July, with as many as 251 birds 8 May; these furnished the first reports and records for Okeechobee County. Black-necked Stilt: common breeding resident (ph.), with >100 ob- served each day. Willet: singles in basic plumage, presumably of the western subspecies inornatus due to the inland location, south of the Kissimmee River 8 May (ph.) and at Eagle Bay Island 18 August (ph.) furnished the first records for Okeechobee County. Red Knot: one in basic plumage at Eagle Bay Island 13 April and one in alternate plumage south of the Kissimmee River 8 May furnished the first reports for Okeechobee County. Sanderling: two in basic plumage at Eagle Bay Island 8 May fur- nished the first report for Okeechobee County and Lake Okeechobee. 40 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Western Sandpiper: as many as 10 observed at Eagle Bay Island on four surveys furnished the first reports for Okeechobee County. White-rumped Sandpiper: three at Eagle Bay Island 8 May and two there 8 June furnished the first reports for Okeechobee County. Pectoral Sandpiper: one at Eagle Bay Island 13 April, and 16 there 19 August furnished the first reports for Okeechobee County. Dunlin: a flock of 17, with some molting into alternate plumage, at the mouth of the Kissimmee River 13 April (ph.), and 10 mostly in alter- nate plumage south of there 8 May (ph.) furnished the first records for Lake Okeechobee. Stilt Sandpiper: many of the 455 at Eagle Bay Island 13 April were molting into alternate plumage. Buff-breasted Sandpiper: one single and a flock of five — presumed to be different individuals — ^including one engaged in courtship display at Eagle Bay Island 13 April (Fig. 2) furnished the first record for Okeechobee County and Lake Okeechobee. Furthermore, the courtship display had apparently never been observed previously in Florida. Figure 2. Two Buff-breasted Sandpipers, including one in courtship display, at Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee County, Florida on 13 April 2007. The courtship display has apparently never been observed previously in Florida. Photograph by Bill Pranty. Gray ET al.—Srobebirds and Larids on Okeechobee Mudflats 41 Long-billed Dowitcher: 1180 in alternate plumage 13 April fur- nished the first report for Lake Okeechobee! Red-necked Phalarope; one female in alternate plumage at Eagle Bay Island 8 May furnished the first report for Okeechobee County and Lake Okeechobee, Lesser Black-backed Gull; one adult and one in third-summer plum- age at Eagle Bay Island 13 April (ph.) furnished the first record for Okeechobee County and Lake Okeechobee. Both birds were of the gray-backed subspecies graellsii. Gull-billed Tern; two in basic plumage were at the mouth of the Kiss- immee River 13 April (one ph.)^ with singles in basic plumage at Eagle Bay Island 8 May and 19 August. Those seen 13 April were within 30 m of the Least Tern colony (see below) but we did not observe any in- dication of breeding. Sprunt (1940) was shown a colony of 100 pairs of Gull-billed Terns off the mouth of the Kissimmee River in June 1939, a colony also present in previous years (Sprunt 1954). Least Tern; a small colony on an island off the mouth of the Kissimmee River furnished the first breeding record for Lake Okeechobee (N 27°08.441’ W 080°51.060’). Thirteen adults were present 13 April, 10 adults and at least one nest with two eggs were found 8 May (ph.), and 16 adults, one juvenile, and one large chick were there 8 June (Fig. 3). Caspian Tern; 10, with 7 in alternate plumage, were within 30 m of the Least Tern colony on 13 April (ph.), but we observed no evidence of breeding. Black Skimmer; a large flock winters at Jaycee Park (PNG pers. obs.); we estimated 1000 birds 13 April (ph.), and 169 remaining to 8 June (ph.). Gray Kingbird; a family group of five at Okee-Tantie Campground 27 July, with at least two birds 19 August, furnished the first breeding re- port for Lake Okeechobee. Discussion Shorebird and larid species richness during our five surveys of Lake Okeechobee during mid-2007 was impressive: 24 shorebirds and 11 larids. Daily counts of some shorebirds seemed high for an inland site: 455 Stilt Sandpipers, 1180 Long-billed Dowitchers, and 16,000 “peeps” 13 April; and 265 Black-bellied Plovers and 251 Semipalmated Plovers 8 May (Table 1). Published data documenting shorebird and larid species richness at interior sites in Florida are limited. Sykes and Hunter (1978) ob- served 22 species of shorebirds and 8 larids (and a maximum count of 59,174 individuals) in eight surveys of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), Palm Beach County, during August 1976 and July-Sep- 42 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 3. Least Tern nestling on an island in Lake Okeechobee off the mouth of the Kissimmee River, Okeechobee County, Florida on 8 June 2007. This docu- ments the first breeding record of Least Terns at Lake Okeechobee. Fossilized clam shells reveal the island’s origin as dredge spoil from the Kissimmee River channel. Photograph by Bill Pranty. tember 1977. Townsend et al. (2006) surveyed 14 rice fields in the EAA during March-November 1998, and detected 13 shorebird and one larid species, with no more than 400 individuals of any species. Pranty and Basili (1998) summarized 30+ years of bird use of fiooded farm fields on the north side of Lake Apopka, Lake and Orange counties, since the 1960s, reporting 38 species of shorebirds and 14 of larids. Chimney and Gawlik (2007) surveyed marshes in two Stormwater Treatment Areas in Hendry and Palm Beach counties during 1995- 1997 and 2004-2006 and detected 21 shorebirds and 10 larids. Long-distance migrants such as shorebirds and larids are known opportunists of ephemeral habi- tats, as they require ample resources to complete their energetically demanding migrations (Helmers 1992). Lake Okeechobee does not pro- vide areas of extensive shorebird habitat every year due in part to ma- nipulation of water levels. In 2008, a new management plan for lake levels was adopted that is projected to keep lake levels an average of 0.3 m lower (USAGE Gray ET AL.—SnoBEBiEDS and Lakids on Okeechobee Mudflats 43 2007), which could increase the number of years when suitable shore- bird habitat occurs on the lake. Previously, drought conditions were re- quired to create expanses of mudflats that could support large numbers of shorebirds and larids, as we documented during 2007. Ephemeral wetlands surrounding Lake Okeechobee were primarily dry during our surveys, thus the habitats created in Lake Okeechobee may have provided considerable benefits to migrant shorebirds and larids throughout the region. Furthermore, our surveys covered less than 10% of available habitats in the lake, which suggests that Lake Okeechobee may have supported hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and larids between spring and fall 2007. 2008 postscript.-— The drought continued into 2008 and Lake Okeechobee’s water levels remained between 2.8 and 3.4 m until Au- gust, as much as a meter below average levels. These levels were comparable to 2007 levels, but remained higher than the lowest 2007 level that had facilitated plant colonization of the mudflats, reported during the July and August 2007 surveys. PNG was on parts of the survey area six times in 2008, 8 March-27 June. Mudflats were densely covered with vegetation 1 m tall or greater, and no unvege- tated mudflats were observed. No large flocks (>30 individuals) of shorebirds were observed. A notable exception to these observations was a 10 ha area of lake bottom near Okeechobee’s Jaycee Park that was scraped in June 2007 with heavy equipment to remove organic material. This area subsequently remained sparsely vegetated, and PNG frequently observed flocks of several hundred shorebirds during spring 2008. The island that hosted nesting terns in 2007 also be- came heavily vegetated and had no signs of nesting. Thus, barring mechanical treatment, optimal conditions for shorebirds and nesting terns on Lake Okeechobee likely are associated with declining water levels over areas unvegetated, or sparsely vegetated with emergent vegetation. Acknowledgments We thank Catherine Airey and Laurie Gray for joining us, Laurie Gray for producing the map, Deputy Dumass for assistance, and Lauren Gilson and an anonymous re- viewer for improving drafts of the manuscript. Literature Cited Bennetts, R. E., W. M. Kitchens, and V. J. Dreitz. 2002. Influence of an extreme high water event on survival, reproduction, and distribution of Snail Kites in Florida, USA. Wetlands 22:366-373. Chimney, M. J., and D, E. Gawlik, 2007. The avifauna of constructed treatment wetlands in south Florida used for Everglades restoration. Florida Field Naturalist 35:9-21. 44 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST David, P. G. 1994. Wading bird use of Lake Okeechobee relative to fluctuating water lev- els. Wilson Bulletin 106:719-732. Havens, K. E., and D. E. Gawlik. 2005. Lake Okeechobee conceptual ecological model. Wetlands 4:908-925. Helmers, D. L. 1992. Shorebird Management Manual. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, Manomet, Massachusetts. Johnson, K. G., M. A. Allen, and K. E. Havens. 2007. A review of littoral vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife responses to hydrologic variation at Lake Okeechobee. Wet- lands 1:110-126. LOLZTAG [Lake Okeechobee Littoral Zone Technical Advisory Group]. 1988. As- sessment of Emergency Conditions in Lake Okeechobee Littoral Zone: Recommenda- tions for Interim Management. South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach. Pranty, B., and G. D. BASILI. 1998. Bird Use of Agricultural Fields at Lake Apopka, Florida, With Recommendations for the Management of Migratory Shorebirds and Other Species. Florida Audubon Society, Winter Park. SFWMD [South Florida Water Management District]. 2008. Lake Okeechobee wa- ter levels. . Accessed 6 February 2008. Smith, J. P., J. R. Richardson, and M.W. Collopy. 1995. Foraging habitat selection among wading birds (Ciconiiformes) at Lake Okeechobee, Florida, in relation to hy- drology and vegetative cover. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie, Advances in Limnology 45:247-285. Sprunt, a., Jr. 1940. Gull-billed Tern breeding in Florida. Auk 57:251-252. Sprunt, a., Jr. 1954. Florida Bird Life. Coward-McCann, New York. Steinman, a. D., K. E. Havens, H. J. Garrick, and R. VanZee. 2002. The past, present, and future hydrology and ecology of Lake Okeechobee and its watersheds. Pages 19- 37 In The Everglades, Florida Bay, and Coral Reefs of the Florida Keys, (J. W. Porter and K. G. Porter, Eds.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Sykes, P. W., and G. S. Hunter. 1978. Bird use of flooded agricultural fields during summer and early fall and some recommendations for management. Florida Field Naturalist 6:36-43. Townsend, S. E., E. V. Pearlstine, F. J. Mazzotti, and C. W. Daren. 2006. Wading birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl in rice fields within the Everglades Agricultural Area. Florida Field Naturalist 34:9-20. USAGE [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]. 1999. Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule Study: Final Environmental Impact Statement. United States Army Corps of Engi- neers, Jacksonville, Florida. USAGE [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]. 2007. Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule Study. Final Environmental Impact Statement. United States Army Corps of Engi- neers, Jacksonville, Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 37(2):45-50, 2009. THE HISTORY OF DICKCISSELS {SPIZA AMERICAN A) NESTING ON THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF NORTH AMERICA William Post^ Felicia Sanders^ and Larry Wood^ ^Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403 E-mail: grackler@aoLcom ^McClellanville, South Carolina 29458 The Dickcissel (Spiza americana) is noted for unpredictable no- madic movements outside its core breeding range in the prairie grass- land biome of North America (Temple 2002). Dickcissels have intermittently established small colonies in peripheral areas, often long distances from the edge of their traditional range. Some of these extralimital breeding populations appear to have existed for relatively long periods (Murphey 1937), but most have been abandoned after sev- eral nesting seasons (McNair 1990a). Since about 1950, Dickcissels have been reported as rare, local breeders in different localities in the Piedmont and upper coastal plain of Georgia and the Carolinas (McNair 1990a, McNair and Post 1993, Beaton et aL 2003). Until 1988 the species had been found nesting only as far south as Darlington County, South Carolina (McNair 1990b), 115 km from the Atlantic, and Dublin, Georgia (Patterson 1991), 200 km from the Atlantic. The species was first confirmed nesting in Flor- ida (Orange County) in 1999 (Pranty et al. 2002). Here we report the occurrence of a large breeding-season concentration of Dickcissels on the central coast of South Carolina, within 5 km of the Atlantic. To place this record in context, we review the recent breeding distribution of Dickcissels in the Southeast, Results On 2 May 2005, Wood heard Dickcissels singing in an old-field at the confluence of Jeremy Creek and the Intracoastal Waterway, within the town of McClellanville, Charleston County, South Carolina. The field (200 m x 1100 m; 22 ha) is located on an old dredge spoil site, and is surrounded by salt marshes. On 13 May Sanders and Wood returned to the field and estimated >60 males, many of which were singing from exposed treetop perches, 30-40 m apart. They saw several instances of territoriality (male-male chasing). In addition, they found at least 10 females, two of which were carrying nesting material. 45 46 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST On 20 May, Wood found a Dickcissel nest containing five eggs. The nest was 30 cm above the ground in a 1.5 m vervain {Verbena sp.), and was completely hidden by surrounding dead grasses. The female flushed when Wood was within 5 m of the nest. On 1 June, the nest com tained 4 large young, near fledging. On 5 June the nest was empty ex- cept for three dead grasshoppers, each 2.5 cm long. Since the nest and nest site were undisturbed, and food was in the nest, we assume that the young fledged. On 19 June, a male was singing near the nest but the female was absent. By 27 June most Dickcissels had abandoned the site. Only two males could be found, singing in one of the most open ar- eas of the field. The nest was saved (Charleston Museum 2005.2.019). Its dry mass is 15.6 g, outside depth 7 cm, inside depth 5.5 cm, outside diameter 10.5 cm, and inside diameter 6 cm. The outer rim of the nest cup is made of coarse grass stems. The inside of the nest consists of finer weed- and grass stems, and the bottom is lined with fine plant fibers and rootlets. The McClellanville site is an old-field, which in 2005 was estimated to be in at least in its third year of abandonment. In late May 2005 about 10% of the area was bare ground. Vines, primarily passion-flower (Passiflora incarnata) covered about 5% of the field. Grasses (0.1- 0.6 m high) covered 45%. The grass layer was composed of Johnson grass {Sorghum halepense), Bermuda grass {Cynodon dactylon), paspalum {Paspalum sp.), panic-grass {Panicum spp.), crab grass {Digitaria sp.), and oat-grass {Arrhenatherum sp.). The forb layer (30%) was composed mainly of pure stands of pokeberry {Phytolacca americana) 1.0-2. 5 m high, and vervain, 1.0-1.5 m high. Less important forbs, in order of im- portance, were dogfennel {Eupatorium capillifolium), sourdock {Rumex sp.), blackberry {Rubus sp.), and thistle {Cirsium sp.). About 10% of the field was covered by trees and shrubs, 2. 0-4.0 m high, mainly groundsel {Baccharis halimifolia), wax myrtle {Myrica cerifera) and black cherry {Prunus serotina). Associated bird species, in decreasing order of abundance, were In- digo Bunting {Passerina cyanea), Blue Grosbeak {Guiraca caerulea), Red-winged Blackbird {Agelaius phoeniceus), Painted Bunting {Passe- rina ciris), Northern Cardinal {Cardinalis cardinalis), Common Yel- lowthroat {Geothlypis trichas), Orchard Oriole {Icterus spurius), and Northern Bobwhite {Colinus virgnianus). Flocks of >50 Bobolinks {Dolichonyx oryzivorus) were in the field in May, but had left by the first week of June. In 2006, Post visited the field on 28 April, 16 May, and 18 May. On the latter date he found one singing male. Sanders visited the field in 2007 (8 May), and found one singing male. In another visit to the field, on 11 May 2007, Post and David Abbott located no Dickcissels. Post ET AL.—BicKcissEhs on the Southeastern Coast 47 Discussion Dickcissels were first found nesting on the immediate coast of South Carolina in 1988 on Hog Island (‘'Patriots’ Point”) in Mt. Pleasant, Charleston County (Beckett 1990), when breeding also occurred in the Piedmont in Marlboro, Saluda, and York counties, South Carolina (Mc- Nair 1990a). The Hog Island nest was found on 22 May, and contained five eggs, but produced no young. It represented a breeding range exten- sion of 160 km from nearest inland nesting localities, in Darlington and Lexington Counties, South Carolina. (McNair and Post 1993). As far as we can determine, the McClellanville and Mt. Pleasant nests provide the first evidence that Dickcissels nest on the immediate coast of southeastern North America. McClellanville is the ninth con- firmed nesting location in South Carolina, and the second coastal local- ity. The McClellanville colony site is 45 km northeast of Mt. Pleasant, and 110 km south of the nearest inland nesting locality, near Darling- ton Airport (McNair 1990b). The McClellanville field is similar to the site where Beckett (1990) found the Mt. Pleasant Dickcissel nest, an old-field with scattered shrubs, and an understory of grasses and forbs, abandoned >3 yr. Both sites resemble those that have been used by summering Dickcissels at other South Carolina localities (McNair 1990a). The latter author sug- gested that Dickcissels nesting in old-fields require a high volume of vegetation, as well as dense near-ground cover, and he noted, as have others (Smyth 1930, Murphey 1937, Burleigh 1958), that they often nest in fields with legumes, (clover, vetch, lespedeza). Another habitat characteristic noted in the present study and also by McNair (1990a) is the large number of short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae) in the fields where Dickcissels summer. Orthopterans are known to be important food for nestling Dickcissels (Kobal et al. 1998). In 2006 and 2007, when we found no evidence that Dickcissels bred in McClellanville, we noted that there were few grasshoppers in the field. In 1999, in a very similar occurrence, which represented the first in- stance of nesting in Florida, Dickcissels established a large colony at Lake Apopka, Orange County, 25 km NW of Orlando, and 100 km from the Atlantic. In June-July 1999, Harry Robinson found 13 singing males as well as two nests, located in a 2000 ha old-field established on a pre- viously flooded area known as Zellwood Muck Farms (Pranty et al. 2002). Dickcissels occupied the Lake Apopka site at least through 2005, when during 19-22 May, Robinson (in Anderson 2005) counted 134 sing- ing males and nine females, as well as a nest with four eggs. The Florida habitat appears to be similar to that described for the South Carolina sites: fields with a cover of groundsel-tree, dogfennel and pigweed {Ama- ranthus), which were >3 m high by June (Pranty et al. 2002). 48 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST The appearance of extralimital populations of Dickcissels in the Southeast may represent re-occupation of former breeding range (AOU 1998). In the 19th century the Dickcissel was widespread in agricul- tural grasslands from New England to South Carolina (Rhoads 1903, Gross 1956). By the 20th century, the species had abandoned most of its range east of the Alleghenies, most likely due to large-scale changes in agricultural practices (Temple 2002). During the 20^^^ century the species occurred regularly from southeastern South Dakota to central Oklahoma and to west-central Illinois. Lower numbers of the species were unevenly distributed as far east as western Ohio and south to southern Texas (map in Temple 2002). It appeared only sporadically along the Atlantic coastal plain, as exemplified by its recent history in the Carolinas and Georgia (McNair 1990a). Today, the Dickcissel’s status is about the same for all physio- graphic provinces (coastal plain. Piedmont, mountains) within each of the southeastern states. It is most commonly found in the upper coastal plain and lower Piedmont, but is rare on the lower coastal plain (McNair 1990a). Considering all reports through 1989, the latter au- thor listed 17 locations in South Carolina where Dickcissels had been found in summer. Eight of these were confirmed as breeding sites (eggs or young found). The comparable figures for North Carolina were 13 and 4, and for Georgia, 30 and 11. Since 1989 there has been no signif- icant change in the Dickcissel’s breeding status: eight suggested nest- ings in the Carolinas (six Piedmont and two coastal plain), and five confirmed (four Piedmont, one coastal plain). Dickcissels appearing outside their core range late in the breeding season may have moved in response to drought or habitat alteration (Emlen and Wiens 1965, Igl 1991). In contrast, birds seen early in the nesting season, such as those that we found in McClellan ville in 2005, may be migrants that have stopped short on route to nesting areas far- ther north (Gross 1956). Contrary to Fretwell’s (1986) prediction, the Dickcissel is not yet extinct, but because of volatile fluctuations in population numbers, the species has been “blue-listed” (Tate 1981). Due to increased land values in Middle Western North America, marginal habitats such as scrubby field edges are being converted to cropland, reducing habitat available to nesting Dickcissels. In comparison, the Southeast still has relatively large areas of uncultivated open land, and as a result more breeding colonies may become established in that region. In view of the increas- ing alteration of rural landscapes, any information about Dickcissels outside their core breeding area is important. Some questions might be addressed; for example, are Dickcissels as flexible in their choice of nesting habitats in the Southeast as they are their core area (Temple 2002)? How does Dickcissel reproductive success vary between regions. Post ETAL. — Dickcissels on the Southeastern Coast 49 and what are the causes of nest failure? Do Dickcissels that breed in the Southeast continue their migration, and nest again farther north (Temple 2002)? Since the 1970’s, field workers in the Southeast have been looking for Dickcissels in suitable habitats, but documenting the occurrence of breeding has been difficult. After an observer has spent consider- able time and energy finding a colony, the birds may, for unknown reasons, abandon the site, a behavior reported for other peripheral breeding populations (Temple 2002). Another problem is the difficulty of obtaining positive evidence of nesting. Although singing males are easily located, females are secretive, and nests well hidden. Once singing males are located, however, other Dickcissels may be found in nearby fields (McNair 1990c), increasing the chances of finding nests within a limited area, and reducing the amount of search time per nest. Acknowledgments We are grateful to G. D. Basil! and T. Webber for their useful suggestions. Literature Cited Anderson, B. H. 2005. Florida. North American Birds 59:426-429. AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Beaton, G., P. W. Sykes, Jr., and J. W. Parrish, Jr. 2003. Annotated Checklist of Geor- gia Birds. Occasional Publication of the Georgia Ornithological Society 14. Beckett, T. A. 1990. Dickcissel found breeding in coastal South Carolina. Chat 54:35. Burleigh, T. D. 1958. Georgia Birds. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Emlen, J. T., and J, a. Wiens. 1965. The Dickcissel invasion of 1964 in southern Wis- consin. Passenger Pigeon 27:51-59. Fretwell, S. 1986. Distribution and abundance of the Dickcissel. Current Ornithology 4:211-242. Gross, A. O. 1956. The recent reappearance of the Dickcissel {Spiza americana) in east- ern North America. Auk 73:66-70. IGL, L. D. 1991. The Role of Climate and Mowing on Dickcissel Movements, Distribution and Abundance. Master’s Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames. KOBAL, S., N. F. Payne, and D. R. Ludwig. 1998. Nestling food habits of 7 grassland bird species and insect abundance in grassland habitats in northern Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 91:69-75. McNair, D. B. 1990a. Review of proven, probable, and possible breeding records of the Dickcissel in Georgia and the Carolinas. Oriole 55:1-18. McNair, D. B. 1990b. Dickcissels breed in Darlington County, S.C. Chat 54:36-37. McNair, D. B. 1990c. Dickcissels breed in Marlboro County, S.C. Chat 54:37-40. McNair, D. B., and W. Post, 1993. Supplement to Status and Distribution of South Carolina Birds, Charleston Museum Ornithological Contribution 8. Murphey, E. E. 1937. Observations on the Bird Life of the Middle Savannah Valley, 1890-1937. Contributions from the Charleston Museum IX. Patterson, T. K. 1991. Dickcissels breeding in Georgia coastal plain. Oriole 56:42-44. 50 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Pranty, B., G. D. Basili, and H. P. Robinson. 2002. First breeding record of the Dick- cissel in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 30:36-39. Rhoads, S. N. 1903. Exit the Dickcissel — a remarkable case of local extinction. Cassinia 7:17-28. Smyth, T. 1930. The Dickcissel {Spiza americana) in South Carolina. Auk 47:21-422. Tate, J. 1981. The Blue List for 1981. The first decade, American Birds 35:3-10. Temple, S. A. 2002. Dickcissel (Spiza americana). In The Birds of North America, No. 703 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc,, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania. Florida Field Naturalist 37(2):51-57, 2009. NESTING SUBSTRATES OF MONK PARAKEETS {Myiopsitta monachus) in FLORIDA Bill Pranty 8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: billpranty@hotmaiLcom The Monk Parakeet {Myiopsitta monachus) is the most abundant and widespread psittacid in North America, attaining its greatest numbers in Florida (Pranty 2002, Pranty and Garrett 2003). First re- ported breeding in the state in 1969 (Owre 1973), Monk Parakeets in Florida number in the thousands of individuals (Pranty 2002, Pranty and Garrett 2003, Pruett- Jones et al. 2005), although Christmas Bird Count data suggest a steady decline since 2003 (NAS 2009). The suc- cess of Monk Parakeets can be partially explained by their adaptable nesting habits: they use as their nesting substrates a wide variety of native and exotic palms and trees and manmade structures. Monk Par- akeets are the only psittacid that builds its own nest rather than nest- ing in secondary cavities (Forshaw 2006). In this note, I document the nesting substrates of more than 1000 Monk Parakeet nests in Florida, 1999-2000. Nest-site selection by Monk Parakeets is diverse and may provide clues to their survival and persistence as an exotic species in tropical and temperate regions of North America and parts of the Old World-areas outside their native range. This behavior is important also because of the parakeet’s propensity for selecting manmade struc- tures such as electrical substations and powerline towers, a behavior that sometimes causes safety concerns and economic impacts to utility companies (Pruett-Jones et al. 2005). Methods As part of a project to determine the range and population size of Monk Parakeets in Florida, I and dozens of volunteers surveyed urban and suburban habitats in the penin- sula and mainline Keys from January 1999 through June 2000 for the presence of Monk Parakeet nests. The data gathered at each nest varied according to logistics and ob- server skill and effort, but two measurements were taken at each nest: 1) the specific lo- cation (e.g., street address or road intersection); and 2) the nesting substrate. Most substrates were identified precisely, but some were identified only generally (e.g., palm species). Regions of Florida follow Robertson and Woolfenden (1992). Results I determined the nesting substrates of 1046 Monk Parakeet nests built in 16 counties in Florida during 1999 and 2000 (Table 1). Nests 51 SUBSTRATE/SUBSTRATE-TYPE # NESTS COUNT(Y) (lES) 52 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST ® a ^ w S S £ S O 0) ; cd cd -9 9 ! i '§ I cd ed g J ^ ^ ffl ^ ^ ^ ^ 5-1 ^ ^ M ^ Q ^ ci 2 o § O 03 Q .2 o Sj|S| 1 1 3 1 . 9 E o -S. o S ' ® h fcj tj M tH c3 ^ Soto dcao^oooriOcQO ggO ^ ,-1 ed ^ g S Q g S II a, g -e cd TO ^ S I 5-1 S" CO o ^ cd ^ S S ^ cd ^ : SpHpQOpqpQPQSmSPQKm I-H * CO 05 !>• ■ lo o ^ oq CO ^ s g -S 3 g ^ m ^ ffi m I CO I 1— I t- lO ■J a I ^ 1 1 i s .a CO CO S g a § « S 3 a cd R o) ® - si 6 I Kn cd . ^ O O ^ 1 R i> bo cd o o !'£ g 54' 54' 54“ §4" ^ ^ O O O 05 .7^ Pf=iQ O © O O PQpQH*tHHEHEH s s S S S 5 pH § p^ o o ® m a . g « o e 3 « a 5 d TO ^ 9. a ^ 3 ;l w CO ^ g d I 2 ^ § si la- ells CO CO I g ^ .s TO Pi S N? TO ft 5 cQ a S ^ s S .s ^ ® a I s “ •a I " < m 3 TO s -2 Jd O 1 d CO t-Q PL| cd ^ ^ •s a s a s i ® TO ^ i ■'d o 3 CO H ’S § s a -3 &D ' g 86 I >> "S OS' TO TO 2 O S ft-S -s ■§ o^ g s ll -s cd CO b B ts.( TO 2 S ^ S S d 2 -g “ Ph 5 O ffi rt I Q . ^ -O S4 § TO TO R S S ^ .-S ^ ^ o o P TO o p ^ g TO TO 3 ■a « I I R TO ^ P s 1 1 ?= ■§ §3 SUBSTRATE/SUBSTRATE-TYPE # NESTS COUNT(Y) (lES) Pranty— Monk Paeakeet Nests in Florida 53 ^ ^ ^ ^ 0^0^00^ ^r'°! g 3 g .2 d ffl s o: *A Monk Parakeet nest built in the bottom of an active Osprey nest in Pinellas County is listed under ballfield light tower because both species built their nests on top of the tower. Counties in Florida that contained one or more Monk Parakeet nests during my study were St. Johns (northern peninsula), Brevard, Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Seminole (central penin- sula), and Broward, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach (southern peninsula). 54 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST were built in 31 specific substrates (Table 1) and were broadly divided into three categories: manmade structures (531 nests; 50%); exotic palms or trees (413; 39%); and native palms or trees (102 nests; 9%). All of the nests found during my study were located in the peninsula, primarily in coastal counties in the southern half of the peninsula (Fig. 1). No nests were found in the Panhandle or in the Keys, and only two nests were found in the northern peninsula (Fig. 1). Photographs of most Monk Parakeet nesting substrates found during my study are posted to . Monk Parakeet nests in Florida were divided regionally: 2 nests in one county in the northern peninsula; 575 nests in 11 counties in the Figure 1. Distribution of Monk Parakeet nests in Florida, 1999-2000. Most nests mapped during this study were located in coastal regions in the southern half of the Peninsula, especially in the counties of Broward (283 nests), Miami-Dade (145 nests), and Pinellas (396 nests). Pranty— Monk Parakeet Nests in Florida 55 central peninsula; and 469 nests in four counties in the southern pen- insula (Table 1, Fig. 1). Substrate use, as measured by category differs little between the central and southern thirds of the peninsula (Fig. 2). One parakeet nest found during my study built at the top of a commu- nications tower next to Freedom Lake Park, Pinellas County, was esti- mated as being 60 m above the ground, perhaps establishing it as the highest Monk Parakeet nest reported (Spreyer and Bucher 1998). Discussion My study confirms that Monk Parakeets are extremely plastic in their choice of nesting substrates, using at least 31 types of palms, trees, or artificial structures (Table 1). Stevenson and Anderson (1994) list sev- eral of the same nesting substrates found during my study, including a Monk Parakeet nest built at the base of an active Osprey (Pandion halt- aetus) nest at Plantation Key Monroe County on 4 January 1992. Spreyer and Bucher (1998) list the following substrates used in North America: green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), pin oak (Quercus palus- Figure 2. Substrate type of Monk Parakeet nests in Florida by regions, divided into manmade structures, exotic palms or trees, and native palms or trees. The left bar for each category represents the central peninsula and the right bars refer to the southern peninsula. Although use of individual substrates within each type differs considerably, due in part to geographic ranges of some trees or palms (Table 1), the percentages of the substrate types differ little by region except for manmade substrates. 56 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST tris), poplar (Populus spp.), Norway spruce {Picea abies), fir {Abies spp.), date palm {Phoenix spp.), utility poles, silos, and fire escapes. Substrates used in South America include willow {Salix spp.), tala {Celtis spinosa), palms, mesquite {Prosopis spp.), eucalyptus {Eucalyptus spp.), “electric, telephone, and geodetic towers,” and an active Jabiru {Jabiru mycteria) nest (Spreyer and Bucher 1998, Snyder 2004). My study adds at least 15 substrates to the list of those used by Monk Parakeets. The strong tendency for Monk Parakeets to nest near the coasts may simply reflect that most of Florida’s human population centers — on which Monk Parakeets are dependent — are found in coastal coun- ties. Populations of all other psittacids in Florida, including the Bud- gerigar {Melopsittacus undulatus), Black-hooded Parakeet {Nandayus nenday), two Brotogeris species. Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severa), and various Amazona and Aratinga species similarly are largely or wholly restricted to urban areas within 30 km of the coasts (Pranty 2001, Pranty and Epps 2002, Pranty and Garrett 2003, Pranty and Voren 2003, Pranty and Lovell 2004). Nonetheless, there are some “col- onies” of Monk Parakeets inland in Florida, such as at Orlando (Or- ange County, where populations are controlled, B.H. Anderson, pers. comm.), Kissimmee (Osceola County), Land O’ Lakes (Pasco County), and Lakeland (Polk County). Some regional differences in substrate selection can be explained by landscaping preferences. Many Monk Parakeet nests in southern Florida were built in punk trees {Melaleuca quinquenervia) and Cuban royal palms {Roystonea regia elata), species that are rare or absent far- ther north because of colder weather during winter. Native oaks seem to be much scarcer in urban and suburban areas in southeastern Flor- ida compared to those in the central peninsula; all the Monk Parakeet nests built in oaks during my study were limited to the Tampa Bay re- gion (Table 1). Curiously, most Monk Parakeet nests built in cypresses {Taxodium spp.) were located in the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area, including areas downtown! Nests built on powerline towers are more frequent in the southern peninsula compared to the central pen- insula, whereas nests built in electrical substations occurred more fre- quently in the central peninsula (Table 1), for reasons not readily apparent. Potential regional differences in Monk Parakeet nest-sub- strate selection deserves additional study. Acknowledgments I thank all those who accompanied me in the field or contributed observations, most notably Bruce H. Anderson, Jon-Mark Davey, Susan Epps, Judy Fisher, David Goodwin, Erik Haney, Holly Lovell, Bruce Purdy, Kevin and Kim Schnitzius, Austin and Ron Smith, Ken Tracey, and the late Don Woodard. I thank Kathleen Carr for hosting my study on her website , Gian Basili, Scott Robinson, and an anony- mous reviewer improved drafts of this paper. Pranty— Monk Paeakeet Nests in Florida 57 Literature Cited FORSHAW, J. M. 2006. Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide. Princeton Univer- sity Press, Princeton, New Jersey. NAS [National Audubon Society]. 2009. Christmas Bird Count database ) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first- time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = air force base, AFS = air force station, EOS = end of season, NF = national forest, NP = na- tional park, NS = national seashore, NSRA = north shore restoration area, NWR = na- tional wildlife refuge, SP = state park, STA = stormwater treatment area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WE A = wildlife and environmental area, and N, S, E, W etc., for com- pass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record counts. Summary of the Fall Season The season was marked by tropical storm activity and its resultant appearance of pelagic and other species. Fay hit the Lower Keys 18 August, went inland at Naples 19 August, exited at Merritt Island 20 August, skirted the coast northward, then moved westward through the Panhandle to exit north of Pensacola 24 August. Cocoa Beach re- ceived nearly 33 inches of rain, and Titusville received more than 26 inches. Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana 1 September and affected the western Panhandle. Hanna grazed the Florida Atlantic coast 5 September, and Ike skirted the Keys before making landfall in Louisiana and Texas 12 September. FOSRC rarities reported this season included the first breeding record of Least Grebes in Florida, at Boca Raton, two specimens of North- ern Fulmars from the Atlantic coast, and a White Wagtail at Marathon. Two new exotics were recorded: Scaled Quail in Santa Rosa County, and Yellow-crowned Bishop in Palm Beach County. Additionally, a surprising number of Pin-tailed Whydahs was found in west-central Florida. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 2 pairs with downy broods at Cockroach Bay {Hills- borough) 19 Aug (B. Ahern); 1 adult with 11 chicks near Ocala (Marion) 6 Sep (M. Hafner); 2 at Tallahassee (Leon) 19 Sep (G. Menk); broods of 9, 11, and 13 NW of Lorida (Highlands) 8 Oct (P. Gray); 313 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Orange) 12 Nov (H. Robinson). Egyptian Goose: 1 at Iona Lakes (Lee) to 23 Aug (D. & H. Rockstroh). Greater White-fronted Goose: 1 at Tallahassee (Leon) 31 Aug (A. & J. Wraithmell). 58 Field Observations 59 Snow Goose: 3 at Clearwater (Pinellas) 24-25 Sep (R Trunk); 1 at Tierra Verde {Pinellas) 1 Nov (M. Underwood); 1 dark/white intergrade at Daytona Beach {Volusia) 13 Nov (C. Griggs); 2 at Fernandina Beach {Nassau) 20 Nov (P. Leary); as many as 4 at Merritt Is- land NWR {Brevard) 21 Nov-EOS (M. Harris et al); 1 at Yamato Scrub Natural Area, Boca Raton {Palm Beach) 22 Nov (J. Boyd); 1 at Crest Lake Park, Clearwater {Pinellas) 23-24 Nov (B. MacDonald, R. Milburn); 12 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP {Alachua) 30 Nov (J. Hintermister, H. Adams); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Nov (H. Robinson). Ross’s Goose: 2 adults at Merritt Island NWR 24 Nov-EOS (T, Dunkerton et ah, photos to FOC). Canada Goose: 31 at Clearwater 25 Sep (R Trunk); as many as 30 at Venetian Gardens, Leesburg {Lake) all season (J. Stephancic). Tundra Swan: 1 adult at Oak Hill {Volusia) 24 Nov (D, Bales, photos to FOC). Eurasian Wigeon: as many as 2 males at Merritt Island NWR 21 Nov-EOS (A. Betuel et ah). American Wigeon: 2 males at Ponce de Leon Inlet {Volusia) 25 Aug (M. Brothers). Mottled Duck: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) 22 Aug (D. Ware). Blue-winged Teal: 6 at Viera Wetlands {Brevard) 10 Aug (A. Banker!); 8875 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Sep (H. Robinson). Cinnamon Teal: 1 male at Brandon {Hillsborough) 4 Oct (E. Kwater); 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Oct (H. Robinson). Green-winged Teal: 3900 at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Nov (H. Robinson). Greater Scaup: 1 at Windermere {Orange) 30 Nov (R. Leatto). Common Eider: 1 first-winter male at Vilano boat ramp {St. Johns) 28 Nov (Z. McKenna, photo to FOC). Surf Scoter: 8 at Canaveral NS {Brevard) 31 Oct (M. Harris); 3 at Alligator Point 11 Nov (A. Wraithmell); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 20 Nov (B. Duncan et al.); 2 at Or- mond Beach (Volusia) 24 Nov (M. Brothers). White-winged Scoter: 2 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Nov (D. Gagne); 1 at Halifax River, Port Orange {Volusia) 24 Nov (D. Hartgrove). Black Scoter: 12 at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Nov (D. Gagne). Long-tailed Duck: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 30 Oct-4 Nov (B. Duncan et al.). Bufflehead: 1 male at Lake Highland, Orlando {Orange) 21 Nov (N. Prine); 3 at Tierra Verde 22 Nov (L. Atherton); 67 at Fort Island Gulf Park, Crystal River {Citrus) 26 Nov (M. Gardler). Common Goldeneye: 4 immature males at Fort Island Gulf Park 26 Nov (M. Gardler). Scaled Quail (CaUipepla squamata): 1 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field {Santa Rosa) 22 Sep (C. Gindl, photos to FOC). Red-throated Loon: 1 at the Halifax River, Port Orange 19-24 Nov (D. Hartgrove, M. Brothers); 1 at Fort Island Gulf Park 26 Nov (M. Gardler). *Least Grebe: 2 at Yamato Scrub Natural Area 21 Sep (D. & L. Hasse) were incubating two eggs 28 Sep (A. Banker!, accepted by FOSRC) that hatched 29-30 Sep; all 4 grebes remained EOS. American Flamingo: 2 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP {Monroe) 10 Aug (B. Roberts), and 8 (1 adult and 7 immatures) near there 24 Oct (L. Manfredi); presumably the same 1 adult at Big Lagoon SP {Escambia) 1 Sep (R. Argo), Destin Pointe {Okaloosa) 5-12 Sep (D. Ware, L. Duncan et al.), and wandering between Pensacola Beach {Es- cambia) and Opal Beach {Santa Rosa) 17 Sep-1 Oct (K. Dahlen et al.); 1 at Port Or- ange 11 Oct (D, Freeman et al.); 1 very pale adult, likely from Hialeah Racetrack, at Cutler Wetlands {Miami-Dade) 13 Oct-9 Nov (T. Mitchell et a!., photo to FOC); 2 at Curry Hammock SP {Monroe) 3 Nov (J. Eager). *Northern Fulmar: 1 light morph moribund at Boca Raton {Palm Beach) 6 Oct (fide B. Mulrooney, accepted by FOSRC, UF 44644); 1 dark morph depredated at Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS {Brevard) 16 Oct (M. Harris, accepted by FOSRC, UCF 2429). 60 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Cory’s Shearwater: 1 moribund at Daytona Beach Shores 22 Sep, and 2 moribund there 13 Oct (M. Brothers, specimens to UCF); 6 offshore at Canaveral NS (Volusia) 13 Oct (M. Brothers); 1 at Boynton Inlet (Palm Beach) 22 Nov (M. Berney, B. Hope). Greater Shearwater: 5 at Pensacola Beach 24 Aug (B. & L. Duncan et aL); 1 at Fort Pickens (Escambia) 22 Sep (P. James). Sooty Shearwater: 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 19-20 Aug (M. Brothers); 3 off Crandon Park (Miami-Dade) 10 Sep (R. Diaz, R. Torres, details to FOC). *MANX Shearwater: 1 moribund in NE Broward 9 Sep (fide A. Kratter, UF 46744, ac- cepted by FOSRC). Audubon’S Shearwater: 8 at Pensacola Beach 24 Aug (B. & L. Duncan et al.). Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 1 moribund at Perdido Key (Escambia) 23 Sep (S. Yates). Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 1 at Newnans Lake (Alachua) 22 Aug (B. Wallace, details to FOC); 1 at the Indian River, Titusville 6 Oct (T. Dunkerton, photos to FOC). BAND-RUMPED Storm-Petrel: 1 moribund at Honeymoon Island SP 22 Aug (S. Patterson). White-tailed Tropicbird: 1 moribund at New Smyrna Beach (Volusia) 23 Aug (fide M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 1 moribund at Indialantic (Brevard) 2 Sep (fide Florida Wildlife Hospital, specimen to FLMNH); 1 moribund at Sebastian Inlet SP (Indian River) 22 Sep (N. Desjardin, specimen to UCF). Masked Booby: 1 immature at Pensacola Beach 24 Aug (B. & L. Duncan et al.); 1 imma- ture moribund in Pinellas 24 Aug (fide S. Patterson). Brown Booby: 1 immature at Fort George Inlet (Duval) 21 Aug (R. Clark); 1 immature moribund at New Sm5rrna Beach 6 Sep (fide M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 1 imma- ture at Port Canaveral (Brevard) 9 Sep (D. Bales); 1 immature captured at Pensacola Beach 14 Sep (fide D. Kaufmann); 1 immature at Fort Pickens 15 Sep (J. Babb); 2 cap- tured in Duval 17 Sep (P. Johnson). American White Pelican: 360 headed S over Bayonet Point (Pasco) 27 Oct (B. Pranty); 500 at Bird Island Sanctuary (Charlotte) 9 Nov (S. Daughtrey). Brown Pelican: 2 at Lake Weir (Marion) 16 Aug (M. Hafner). Magnificent FrigatebirD: 1 at Amelia Island (Nassau) 23 Aug (L. Johannsen); singles at Newnans Lake 23 Aug (G. Zimmerman et al.) and 5 Sep (L. Davis); numerous sightings in the W Panhandle during and after the passages of tropical storms Gustav and Ike (fide B. Duncan); 1 at Pelican Island NWR (Indian River) 28-30 Nov (B. Pranty et al.). FrigatebirD species: 1 over the town of Lake Placid (Highlands) 21 Oct (F. Lohrer). American Bittern: 1 at Newnans Lake 9 Aug (S. & T. Goodman); 1 at Gainesville 15 Aug (B. & E. Simons); 66 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Nov (H. Robinson). Great Blue Heron: 1 white morph at Merritt Island NWR 1-24 Aug (D. Bales); 1 white morph at St. Marks NWR (Wakulla) 3 Aug (G. Bowman et al.); 1 white morph at En- glewood (Charlotte) 16 Aug (S. Daughtrey); 1 white morph at Guana River dam (St. Johns) 17 Aug and Vilano boat ramp (St. Johns) 26 Aug (both D. Reed); 1 Wurde- mann’s intergrade at Fort George Inlet 24 Aug (R. Clark); 1 white morph at Lake Ap- opka NSRA to 3 Oct, and 2 there 21 Sep (H. Robinson); migrant flocks of 6 and 40 over Tomoka SP (Volusia) 6 Oct (M. Wilson); 14 migrants over Genius Drive Nature Pre- serve, Winter Park (Orange) 19 Oct (B. Anderson et al.); 1 white morph at Winter Gar- den (Orange) 27 Nov (W. Biggs); 2 white morphs at STA-5 (Hendry) 29 Nov (M. En- gland et al.). Great Egret: migrant flocks of 10, 10, and 123 in from the Gulf over Honeymoon Island SP (Pinellas) 1 Oct (D. Gagne). Tricolored Heron: 350 at Hickory Mound (Taylor) 18 Sep (B. Ahern). Reddish Egret: 21 at Hagens Cove (Taylor) 19 Sep (B. Ahern). Sacred Ibis: 8 at Cutler Wetlands (Miami-Dade) 17 Nov (S. Weaver, photo to FOC). White-faced Ibis: 1 at St. Marks NWR 28 Oct (A. Wraithmell); 1 at Hague (Alachua) 17 Nov (J. Killian, photo to FOC). Field Observations 61 Roseate Spoonbill: 400 at Everglades Agricultural Area (Palm Beach) 17 Aug (B. Hope, M. Berney); 102 W of Fernandina Beach 1 Sep (R Leary); 15 at N St. Augustine 27 Nov (J. Kern). Wood Stork: 1 at Pace (Santa Rosa) 22 Aug (C. Lanthrip). Swallow-tailed Kite: 816 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Aug (H. Robinson); 160 at East Ev- erglades (MiamhDade) 9 Aug (R. Diaz); 40 headed S over Naples Beach (Collier) 18 Aug (A. Murray); 150 along CR-13A (St Johns) 24 Aug (R. Clark); 70 over Fort De Soto Park (Pinellas) 1 Sep (fide R. Smith). White-tailed Kite: 1 at STA-5, 25 Sep (K. Willis); 1 over Fort De Soto Park 1 Oct (M. McPherson, photo to FOC). Snail Kite: 1 juvenile at Lake Apopka NSRA 14 Sep (H. Robinson). Mississippi Kite: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP (Miami-Dade) 13 Sep (R. Torres et al.); 1 juvenile at Englewood (Charlotte) 13 Oct (S. Daughtrey, photos to FOC). Northern Harrier: 1 at Williston (Levy) 3 Aug (A. Kent, G. Zimmerman); 1 male at Vi- era 7-10 Aug (A. Bankert et al.). Great Black-Hawk: 1 urubitinga at Virginia Key (Miami-Dade) 7 Aug-EOS (R. Diaz). Broad-winged Hawk: 1 juvenile at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Oct (H. Robinson); 1 adult near Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard) early Nov-EOS (A. Bankert et al., photo to FOC by B. Pranty 28 Nov); 1 first-year at New Port Richey (Pasco) 20-22 Nov (D. Gagne). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 light morph at Green Swamp Preserve, West Tract (Pasco) 4 Aug (B. Pranty); 1 at Newnans Lake 24 Aug (B. Wallace); single dark morphs at Sawgrass Lake Park (Pinellas) 18 Sep (C. Gjervold) and 25 Sep (S. Patterson); 1 dark morph at Tampa (Hillsborough) 18 Sep (D. Goodwin); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 20 Sep (H. Warren, M. Landsman); 1 dark morph at Mead Garden, Winter Park 20 Sep-2 Oct (B. Anderson, L. Taylor et al.); 1 dark morph at Carlson (Sumter) 24 Sep (J. Hinter- mister); 1 dark morph at Chassahowitzka Springs (Citrus) 7 Oct (J. Hintermister); 1 dark morph at New Port Richey 28 Nov (D. Gagne). Swainson’S Hawk: as many as 35 at Frog Pond WMA (Miami-Dade) 2 Nov-EOS (J. Boyd, M. Berney et al.); 1 immature light morph over Lake Mary (Seminole) 27 Nov (P. Hue- ber); 1 juvenile light morph at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Nov (H. Robinson). Golden Eagle: 1 juvenile at Big Cypress Indian Reservation (Broward) 30 Oct (L. Billie, photo to FOC). Crested Caracara: 1 at Frog Pond WMA 8 Nov ff (J. Boyd). American Kestrel: 1 at Green Swamp Preserve, West Tract 3 Aug was thought to be a migrant (B. Pranty), Peregrine Falcon: 5 at Ten Thousand Islands 11 Oct (T. Below et al.); 31 at Canaveral NS (Volusia) 13 Oct (M. Brothers); 4 at STA-5, 18 Oct (M. England); 1 at Port Richey (Pasco) captured a Ring-billed Gull 17 Nov (K. Tracey). Virginia Rail: 1 found dead at Cape Coral (Lee) 5 Sep was 300 m from the nearest wet- land (J. Greenlaw, specimen to Archbold Biological Station); 6 at Edgefield Conserva- tion Area (Putnam) 21 Nov (J. Hintermister); 1 at “Dump Marsh,” Homestead (Mi- ami-Dade) 22 Nov (R. Torres). SORA: 1 at Cape Canaveral 25 Aug (fide Florida Wildlife Hospital, specimen to FLMNH). Sandhill Crane: 80 at Viera Sod Farms 14 Aug (D. Freeland, M. Gardler); 1 at Fort Wal- ton Beach STF 30 Oct (B. & L. Duncan et aL). Whooping Crane: birds will no longer be released into the resident population in the central peninsula due to low survival and reproductive rates, the scarcity of birds available, the financial cost, and the continuing loss of habitat from development. A total of 289 captive-raised cranes was released during 1993-2004, and 31 birds re- main. Attempts to create a second migratory flock, wintering in the Chassahowit- zka NWR (Citrus) area will continue, with 20 cranes expected to join the current flock of 68 (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission news release, 7 Nov 2008). 62 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST American Golden-Plover: 1 at Fort George Inlet 21 Aug (R. Clark); 1 at Belle Glade {Palm Beach) 30 Aug (J. Boyd); as many as 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3-26 Sep (H. Rob- inson); 1 at Ormond Beach 4-6 Sep (M. Brothers); 1 at Smyrna Dunes Park, New Sm5n:’na Beach 5 Sep (M. Brothers); 1 at Fort Pierce Inlet SP {St Lucie) 5 Sep (D. Sim- pson); 1 W of Oviedo {Seminole) 6 Sep (B. Anderson, D. Richardson); as many as 5 at Viera Wetlands 11-13 Sep (K. LaBorde et ah); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 15-16 Sep (D, Bales); 2 at Viera Sod Farms 9 Oct (D. Freeland); 2 at the Sarasota Celery Fields {Sa- rasota) 24 Oct (V Ponzo). Snowy Plover: 12 at Anclote Key Preserve {Pasco and Pinellas) 23 Sep (D. Gagne); 1 ju- venile at Curry Hammock SP 20 Oct (J. Eager et aL); 1 at Crandon Park 30 Oct-EOS (L. Manfredi et aL, photos to FOC); 1 at Little Talbot Island {Duval) 9 Nov has been seen annually during late fall since 1999 (P. Leary); 9 at Siesta Key Beach 20 Nov (B. Ahern). Wilson’s Plover: 115 at Fort George Inlet {Duval) 30 Aug (J. Hintermister et aL); 1 fe- male at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Sep (H. Robinson); 43 at Anclote Key Preserve 23 Sep (D. Gagne); 22 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 15 Nov (K. Tracey). Semipalmated Plover: 48 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Aug (H. Robinson); 70 at Viera Wet- lands 14 Oct (D. Freeland, M. Gardler). Piping Plover: 1 at Jupiter Inlet Colony {Palm Beach) 3 Aug (J. Hailman); 3 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 20 Aug, and 9 there 11 Oct (M. Brothers); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 24 Aug (D. Bales); 16 at Anclote Key Preserve 23 Sep (D. Gagne); 1 at Curry Hammock SP 3 Oct (J. Eager et aL); 1 at Fort Pickens 15 Oct had been banded in South Dakota (B. Duncan); 33 at Crandon Park 20 Nov-EOS (R. Diaz). Killdeer: 80 roosted on a mall roof at Vero Beach {Indian River) 16 Nov (B. Wagner). American Oystercatcher: 1 at Eglin AFB {Okaloosa) 20 Aug (D. Varble); 24 at Ten Thousand Islands NWR 11 Oct (T. Below et aL); 1500 at Cedar Key {Levy) 27 Oct (D. Johnston); 1 inland at Inglis Dam {Citrus) 26 Nov (M. Gardler). Black-necked Stilt: 50 at STA-5, 29 Nov (M. England et aL). American AvoceT: 1 at Viera Wetlands 10 Aug (A. Bankert); 3 at Keewaydin Island {Col- lier) 15 Aug (C. Faanes); 40 at Everglades Agricultural Area 17 Aug (B. Hope, M. Ber- ney); 4 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 22 Aug (M, Brothers); 7 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Aug (D. Gagne); 2 W of Bunnell {Flagler) 28 Aug-6 Sep (J. Hintermister, M. Brothers); 21 at Englewood 9 Oct (S. Daughtrey). WiLLET: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson); 1 at Springhill Road STF {Leon) 26 Aug (G. Menk); 1 at Lake Seminole {Jackson) 7 Oct (A. Wraithmell). Lesser YellowlegS: 760 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Sep (H. Robinson). Upland Sandpiper: as many as 4 W of Bunnell 19 Aug-1 Sep (B. Wallace, M. Brothers). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Bunche Beach 6 Sep-EOS (C. Ewell); 1 at Marco Island {Col- lier) 15 Sep-11 Oct (T. Below); 1 at Horseshoe Beach {Dixie) 23 Oct (J. Hintermister). Whimbrel: 1 at Crandon Park 9 Sep (R. Diaz). Red Knot: 300 at Fort De Soto Park 18 Aug, and 1200 there 25 Oct (R. Smith); 350 at Caladesi Island SP {Pinellas) 19 Sep (E. Kwater); 290 at Indian Rocks Beach {Pinel- las) 21 Sep (S. Patterson); 200 at Merritt Island NWR 21 Oct (T. Dunkerton). Sanderling: singles at Springhill Road STF 26 Aug, 11 Sep, and 2 and 9 Oct (M. Fore- hand, G. Menk, A. Wraithmell); 340 at Crandon Park 20 Nov (R. Diaz). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 27 Oct- 16 Nov (R. Rowan et aL, photo to FOC by A. Luzader). White-rumped Sandpiper: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 14 Aug (D. Ware); 1 at Viera Wet- lands 14-17 Aug (D. Freeland, A. Bankert), and duos there 11-14 Sep (M. Harris, A. Bankert) and 9 Oct (D. Freeland); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug, and 3 there 5 Sep (H. Robinson); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 2-5 Sep (D. Bales); 2 at Tomoka Landfill, Day- tona Beach 5 Sep (M. Brothers); 1 W of Oviedo 6 Sep (B. Anderson, D. Richardson); 6 W of Bunnell 6-7 Sep (M. Brothers, D. Freeman); 1 at Hague 7 Sep (M. Manetz); 2 at Field Observations 63 Hagens Cove {Taylor) 11 Sep (J, Hintermister); 1 at Central Brevard Landfill, Cocoa 11 Sep (M. Harris); 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 26 Sep (M. Brothers). Baird’s Sandpiper: 2 at Fort Walton Beach STF 14 Aug (D. Ware); 1 NW of Avon Park {Polk) 17 Aug (D. Richardson); 1 juvenile at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 Aug (H. Robin- son); 3 at Fort Pickens {Escambia) 27 Aug, and 1 there 4 Sep (B. & L. Duncan); 1 ju- venile at Honeymoon Island SP 4-6 Sep (D. Gagne et aL, photos to FOC by B. Pranty); 1 at Opal Beach {Santa Rosa) 20 Sep (A. Harper). Pectoral Sandpiper: 35 at Crandon Park 18 Aug (R. Diaz); 965 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Sep (H. Robinson); 1 at Marathon Airport {Monroe) 28 Oct (J. Eager); 1 at Spring- hill Road STF 20 Nov (G. Menk). Stilt Sandpiper: 3 at Gainesville 24 Nov (R. Rowan). Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 3 near CR-13A, 24 Aug (R. Clark); 2 at Viera sod fields 1 Sep (D. Freeland), and 1 there 13 Sep (B. Pranty, H. Lovell); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Sep (H. Robinson); 2 at Ormond Beach 4-6 Sep (M. Brothers); 1 S of Fort McCoy 6 Sep (M. Hafner); 1 W of Oviedo 6 Sep (B. Anderson, D. Richardson); 1 at Overstreet Land- ing {Osceola) 16 Sep (D. Simpson). Long-billed Dowitcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Aug (H. Robinson); 2 seen and heard calling at Honeymoon Island SP 22 Oct (D. Gagne); 20 at Springhill Road STF 20 Nov (G Menk). Wilson’s Snipe: 1 W of Bunnell 19 Aug (B. Wallace); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson). Wilson’s Phalarope: 3 at Viera Wetlands 14-17 Aug (D. Freeland et al.); 15 at Ever- glades Agricultural Area 17 Aug (B. Hope, M. Berney); 1 at Springhill Road STF 21 Aug (G. Menk); 7 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Sep (H. Robinson); 1 W of Bunnell 6-7 Sep (M. Brothers, D. Freeman). Red-necked Phalarope: 185 at Fort George Inlet 21 Aug (R. Clark); 30 at a flooded field at Fernandina Beach {Nassau) 22 Aug (P. Leary, photos to FOC); 1 at Lake Weir 22 Aug (M. Hafner); 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson); 9 off Miami {Miami- Dade) 13 Sep (R. Torres, L. Manfredi et al.). Red Phalarope: 1 at Fernandina Beach 22 Aug (P. Leary); 65 at Newnans Lake 22 Aug (B. Wallace et al., photo to FOC); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 22 Sep (J. Stefancic). Franklin’s Gull: 1 first-winter at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson); 1 first- winter at Marco Island 23 Oct (T Below, photo to FOC); 4 at Bald Point {Franklin) 9 Nov (J. Murphy); 1 first-winter at Lake Okeechobee {Hendry) 10 Nov (E. Kwater); at least 10 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 11 Nov (M. Brothers); 3 at Santa Rosa Landfill 12 Nov (B. Duncan); 1 first-winter at New Port Richey 12-24 Nov (M, Gardler, K. Tracey et ah, photos to FOC); 1 at Siesta Key Beach {Sarasota) 15 Nov (V. Ponzo); as many as 2 first-winters at Fort Walton Beach STF 20-29 Nov (B. Duncan et al.); 1 at Myakka River SP 20-24 Nov (O. Comora); 3 at Cutler Wetlands 29 Nov (M. Berney, R. Torres). *ICELAND Gull: 1 first-winter at Fort Island Gulf Park 30 Nov (R. Smith et al., accepted by FOSRC). Lesser Black-backed Gull: as many as 53 at Crandon Park 4-18 Aug (R. Diaz); 1 at Hagens Cove 19 Sep (B. Ahern); 1 adult at Honeymoon Island SP 16 Nov (E. Kwater). Glaucous Gull: 1 first-winter at Fort Pickens 14 Nov (K. Dahlen). Great Black-backed Gull: 16 (7 adults) at Crandon Park 7 Sep (R. Diaz); 1 at Fort Pickens 13 Nov (S, Shultz). Brown Noddy: 1 at Huguenot Memorial Park {Duval) 19 Aug (R. Clark); 9 at Patrick AFB {Brevard) 19 Aug (D. Freeland); 8 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) 19 Aug (A. Banker!); 1 off Jupiter Inlet Colony 20 Aug (J. & L. Hailman); sin- gles at Ponce de Leon Inlet 20-21 Aug (M. Brothers); 2 at Guana River dam {St. Johns) 21 Aug (D. Reed); 5 at Fort George Inlet 22 Aug (R. Clark); 1 at Pensacola Beach 1 Sep (D. & S. Timmons et al.); 1 found dead at Fort Pickens 14 Sep (J. Babb); 1 at Lover’s Key SP {Lee) 19 Sep (R. Pelkey). 64 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Sooty Tern: 31 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 19 Aug, and 12 there 5 Sep (M, Brothers); 1 at Patrick AFB 19 Aug (D. Freeland); 5 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) 19 Aug (A. Banker!); as many as 16 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20-23 Aug (H. Robinson); 75 at Fort George Inlet 21 Aug (R. Clark); as many as 100 at Newnans Lake 21-23 Aug (A. Kratter, M. Manetz et ah), and 4 there 1 Sep (L. Davis); as many as 5 at Lake Weir 21-23 Aug (M. Hafner); 3 at Lake Seminole 22 Aug (A. Wraithmell); 1 at St. Vincent Island {Franklin) 25 Aug (R. Vroegop); 17 at Gulf Breeze 1 Sep (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Hontoon Island {Volusia) 8 Sep (M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 12 off Crandon Park 9 Sep (R. Diaz); 1 at Viera Wetlands 19 Sep (A. Banker!). Bridled Tern: 12 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) 19 Aug, and 1 there 30 Aug-1 Sep (A. Banker!); 20 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 20 Aug, 5 there 5 Sep, and 1 there 19 Sep (M. Brothers); 6 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20-21 Aug (H. Robinson); 1 at Port Canaveral {Brevard) 21 Aug (D. Bales); 150 at Fort George Inlet 22 Aug (R. Clark); 3 at Gulf Breeze 1 Sep (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Pensacola 1 Sep (A. Forster); 1 at Port Canaveral 15 Sep (B. Martin). Gull-billed Tern: 6 at Crandon Park 18 Aug, and 3 there 9 Sep (R. Diaz); 1 at Fort De Soto 9 Sep {fide R. Smith); 2 at Hudson Beach {Pasco) 20 Sep (B. Pranty). Black Tern: 1 at Green Key 2 Aug (K. Tracey); 200 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 20 Aug, and 100 there 5 Sep (M. Brothers); 532 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Aug (H. Robinson); 18 at Ocean Pond, Osceola NF {Baker) 25 Aug (B. Richter); 89 at Lake Seminole 28 Aug (A. Wraithmell); 4000 at Fort Pickens 4 Sep (B. & L. Duncan). Common Tern: 2 at Huguenot Memorial Park 19 Aug (R. Clark); 150 at Fort George In- let 21 Aug (R. Clark); as many as 50 at Newnans Lake 22-23 Aug (A. Kratter et al.); as many as 9 at Lake Weir 22-23 Aug (M. Hafner); 17 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson); 6 at Ocean Pond, Osceola NF 25 Aug (B. Richter); 600 at Honeymoon Island SP and Caladesi Island SP 19 Sep (E. Kwater); 2200 at Anclote Key Preserve 23 Sep (D. Gagne). Forster’s Tern: 329 at Honeymoon Island SP 18 Sep (D. Gagne); 177 at Anclote Key Preserve 23 Sep (D. Gagne). Royal Tern: as many as 8 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21-23 Aug (H. Robinson); as many as 7 at Newnans Lake 22-23 Aug (R. Rowan); singles at Lake Weir 22 Aug and 24 Oct (M. Hafner). Sandwich Tern: 113 at Gandy Beach {Pinellas) 13 Aug (R. Smith); as many as 2 at Lake Weir 21-22 Aug (M. Hafner); 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Aug (H. Robinson); as many as 10 at Newnans Lake 22-23 Aug (A. Kratter); 300 at South Lido Beach Park {Sara- sota) 23 Aug (B. Ahern); 456 at Honeymoon Island SP 18 Sep (D. Gagne); 1500 at Lit- tle Estero Critical Wildlife Area {Lee) 20 Sep (C. Ewell); 232 at Anclote Key Preserve 23 Sep (D. Gagne); 3240 at Marco Island 23 Sep (T. Below et al.). Black Skimmer: 700 at Dunedin Causeway {Pinellas) 16 Nov (E. Kwater). Parasitic Jaeger: 1 juvenile light morph at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Aug (H. Robinson); 1 at Newnans Lake 23-24 Aug (B. Wallace, G. Zimmerman et al.). Long-tailed Jaeger: 1 dark-morph juvenile at Ponce de Leon Inlet 20 Aug (M. Broth- ers); 1 immature at Fort George Inlet 22-24 Aug (R. Clark). Jaeger species: 1 at Lake Seminole 28 Aug (J. Flynn). *Thick-BILLED Murre: 1 moribund at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard) 16 Nov (G. Harber, accepted by FOSRC; UF 46715). Eurasian Collared-Dove: 1 fledgling fed by an adult at Cedar Key 25 Oct (D. Johnston). White-winged Dove: 54 at The Villages {Marion) 2 Aug, after which numbers dwindled rapidly (J. Dinsmore); 6 headed S over New Port Richey 8 Nov, and 9 there 9 Nov (D. Gagne); 1 at TH. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula SP {Gulf) 25 Nov (A. Wraith- mell); 1 at Naples {Collier) 26-28 Nov (C. Faanes, T. Below). Field Observations 65 Black-hooded Parakeet; 4 N of Westchase {Hillsborough) 2 Aug (D. Bowman); 7 at Bayonet Point 13-15 Sep (B. Pranty); 8 at Citrus Park (Hillsborough) 19 Sep (B. Pranty); 65 at Holiday Recreation Center (Pasco) 12 Nov (K. Tracey, M. Gardler); 1 at Sebring (Highlands) 15 Nov (F. Lohrer); 6 at Grove City (Charlotte) 24 Nov (S. Daugh- trey). Blue-crowned Parakeet: 12 at St. Petersburg (Pinellas) 17 Nov (R. Smith). COCKATIEL: 1 at Lake Lisa Park, Port Richey 28 Sep (K. Tracey). Black-billed Cuckoo: 1 at Sugden Park, Naples 5 Oct (A. Murray); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15-17 Oct (H. Robinson). Smooth-billed Ani: 7 adults and an active nest that later fledged three young at Dania Beach (Broward) 24 Oct ff; adults produced another three fledglings during spring 2008 (L. Manfredi). Lesser Nighthawk: 1 captured at Seminole (Pinellas) 18 Nov was released the same day (fide S. Patterson, photo to FOC). Chimney Swift: 1000 at a roost at Orlando 25 Aug (A, Vinokur); 8100 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Sep (H. Robinson). Buff-bellied Hummingbird: 1 at Mims (Brevard) 23 Nov-EOS (banded by F. Bassett). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 35 at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 11 Oct (B. Ander- son et al.). Black-chinned Hummingbird: 1 at Altamonte Springs 20-27 Oct (P. Hueber). Calliope Hummingbird: 1 at Tallahassee 25 Nov (banded by R Bassett). Rufous Hummingbird: 1 banded female returned to Valrico (Hillsborough) 15 Aug for the 6th consecutive winter (S. Backes); 1 male at Castellow Hammock Park (Miami- Dade) 9 Nov (J. Boyd). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 13 Aug (R. Diaz). Downy Woodpecker: 1 small, dark female at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 13-15 Aug (R. Diaz). Hairy Woodpecker: 3 at Green Swamp Preserve, West Tract 8 Aug (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 1 at Eglin AFB (Okaloosa) 24 Nov (K. Jones); 1 along Loop Road, Big Cypress National Preserve (Monroe) 30 Nov (J. Boyd). Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 at Green Swamp Preserve, West Tract 17 Aug (B. Pranty, E. Dupuis, photos to FOC). Eastern Wood-Pewee: 7 at Honejrmoon Island SP 16 Sep (D. Gagne), and 9 there 17 Oct (E. Kwater); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 5 Nov (J. Hintermister), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 1 seen and heard at Mead Garden 25-26 Oct (A. Vinokur et al.). Acadian Flycatcher: 8 at Hickory Mound 18 Sep (B. Ahern). *WlLLOW Flycatcher: singles heard calling at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 13 Aug and 1 Oct (R. Diaz); 1 seen and heard at Frog Pond WMA (MiamhDade) 2 Oct (B. Ahern). “Traill’s Flycatcher”: 1 at Mead Garden 20 Sep (B. Anderson); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Sep (L. Atherton, B. Ahern, G. Quigley); 1 at Pinecraft Park (Sarasota) 30 Sep (G. Quigley). Least Flycatcher: 1 at Boardman (Marion) 5 Oct (M. Hafner); 1 at Paynes Prairie Pre- serve SP 23 Nov (M. Manetz). *Say’S Phoebe: 1 at the same field near Astatula (Lake) where 1 wintered this past year, 18 Nov-EOS (A. Vinokur). Vermilion Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 23 Oct-29 Nov (B. Duncan et al.); I along US-19, 1.6 km N of I-IO (Jefferson) 6 Nov (J. Hintermister); 1 female at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Nov (H. Robinson). Ash-throated Flycatcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Oct, and 4 there 23 Nov (H. Robinson); 1 at St. Marks NWR 28 Oct (B. Phelan, details to FOC); 1 at Bald Point 9- II Nov (J. Murphy, A. Wraithmell); 1 at Pelican Island NWR 28 Nov-EOS (J. Flynn et al.). 66 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Brown-crested Flycatcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Oct and 28 Nov (H. Robin- son); 1 calling at Hosier Hammock, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 1 and 27 Nov (J. Boyd). La Sagra’S Flycatcher: 1 at No Name Key {Monroe) 9 Oct (H. Detwiler, photo to FOG). *Tropical Kingbird: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 1 Nov (R. Smith); 1 at “Dump Marsh,” Homestead 2 Nov-EOS, and 2 there 8-15 Nov (L. Manfredi, M. Berney et ah, accepted by FOSRC). *Tropical/Couch’S Kingbird: 1 at Gulf Breeze 2 Aug (B. & L. Duncan). *Cassin’S Kingbird: 1 at N Jacksonville (Duval) 10 Oct (L. Johannsen, photos to FOG); 1 at STA-5, 20 Oct-EOS (G. Edwards et ah, accepted by FOSRG). Western Kingbird: 4 at Marathon Airport 29 Oct (J. Eager); as many as 3 at Glermont (Lake) 4-25 Nov (L. Jackson, J. Stefancic); 11 near Lake Apopka NSRA 11 Nov-EOS (A. Vinokur); 1 at Hickory Bluff Preserve (Volusia) 22 Nov (D. Freeman, J. Glifton); 3 SE of Arcadia (DeSoto) 22 Nov (R. Smith, B. Ahern); 33 at The Villages 29 Nov-EOS (J. Dinsmore); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 29 Nov (A. Bankert). Eastern Kingbird: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Aug, and 316 there 31 Aug (H. Robin- son); 300 flew over S Jacksonville in 1.5 hours 1 Sep (J. Gocke). Gray Kingbird: 21 along Gockroach Bay Road 9 Aug (D. Goodwin); 33 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 20 Aug (D. Gagne). SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: 1 at Upper Tampa Bay Trail (Hillsborough) 20 Oct (M. McRae); 1 bird 8 km NW of Arcadia 10 Nov (E. Kwater), and 2 birds 9 km SE of Arca- dia 22 Nov (R. Smith, B. Ahern); 1 near Lake Apopka NSRA 11 Nov-EOS (A. Vi- nokur); as many as 3 at Gockroach Bay 11 Nov-EOS (B. Ahern, J. Fisher et ah); 3 at Hone5mioon Island SP 12 Nov (D. Gagne); 2 at Rutland Ranch Mitigation Bank (Man- atee) 14 Nov (fide S. Johnson); as many as 3 at Glermont 21-25 Nov (L. Jackson, J. Ste- fancic); 2 at The Villages 22 Nov-EOS (J. Dinsmore). Fork-tailed Flycatcher: 1 adult male at Pelican Island NWR (Indian River) 25 Nov- EOS (A. Bankert et al., photos to FOG by B. Pranty). Bell’s VireO: 2 at Mead Garden 4 Oct (R. Geisler); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 12 Oct-EOS (J. Boyd, M. Berney et al., photo to FOG by D. Bales); 1 in song at Southern Glades WEA (Miami-Dade) 12 Oct (R. Diaz); 1 at Bill Sadowski Park (Miami-Dade) 20 Oct (R. Torres); 1 at Sugden Park, Naples 3 Nov (A. Murray). Warbling Vireo: singles at Gulf Breeze 1 and 10 Oct (B. & L. Duncan); singles at Mead Garden 4, 16, and 28-29 Oct (D. Richardson, A. Vinokur, B. Anderson et al.); 1 at Mims 23 Oct (D. Stuckey, details to FOG). Philadelphia Vireo: singles at Winter Garden 26 Sep (A. Vinokur) and 3-6 Oct (J. Thornton, R. Geisler et al.); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 27 Sep (L. Atherton, R. Smith); 1 at Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange 3 Oct (M. Brothers); 1 at Dunedin Hammock 3 Oct (M. Gardler); 1 at Orange Greek Restoration Area (Alachua) 4 Oct (M. Hafner); 1 at Evergreen Gemetery, Fort Lauderdale (Broward) 4-5 Oct (M. Berney et al.); 1 at A.D, Barnes Park (Miami-Dade) 4 Oct (J. Boyd); 1 at San Felasco Hammock SP 5 Oct (B. Wallace); 1 at Tallahassee 6 Oct (R. Lengacher); 1 at Morrison (Marion) 11 Oct (D. Bales); 1 at Turkey Greek Sanctuary 17 Oct (K. LaBorde, B. & S. Hills); 8 at St. George Island (Franklin) 18 Oct (J. Murphy, R. Smith); 1 at Southern Glades WEA 18 Oct (J. Boyd); 1 at Key West (Monroe) 21 Oct (G. Goodrich); 1 at Lower Suwannee NWR (Dixie) 23 Oct (J. Hintermister); 1 at Palm Point Park (Alachua) 24 Oct (J. Hin- termister); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 27 Oct (J. Hintermister). Blue Jay: 1 at Palm Harbor (Pinellas) 14 Sep imitated an Osprey (M. Korosy); 165 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Oct (H. Robinson). Horned Lark: 1 at Homestead 10 Aug-6 Sep (L. Manfredi et al., photos to FOG). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 50 at Pelican Island NWR 27-28 Nov (A. Bankert et al.). Field Observations 67 Bank Swallow: 2 over New Port Richey 2 Aug (D. Gagne); 4 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Aug, and 225 there 20 Aug (H. Robinson); 160 W of Viera 26 Aug (D. Freeland). Cliff Swallow: as many as 4 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Aug-12 Sep (H. Robinson); 30 at Indian River Lagoon near Palm Bay (Brevard) 9 Aug (A. Bankert); singles at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 10 Aug and 14 Sep (B. Anderson et aL); 55 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 13 Aug (R. Diaz); 2 at Viera Wetlands 15 Aug (B. Anderson, D. Richard- son); 6 at Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard & Indian River) 20-22 Aug (T. Harber, speci- men to FLMNH); 1 at Lake Weir 22 Aug (M. Hafner); 2 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Aug (D. Gagne); 2 at Ormond Beach 5 Sep (M. Wilson); 1 at Hilltop Dairy 9 Oct (J. Hintermister); 1 at Bald Point SP 11 Nov (A. Wraithmell). Cave Swallow: 1 juvenile of the Mexican race at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Oct (H. Robin- son); singles of the Mexican race at Springhill Road STF 17, 24, and 30 Oct (G. Menk); 25 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP (Monroe) 30 Oct (J. Eager, C. Goodrich); 1 at Vi- era 18 Nov (D. Freeland). Barn Swallow: 9300 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Aug (H. Robinson); 250 at Wimauma (Hillsborough) 23 Aug (D. Goodwin); 200 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Aug (D. Gagne); 50 at Bald Point SP 11 Nov (A, Wraithmell). Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 at Bald Point 16 Nov (J. Murphy). Brown-headed Nuthatch: 1 at Flatwoods Park (Hillsborough) 27 Sep (B. Ahern). Brown Creeper: 1 at Bald Point 16 Nov (J. Murphy). House Wren: 2 at Gainesville 20 Sep (T. Webber); 1 albino at Lake Lotus Park, Alta- monte Springs 29 Oct-8 Nov (P. Hueber, photos to FOC); 443 at Lake Apopka NSRA 7 Nov (H. Robinson). Winter Wren: 1 at Palm Point Park 24 Oct (J. Hintermister); 1 at Bloody Bluff Road (Franklin) 22 Nov (J. Murphy). Sedge Wren: 1 still in song at Cockroach Bay 4 Nov (B. Ahern). Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 in Gadsden 2 Nov (M. Forehand); 2 at Tallahassee 4 Nov (G. Menk); 2 at Lake Miccosukee (Jefferson) 6 Nov (J. Hintermister); 2 at Ocala NF (Marion) 15 Nov (D. Simpson); “many” at Bald Point 17 Nov (J. Murphy); 1 at Bayard Conservation Area (Clay) 17 Nov (L. McCullagh); 2 in N Baker 20 Nov (B. Richter); 1 at Clay Island, Lake Apopka NSRA (Lake) 24 Nov (B. Sanders). Blue-gray GnatcatcheR: 70 at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 1 Oct and 9 Nov (B. Anderson et aL). Veery: 30 heard pre-dawn over Ocala 8 Sep (M. Hafner); 10 at Fort George Island 21 Sep (R. Clark); 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Oct (H. Robinson). Gray-cheeked Thrush: 8 at Pinecraft Park 30 Sep (G. Quigley); 6 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Oct (H. Robinson). Swainson’S Thrush: 50 at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 30 Sep (B. Anderson et aL); 20 at Pinecraft Park 30 Sep (G. Quigley); 10 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Sep (L. Atherton, B. Ahern); 6 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Oct (H. Robinson). Wood Thrush: 1 at Ravine Gardens SP (Putnam) 29 Sep (D. Simpson); 1 at Mead Gar- den 18 Oct (B. Anderson et aL). American Robin: 2 (adult and juvenile) at Tallahassee 5 Aug (A. Wraithmell). Gray Catbird: 713 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Oct (H. Robinson); 180 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 17 Oct (E. Kwater). *White Wagtail: 1 winter-plumaged ocularis at Marathon Airport (Monroe) 28 Oct (J. Eager, Rachel Smith et aL, accepted by FOSRC). Cedar Waxwing: 2 at Coconut Point, Melbourne Beach (Brevard) 20 Sep (A. Bankert). Blue-winged Warbler: 1 at Lutz (Pasco) 3 Sep (D. Bowman); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 3 Sep (L. Atherton); singles near Ormond Beach 16-17 Sep (M. Wilson); 2 at Tide Swamp WMA (Taylor) 17-19 Sep (B. Ahern); singles at Winter Park 21-22 Sep, and 2 there 30 Sep (B. Anderson et aL); 1 at Turkey Creek Sanctuary 24 Sep (K. LaBorde, 68 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST B. & S. Hills); 1 at Tallahassee 27 Sep (J. Cavanagh); 1 at Coconut Point 27 Sep (A. Bankert); 1 at Boardman 5 Oct (M. Hafner). Golden-winged Warbler: 1 male at Fort George Island 16 Sep (R. Clark); 1 at Troy Springs Conservation and Recreation Area {Lafayette) 23 Sep (J. Hintermister); sin- gle males banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 26 Sep and 6 Oct (R. Diaz et al); 1 at W Kendall (Miami-Dade) 26 Sep (J. Boyd); 1 at Felts Preserve {Manatee) 2 Oct (J. Gi- naven, J. Dubi); 1 at Turkey Creek Sanctuary 16 Oct, and 2 there 17 Oct (K. LaBorde, B. & S. Hills); 1 at Key West 21 Oct (C. Goodrich). Vermwora Hybrid: 1 “Lawrence’s Warbler” at Pinecraft Park 29 Sep (R. Greenspun, J. Dubi et ak); 1 “Brewster’s Warbler” banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Oct (R. Diaz et al.). Tennessee Warbler: 15 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Sep (B. Ahern, L. Atherton); 20 at Dunedin Hammock 3 Oct (M. Gardler); 12 at Hone5nnoon Island SP 17 Oct (E. Kwa- ter); 1 at Tallahassee 8 Nov (G. Menk). Nashville Warbler: singles at Fort De Soto Park 27 Sep and 14 Nov (L. Atherton, R. Smith); 1 at Coconut Point 30 Sep (A. Bankert); singles at Frog Pond WMA 2 Oct (B. Ahern) and 9 Nov (A. Bankert); 1 at Evergreen Cemetery 4-6 Oct (M. Berney et al.); singles at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park {Miami-Dade) 5 and 10 Oct (J. Boyd); 1 at Sneads {Jackson) 7 Oct (A. Wraithmell); 1 at St. George Island 11 Oct (J. Murphy, T. Engstrom et al.); 1 at Mims 16 Oct (D. Stuckey); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 20 Oct (D. Gagne); 1 in N Baker 30 Oct (B. Richter); 1 at Key West 30 Oct (C. Goodrich). Yellow Warbler: 1 at Ravine Gardens SP 15 Nov (D. Simpson). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 60 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 1 Oct (B. Ahern); 1 at Fort White {Columbia) 12 Nov (J. Sulek). Black-throated Green Warbler: 5 at Turkey Creek Sanctuary 18 Oct (B. & S. Hills). Prairie Warbler: 1 female at Lake Jackson 7 Nov-13 Dec (G. Menk). Cerulean Warbler: 3 at Gulf Breeze 2 Aug (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Pinecraft Park 9 Aug (E. Miller, J. Carlock); 1 at Lake Helen {Volusia) 10-12 Aug (M, Brothers); 2 at Fort De Soto Park 15 Aug (L. Atherton); 1 at Santos Trailhead, Cross Florida Greenway {Mar- ion) 16 Aug (M. Hafner); 1 at Count Philippe Park {Pinellas) 16 Aug (R. Smith); 1 at Oakland Nature Preserve {Orange) 27 Aug (T. Rodriguez); singles at Turkey Creek Sanctuary 6 Sep and 17 Sep (K. LaBorde, B. & S. Hills); 1 at East Lake Tohopekaliga {Osceola) 16 Sep (D. Simpson); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Oct (H. Robinson). American Redstart: 33 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 25 Sep (R. Diaz); 23 at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 11 Oct (B. Anderson et ak). Prothonotary Warbler: 1 at Green Key 7 Aug fed on cabbage palm fruit (K. Tracey). SWAINSON’S Warbler: 15 banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP variously 30 Aug- 18 Oct (R. Diaz et ak). OVENBIRD: 1 at Avalon SP {St. Lucie) 1 Aug (D. Simpson); 1 at Green Swamp Preserve, East Tract {Sumter) 2 Aug (D. Goodwin, W. Biggs); 50 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 25 Sep (R. Diaz). Northern Waterthrush: 76 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Oct (H. Robinson). Louisiana Waterthrush: 24 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Aug (H. Robinson); 1 at Eureka Boat Ramp, CR-316 {Marion) 4 Oct (M. Hafner). Mourning Warbler: 1 at S Jacksonville 2 Oct (J. Cocke). Wilson’s Warbler: 1 at Gainesville 8 Sep (A. Belford); singles at Springhill Road STF 2 and 28 Oct (R. Cassidy, M. Forehand); 1 at Turkey Creek Sanctuary 3-6 Oct (B. Pax- son, K. LaBorde et ak); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Oct (H. Robinson); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 8-9 Nov (B. Roberts, A. Bankert et ak). Canada Warbler: 1 male at Saddle Creek Park, Lakeland {Polk) 17 Aug (D. Richardson et ak); 3 banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP variously 10-26 Sep (R. Diaz et ak); 1 at Gainesville 14 Sep (G. Kiltie); 1 male at Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange 24 Sep Field Observations 69 (M. Brothers); 1 at Orlando 24 Sep {fide C. Catron); 1 male at Mead Garden 25 Sep (B. Anderson et ah). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 17 Sep (R. Diaz); 1 at Green Key 2 Oct (K Tracey); 1 at Mead Garden 4-6 Oct (R. Geisler); 1 at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park 12 Oct (J. Boyd); 1 at Southern Glades WEA 12 Oct (R. Diaz) and 29 Nov (M. Berney); as many as 5 at Frog Pond WMA 18 Oct-27 Nov (M. Berney, J. Boyd et ah); 1 at Tallahassee 22-23 Nov (M, Forehand); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Nov (H. Robinson). BANANAQUIT: 1 juvenile mist-netted and banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 15 Sep (R. Diaz et ah, photo to FOC). Scarlet TANAGER: large numbers in NE Florida all season {fide P. Powell); 10 at Honey- moon Island SP 17 Oct (E. Kwater). Western TANAGER: 1 in female plumage at Gulf Breeze 28 Sep (B. & L. Duncan et ah); 1 at Welaka SF {Putnam) 29 Sep (D. Simpson); 1 female at Cutler Bay {Miami-Dade) 1 Oct (R. Torres); 1 female at Altamonte Springs 3 Oct (P. Hueber); 1 male at Talla- hassee 4 Oct (F. Rutkovsky), and 1 female in the same yard 5 Oct (G. Menk); 1 male at St. George Island 5 Oct (J. Murphy, A. Knothe); 1 at Gainesville 16 Oct (R. & S. Rowan). Clay-colored Sparrow: singles at Lake Lotus Park, Altamonte Springs 11-12 (banded) Oct (P. Hueber, A. Boyle); 2 at Canaveral NS {Volusia) 13 Oct (M. Brothers); 2 at Cape Canaveral AFS {Brevard) 26 Oct (T. Dunkerton); 1 at Eco Pond, Everglades NP {Mon- roe) 1 Nov (J. Boyd); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 4 Nov (D. Ware, L. Fenimore); 1 at Canaveral NS 7-9 Nov (M. Harris, D. Bales); 1 at Ponce Inlet 14 Nov (M. Brothers); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 27 Nov (M. Berney). Lark Sparrow: 1 at Southern Glades WEA 11 Aug (R. Diaz); 1 at Cape Canaveral AFS 17 Aug (T. Dunkerton); 1 at Gulf Breeze 27 Aug (B. Duncan); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 29 Aug (A. Brayton, T Dunkerton); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 30 Aug (A. Bel- ford); 2 at Curry Hammock SP {Monroe) 15 Sep, and 1 there 21 Sep (J. Eager et ah); 1 at Bethea SF {Baker) 16 Sep (B. Richter); 1 at Welaka {Putnam) 29 Sep (D. Simp- son); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Sep (G. Quigley et ah); 1 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg 4 Oct (R. Smith); 1 at Cypress Point Beach Park {Hillsborough) 4 Oct (C. Fisher); 2 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 25 Oct (C. Goodrich); 1 at Canaveral NS 29 Oct (M. Harris); 1 at Port Canaveral 4 Nov (D. Freeland); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Nov (H. Robinson). *LARK Bunting: 1 female at Bald Point 13 Sep (J. Murphy, accepted by FOSRC). Le Conte’s Sparrow: 1 at Frog Pond WMA 11 Nov (R. Torres et ah, details to FOC); 1 at St. Marks NWR 28 Nov (J. Murphy, B. Crawford). Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 11 Nov-EOS (R. Smith, B. Ahern et al.). Seaside Sparrow: 1 at Matheson Hammock Park {Miami-Dade) 20 Sep (S. & W. Wallen- stein, photos to FOC); 1 at Green Key 1 Nov (K. Tracey). Lincoln’s Sparrow: 1 banded at Tomoka SP 15 Oct (M. Wilson); 1 at Mead Garden 29 Oct (A. Vinokur); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 30 Nov (J. Hintermister). White-crowned Sparrow: 25 at Cape Canaveral AFS 26 Oct (T. Dunkerton). Dark-eyed JuncO: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 20 Oct {fide C. Geanangel); 1 at Fort White 12 Nov (J. Sulek); 1 at Gainesville 22-23 Nov (L. Hensley). Indigo Bunting: 20 along the “Road to Nowhere” {Dixie) 17 Sep (B. Ahern); 98 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Oct (H. Robinson); 100 at Key West 27 Oct (C. Goodrich). Dickcissel: 1 heard over New Port Richey 17 Oct (D. Gagne); as many as 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 19 Oct-EOS (R. Rowan et al.); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 4 Nov (D. Gagne). Bobolink: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 20 Nov (B. Duncan). 70 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1 at Hague 16 Nov (R. & S. Rowan); 1 female at Lake Apo- pka NSRA 19-23 Nov (H. Robinson); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 27 Nov (J. Boyd). Rusty Blackbird: 60 at Eglin AFB {Okaloosa) 10 Nov (K. Jones); 1 at Pa-hay-okee, Ev- erglades NP (Miami-Dade) 14-16 Nov captured a frog 15 Nov (G. Bieber, J. Boyd et aL, photo to FOG by L. Manfredi). Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Nov (H. Robinson); 1 male at Spring- hill Road STF 26 Nov (G. Menk). Shiny Cowbird: 1 male at Flamingo, Everglades NP {Monroe) 2 Oct (B. Ahern); 1 male at Green Key 8 Oct (K. Tracey); 1 male at Fort Walton Beach STF 17 Nov (D. Ware). Bronzed Cowbird: 1 immature male at Overstreet Landing {Osceola) 16 Sep (D. Simp- son); 1 at Cedar Key 23 Nov (R. Rowan). Orchard Oriole: 1 at Frog Pond WMA 10 Aug (J. Boyd); 2 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 12 Aug (R. Diaz); 1 at New Port Richey 18 Aug (D. Gagne); 1 at A.D. Barnes Park 14 Sep (J. Boyd); 1 at Coconut Point 25 Sep (A. Bankert); 1 at Lake Jackson 10 Oct (G. Menk), Baltimore Oriole: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 15 Aug (R. Diaz); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Aug (D. Gagne); 16 at Genius Drive Nature Preserve 19 Oct (B. Ander- son et al.). Pine Siskin: 2 at Bald Point 16 Nov (J. Murphy); 2 at St. George Island SP 18 Nov (A. Wraithmell); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 18 Nov, 6 there 24 Nov, and 5 there 27 Nov (D. Gagne); 2 at St. Marks NWR 20 Nov (A. Wraithmell); 1 at Fort Pierce Inlet SP {St Lucie) 20 Nov (D. Simpson); 1 over Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 22 Nov (D. Gagne); 36 at T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula SP 25 Nov (A. Wraithmell); 1 at To- moka SP 25 Nov (M. Wilson); 8 at Chapman’s Pond, Gainesville 26 Nov (A. Casella); 3 singles heard over New Port Richey 28 Nov (D. Gagne); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 29 Nov (A. Vinokur). American Goldfinch: 1 at Altamonte Springs 31 Aug (P. Hueber). Zebra Finch: 2 at Deltona {Volusia) 22 Oct-16 Nov (P. Northey, photos to FOC). Orange Bishop: 2 (female and alternate-plumaged male) at Smyrna Dunes Park, New Smyrna Beach 25 Sep (C. Rasmussen); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Oct (H. Robinson). Yellow-crowned Bishop {Euplectes afer): 1 male in alternate plumage in Palm Beach 1 Sep (J. Key, photos to FOC). Pin-tailed Whydah: 2 males in alternate plumage at Hernando Beach {Hernando) ca. 20-23 Aug (D. Hutchinson, photos to FOC); 1 male in alternate plumage at Lakeland {Polk) 14 Sep (D. & G. Brooke, details to FOC); 1 in female plumage at central St. Pe- tersburg 14 Sep (E. Haney); 1 male in alternate plumage at NE St. Petersburg 19 Sep (L. Margeson, photos to FOC); 1 male in alternate plumage at Tarpon Springs {Pinel- las) 27 Nov-EOS (T. Woods, photo to FOC). Contributors: Angel Abreu, Howard Adams, Brian Ahern, Bruce Anderson, Rick Argo, Lyn Atherton, Julia Babb, Steve Backes, Peggy Baker, Danny Bales, Andy Bankert, Fred Bassett, Alan Belford, Ted Below, Mark Berney, Adam Betuel, Gavin Bie- ber, Wes Biggs, Linda Billie, David Bowman, Gene Bowman, John Boyd, Andrew Boyle, David & Gloria Brooke, Michael Brothers, Janet Carlock, Anne Casella, Rodney Cassidy, Cecie Catron, Jim Cavanagh, Roger Clark, Joie Clifton, Julie Cocke, Marvin Collins, Owen Comora, Larry Connor, Bobby Crawford, Kirsten Dahlen, Susan Daugh- trey, Lloyd Davis, Niki Desjardin, Henry Detwiler, Robin Diaz, Fred Dietrich, James Dinsmore, Jeanne Dubi, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Eva Dupuis, Jim Eager, Carl Edwards, Margaret England, Todd Engstrom, Charlie Ewell, Craig Faanes, Lenny Fenimore, Charlie Fisher, Jeff Fisher, Jim Flynn, Melissa Forehand, Ann Forster, David Freeland, Dot Freeman, Dave Gagne, Murray Gardler, Chuck Geanangel, Rein- hard Geisler, John Ginaven, Carrie Gindl, Colin Gjervold, Steven & Ted Goodman, Carl Goodrich, David Goodwin, Paul Gray, Jon Greenlaw, Rick Greenspun, Carol Griggs, Field Observations 71 Matt Hafner, Jack & Liz Hailman, Erik Haney, Bev Hansen, Greg Harber, Terese Har- ber, Mitchell Harris, Alex Harper, David Hartgrove, David & Lee Hasse, Linda Hensley, Bill & Shirley Hills, John Hintermister, Jeff Hooks, Brian Hope, Paul Hueber, Dan Hutchinson, Leann Jackson, Patrick James, Laura Johannsen, Pete Johnson, Sarah Johnson, David Johnston, Kelly Jones, Dorothy Kaufmann, Adam Kent, Jacqueline Kern, Jo Key, John Killian, Grace Kiltie, Alan Knothe, Marianne Korosy, Andy Kratter, Ed Kwater, Ken LaBorde, Carol Lanthrip, Phil Laipis, Patrick Leary, Renne Leato, Rob Lengacher, Fred Lohrer, Holly Lovell, Angela Luzader, Brad Macdonald, Lome Malo, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, Phyllis Mansfield, Don & Lorraine Margeson, Brad Mar- tin, Michael McRae, Lenore McCullagh, Zach McKenna, Mia McPherson, Michael Meisenburg, Al Menk, Gail Menk, Rocky Milburn, Edith Miller, Trey Mitchell, Brennan Mulrooney, John Murphy, Alan Murray, Pat Northey, Scott Patterson, Bob Paxson, Rob- ert Pelkey, Bill Phelan, Cheri Pierce, Valeri Ponzo, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Nancy Prine, Gallus Quigley, Chris Rasmussen, Diane Reed, Dexter Richardson, Bob Richter, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, Dick & Helen Rockstroh, Tom Rodriguez, Rex & Sarah Rowan, Bob Sanders, Sally Shultz, Bob & Erika Simons, David Simpson, Rachel Smith, Ron Smith, Joyce Stefancic, Doug Stuckey, Jacqui Sulek, Barbara & Larry Taylor, John Thornton, Dana & Sue Timmons, Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Paul Trunk, Melanie Un- derwood, Dusty Varble, Alex Vinokur, Robin Vroegop, Billi Wagner, Tom Walbolt, Bob Wallace, Sue & Walter Wallenstein, Don Ware, Helen Warren, Sharon Weaver, Joanna Webb, Tom Webber, Eddie White, Kim Willis, Virlyn Willis, Meret Wilson, Terri Woods, Andy & Julie Wraithmell, Sue Yates, and Gina Zimmerman. Fall 2004 report not published previously; Snow Bunting: 1 at Cape Canaveral AFS {Brevard) 23 Nov (Angy Chambers, photo to FOC). Fall 2007 report not published previously: Swainson’s Hawk: 1 at St. George Is- land {Franklin) 30 Oct (Andy Wraithmell, photo to FOC). Summer 2008 report not published previously: Burrowing Owl: 24 at Site B-70, Eglin AFB {Okaloosa) 6 Jul (Lenny Fenimore). Corrections to Summer 2008 report: We misspelled Spirit of the Wild WMA {Hendry) in accounts of White-winged Dove and Hairy Woodpecker; thanks to Valerie Sparling for alerting us. Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662, ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ); Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ), Andy Bankert (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ); John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ), Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ), Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304, no email), Paul Miller (Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP, 33104 NW 192nd Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida 34972, ), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ). BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FOS FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special endowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the journal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological So- ciety and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FOS FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peg^ Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger 72 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967* Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E, Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989): Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. EOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Kobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 73 IfeSr f Vi.tr ;^s#>^lfl5MS«*. .;' -jV- ■ t *r ’ ' V '; ;a^‘ftAj;it 'If. V < , i' i?- »> vtwIsunO .ei"^ ,tB«i - ■ ' a tflix*-*'! atowWi! >7* r I'-XW^l • - ,. ' . ^i„ ‘fc'Mlr ti BiWr^ !^' Ifel ;)SltT^ Ui I i&ii.:i-»il iitfU^ ■ ’Mir tXfX mi^n w .^,0 ^ ari CD .lAiiH t!jcv0s k>i\VtiriO >IiniI4 f.iib f^til .inadm»m^>i &i« , .t*mw H Vf-*’ ■•■ . rsfi ..i,^j;V ■.■' ^dT iMW« I- llteT^i W ,;*'4I< ■“ :fel - it T jon ^63^ '.bwiiJ- mA WitiwiO .ijA. .MilwJ? V •Iw - ' '- /rm' ' Jao tdnwn Xai'ti'j t I/I Jwribl^tWmw ^ ‘Ml5l^NW(?St^rc|pW^ lid^etl ® l4ic» tfu£i><^ Timi tisW* wHt#WS*%(N^ v14m^ 5r?E I - jEi^fll-BitA i (it Wi®>i/|) . 4tll vUVii FTi^f sHf ^ _ , ;iriiit^i4|i in^ iittRiliijiliftS /■ * — ..-^J* 1% I ;ftf4;^.»lTlJit iwiE wn>-.v«» -4?^^ In 1^119 nii J r \ — i*i '<-• ■•■.f ill)| NlHfr i„- to Vi> If f tf. N*T»*arq4igtinfT;j ,r ' •wr; » * ii^llii i ifk.t Uf-. . *-l/M <(l ftfarvuj* Hr 1 ^.11 n ^ • - i ifk.t Oi^ fc-' !■ if. . 4m^> cr- . thftna^*^ w frmvt/^irdi^rrk flflPORAUrtos f t fMJ f^r **t «{|lMMBi|it«ftr» ftf f" * I bSfm /ItlAU' • S' ■•"Sltr* t m- 'v'^ -*'* i-l '* ■ ' ■> " •■ ■» t 'i'" <■* m: vifj *' . ■■ •' ''^' ^ '• • ’■ ' i . , ' i^afc-^ /J* *sfc»»i!, J » ’<1^ Cfe)^' 0.05). Both the direct and the flight-line methods detected the abandon- ment of the colony in the summer of 1999, the absence of the colony in Table 1. Comparison of direct counts of nest and flight-line counts (30 min) of adult Wood Storks from Sprandel — ^WooD Stork Colony Counts 89 ^ ^ ^ o eq t> lo lo th ^ to io cq ei eq c www § in »-4 »— 4 ^ m m CO V t> O O ,-4 >7 N^cq Q ©i-hcoth O-^-^OSiOOOOOO I>Q0050rHCqcO^ S 05050^00000 m 05050500000kS THrHTHcqoqoqoqoq^ ^ 'C '-y ft > 1 § ■p .a 3 o ^ •"S m « .s ^ .a > -Q « ^ ^ 6 ^ M n '8 g > B ft O 90 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST WOOD STORK FLIGHT-LINE COUNTS Fi^re 1. Direct and flight-line (30 min) counts of Wood Storks at Ochlockonee North Colony, Leon County, Florida from 1997 through 2004. 2000 and 2001, and the subsequent presence of the colony in 2002 - 2004. Based on the direct counts, the colony was smaller during the re- colonization than before the abandonment ^74 nests, x 2002-04 ™ 54 nests, t = 3.92, p = 0.02, 1-P = 0.84). The flight-line counts however, did not detect a signiflcant decrease in colony size during the re-coloni- zation (x = 38 count in 30 min, x 2002-04 ™ 32 count in 30 min, t = 0.74, p - 0.49, 1-p - 0.05). The CV of the direct counts within a year was smaller than the CV for flight-line counts in 5 of the 6 years (Table 1), and the average an- nual CV for direct counts was 17% versus 50% for the flight-line counts. Based on the Monte Carlo simulations, using the average CV of 17% from the direct counts, and 10 annual visits, it would take an esti- mated 10 years of monitoring to detect a 5% annual decline, while with flight-line counts (CV of 50%), it would take 25 years to detect a 5% an- nual decline. The higher variability of counts with the flight-line method thus results in reduced statistical power (1-p) to detect a popu- lation trend if one exists. Sprandel— Wood Stork Colony Counts 91 Table 2. Linear regression between 30-min flight-line counts and direct count of nests of Wood Storks from 1997 - 2004 at OcMockonee North Colony, Leon County, Florida. Year Equation: Direct Counts p of slope J.2 Applying 1 P year® r2 1997 15.5 + (1.51* Flight-line) 0.02 0.53 1998 26.7 + (0.55 * Flight-line) 0.10 0.22 0.03 0.31 1999 4.5 + (2.10 * Flight-line) 0.01 0.63 0.02 0.72 2000 Colony inactive 2001 Colony inactive 2002 57.4 - (0.27 * Flight-line) 0.73 0.04 0.09 0.59 2003 63.3 - (0.17 * Flight-line) 0.73 0.07 0.98 0.00 2004 54.8 + (0.01 * Flight-line) 0.91 <0.01 0.43 0.02 All years 30.2 + (0.52 * Flight-line) <0.01 0.20 <0.01 0.20 ^The regression equation from 1997 is applied to each subsequent year and p and r^ included. Discussion Project ColonyWatch (Paul and Paul 2004) suggests using a simple ra- tio of 1.5 times the total adults fl5dng in and out of the colony for an hour, to get an estimate of the number of pairs in the colony. Based on the half- hour flight-line counts from this study, the average ratio for an hour would be 1.15 during peak nesting periods. Therefore the “standard” 1.5 multi- plier would overestimate the number of nesting pairs by 30%. The different slopes and y-intercepts of the regression equations for each year, suggest that an equation derived from one year would not be applicable to another year. The high y-intercepts and inverse re- lations of the direct and flight-line regression equations after the dry- ing were probably an artifact of the high variability. While Lake Jackson was dry, the need for new feeding areas may have changed flight patterns (e.g, Bryan and Coulter 1987). Although young chicks have been documented to feed more fre- quently than older chicks (Coulter et al. 1999) this study did not see a significant difference between flight rate early and late in the season. Erwin and Ogden (1979) showed the phase of nesting cycle had the greatest effect on flight traffic for four wading bird species, but they did not include Wood Stork. Assumptions about a consistent flight rate within a year are confounded by the asynchronous nesting of chicks, the need of an adult present for protection during the chicks first three weeks, and the differing feeding rates and amounts as the chick ages (J. A. Rodgers, Jr., Pers. Comm.). Based on a single year regression of nests and flight, Erwin and Ogden 1979 computed a mean error rate of just 13% for eight colonies 92 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST larger than 150 nests, but for five smaller colonies (like this one) the mean error rate was 97%. For their study, the “error rate” is a measure of how well a single colony regression could be applied, for a single year and species. Erwin (1981) also showed different regression models by species and colonies within a single year. A review of the literature found no study that tested the flight-line methodology over multiple years. Although flight-line counts can be conducted by volunteers from a distance, without disturbing the colony, these counts have neither the accuracy nor statistical power of direct counts. The increased variation, and resultant decreased power, means that the flight-line count method is less likely to detect a change in colony size if it occurs. Addi- tional research with a variety of colony sizes and species is needed to study the relationship between size of colony and flight activity. Be- cause this study had large between-year differences, I also suggest that future studies be conducted for multiple years. Acknowledgments David Cobb and Rich Paul provided initial discussion of the use of the flight-line technique. Peter Frederick, Jeff Gore, Donald McCrimmon, James Rodgers, Jr., Tom Webber, and an anonymous reviewer provided comments on earlier revisions of this manuscript. Literature Cited Ralph, D. F., and H. C. Romesburg. 1983. On the psychology of watching birds: the problem of observer-expectancy bias. Auk 100:755-757. Bryan, A. L., Jr., and M. C. Coulter 1987. Foraging flight characteristics of Wood Storks in East-Central Georgia, USA. Colonial Waterbirds 10:157-161. BSLR (Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves). 1991. Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve Management Plan. Division of State Lands, Department of Natural Re- sources, Tallahassee, Florida. Cobb, D. T. 1994. Estimating Wading Bird Populations Using Flight-line Counts. Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, Tallahassee. Cobb, D. T., G. L. Sprandel, and K. M. Enge. 1995. Inter-observer variability in wading bird survey data. Proceedings of the Annual Conference, Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 49:323-331. Cobb, D. T., G. L. Sprandel, and D. E. Runde. 1996. Statistical power in analysis of population trend data. Proceedings of the Annual Conference, Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 50:294-302. Coulter, M. C., J. A. Rodgers, Jr., J. C. Ogden, and F. C. Depkin. 1999. Wood Stork {Mycteria americana). In The Birds of North America, No. 409 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Erwin, R. M. 1981. Censusing wading bird colonies: an update on the “flight-line” count method. Colonial Waterbirds 4:91-95. Erwin, R. M., and J. C. Ogden. 1979. Multiple-factor influences upon feeding flight rates at wading bird colonies (alias: are flight-line counts useful?). Proceedings of the Colonial Waterbird Group 3:225-234. Sprandel—Woob Stork Colony Counts 93 FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). 8 October 2003. Flor- ida’s Waterbird Colony Locator, http://www.myfwc.coni/waders (accessed 19 January 2009). FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). 2008. Florida’s Endan- gered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern. Tallahassee. Macmillan, T., and S. McGlynn. 2000. Lake Jackson drawdown and restoration ef- forts. Newsletter of the Florida Lake Management Society 13(3):6-8. NDMC (National Drought Mitigation Center). 2000. National Drought Summary http://enso.unl.edu/monitor/monitor.html (accessed 14 November 2000), Paul, R. 1996. Project ColonyWatch. Nongame Wildlife Program Contracted Projects Proposal. Audubon of Florida, Miami. Paul, R. and A. F. Paul. 2004. Project ColonyWatch Handbook. Audubon of Florida, Mi- ami. Rodgers J. A., Jr., P. S. Kubilis, S. A. Nesbitt, M. F. Delany, R. K. Feldc, J. Swan, K. T. Bowman, and J. B. Dodge. 1999. Atlas of Breeding Sites for Colonial Waterbirds in Florida during 1999. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahas- see. Rodgers, J. A., Jr., S. T. Schwikert, G. A. Griffin, W. B. Brooks, D. Bear-Hull, P. M. Elliott, K. J. Ebersol, and J. Morris. 2008. Productivity of Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) in North and Central Florida. Waterbirds 31:25-34. Runde, D. E., j. a. Gore, J. A. Hovis, M. S. Robson, and P. D. Southall. 1991. Florida Atlas of Breeding Sites for Herons and their Allies: Update 1986-89. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. Nongame Technical Report Number 10, Tallahas- see. Shimada, T. 2001. Choice of daily flight routes of Greater White-fronted Geese: effects of power lines. Waterbirds 24:425-429. Strong, A. M., R. J. Sawicki, and G. T. Bancroft. 1994. Estimating White-crowned Pi- geon population size from flight-line counts. Journal of Wildlife Management 58:156- 162. Verdi, R. J., S. A. Tomlinson, and R. L. Marella. 2006. The Drought of 1998-2002: Im- pacts on Florida’s Hydrology and Landscape: U. S. Geological Survey Circular 1295, NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 37(3):94-94, 2009. CONTEXT OF BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata) MIMICKING COOPER^S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii ) CACKLE Jack P. Hailman Archhold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Florida 33862 At about 0730 EDT on 15 September 2008, I observed the circumstances of a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) uttering an imitation of the ‘‘cackle” or “cak-cak-cak” call of the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) at my home in the town of Jupiter Inlet Colony, Palm Beach County, Florida. The context suggests the broadening of a previously stated hy- pothesis concerning the use of raptor imitations by this jay species (Hailman 1990). I observed at least four individuals moving around in fairly thick cover, one being at our bird feeder when a different bird uttered the single Cooper’s Hawk cackle. The bird on the feeder flew and was immediately pursued by another individual although there was no way to tell if this was the individual that had given the call. In the several min- utes that followed, much moving in the vegetation was evident and at least two other aerial chases occurred. During these interactions no vocalizations loud enough for me to hear were given, and eventually all the jays disappeared. The Blue Jay may be one of the few avian species that selectively imitates the calls of raptors. Tarvin and Woolfenden (1999) list literature reports of mimicry of three Buteo spe- cies, one felcon, the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), as well as Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) and Fastem Screech-Owl (Otus asio). Imitations of the Cooper’s Hawk were also listed (as Tarvin unpublished and C. S. Adkisson pers. obs.) although the type of call was not speci- fied. According to Rosenfield and Bielefeldt (1993) an impublished dissertation by H. K. Meng reported 64 distinct adult calls, but Rosenfield and Bielefeldt (1991) reduced those to four categories, of which the cak-cak-cak or “alarm” call is heard most often. Four previously offered hypotheses about raptor-call mimicry (Hailman 1990) were (1) warning to companions of the presence of a raptor, (2) warning that a raptor was pre- viously at this place (and hence might still be in the area), (3) deception of other poten- tial prey species causing them to desert a resource desired by the jay, and (4) random mimicry of sounds in their environment. The last seems unlikely, as Northern Mocking- birds (Mimus polyglottos) in the same area mimic all sorts of other sounds of the envi- ronment, but rarely any raptor sounds, and the jays rarely if ever utter any of the imitations that the mockingbirds use. Tarvin and Woolfenden (1999) added hypothesis (5), that raptor calls are “native to the repertoire of jays,” also an unlikely possibility as no jay has been reported to mimic a raptor that does not occur locally with the calling jay. The fact that jays sometimes give raptor calls when suddenly encountering a human being (pers. obs. and mentioned by Tarvin and Woolfenden 1999) constitutes a broaden- ing of hypothesis (1) to warning of any imminent danger. H5^othesis (3) seems to have received the most independent support. Loftin (1991) re- lates a personal report from S. L. Sutton of a jay giving the call of the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), causing a Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) to drop a piece of bread from its bill and flee, whereupon the jay swooped down and ate the food. Further and more detailed substantiation was provided by Clench (1991) from a feeder in Texas. Blue Jays re- peatedly frightened other species from a feeder by uttering Red-shouldered Hawk calls, but they never gave such calls if approaching the feeder when no bird was on it. My observations reported above serve to broaden hypothesis (3) to include frighten- ing conspecifics to take flight. Nevertheless, I need to mention that 3 days previous to 94 Notes 95 this occurrence, a Cooper’s Hawk perched on a utility wire near the feeder and gave a cackle call before flying away. Whether this hawk was detected by Blue Jays in the vicin- ity I do not know, but if so, then the hawk mimicry I subsequently observed would also constitute support for hypothesis (2). As pointed out by E. Goodale (in litt.) the jay’s raptor calls may be part of a more widespread phenomenon in that some species are known to imitate the alarm or warn- ing calls of other prey species. The Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea) incorpo- rates such heterospecific calls in its singing (Snow 1974), but more specifically the congeneric Thick-billed Euphonia (E. laniirostris) is known to utter alarm calls of other species when alarmed itself (Morton 1976). The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) incorporates both raptor calls and alarm vocalizations of other prey species in its own alarm vocalizations (Goodale and Kotagama 2006). Chu (2001) reports simi- lar findings in the Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens). Goodale (in litt.) further suggests that “young may learn to associate calls of preda- tors with danger, if they instinctively respond to the species-specific alarm calls of their parents.” This suggestion is related to a long-standing one in the literature perhaps first articulated by Thorpe (1956: 121) in which young learn to recognize predators when their parents respond alarmingly in a predator’s presence. This recognition is further generalized when the young give displays and calls like those of their parents in the presence of but not initially directed to the predator, as known in Northern Mocking- birds (Hailman 1963). So by secondary conditioning young learn to give their species’ displays and calls to predators, possibly also learning the calls themselves. Then if other prey species are also calling or the predator itself is calling, the young may incorporate those vocalizations in its own alarm repertoire. I am grateful to Eben Goodale for comments on the manuscript and interesting dis- cussion of the interrelated issues concerning vocal mimicry and predators. Literature Cited Clench, M. H. 1991. Another case of Blue Jay kleptoparasitism. Florida Field Naturalist 19:109-110. Chu, M. 2001 Vocal mimicry in distress calls of Phainopeplas. Condor 103:389-395. Goodale, E., and S. W. Kotagama. 2006. Context dependent vocal mimicry in a passe- rine bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 273:875-880. Hailman, J. P. 1963. The Mockingbird’s “tail-up” display to mammals near the nest. Wil- son Bulletin 75:413-417. Hailman, J. P. 1990. Blue Jay mimics Osprey. Florida Field Naturalist 18:81-82. Loftin, R. W. 1991. Blue Jay imitates hawk for kleptoparasitism. Florida Field Natural- ist 19:55. Morton, E. S. 1976, Observations of vocal mimicry in the Thick-billed Euphonia. Wilson Bulletin 88:485-487. ROSENFIELD, R. N., and j. Bielefeldt. 1991. Vocalizations of Cooper’s Hawks during the pre-incubation stage. Condor 93:659-665. Rosenfield, R. N., and j. Bielefeldt. 1993. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii). In The Birds of North America, No. 75 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union. Snow, B. K. 1974. Vocal mimicry in the Violaceous Euphonia, Euphonia violacea. Wilson Bulletin 86:179-180. Thorpe, W. H. 1956. Learning and Instinct in Animals. Harvard University Press, Cam- bridge, Massachusetts. Tarvin, K. a., and G. E. WOOLFENDEN. 1999. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). In The Birds of North America, No. 469 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.).The Birds of North Amer- ica, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Florida Field Naturalist 37(3):96-97, 2009. THE STATUS OF THE NUTMEG MANNIKIN {Lonchura punctulata) IN THE EXTREME WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA Robert A. Duncan 614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561 E-mail: town _point@hellsouth.net The Nutmeg Mannikin {Lonchura punctulata) is a widespread species native to In- dia, southern China, Taiwan, Java, Sumatra, the Celebes, and the Philippines (Restall 1997). It is an adaptable species, occurring in open or semi-open upland habitats, hedg- erows, and a variety of human-modified habitats (Restall 1997). Nutmeg Mannikins (hereafter sometimes simply “mannikins”) are common in the pet trade, and as a result, naturalized populations are found in Australia, Hawaii, and southern California. A few mannikins have been seen in recent years in southern Florida. In this note, I report on a moderate-sized population of Nutmeg Mannikins in the Pensacola area, Escambia County, Florida. To assess their population size and distribution, I solicited reports of numbers and locations of mannikins from local birders in February 2008. Twenty-three observers submitted information on their sightings. The earliest observations of Nutmeg Mannikins in the Pensacola area occurred in 1999, and reports are concentrated in two areas: Saufley Field area in western Pensa- cola, and near Pensacola Regional Airport in northeastern Pensacola. The first observa- tion was 9 April 1999 near Saufley Field and the Escambia County Fairgrounds. By the end of the year mannikins were also being reported from the vicinity of the airport. Re- ports continue through the present, with as many as 80 birds visiting suburban feeders. The first report of breeding was the appearance of a juvenile and two adults near Sauf- ley Field 3 July 1999 (Peggy Gibbs, pers. comm.). Based on responses to my e-mail query, I estimate that the population of Nutmeg Man- nikins in the Pensacola area numbered between 135-144 individuals in early 2009. On 28 February 2008 Lucy and Mo Michel salvaged a road-killed mannikin in northeastern Pensacola; the specimen will be deposited at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida. The Pensacola population seems to be expanding westward into Ala- bama. In September 2004 a mannikin appeared at a feeder at Lillian, Baldwin County, Alabama (Jim Dickerson, pers. comm,), 18 km southwest of Saufley Field. The birds ap- peared there intermittently through 2007, with as many as 14 in October 2007. Manni- kins are now being reported farther west along Highway 180 west of Gulf Shores, Alabama (Jim Dickerson, pers. comm.). The Escambia County Fairground near Saufley Field hosts the annual Southern Bird Expo, at which vendors sell a wide variety of exot- ics, and this exposition may be the source of the Nutmeg Mannikin population. Several other exotic species, including Pin-tailed Whydah {Vidua macroura) and European Gold- finch {Carduelis carduelis), have been seen in the Pensacola area in recent years. The Nutmeg Mannikin population in the Pensacola area has shown resiliency in the face of adverse weather, having survived two Category 3 hurricanes and many freezes. On 16 September 2004, Hurricane Ivan, one of the worst hurricanes in recent history, struck Pensacola with 193 km/h winds and caused severe damage to structures and veg- etation. Hurricane Dennis, another Category 3 storm with 193 km/h winds, followed on 10 July 2005. Nutmeg Mannikins have also survived north Florida winters that at times have temperatures below freezing. The minimum recorded since their arrival was -7°C on 24 January 2003. 96 Notes 97 Nutmeg Mannikins were first reported in Florida when three young fledged from a nest at Cocoa Beach, Brevard County, 11 July 1964. Another nest in June 1965 fledged four young in the same county at Merritt Island (Ogden and Stevenson 1965). Since that time, small numbers of mannikins, usually one or two birds, have been observed at Jacksonville (Duval County), from Fort Pierce (St. Lucie County) to Miami (Miami-Dade County), and at Key West (Monroe County). The only other breeding reports are from the Miami area, where the population remains small (Bill Pranty, pers. comm.). The Nutmeg Mannikin appears to have found a niche in suburban Pensacola and may be- come a permanent feature of the area’s avifauna. Acknowledgments I thank all the observers for sharing their observations and photographs. Betsy Tet- low’s regular reports and detailed notes on her mannikins inspired me to write this arti- cle. Lucy and Mo Michel’s foresight in seeing the value of a road-kill provided the state’s first specimen. Lucy Duncan’s critical eye on the manuscript helped in its completion. Bill Pranty provided details on the status of the species statewide and commented on the manuscript. Peggy and Verdon Gibbs provided photographs and reports. Literature Cited Ogden, J. C,, and H. M, Stevenson. 1965. Regional reports: Florida Region. Audubon Field Notes 19:534-37. Restall, R. 1997. Munias and Mannikins. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connect- icut. Florida Field Naturalist 37(3):98-110, 2009. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Winter Report: December 2008-February 2009. — This report consists of signifi- cant bird observations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Submis- sions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, ob- server(s), and significance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March- May), summer (June- July), and fall (August-November); submit observations to re- gional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. Addresses of the compilers are found at the end of this report. We greatly prefer observations sent via e-mail. Sight-only observations are considered “reports” while only those supported by veri- fiable evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; Bowman 2006, Fla. Field Nat. 34:90-102) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = Air Force Base, AFR = Air Force Range, AFS = Air Force Station, CBC = Christmas Bird Count, CWA = Critical Wildlife Area, EOS = end of season, ff = and following, NP = National Park, NSRA = North Shore Res- toration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SP = State Park, STA = Stormwater Treatment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WEA = Wildlife and Environmental Area, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. Summary of the Winter Season This report contains only a few observations from CBCs. FOSRC rarities reported this season were the Masked Duck at Lake City, Least Grebe lingering at Boca Raton, Neotropic Cormorant at Boca Chica Key, Rough-legged Hawk at Edgewater, Black- headed Gull at Cutler Wetlands, California and Thayer’s gulls at Da3d;ona Beach, nu- merous Iceland Gulls including four at Daytona Beach, Allen’s Hummingbird banded at Lakeland, Say’s Phoebe at Astatula, Tropical Kingbird at Homestead, Cassin’s King- birds at STA-5 and Lake Apopka, Harris’s Sparrow at Gainesville, and Bullock’s Orioles at Crystal River and Tallahassee. A Palm Cockatoo in Miami-Dade County furnished the first Florida report of this exotic, while an Orange-cheeked Waxbill photographed in Broward County provided the first Florida record. It was a good winter for Pine Siskins. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 351 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Orange) 3 Dec (H. Robin- son); 2 adults and 4 young at Alva 7-8 Dec furnished the first breeding report for Lee (V. McGrath, C. Ewell); 100 at Lake City (Columbia) 16 Jan (J, Hintermister); 14 at Brandon (Hillsborough) 22 Feb (D. Goodwin); 53 at The Villages (Marion) 27 Feb (J. Dinsmore). Fulvous Whistling-Duck: 65 at Lake Apopka NSRA 14 Dec (H. Robinson). Greater White-fronted Goose: 1 in SE Baker 27 Nov-18 Dec (B. Richter et aL, photo to FOC by J. Hintermister); 3 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) 9-22 Dec (J. Hintermister, J. Swarr et al.). 98 Field Observations 99 Snow Goose: 7 (1 blue, 6 white) at Springhill Road STF {Leon) 4 Dec (G. Menk); as many as 6 blue morphs at Lake Apopka NSRA 5-7 Dec, 6 white morphs there 9 Dec, and 2 blue morphs 25 Jan (H. Robinson); as many as 31 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 9 Dec-21 Feb (J. Hintermister et aL); 1 adult white morph at Cockroach Bay {Hillsbor- ough) 15 Dec (D. Robbins); 7 (5 blue, 2 white) at Viera sod farm {Brevard) 19-31 Dec (D. Freeland et aL); 2 white morphs at Stock Island {Monroe) in late Dec {fide C. Goo- drich); 3 at Merritt Island NWR {Brevard) to 16 Feb {fide A. Banker!); 1 white morph at Melbourne {Brevard) 23 Jan (D. Freeland); 1 immature white morph at Port Char- lotte {Charlotte) 20 Feb (B. & E. Marr). Ross’s Goose: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 30 Jan (C. Gordon, A. Kent et aL); 1 adult at Merritt Island NWR to 16 Feb {fide A. Banker!). Brant: 2 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP {Monroe) 3 Jan (J. Boyd). Canada Goose: 1 probable B. a parvipes at Kissimmee {Osceola) 17 Dec (C, Anderson, photo to FOC); 1 probable B. c. parvipes at Stock Island 3 Jan (C. Goodrich); 1 proba- ble B. c. parvipes at Frog Pond WMA {Miami-Dade) 10 Jan (J. Boyd et aL); 1 at STA- 2 {Palm Beach) 18 Feb (T. Beck). Mute Swan: 2 at Mims {Brevard) 24 Jan (D. Stuckey et aL); as many as 2 at Merritt Is- land NWR 29 Jan- 14 Feb (R. Book, C. Ball et aL); 1 at Viera {Brevard) 25 Jan (C. Wood, A. Banker! et aL); 1 at Cocoa Beach {Brevard) late Jan-17 Feb (T. Dunkerton et aL). Mandarin Duck: 1 male at Crescent Lake Park, St. Petersburg {Pinellas) 9 Dec-EOS (E. Haney et aL). Eurasian Wigeon: 2 males at STA-5 {Hendry) 13-27 Dec, and 1 there 17 Jan (M. En- gland et aL); 2 males at Merritt Island NWR to 15 Feb {fide A. Banker!). American Black Duck: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 Dec-28 Jan (H. Robinson). Mallard: 2 (female and male) at Merritt Island NWR 9-13 Feb (M. Harris, B. Anderson et aL). Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal: 1 male hybrid at Cockroach Bay 9-19 Jan (S. Stedman, P. Lehman et aL). Green-winged Teal: 600 at Myakka River SP {Sarasota) 1 Jan (E. Kwater); 1980 at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Feb (H. Robinson); 1 of the Eurasian race at St. Marks NWR 15 Feb (B. Landry, details to FOSRC). Canvasback: as many as 3 at Cape Coral {Lee) 2-8 Dec (V. McGrath, C. Ewell et aL); as many as 3 at STA-5 13 Dec-31 Jan (M. England et aL); 3 at Newnans Lake 14 Dec (B. Wallace, A. Kratter); 4 at Sampson Lake {Bradford) 23 Dec (J. Hintermister); 1 at Al- ligator Lake 16-17 Jan (P. Burns, J. Hintermister). Redhead: 1 at Cape Coral 2-8 Dec (V. McGrath, C. Ewell et aL); 325 males at Tierra Verde, St. Petersburg 10 Jan (R. Smith). Greater Scaup: 1 at Pelican Island NWR {Indian River) 7 Dec (J. Hintermister); 2 at Newnans Lake 14 Dec (A. Kratter, B. Wallace); 1 at Lake Rowell {Bradford) 23 Dec (J. Hintermister, photo to FOC); 1 at Doctor’s Inlet {Clay) 15 Jan (J. Hintermister); 1 at Alligator Lake 16 Jan (L. Davis); 1 male at Lake Henrietta {Leon) 19 Jan (R. Len- gacher); 3 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Jan (D. Gagne); 9 (4 males) at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park {Citrus) 27 Feb (M. Gardler). Lesser Scaup: 3300 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 Jan (H. Robinson). Common Eider: 1 female at Ponce de Leon Inlet {Volusia) 16 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 sec- ond-year male at Palm Coast {Flagler) 27 Feb (M. Brothers). Surf Scoter: 2 females at Ormond Beach {Volusia) 8 Dec (M. Brothers); 2 at Ormond-By- The-Sea {Volusia) 8 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 at Port Orange {Volusia) 15 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 at Pensacola Bay {Santa Rosa) 28 Dec (S. Duncan); 1 at Pensacola Beach {Escambia) 23-24 Jan (B. & L. Duncan et aL); 4 at Cherry Lake {Madison) 23 Jan (J. Hintermister). White-winged Scoter: 1 immature male at Ormond Beach 1 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 im- mature at Cedar Key {Levy) 4 Dec (B. Ahern); 1 female at Cedar Key 17 Dec-2 Jan 100 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST (B. Ahern et aL); 6 at Anclote Gulf Park (Pasco) 2 Jan (M. Gardler et al.); 3 at Pensa- cola Beach 23-24 Jan (B. & L. Duncan et al.); 4 at Cherry Lake 23 Jan (J. Hinter- mister); 2 at Lake Butler (Union) 9-15 Feb (J. Hintermister et aL); 1 at Port Canaveral 18 Feb (D. Bales). Black Scoter: 20 off Ormond-by-the-Sea 8 Dec (M. Brothers); 20 at Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard) 15 Jan (A. Bankert). Long-tailed Duck: 1 female at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park 15 Dec (P. Bazany); 1 at Cape Canaveral AFS (Brevard) 16 Dec (D. Bales); 1 at Port Canaveral (Brevard) 20 Dec-EOS (G. Quigley et al., photos to FOC by M. Harris). Bufflehead: 1 at Altamonte Springs (Seminole) 6 Dec (P. Hueber); 3 at Lake Maggiore 8 Dec (R. Smith); 8 at Honeymoon Island SP 12 Dec (D. Gagne); 22 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 13 Dec (E. Kwater); as many as 60 at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park 2 Jan-EOS (M. Gardler); as many as 36 at The Villages (Lake) 19 Jan-27 Feb (L. Felker); 1 at Cockroach Bay 19 Jan (E. Kwater); 3 at Palm Harbor STF 6 Feb (1. Hernandez). Common Goldeneye: 2 at Newnans Lake 14 Dec (A. Kratter, B. Wallace); 1 at Saddle- bags Lake (Highlands) 30 Dec (M. Leahy); as many as 11 at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park 2 Jan-EOS (M. Gardler); 1 at Port Orange 4-10 Jan (M. Wilson, M. Brothers); 1 female at Springhill Road STF 5 Jan (G. Menk); 1 female in SE Leon 6 Jan (L. Rey- nolds, J. Quincy); 3 at Titusville (Brevard) 24 Jan (C. Edwards et al.). Red-breasted Merganser: 1 at STA-5, 13 Dec (M. England et al.); 7 at Newnans Lake 14 Dec (A. Kratter, B. Wallace). *Masked Duck: l at Lake City 15 Jan-EOS (P. Burns et al., accepted by FOSRC). Ruddy Duck: 4100 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Jan (H. Robinson); 250 wintered at Lake Deaton (Sumter; B. Ahern, R. Smith). Red-throated Loon: 1 inland at Rockledge (Brevard) 29 Dec (H. Mederer, specimen to Florida Museum of Natural History); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 18 Jan-9 Feb (M. Har- ris); 2 at Alligator Point (Franklin) 29 Jan (M. Berney). Pacific Loon: 1 at Manatee Hammock Park (Brevard) 2 Dec (M. Gardler); as many as 5 at Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa) 22-23 Dec (B. & L. Duncan). Common Loon: 137 (128 in a loose flock) at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne et al.). *Least Grebe: 1 immature at Yamato Scrub Preserve, Boca Raton (Palm Beach) to 17 Feb (R. Brigham et al., accepted by FOSRC). Pied-billed Grebe: 1 pair with 3 chicks at Viera Wetlands (Brevard) 6 Feb (S. Coester). Horned Grebe: 40 at Honeymoon Island SP 20 Jan (D. Gagne, E. Kwater); 1 off Cutler (Miami-Dade) 22 Jan (R. Torres); 8 at Cherry Lake 23 Jan (J. Hintermister); 60 at Lake Santa Fe (Alachua) 26 Jan (J. Hintermister, L. Davis); 9 at Huguenot Memorial Park (Duval) 29 Jan (B. Richter). Eared Grebe: 1 at Cherry Lake 23 Jan (J. Hintermister). American Flamingo: 16 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP 9 Dec (fide R. Torres). Cory’s Shearwater: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (L. Manfredi, photo to FOC). Masked Booby: 47 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (L. Manfredi et al.). Brown Booby: 40 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (L. Manfredi et al.); 1 E of East Key, Ever- glades NP (Monroe) 19 Dec (A. Day et al.). Northern Gannet: 72 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne); 204 at Hillsboro In- let (Broward) 28 Dec (R. Titus); 409 at Fort Lauderdale Beach (Broward) 1 Jan (R. Ti- tus); 2750 just off Talbot Islands SP (Duval) 5 Jan (R. Clark). American White Pelican: 616 at Cape Romano (Collier) 12 Jan (T. & V. Below). Brown Pelican: 4 at Lake Fairview, Orlando (Orange) 3 Jan (R Hueber); as many as 3 wintered at Lake Virginia, Winter Park (Orange; B. Anderson et al.). *Ne0TR0PIC Cormorant: 1 at Boca Chica Key (Monroe) 12 Jan-17 Feb (C. Goodrich et al., accepted by FOSRC). Double-crested Cormorant: several nesting pairs with chicks at Holiday (Pasco) 24 Feb (K. Tracey). Field Observations 101 Great Cormorant: 1 adult at John U. Lloyd SP (Broward) 15 DeC“9 Feb (B= Roberts et aL). Magnificent Frigatebird: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne et al.); as many as 6 at Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard & Indian River) through Jan (A= Bankert^ S. Ru- ano). Least Bittern: 1 at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs SP (Wakulla) 19 Jan (L Brunner). Great Blue Heron: 1 white morph at Ormond Beach 4 Jan (M. Brothers); as many as 3 white morphs wintered at STA-5 (M. England et al). Cattle Egret; as many as 21 at Pensacola (Escambia) 12-23 Dec (P. McLeod); 25 early migrants in Jackson 28 Feb (H. Hooper, L. Reynolds). White Ibis: 1 adult at Oakland Park (Broward) 6 Feb ate sliced cheese (P. Sykes). White Ibis x Scarlet Ibis: 1 pink ibis at Port Canaveral (Brevard) 2 Dec (M. Harris). Glossy Ibis: 1100 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Dec (H. Robinson). White-faced Ibis: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 6 Dec-21 Feb (R. Rowan, M. Hafner et al.); 1 at St. Marks NWR (Wakulla) 17 Jan (C. Borg, details to FOC); 1 at Lake City 13 Feb-EOS (D. Simpson et al.). Turkey Vulture: 2230 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Dec (H. Robinson); 1073, with 770 in one flock, at New Port Richey 22 Dec (D. Gagne). Swallow-tailed Kite; 4 at San Felasco Hammock Preserve SP 16 Feb (R. Goates). White-tailed Kite: 1 at STA-5, 27 Dec (M. England et al.); 2 at Research Road, Ever- glades NP (Miami-Dade) 1-18 Jan (J. Boyd, R. Diaz); 1 pair at Three Lakes WMA (Os- ceola) fledged 3 young by mid-Mar (B. Sanders, B. Anderson). Great Black-Hawk: 1 B. u. uruMtinga at Virginia Key Ecosystem Restoration Area (Mi- ami-Dade) 1 Jan-8 Feb (R. Diaz). Snail Kite: as many as 10 at Ham's Marsh, Lehigh Acres (Lee) 20 Dec (C. Ewell et al.); 18 went to roost in the SE corner of Water Conservation Area 3A (Miami-Dade) 4 Feb (P. Sykes). Bald Eagle: 17 in N Escambia 11 Jan furnished the highest-ever count for the W Pan- handle (fide B. Duncan). Broad-winged Hawk: 1 juvenile at Ormond Beach 8 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 at Tierra Verde 20 Dec (B. Ahern, E. Haney); 1 immature at Fort De Soto Park 26 Dec-27 Jan (R. Smith, S. Patterson, photo to FOC); 2 wintered near Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard; A. Bankert et al.). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 at Pine Island (Lee) 15 Dec (G. Schmidt, P. Gladstone et al.), 1 at Clam Pass County Park, Naples (Collier) 27 Dec (F Murphy); 1 light morph at High- lands Hammock SP, Sebring (Highlands) 1 Jan (F. Lolirer); 1 at STA-5, 3 Jan (M En- gland et al.); 1 light morph at DeLand (Volusia) 18 Jan (P May photo to FOC), 1 dark morph N of De Leon Springs (Volusia) 4 Feb (M. Hafner); 4 at Everglades NP (Miami- Dade and Monroe) 5 Feb (P. Sykes); 1 dark morph at Moon Lake Park, New Port Richey (Pasco) 7 Feb (M. Valentine); 1 light morph at Lake Lotus Park, Altamonte Springs 26 Feb (P. Hueber); 2 adult dark morphs first obseiwed carrying nesting ma- terial at Sawgrass Lake Park 26 Feb-EOS (S. Patterson, R. Smith et aL); 1 dark morph wintered at Lake Jessup (Seminole; W. Biggs). Swainson'S Hawk: 2 at Southern Glades WEA (Miami-Dade) 14 Feb (M. Berney). Red-tailed Hawk: 1 “Harlan's Hawk” at Fort Walton Beach STF (Okaloosa) 15-17 Dec (D. Ware et al., photos to FOC by R= Palmer). *Rough-LEGGED Hawk: 1 dark-morph juvenile at Edgewater (Volusia) 5 Dec died later (M. Brothers; UF 46780). Crested CaeacaeA: 2 carried nesting material at Charles H. Bronson SF, Chuluota (Seminole) 10 Jan (L. Malo et ai); 1 at “Mount Trashmore” (Miami-Dade) 8 Feb (R. Torres). Peregrine Falcon: 1 at Welaka National Fish Hatchery (Putnam) 25 Feb (J. Hiriter- mister). 102 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Yellow Rail: 1 near Sumatra {Liberty) 25 Jan (B. Rapoza et aL). Virginia Rail: 1 migrant at Key West (Monroe) 18 Feb (C. Goodrich). SORA: 408 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Dec (H. Robinson). Purple Swamphen: 5 at Harold A. Campbell Public Use Area (Palm Beach) 10 Jan (B. Roberts); as many as 33 wintered at STA-5 (M. England et ah). Common Moorhen: 3100 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Dec (H. Robinson). American Coot: 37,000 at STA-5, 3 Jan (M. England et ah). Limpkin: 8 at Ham’s Marsh, Lehigh Acres 20 Dec (C. Ewell et ah); 1 at Alligator Lake 16 Jan (D. Robbins, J. Hintermister); 6 at Lake Henrietta 19 Jan (R. Lengacher). Sandhill Crane: 3 at Eglin AFB (Okaloosa) 2 Dec (K. Jones); 2 at Fort Walton Beach STF 2 Dec (D. Ware); 11 in N Santa Rosa 28 Dec (L. Catterton); 375 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jan (H. Robinson); 14 in Madison 8 Feb (M. Collins, G. Menk); 2 colts at Spring Hill (Hernando) 15 Feb (A. & B. Hansen); 100 northbound mer Alachua 27 Jan (R. Robinson). Black-bellied Plover: 12 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Dec and 11 Feb (H. Robinson); 160 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne et ah); 120 at Viera sod farm 19 Dec-20 Jan (D. Freeland et ah); 180 wintered at Crandon Park Beach (Miami-Dade; R. Diaz). American Golden-Plover: 1 at Green Key, New Port Richey 2 Dec (K. Tracey, photos to FOC); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Dec (H. Robinson). Snowy Plover: 21 at Honeymoon Island SP 10 Dec (D. Gagne); 1 at Huguenot Memorial Park 11 Dec (B. Richter); 1 at Crandon Park Beach 9 Jan-EOS (R. Diaz et ah); as many as 15 wintered at Little Estero Island CWA (Lee; C. Ewell). Wilson’s Plover: 96 at Honeymoon Island SP 15 Jan (D. Gagne); 7 wintered at Crandon Park Beach (R. Diaz). Semipalmated Plover: 161 at Honeymoon Island SP 6 Feb (D. Gagne). Piping Plover: 3 at Boca Chica Key 3 Jan (C. Goodrich); 36 at Honeymoon Island SP 15 Jan (D. Gagne); 12+ wintered at Little Estero Island CWA (C. Ewell, W Stinehelfer); 2 that wintered at Bunche Beach, Fort Myers (Lee) were banded in Great Lakes re- gion (C. Ewell et ah); 34 wintered at Crandon Park Beach (R. Diaz). Killdeer: 1 downy chick at Daytona Beach (Volusia) 11 Dec (fide M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 2815 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jan (H. Robinson). American Oystercatcher: 22 at Honeymoon Island SP 16 Dec and 14 Jan (D. Gagne); 300 at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park 27 Feb (M. Gardler). Black-necked Stilt: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 17 Feb (S. Bishop, G. Stephens). American Avocet: 74 at Cedar Key 5 Dec (M. Gardler); 1 at St. Marks NWR 6 Dec (R. Cassidy); 3 at Honeymoon Island SP 28 Feb (E. Kwater). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 at Tallahassee (Leon) 13 Dec and 17 Jan (G. Menk); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 15 Dec (P. Bums); 1 at Sarasota (Sarasota) 17 Jan (J. Palmer); 1 at Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa (Hillsborough) 1 Feb (B. Pranty, E. Dupuis, photos to FOC). Greater YellowlegS: 7 migrants at Lake Jackson (Leon) 27 Feb (G. Menk). Willet: 2 in SE Leon 6 Jan (J. Quincy, L. Reynolds); 2500 at Flamingo, Everglades NP (Monroe) 5 Feb (P. Sykes); 160 at Honeymoon Island SP 25 Feb (D. Gagne). Whimbrel: 16 at Honeymoon Island SP 16 Feb (D. Gagne). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Apollo Beach (Hillsborough) 14 Dec (B. Ahern et ah); 1 at Lit- tle Estero Island CWA 18 Dec (A. Menk); 1 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP (Monroe) 3 Jan (J. Boyd); 1 at Cedar Key 19 Jan (R. Smith); 1 wintered at Bunche Beach (C. Ewell et ah). Marbled Godwit: 150 at Ba5rfront Park (Pinellas) 16 Jan (B. Lane); 1 at Crandon Park Beach 19 Jan (R. Diaz). Red Knot: 1 at Tram Road STF (Leon) 2-3 Dec (E. Woodworth, J. Cavanagh); 500 at Mer- ritt Island NWR 2 Dec (M. Gardler); 650 at Talbot Islands SP 5 Jan (R. Clark); 64 at Captiva Island (Lee) 20 Jan (V. McGrath); 118 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Jan (D. Gagne). Field Observations 103 Sanderling: 124 at Hone3m[ioon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 near Russell Key, Everglades NP {Monroe) 19 Dec (R. Galvez et al., photo to FOG); 1 at Pa5mLes Prairie Preserve SP 26 Dec (M. Hafner, pho- tos to FOG). Least Sandpiper: 400 at Myakka River SP 1 Jan (E. Kwater). Purple Sandpiper: as many as 3 at Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia) 3 Dec-EOS (M. Broth- ers); 1 at Matanzas Inlet (St Johns) 20 Dec (fide M. Brothers); 1 at the Sunshine Sky- way Bridge (Pinellas) 20-22 Dec (S. Harris et al., photo to FOG by R, Smith); 12 at Hu- guenot Memorial Park 29 Jan (B. Richter); 1 at Port Canaveral Jetty Park 14 Feb (K. & R. Turner). Dunlin: 4535 at Huguenot Memorial Park 27 Dec (P. Powell); 45 at Charles H. Bronson SF, Chuluota 14 Jan (L. Malo); 540 at Honeymoon Island SP 15 Jan (D, Gagne). Ruff: 1 at Myakka River SP 28 Dec-4 Feb (L. Simard, J. Dubi, K. Young et aL, photo to FOG). Long-billed Dowitcher: 600 at Merritt Island NWR 2 Dec (M. Gardler); 500 at My- akka River SP 1 Jan (E. Kwater). American Woodcock: as many as 3 displayed at Research Road, Everglades NP 16 Dec- 18 Jan (R. Diaz, M. Berney); 2 displayed at Oakland Nature Preserve (Orange) 10 Jan- 18 Feb (T. Rodriguez). Red Phalarope: 10, 40 nm off Port Canaveral 26 Jan (M. Brothers et al.). Hybrid Gull: 1 adult, thought to be a Laughing Gull x Ring-billed Gull at Flamingo, Ev- erglades NP in early Feb (L. Manfredi, photos to FOG; identified by L. Atherton). Bonaparte’s Gull: 175 at Newnans Lake 22 Feb (A. Kratter). *Black-HEADED Gull: 1 at Cutler Wetlands 7-13 Feb (P. Bithorn, R. Torres et al., photos to FOG by C. Edwards). Franklin’S Gull: 1 alternate-plumaged adult at Daytona Beach Shores (Volusia) 21 Jan (M. Brothers, photo to FOG); 4 at Cutler Wetlands 27 Jan (R. Torres). Ring-billed Gull: singles with patagial tags at Gamble Rogers SP (Flagler) 23 Dec and Titusville 19 Feb (C. Tague) were banded at Chicago, Illinois in 2007 and 2008. *California Gull: single first-cycles at Daytona Beach Shores 5 Dec and 20 Feb (M. Brothers, photos to FOG). Herring Gull: 1 possible Wega” Gull (L. a. vegae), an adult at Da5d;ona Beach Shores 2 Jan-25 Feb (M. Brothers, photos to FOG); 1 possible first-winter "European” Herring Gull at Daytona Beach Shores 13 Feb (M. Brothers, photo to FOG). Herring Gull x Glaucous Gull: as many as 3 first-winters at Da5d;ona Beach Shores 13 Jan-30 Mar (M. Brothers). *Thayer’s Gull: 1 first-winter at Daytona Beach Shores 12-25 Jan (M. Brothers, B. Wal- lace et al., details to FOG). *Iceland Gull: 1 at the mouth of St. Johns River (Duval) 27 Dec (B. Richter); 4 first- winters at Da5t;ona Beach Shores 17 Jan ff (M. Brothers, B. Wallace, M. Berney et al.); 1 at Port Canaveral Jetty Park 3 Feb (M. Harris, photos to FOG); 1 first-winter at Fort Clinch SP (Nassau) 14 Feb (P. Leary, photo to FOG); 1 first-winter wintered at Fort Is- land Gulf Beach (M. Gardler et al., accepted by FOSRC). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 first-winter at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jan, and 1 adult there 16 Jan and 15 Feb (H. Robinson); 1 adult in N Escambia 11 Jan (A. Harper et al.); 1 color-banded adult at Da5dona Beach Shores 21 Jan (M. Brothers et al.) is the same bird that bred with a Herring Gull at Appledore Island, Maine in 2007; as many as 5 at Ocala 30 Jan-EOS (M. Hafner); 1 adult at Lake Monroe, Sanford (Seminole) 20-24 Feb (E. Kwater, P. Hueber, photo to FOG); 15 at Stock Island 28 Feb (C. Goo- drich); 11 (7 adults) wintered at Crandon Park Beach (R. Diaz). Glaucous Gull: 1 at Sebastian Inlet 4 Dec-26 Feb (A. Bankert); 1 at Cocoa Beach (Brevard) 18 Dec-8 Feb (J. Drake et al.); 1 first-cycle at Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia) 10 Jan (M. Brothers); 1 first-year in N Escambia 11-18 Jan (B. & L. Duncan et al.); 1 104 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST first cycle at Disappearing Island, Ponce de Leon Inlet 24 Jan (M. Brothers et al.); at least 3 first-winters at Daytona Beach Shores 27 Jan (M. Brothers, L. Atherton); 1 first cycle New Smyrna Beach {Volusia) 30 Jan (M. Brothers). Great Black-backed Gull: 1 adult at Honeymoon Island SP 17 Dec- 13 Feb (D. Gagne); 6 (4 adults) wintered at Crandon Park Beach (R. Diaz). Gull-billed Tern: 2 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP {Monroe) 3 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 at Ce- dar Key 5 Jan (J. Stephens); 5 at Harold A. Campbell Public Use Area 10 Jan (B. Rob- erts); as many as 3 at Pine Island {Hernando) 4-8 Feb (M. Gardler, B. Pranty et ah). Black Tern: 1 at Newnans Lake 14 Dec (A. Kratter). Common Tern: 1 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard) 6 Dec (C. Edwards, A. Bankert, photos to FOC); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (L. Manfredi, photo to FOC); 1 adult at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jan (H. Robinson), Royal Tern: 1 at Lake Yale, Umatilla {Lake) 16 Feb (L. Jackson, photo to FOC). Sandwich Tern: 400 at Sanibel Island beach {Lee) 24 Feb (B. Pranty, D, Stumbaugh). Black Skimmer: 3900 at Huguenot Memorial Park 27 Dec (P. Powell); 600 at Cedar Key 15 Jan (M. Gardler); 500 at North Shore Park, St. Petersburg 24 Jan (R, Smith); 600 at Dunedin Causeway 4 Feb (M. Gardler); 1200 at Flamingo, Everglades NP 5 Feb (P Sykes). POMARINE JAEGER: 1 adult light-morph at Honeymoon Island SP 10-13 Dec (D. Gagne, E. Kwater); 2 at Talbot Islands SP 12 Jan (R. Clark); 1-2 harassed gulls virtually daily at Daytona Beach Shores (Volusia) 15 Jan-25 Mar (M, Brothers); 4 off Port Canaveral 26 Jan (fide A. Bankert). Parasitic Jaeger: 1 at Huguenot Memorial Park 27 Dec (J. Hintermister); 6 at Talbot Islands SP 12 Jan (R, Clark); 1 adult off Miami {Miami-Dade) 24 Jan (R. Torres et al.); 2 off Daytona Beach Shores 30 Jan (M. Brothers, M, Berney). White-winged Dove: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (fide L. Manfredi); 19 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne, E. Kwater); 8 at Panama City and Lynn Haven {Bay) 27 Dec (T. Menart); 10 at Dade City {Pasco) 28 Dec (R. Smith, B. Ahern et al.); 19 at Or- mond Beach 7 Feb (M. Brothers); 15 at St. Petersburg 10 Feb (E. Haney); 14 at New Port Richey 14 Feb (D. Gagne). Budgerigar: 36 at once at Hernando Beach {Hernando) 14 Jan (W. Stinehelfer). Palm Cockatoo {Probosciger atterimusY. 1 in a black olive described as being “blue-black with a red cheek patch and a large cresU just E of Castellow Hammock Park {Miami-Dade) in Jan (R. Hammer) provided the first Florida report. Cockatiel: 1 at Jupiter Inlet Colony {Palm Beach) 30 Jan (J. & L. Hailman). Black-hooded Parakeet: 3 at Lakes Park {Hillsborough) 17 Feb (J. Guerard). Blue-crowned Parakeet: 35 at Fort Lauderdale {Broward) 8 Dec (R. Titus); 37 at In- dian Harbor Beach {Brevard) 11 Dec (D. Freeland); 2 at Palm Shores {Brevard) 1 Feb (T, Dunkerton). Red-masked Parakeet: 10 at Fort Lauderdale {Broward) 8 Dec (R. Titus). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 1 heard only at Avon Park APR {Polk) 5 Jan (B. Pranty). Groove-billed Ani: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 7 Dec (H. Robinson). Eastern Screech-Owl: 218 on the St. Petersburg CBC 20 Dec (fide R. Smith, D. Good- win) established the all-time North American CBC record. Burrowing Owl: 12 at Site B-70, Eglin AFB 7 Dec (L. Fenimore); 1 at St. George Island {Franklin) late Dec-24 Jan (J. Murphy, A. Knothe). Barred Owl: 1 returned to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 12 Feb ff (R. Smith). Lesser Nighthawk: as many as 2 at Research Road, Everglades NP 16-19 Dec (R. Diaz); 6 or more at “Dump Marsh,” Homestead {Miami-Dade) 5 Feb (P. Sykes). Common Nighthawk: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Jan-8 Feb (H. Robinson). Nighthawk species: 1 during dusk at the Sarasota Celery Fields 22 Dec (J. Dubi). Chuck-WILL’S-WIDOW: 1 arrived at Key West 18 Feb (C. Goodrich); 1 heard at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg 24 Feb (S. Lemieux). Field Observations 105 Whip-poor-will: 2 calling at Fort George Island {Duval) 22 Feb, and 3 there 26 Feb (R. Clark); 2 in song at Seminole SF {Lake) 27-28 Feb (T. Rodriguez). Hummingbirds: banded this season statewide were 7 Buff-bellied (all in the Panhandle), 43 Ruby-throated, 9 Black-chinned, 4 Calliope, and 12 Rufous {fide F. Bassett). Buff-bellied Hummingbird: 1 at Mims {Brevard) to 3 Dec {fide A. Bankert). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: as many as 20 in one yard at Valrico {Hillsborough) all winter, with 10 banded 4 Feb (S. Backes). Rufous Hummingbird: 2 females wintered at Valrico (S. Backes). *Allen’s Hummingbird: 1 male at Lakeland {Polk) 28 Jan-25 Feb (J. Misiaszek et al., banded). Red-headed Woodpecker: 1 immature at Fort De Soto Park 27 Dec (M. McPherson). Hairy Woodpecker: 4 at Starkey Wilderness Park {Pasco) 2 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 1 male at Three Lakes WMA 11 Feb (B. Anderson et al.). Least Flycatcher: 1 at Royal Palm, Everglades NP {Miami-Dade) 16 Dec (R. Diaz); 2 at Frog Pond WMA 1 Jan (J. Boyd); 3 at Southern Glades WEA {Miami-Dade) 18 Jan (R. Diaz). *Say’S Phoebe: presumably the same 1 returned to near Astatula {Lake) to 22 Feb (L. Connor et aL). Vermilion Flycatcher: 1 female at Fisheating Creek WMA {Glades) 10 Jan {fide B. Wagner, photo to FOC); 1 male at Fort Walton Beach STF to 12 Feb (B. Duncan et aL). Ash-throated Flycatcher: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 5 Dec (M. Harris); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14 Dec (E. Scales, A. Kent); 1 at Pelican Island NWR {Indian River) to 6 Dec {fide A. Bankert); 1 near The Villages {Lake) 16 Feb (J. Dinsmore, de- tails to FOC); as many as 6 (26 Dec) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Great Crested Flycatcher: 1 E of Dade City 28 Dec (R. Smith, B. Ahern et al.); 1 at Al- tamonte Springs 22 Feb (P. Hueber). Brown-crested Flycatcher: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA in Lake 2 Dec (A. Vinokur) and Orange 26 Dec (B. Anderson, A. Bankert et al.); 3 at Royal Palm and Long Pine Key, Everglades NP {Miami-Dade) 16 Dec (R. Diaz), and 3 (probably 4) there 18 Jan (M. Berney). La Sagra’S Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historical SP, Key West 18 Feb (C. Goodrich, photo to FOC). *Tropical Kingbird: 1 wintered at “Dump Marsh” (J. Boyd, M. Berney et al., accepted by FOSRC). *Cassin’S Kingbird: 1 at STA-5, 13-27 Dec (M. England et al., accepted by FOSRC); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 31 Jan (J. Dinsmore, details to FOC). Western Kingbird: 1 at Rosewood {Levy) 4 Dec (B. Ahern); as many as 4 at Merritt Is- land NWR to 6 Dec {fide A. Bankert); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) to 15 Dec (D. Ware et al.); 1 at Kapok Park, Clearwater {Pinellas) 26-27 Jan (B. Lane); 1 at May- port {Duval) 27 Jan (J. Burgess); 1 at Melbourne Beach {Brevard) 17 Feb (A. Bankert); as many as 45 (10 Jan) wintered at The Villages {Marion^ J. Dinsmore); as many as 58 (16 Jan) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Scissor-TAILED Flycatcher: 3 at Cockroach Bay to 10 Jan (B. Ahern); 1 at Sugarloaf Mountain, Clermont {Lake) 25 Jan (J, Stefancic); 1 at Myakka City {Manatee) 6 Feb (J. Brown); as many as 8 (18 Jan) wintered at Redlands {Miami-Dade; R. Diaz). Fork-tailed Flycatcher: 1 male at Pelican Island NWR {Indian River) to 4 Dec {fide A. Bankert); 1 male at Alligator Point {Franklin) 25 Dec (J. Murphy, S. Parker, photo to FOC). Bell’s VireO: 1 at Southern Glades WEA 31 Jan (R. Torres). Horned Lark: 14 in Jackson 4 Jan ff (A. Bankert et al.). Purple Martin: 1 at St. Petersburg 12 Jan (R. Smith); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jan (H. Robinson); 2 males at Wekiwa Springs SP {Orange) 18 Jan (R Hueber); 2 males 106 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST and 1 female at Fort Myers 25 Jan (C. Ewell); 3 at Key West 6 Feb (C. Goodrich); 2 at Honeymoon Island SP 13 Feb (D. Gagne); 8 at New Port Richey 20 Feb (D. Gagne). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 3 at Fort Walton Beach STF 1 Dec (B. & L. Dun- can); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Feb (H. Robinson). Cave Swallow: IRf. fulva at Boca Chica Key 4 Feb (P. Sykes); SP.f. pallida at Key West 6 Feb (C. Goodrich). Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 at Alligator Point 6 Dec (J. Murphy, A. Knothe); 1 at Lake Monroe Conservation Area, Osteen {Volusia) 21 Jan (R. Scory, details to FOC). Brown Creeper: 1 at Worthington Springs {Union) 25 Jan (J. Bryan); 1 at Three Rivers SP {Jackson) 28 Jan (M. Berney), Sedge Wren: 1 at Hillsboro Pinelands Park {Broward) 4-13 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9-26 Dec (H. Robinson); 2 at Charles H. Bronson SF, Christmas {Orange) 13 Dec (L. Malo et al.); 3 at Starkey Wil- derness Park 2 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty). Gray Catbird: 92 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 15 Feb (R, Diaz); 135 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 27 Feb (D. Gagne). American Pipit: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (L. Manfredi); 820 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Feb (D. Gagne). Sprague’s Pipit: 1 at Site B-70, Eglin AFB 8 Feb (L. Fenimore); as many as 3 wintered at Apalachicola (J. Murphy, C. Edwards et al.). Cedar Waxwing: 230 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jan (H. Robinson); 200 at New Port Richey 16 Jan (D. Gagne). Tennessee Warbler: 1 at Bill Sadowski Park {Miami-Dade) 4 Feb (R. Torres). Orange-crowned Warbler: 10 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Jan, 14 Jan, and 6 Feb (H. Rob- inson). Nashville Warbler: 1 at Altamonte Springs 14 Dec-9 Jan (P. Hueber); 1 at Lake Apo- pka NSRA 17 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at South Merritt Island 20 Dec-2 Jan (D. Freeland); 1 at Fern Forest {Broward) 18-24 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 1 male at Lake Seminole Park {Pinellas) 22 Jan (C. Gjervold). Northern Parula: 1 at Jacksonville {Duval) 27 Dec (A, Turner); 45 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 16 Feb, and 26 there 21 Feb (R. Diaz). Yellow Warbler: 1 at Solatia Sanctuary {Escambia) 13 Dec (A. Ziccardi et al.); 1 at Apalachicola 28 Dec (J. Murphy et al.); 1 male at “Dump Marsh” 28 Jan (R. Torres); 1 at West Kendall {Miami-Dade) to 29 Jan (J. Boyd); 1 male at Ten Thousand Islands NWR {Collier) 14 Feb (R. McCormick). Magnolia Warbler: 1 E of Geneva {Seminole) 28 Dec (S. Linney, details to FOC); 1 at Green Cay Wetlands {Palm Beach) 2 Feb (J. Schwarz, photo to FOC). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1 male at a bird feeder SE of Dunnellon {Marion) 2 Jan (P. Urban, photo to FOC); 1 female at Lakeland {Polk) 28 Jan-11 Feb (J. Misiaszek et al., photo to FOC by B. Pranty). Yellow-RUMPED Warbler: 1 “Audubon’s” at Lake Apopka NSRA {Lake) 16-26 Dec (A. Vinokur, A. Bankert, B. Anderson); 1 “Audubon’s” at Pembroke Pines {Broward) 13 Dec (A. & M. Abreu, details to FOC). Black-throated Gray Warbler: 1 female at Fort Lauderdale 17-28 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus et al., photo to FOC by D. Bales). Black-throated Green Warbler: 1 at Gainesville 14 Dec (P. Burns, M. King). Blackburnian Warbler: 1 at Castellow Hammock {Miami-Dade) 10 Jan (J. Boyd et al., details to FOC). Prairie Warbler: 1 at Lake Jackson 7-13 Dec (G. Menk); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 21 Jan (B. Duncan). Northern Waterthrush: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14 Dec (M. Hafner, S. Col- lins); reported on all 39 surveys at Lake Apopka NSRA, with 30 there 8 Feb (H. Rob- inson). Field Observations 107 Louisiana WATERTHRUSH: 1 at Kirby Storter Roadside Park {Collier) 11 Oct- 14 Mar (J. Boyd, R. Diaz et aL); 1 at Peacock Springs SP {Suwannee) 17 Dec-1 Jan (K, Schmidt, R. Geisler, photo to FOG); singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 11, 20, and 27 Feb (H. Robinson); 1 at ‘‘Dump Marsh” 21 Feb (R. Torres, B. Boeringer); 2 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP 22-27 Feb (R. Diaz); 3 at Bear Lake Trail, Everglades NP {Monroe) 25 Feb (R. Diaz, photo of 1 to FOG); 1 at Leffis Key {Manatee) 28 Feb (J. Ginaven). Hooded Warbler: 1 at Long Pine Key, Everglades NP 16 Dec (R. Diaz). Wilson’s Warbler: 1 male at Alligator Lake 1-6 Dec (J. Krummrich); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 15 Dec (D, Simpson); 1 male at Tallahassee 27 Dec- 16 Feb (M. Forehand); 1 male along Hadley Road {Leon) 12 Feb (D. Bryan). Yellow-breasted Ghat: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14 Dec (S. Gollins, M. Hafner); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19-28 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at Alligator Point 22 Feb (J. Mur- phy); 1 at Fern Forest {Broward) 24 Jan (M. Berney, B. Roberts). Bananaquit: 1 at Spanish River Park, Boca Raton 25 Feb (R. Newman). Summer TANAGER: 1 male at Pensacola 9 Jan (M. Glark); 4 singles wintered at Tallahas- see (J. Gavanagh, F. Rutkovsky et aL). Western Tanager: 1 male at Tallahassee 14 Feb (S. Wau). Bachman’s Sparrow: 1 or 2 in song at Avon Park AFR {Highlands) 5 Jan (G. Schrott); 1 in song at Groom Tract, Withlacoochee SF {Hernando) 8 Jan (A. & B. Hansen). GhippinG Sparrow: 1 albino (with normally plumaged Ghipping Sparrows, hence the identification) at Ocala 24 Nov- 19 Dec (G. O’Brien-Floethe, S. Floethe, photos to FOG). Glay-COLORED Sparrow: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 1 Dec (B. & L. Duncan); as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9-14 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at Pensacola 24 Dec (M. & R. Rose); 1 at Talbot Islands SP 3 Jan (R. Glark); 1 at Flamingo, Everglades NP 10 Jan (M. Berney); 1 at Plantation Preserve {Broward) 13 Feb (R. Titus). Field Sparrow: 1 at Evergreen Gemetery {Broward) 17 Jan-EOS (B. Roberts et aL, photo to FOG by M. Berney); 32 at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Jan (H. Robinson); 5 at Weekiwachee Preserve {Hernando) 24 Feb (A. & B. Hansen). Vesper Sparrow: 45 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Jan (H. Robinson). Lark Sparrow: 1 on the Pensacola GBG 20 Dec (J. Pfeiffer et aL); 1 along Greenway Road SE of Naples {Collier) 5 Jan (G. Williamson); 1 at Alligator Point 15-22 Feb (S. McGool, J. Murphy). Henslow’S Sparrow: 1 at Seminole SF {Lake) 20 Dec (B. Sanders); 2 banded at Starkey Wilderness Park 2 Jan (M, Korosy et aL). Le Gonte’S Sparrow: 1 at St. Marks NWR 20 Dec (R. Lengacher); 1 at Gape Ganaveral AFS 20 Dec (P. Gooper, photo to FOG); 1 at Zeph5rrhills {Pasco) 28 Dec (K. Tracey); 1 at Talbot Islands SP 6 Jan (R. Glark); 1 at Weekiwachee Preserve 24 Jan (D. Gagne et aL), and another banded there 8 Feb (B. Pranty et aL); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 28 Jan-EOS (D. Gagne et aL). Nelson’s Sparrow: 10 at Hone3niioon Island SP 31 Jan (D. Gagne). Saltmarsh Sparrow: as many as 3 at Honeymoon Island 27 Jan-EOS (D. Gagne et aL); 1 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP, Bayonet Point {Pasco) 12 Feb (K. Tracey, photos to FOG). Seaside Sparrow: 1 at Virginia Key {Miami-Dade) 20 Dec appeared to be an Atlantic subspecies (R. Diaz); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Dec (D. Gagne, E. Kwater et aL, photos to FOG by B. Pranty). Fox Sparrow: 1 in N Baker 12 Dec (B. Richter); as many as 2 near Bascom {Jackson) 24 Dec-4 Jan (A. Wraithmell, B. Anderson). Song Sparrow: 1 in song on the Jackson GBG 4 Jan (G. Menk). Lincoln’s Sparrow: 1 at N Jacksonville 13 Dec (L. Johannsen); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Dec-2 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 at Oviedo {Seminole) 28 Dec (B. Anderson, A. Vinokur); 108 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST 1 at Lake Placid 30 Dec (R. Risch); 2 at Starkey Wilderness Park 2 Jan (M. Korosy et al.), and 1 elsewhere in the park 14 Jan (K. Tracey). *Harris’S Sparrow: 1 male at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 6 Dec-EOS (G. Rose, R. Rowan et al., accepted by FOSRC). White-crowned Sparrow: 25 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Dec (A. Vinokur); as many as 19 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 6 Dec-EOS (J. Hintermister et aL), Dark-eyed Junco: 1 at Gainesville 8 Dec (R. Robinson); 1 S of Dade City (Pasco) 31 Dec (D. Bowman et al., photo to FOC); 1 at University of West Florida (Escambia) 24 Jan (A. Harper); 2 at Edgar Warren Scarborough Park (Gadsden) 28 Jan (M. Berney); 1 at N Jacksonville 4 Feb (L. Johannsen). Lapland Longspur: 1 female in SE Baker 3 Dec (B. Richter); 1 adult male at Lake Ash- ton, Winter Haven (Polk) 7-11 Feb (A. & B. Delorey, photo to FOC). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 female at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 at Coot Bay, Everglades NP (Monroe) 3 Jan (S. Miller); 2 males at Milton (Santa Rosa) 18 Feb (L. Kelly). Blue Grosbeak: 1 at Odessa (Pasco) 13 Dec (K. Tracey, photo to FOC); 1 on the Choc- tawhatchee CBC 15 Dec (D. Ware, details to FOC); as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Dec-21 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 at Blue Springs SP (Volusia) 20 Dec (H. Robin- son). Indigo Bunting: 1 female at Cedar Key 10-13 Dec (D. Henderson); 3 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 13 Dec (R. Smith); 1 at Lettuce Lake Park 15 Jan (B. Ahern). Painted Bunting: 1 male at Brooksville 6 Dec-EOS was joined by a second 10-25 Feb (fide L. Vanderveen); 3 at Sarasota 9 Dec (J. Dubi); 1 male at Pensacola 20 Jan- 12 Feb (G. Money); 1 at Seminole Lake Park 22 Feb (J. Hooks); 1 in W Pasco 24 Feb (K. Tracey); 3 in female plumage wintered at Cedar Key, with 1 male there 4 Jan (D. Henderson); as many as 16 (8 female, 8 male) wintered at Oakland Nature Preserve (T. Rodriguez). Dickcissel: 1 at Gainesville 14 Dec (B. Wallace); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 17 Dec (R. Galvez et al.); as many as 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Dec-2 Jan, and 1 there 15 Feb (H. Rob- inson); 1 at Merritt Island NWR late Dec-18 Jan (M. Harris); 1 at Lynn Haven 27 Dec (fide L. Keppner); 1 at Lantana (Palm Beach) 3 Jan (C. Edwards); 1 at Ocklawaha Prairie Conservation Area (Marion) 7 Feb (M. Hafner, D. Simpson); 1 at Melbourne Village (Brevard) 15 Feb (B. & S. Hills); 2 at Port St. Lucie (St. Lucie) all Feb (S. Comer). Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1 adult male at Winter Garden (Orange) 30 Dec- 19 Jan (B. Sanders); 1 immature female at “Dump Marsh” 10 Jan (M. Berney); 2 wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Rusty Blackbird: 80 in N Escambia 23 Dec (L, Catterton); 8 at Gainesville 8 Jan (C. Gor- don); 27 at Lake Henrietta 19 Jan (R. Lengacher); 1 male at Charles H. Bronson SF, Christmas 24 Jan (L. Malo); as many as 3 at Lettuce Lake Park 29 Jan-1 Feb (S. Patter- son, B. Pranty, photos to FOC); 120 at Tallahassee 10 Feb (T. Tanaha, J. Stevenson). Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 7 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 female at Crystal River 21 Dec (B. Carroll); 100 in N Escambia 11-18 Jan (A. Harper et al.). Boat-tailed Grackle: 40 along Escambia River 18 Jan (B. & L. Duncan). Bronzed Cowbird: 1 on the Alafia Banks CBC (Hillsborough) 14 Dec (D. Bowman); 5 at Hialeah (Miami-Dade) 20 Dec (P. Bithorn); 4 at Miami 27 Dec (C. Sanchez et al.); 1 at Cocoa Landfill (Brevard) 13 Jan (M. Harris). Brown-headed Cowbird: 3600 at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Feb (H. Robinson). Baltimore Oriole: 1 male at Pensacola 17 Dec-6 Feb (B. Tetlow et al.); 1 along Escam- bia River (Escambia) 18 Jan (B. & L. Duncan). *BulL0CK’S Oriole: 1 first-year male at Crystal River 16 Dec (P. Bazany, details to FOSRC); 1 female at Tallahassee 17 Feb (F. Rutkovsky); 1 male at Tallahassee 25 Feb (A, Rogers). Field Observations 109 Purple Finch: 1 female at Tallahassee 4 Feb (B. Phelan); 2 at Steinhatchee {Taylor) to 16 Feb (S. Archibald). Pine Siskin: singles at New Port Richey 1, 2, and 15 Dec (D. Gagne); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Dec (A. Vinokur); 1 at Inglis Dam {Citrus) 4 Dec (B. Ahern); 20 at Fort De Soto Park 4 Dec (D. Doyle); 2 at St. Petersburg 6 Dec (E. Haney); 2 at Ormond Beach 8 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 at Sarasota 9 Dec (J. Dubi); 20 in N Baker 12 Dec (B. Richter); 1 over Sebring 13 Dec (G. Schrott); as many as 60 in Alachua variously 14 Dec-EOS (S. Goodman, B. Carroll et al.); 1 at Green Key 16 Dec (K. Tracey); 2 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 16 Dec, and 1 there 17 Dec (D. Gagne); 1 at North Merritt Island {Brevard) 21 Dec (D, Freeland); 1 at Alva 21 Dec-6 Mar (C. Ewell, L. White et al.); 1 at Weeki- wachee Preserve 23 Dec (B. Ahern); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at Oviedo 28 Dec (B. Anderson, A. Vinokur); 1 at Hudson {Pasco) 2 Jan (M, Gardler et al.); as many as 100, including one green morph, at Salt Springs {Marion) 3 Jan-EOS (A. Luzader); 45 at Alligator Point 29 Jan (J. Murphy); 6 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP 27 Feb (R. Diaz, photo to FOC); “many reports” at Tallahassee {fide G. Menk); at several feeders in the W Panhandle {fide B. Duncan), highlighted by 120 at N Pensa- cola 12 Jan (M. Clark). American Goldfinch: as many as 100 at Naples {Collier) 3 Dec (W. B. Burkett). Evening Grosbeak: 3 (2 females, 1 male) in W Bay 24 Jan (J. Walton, details to FOC). Orange-cheeked Waxbill (Estrilda melpodaY. 1 at Anne Kolb Park, Hollywood {Broward) 27 Dec (J. Steel, photo to FOC) furnished the first verifiable record. Nutmeg Mannikin: 7 at Matheson Hammock Park {Miami-Dade) 25 Jan (J. Boyd). Contributors: Angel and Mariel Abreu, Brian Ahern, Kenn Allie, Bruce Anderson, Chad Anderson, Susan Archibald, Lyn Atherton, Steve Backes, Danny Bales, Carl Ball, Andy Bankert, Fred Bassett, Pat Bazany, Tyler Beck, Ted & Virginia Below, Mark Ber- ney, Wes Biggs, Scott Bishop, Paul Bithorn, Bill Boeringer, Roy Book, Chris Borg, David Bowman, John Boyd, Rick Brigham, Michael Brothers, Jessi Brown, Jerry Brunner, Dana Bryan, Judy Bryan, Joe Burgess, W. B. Burkett, Patricia Burns, Bob Carroll, Rod- ney Cassidy, Laura Catterton, Jim Cavanagh, Morris Clark, Roger Clark, Steve Coester, Marvin Collins, Sam Comer, Larry Connor, Paul Cooper, Lloyd Davis, Andy Day, Alan & Barbara Delorey, Robin Diaz, Jim Dinsmore, Diana Doyle, Jeanne Dubi, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Scot Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Carl Edwards, Margaret England, Charlie Ewell, Linda Felker, Lenny Fenimore, Steve Floethe, Melissa Forehand, David Freeland, Dave Gagne, Rafael Galvez, Murray Gardler, Reinhold Geisler, Colin Gjer- void, John Ginaven, Pat Gladstone, Ron Goates, Carl Goodrich, David Goodwin, Caleb Gordon, Jason Guerard, Matt Hafner, Jack & Liz Hailman, Roger Hammer, Erik Haney, Al & Bev Hansen, Alex Harper, Mitchell Harris, S. Harris, Dale Henderson, Irene Her- nandez, Bill & Shirley Hills, John Hintermister, Jeff Hooks, Paul Hueber, John Hutchi- son, Leann Jackson, Laura Johannsen, Kelly Jones, Les Kelly, Adam Kent, Lisa Keppner, Martha King, Alan Knothe, Marianne Korosy, Andy Kratter, Jerry Krum- mrich, Ed Kwater, Bob Landry, Bob Lane, Michael Leahy, Patrick Leary, Syd Lemieux, Rob Lengacher, Sarah Linney, Angela Luzader, Lome Male, Bill & Eleanor Marr, Peter May, Powers McLeod, Sean McCool, Randy McCormick, Vince McGrath, Mia McPher- son, Hyta Mederer, Tony Menart, Al Menk, Gail Menk, Steven Miller, Joe Misiaszek, Gary Money, Frank Murphy, John Murphy, Rick Newman, Claudia O'Brien-Floethe, Jeff Palmer, Rob Palmer, Stephanie Parker, Scott Patterson, James Pfeiffer, Bill Phelan, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Gallus Quigley, Jean Quincy, Brian Rapoza, Lyn Reynolds, Bob Richter, Ralph Risch, Dotty Robbins, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, Ron Robin- son, Tom Rodriguez, Amy Rogers, Ginny Rose, Merilu & Rufus Rose, Rex Rowan, Sa- raiya Ruano, Fran Rutkovsky, Carlos Sanchez, Bob Sanders, Gayle Schmidt, Ken Schmidt, Greg Schrott, John Schwarz, R. Scory, Louise Simard, David Simpson, Ron Smith, Stephen Stedman, Janice Steel, Joyce Stefancic, Greg Stephens, Joan Stephens, 110 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST J. Stevenson, Wes Stinehelfer, Doug Stuckey, Darcy Stumbaugh, Jim Swarr, Paul Sykes, Chuck Tague, Tara Tanaha, Betsy Tetlow, Russ Titus, Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Anne Turner, Kathy & Richard Turner, Peg Urban, Maria Valentine, Linda Vanderveen, Alex Vinokur, Kathryn Young, Billi Wagner, Bob Wallace, John Walton, Don Ware, Susan Wau, Lois White, Geoffrey Williamson, Ed Woodworth, Andy Wraithmell, and Ann Zic- cardi. Fall 2007 report not published previously: Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP (Miami-Dade) 4 Nov (Wil Domke, photos to FOC). Fall 2008 report not published previously: Piping Plover: 1 at Navarre Beach Park (Santa Rosa) in Nov (Bob & Lucy Duncan) had been color-banded in Vermillion, South Dakota 28 June 2007. Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662; ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617; ), Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792; ), Andy Banker! (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951; ), John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196; ). Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561; ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991; ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606; ), Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304; no e-mail), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257; ). Florida Field Naturalist 37(3):111, 2009. CORRIGENDA ATLANTIC PUFFINS IN THE CAROLINAS In our paper on north Atlantic seabirds (Kratter and Small 2007), we inferred from Davis (2005) that the 19 Atlantic Puffins {Fratercula arctica) reported from the Caroli- nas on 20 February 2005 had been found in South Carolina. We thank Will Post (pers. comm.) for pointing out that those puffins appeared in southern North Carolina. —Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, RO. Box 117800, Univer- sity of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 3261 1 , and Sue Small, Florida Wildlife Hospital, 2460 North US. Highway 1, Melbourne, Florida 32935. Literature Cited Davis, R. Briefs for the files. 2005. The Chat 69:73-87. Kratter, A. W., and S. Small. 2007. First record of Northern Fulmar {Fulmarus glacia- lis) for Florida, and notes on other north Atlantic seabird specimen records in 2004- 2005. Florida Field Naturalist 35:22-25. LEAST TERNS NESTING ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE Concerning the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) nesting on Lake Okeechobee re- ported by Gray et al. (2009), I draw attention to another publication pertinent to the subject. We provided the first records (documented by photographic evidence) of breed- ing Least Terns on Lake Okeechobee and also should have noted that McNair (2000) furnished several earlier reports (observations) of Least Terns nesting on the lake. Mc- Nair’s reports appear to be from approximately 25 km south of our observations, and similar to our record, were on spoil islands. In 2007 and 2009 I also observed apparent nesting on spoil islands near the S-308 structure (outlet to the St. Lucie canal) on the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee formerly had a sand shoreline along the northeast side, roughly between the cities of Okeechobee and Pahokee, and little or no data exist for bird use of that habitat. These nesting observations are consistent with McNair’s conclusion that inland nesting of Least Terns may be more common than for- merly assumed. —Paul N. Gray, Audubon of Florida, RO. Box 707, Lorida, Florida 33857. Literature Cited Gray, P. N., B. Pranty, G. R. Schrott, and J. W. Tucker 2009. Shorebird and larid use of mudflats at Lake Okeechobee, Florida, during drought conditions, Florida Field Naturalist 37:33-44. McNair, D. B. 2000. Status of breeding Least Terns in the interior of central Florida from 1914-1962. Florida Field Naturalist 28:59-63. Ill BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50^ $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Hobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger William Post 112 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989); Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990); Species Index by Islands. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies; an Annotated List. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. FOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. OrnithoL Soc. Special Publ. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Hobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 113 i ^nraatooe Jig)ii f>o. ioht fHjro Acn nojt airr Fltinda Ffeli , ■t'a*; - •■' * !^>SaSSm»* nn,V®ei o nCl^. :j , .iL.'UtrJk ' ■•»•' .*Tilt*''*ITrtS m I MkWJ ' ‘ f 1 ^ ' ‘W hvi!<^ .inill a.i!f fla^-V^rt IS w '.i\ l*(*'.^-'*#. writ** n fht^:k p.0^1 •y "'*^^*'* ^''*ar!I^^Vin me J$lit^vo\^ P l|^lr^5rV^> . I^^(|y niartti#* bafttfBsqW** Tii yJrtiroa x^ e9ft» ^ ai^uaijO .;^t/b^l u)i.4iiitj oobaiifi ^ „ ;, .» v ’^si ■■ „ m. Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Managing/Copy Editor: TOM WEBBER, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: twebber@flnmh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aoLcom Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: Tom PALMER, 1805 26th Street, N.W, Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. RODGERS, jR, Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E-mail: James.Rodgers@MyFWC.com Web Page Editor: STEPHEN Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new infor- mation from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/ FFN/FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 37, No. 3 September 2009 Pages 75-113 CONTENTS ARTICLES Occurrence of Seaside and sharp-tailed sparrows on the central Gulf coast of Florida Ken F Tracey and Jon S. Greenlaw 75-85 A comparison of direct and flight-line counts at a Wood Stork {Mycteria americana) colony in north Florida Gary L. Sprandel 86-93 NOTES Context of Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) mimicking Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) cackle Jack P. Hallman 94-95 The status of the Nutmeg Mannikin {Lonchura punctulata) in the extreme western Panhandle of Florida Robert A. Duncan 96-97 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Winter report: December 2008-February 2009 Bill Pranty 98-110 CORRIGENDA Atlantic Puffins in the Carolinas; Least Terns nesting on Lake Okeechobee Ill ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends ofFFN 112 FOS Special Publications 113 au r 3 Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 37, No. 4 November 2009 Pages 115-170 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: Jerome A. Jackson, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Ft. Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: jjackson@fgcu.edu Vice President: Elena Sachs, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1239 SW 10^^ St., Ocala, FL 34471. E-mail: elena.sachs@myfwc.com Secretary: James Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, 8558 SE Sharon St., Hobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmer- ritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist'. Scott Robinson, Florida Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2010 Kakl E. Miller, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: karl.miller@myfwc.com Ann F. Paul, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: apaul@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2011 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: Dgood389@aol.com Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@myfwc.com Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Larry Manfredi, Birding Tours, Inc., P.O. Box 343002, Homestead, FL 33034 Paul Miller, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 NW 192nd Ave., Okeechobee, FL 34972. E-mail: Paul.Miller@dep.state.fl.us Honorary Members Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999. All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, especially its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing to the Treasurer. Annual membership dues are $25 for individual members, $30 for a family membership, $15 for students, $45 for contributing members, and $40 for institutional membership; add $5 for overseas delivery. One-time contributions for life membership are $400 for individuals and $500 for families. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is published quarterly (March, May, September, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Orni- thological Society is Division of Birds, Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum Road at Newell Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 37, No. 4 November 2009 Pages 115-170 Florida Field Naturalist 37(4):115-120, 2009. FIRST RECORD OF LEAST GREBES iTachyhaptus dominicus) NESTING IN FLORIDA Lee M. Hasse and O. David Hasse 398 KE. 24*^ Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 The Least Grebe (Tachyhaptus dominicus), the smallest New World member of the grebe family (Podicipedidae), occurs from the southwestern United States and Mexico to Chile, Argentina and in the West Indies (Trinidad, Tobago, the Bahamas, and Greater Antilles; Ogilvie and Rose 2003). This is a plump grebe with yellowish eyes, a thin bill, and fluffy white tail coverts, ranging in length from 22-27 cm (8.25-10.5 inches). In basic plumage Least Grebes are brownish to blackish above with a white throat; in alternate plumage the throat is black. Their wetland habitats are varied and include fresh and brack- ish ponds, lakes, slow-flowing rivers, and mangrove swamps that have good vegetative cover along the edges. There are reports of nesting in temporary bodies of water (Storer 1992). Their compact floating nest is made of aquatic vegetation and anchored to rooted plants. The eggs are incubated by both adults and hatch in about 21 days (Palmer 1962). The Least Grebe is reported to nest year-round in the tropics. Although considered non-migratory, they have been found to move long distances (Storer 1992). Norton et al. (2009) report that the Least Grebe has been expanding its range in the Greater and Lesser Antilles in the last de- cade. The few Least Grebes found in Florida to date are considered most likely to have been of the subspecies T. d. dominicus from the West Indies, although T. d. hrachypterus from Texas should not be dis- counted (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Mean bill length is greater in T, d. dominicus than in T. d. hrachypterus, a difference potentially ob- servable in the fleld, though there is much overlap between the two (Storer and Getty 1985). We found two Least Grebes on 21 September 2008 at the Yamato Scrub Natural Area, 701 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida. This sighting and our subsequent observations pro- 115 116 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST vide the third verified record (i.e., with photographic evidence), the fifth report with written documentation, and the earliest known fall oc- currence for Florida. The previously accepted reports and records are from Miami (November 1970 and April 1992), Big Pine Key (October 1988) and Marco Island (March to April 1990) (Pranty 1996, B. Ander- son in litt. 2009). We submitted details of our observations to the Flor- ida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC), which assigned to them FOSRC number 08-699. The committee accepted the record on 7 February 2009. Two members of the committee commented on the subspecific identity of the grebes; one considered the bill propor- tions to indicate that they were T. d. dominicus, and another was “not convinced they were dominicus although the bill does look exception- ally long on one.” Yamato Scrub Natural Area Yamato Scrub is an 88-ha (217-acre) natural area in northern Boca Raton, which was opened to the public on 17 October 2007. It is the largest remaining scrub in southern Palm Beach County. It lies on an ancient dune ridge and includes oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, and dry prairie; the low area between the dunes is a basin marsh. Domi- nant plants include slash {Pinus elliottii) and sand (P. clausa) pines, saw palmetto {Serenoa repens), and dwarf oaks {Quercus)\ there are also many species of rare and endangered plants. The 10-acre wetland supports a variety of aquatic vegetation and animal species. Two ponds have been created by excavating approximately 2,100 m^ (75,000 ft^ of sand, which was used for beach re-nourishment following Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The north pond, where the grebes nested, covers ap- proximately 0.58 ha (1.43 acres) and is 1.5-1. 8 meters (5-6 feet) at its deepest point. The property that became Yamato Scrub has a long history of own- ership, and is now a joint venture of the state, county, and city. The Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Manage- ment is responsible for the maintenance of the biological communities of Yamato Scrub. There is a 1,067 m (3,500 feet) paved nature trail through the scrub as well as hiking trails into the interior parts of the area. We determined that the grebes’ principal food was dragonfiy nymphs, which were plentiful. Species found at Yamato Scrub are the pin-tailed pondhawk {Erythemis pleheja), plateau dragonlet (Erythro- diplax connata), band-winged dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umhrata), eastern pondhawk {Erythemis simplicicollis), and Halloween pennant ( Celithemis eponina). In addition to dragonflies, the adult Least Grebes were seen eating small fish and frogs. Hasse and Hasse — Least Grebes Nesting in Florida 117 One possible explanation for the grebes’ presence is the conditions generated by tropical storm Fay, which crossed Cuba and traversed the entire length of Florida in early August 2008. Chronology of Observations 21 September 2008. Using binoculars, we initially observed the Least Grebes at the north pond. One bird was along the south edge of the pond and the other was on the north edge. 27 September 2008. We returned with a spotting scope and digi- tal camera. We observed only one bird on this date and took photo- graphs. We then reported our observations by e-mail to persons who post messages on the Tropical Audubon Birdboard website. 28 September 2008. Our observations were confirmed early in the day hy many birders at the scrub. Initially, only one bird was observed, which appeared to be in breeding plumage. At 1030 EST Andy Bankert was the first to hear the characteristic “trill” that Least Grebes produce during breeding (Storer 1992), such as when they exchange places at the nest. This behavior was recorded on video by Steven Siegel and can be viewed at http://www.vimeo.com/1834184. The grehes built their first nest of the season, which contained two eggs on this date, in the softstem bulrushes (Scirpus tabernaemontani) along the south side of the north pond. 29 September 2008. Site manager Lee Lietzke cordoned off the area when the first egg hatched. Carl Edwards reported that a small alligator was in the vicinity of the nest and that one of the adult grebes chased it away. The second egg hatched the next day; both parents fed the chicks and exchanged places on the nest while giving the vocal trill. By the next day the chicks were observed out of the nest, swimming near the parents and climbing onto their backs. 2 October 2008. Following days of heavy rain and few or no obser- vations, the Least Grebes were located on the north side of the pond. Attempts to find the nest were unsuccessful; apparently the rain had flooded it. During the next few days the chicks were seen on and off the parents’ backs. The adults also brought bills-full of vegetation, col- lected from just under the water’s surface, to a new nest site on the north side of the pond. 6 October 2008. Throughout the week, the chicks continued to thrive. The adults were seen alternating between foraging and feed- ing the chicks and carrying material to the new nest. The chicks continued riding on the parents’ backs (Fig. 1) and swimming near them. The chicks had dark eyes, lateral stripes on their heads, and a rufous patch on their crowns, and orange lores (Palmer 1962). When they were nearly two weeks of age we saw the chicks diving. 118 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. Least Grebe pair at Yamato Scrub, Palm Beach County, Florida; two chicks ride on the back of the leading adult. Photograph by Ruth Pannunzio, 2 October 2008. During the next week, the adults seemed to be distancing them- selves from the chicks and even rebuffed a chick at times when it at- tempted to climb on their backs, but the adults continued to feed them. When the chicks were two to three weeks of age they could be heard emitting high-pitched peeps when waiting to be fed. Rarely were both adults seen together with the chicks, which led us to think there was a new clutch of eggs. The adults could be heard giv- ing the trill call, leading us to suspect that they were exchanging places on a nest. The chicks now swam farther from the nest site and could be seen diving and following a parent around loudly peep- ing for food. At three weeks of age their orange lores and rufous crowns were no longer visible, the head striping was still present, their tail coverts were becoming white, and their eyes were still dark. By four weeks of age the neck and breast feathers were becom- ing mixed with white (Fig. 2). 23 October 2008. This was the last date we observed the two adults and two chicks (four weeks old) together. Hasse and Hasse — Least Grebes Nesting in Florida 119 Figure 2. Least Grebe chick at Yamato Scrub, Palm Beach County, Florida. Pho- tograph by Ruth Pannunzio, 19 October 2008. 27 October 2008. Only one adult was seen with the chicks. At five weeks of age, the young were seen wing flapping, preening, and diving; one was seen eating a dragonfly nymph that it caught. The head strip- ing of the chicks was visible but becoming fainter, and a white patch was appearing in the throat area. The chicks were seen fluttering over the pond's surface by their eighth week. At this time their eyes were starting to become pale and had attained a strong yellow color by 10 weeks of age. 26 November 2008. The adult and two chicks were noted on the pond. 28 November 2008. The adult could not be found. 2 December 2008. One chick remained at Yamato Scrub and was seen consistently in the company of Pied-billed Grebes {Podilymbus podiceps), several species of ducks. Common Moorhens (Gallinula chlo~ ropus), and American Coots {Fulica americana). 17 February 2009. The last known sighting of a Least Grebe at Yamato Scrub pond was on this date; several attempts to locate the bird during the last week of February were unsuccessful. A severe drought over the winter caused the water level in the Yamato Scrub north pond to decrease significantly, and along with a decrease in food, may have been a factor in the last grebe's departure. Predators upon 120 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST this species (turtles and raptors) are present in and around the pond and may be also be responsible for the disappearance of one or more of the birds. Acknowledgments We thank Robin Diaz for her assistance and encouragement in preparing our sub- mission to the FOSRC; Vince Lucas for helping to get information to the birding commu- nity about our Least Grebe sighting; Lee Lietzke (Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources), site manager for Yamato Scrub, for providing information about this unique area; Ruth Pannunzio, Linda Fell, and Ron Kern for providing photo- graphs; and Brace Anderson for assistance in summarizing previous Least Grebe occur- rences in Florida. Literature Cited Norton, R. L., A. White, and A. Dobson. 2009, West Indies Region. North American Birds 63 (2): in press. Ogilvie, M., and C. Rose. 2003. Grebes of the World. Bruce Coleman, Uxbridge, United Kingdom. Palmer, R. S. 1962. Handbook of North American Birds. Vol 1. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. Pranty, B. 1996. A BirdeFs Guide to Florida. American Birding Association, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Robertson, W. B,, Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication No. 6, Gainesville. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Stoker, R. W. 1992. Least Grebe (Tachyhaptus dominicus). The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online database: http//bna.birds.comelLedu/bna/species/024 Stoker, R. W., and T. Getty. 1985. Geographic variation in the Least Grebe (Tachybap- tus dominicus). Pages 31-39 in Neotropical Ornithology (P. A. Buckley et aL, Eds.). Ornithological Monographs No. 36, American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Florida Field Naturalist 37(4): 121-145, 2009. THE EFFECTS OF FIRE ON THE BREEDING ECOLOGY OF FLORIDA GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS {Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) AND BACHMAN’S SPARROWS (Aimophila aestivalis) Dustin W. Perkinsi^ W. Gregory Shriver^^ and Peter D. Vickeryi-^ ^Department of Natural Resources Conservation, Holdsworth Natural Resources Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003 ^Present address of corresponding author: National Park Service, Biology Department, Mesa State College, 1100 North Avenue, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 E-mail: dustinjuu _perkins@nps.gov ^Present address: Center For Ecological Research, Post Office Box 127, Richmond, Maine 04357 ^Present address: Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, 257 Townsend Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716-2160 Abstract.-— The Florida dry prairie provides habitat for tw^o rare grassland birds, the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow {Ammodramus savannarum floridanus), and the Bachman’s Sparrow {Aimophila aestivalis). We sought to determine the effects of fire frequency and seasonality of fire (summer vs. winter fires) on territory density and re- productive success of these two sparrows in the year of and years following fires. We con- ducted a six-year study at three breeding sites in central Florida from 1993-1998. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow densities increased on summer burned areas when the burns took place prior to 28 June, while densities declined when fires occurred after 28 June. If fires occurred prior to late June, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow breeding sea- son continued into late August, instead of finishing in mid-late July. Bachman’s Spar- rows densities increased on summer burned areas when burns took place after 20 June, but decreased when burns were conducted prior to 20 June. Florida Grasshopper Spar- rows had higher densities on areas that were burned more recently and reproductive success was higher at the most recent burn at one of the three sites. Neither Bachman’s Sparrow densities nor reproductive success differed with years post burn. Seasonality of fire did not affect territory density or reproductive success for either species in the years following the burn. Frequent fires (summer or winter), every 2-3 years, are essential to maintaining Florida Grasshopper Sparrow habitat. To optimize and to help stimulate a longer breeding season for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, summer fires should be con- ducted before 28 June. This prescribed burn regime will maintain high-quality habitat for the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow but will not adversely affect Bachman’s Sparrows. Key Words: Bachman’s Sparrow, dry prairie, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, grassland birds, prescribed fire, reproductive success, territory density 121 122 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Disturbance is a regular part of grassland ecosystems. Fire, an important form of disturbance, is an essential component of many grassland ecosystems that has a strong influence over species compo- sition, diversity and phenology (Hulhert 1988, Bock and Bock 1992, Herkert 1994, Swengel 1996, Shriver et al. 1999, Shriver and Vickery 2001). The dry prairie of central Florida provides habitat for the fed- erally Endangered, endemic Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammo- dramus savannarum floridanus) (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986) and the Bachman’s Sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis), a species that has experienced population declines and range contraction in re- cent years (Dunning and Watts 1990). Florida dry prairie is a Are- adapted assemblage of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that once occupied 5,000 km^in central Florida (Robbins and Myers 1992, Orzell and Bridges 1999, Orzell and Bridges 2006a, 2006b). Dry prairie evolved with frequent fires, occurring every one to three years, enabling this ecosystem to stay in an early successional stage and preventing en- croachment by shrubs or pines (Harper 1927, Orzell and Bridges 1999, Platt et al. 2006). Historically, fires in south-central Florida oc- curred most frequently during the summer, from April to mid-June, when lightning strikes were most numerous (Komarek 1964, Chen and Gerber 1990). The flora and fauna of this ecosystem have likely evolved with frequent growing-season fires (Robbins and Myers 1992, Shriver et al. 1996). For example, the dominant grass in the dry prai- rie, wiregrass {Aristida heyrichiana) , flowers profusely following late spring or summer fire, but little flowering occurs following fires set during winter or early spring (Abrahamson 1984, Clewell 1989). Be- cause the dry prairie is now limited to a few fragmented sites, pre- scribed fire has taken the place of naturally occurring fire. Prescribed burns have been traditionally conducted in the non-lightning (winter) season. However winter fires can shift communities towards woody species (Platt et al. 1991, Glitzenstein et al. 1995, Drewa et al. 2002), which could have detrimental effects on the flora and fauna that has evolved with summer fires. The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow’s breeding range is restricted to Florida dry prairie and is separated from the nearest breeding pop- ulation of A. savannarum by approximately 480 km. Florida Grass- hopper Sparrow populations have declined and contracted (Delany et al. 1985, 1999, 2007, Pranty and Tucker 2006), and at present there are only six known breeding populations. Presently, Florida Grass- hopper Sparrows are known to exist in only four separate areas: three populations at Avon Park Air Force Range (Avon Park), Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (Kissimmee Preserve), Three Lakes Wild- life Management Area (Three Lakes), and Beatty Ranch, a private ranch in Okeechobee County. The largest populations are at Kissim- Perkins etal.—Fike and Spaerows 123 mee Preserve^ Three Lakes, and two sites at Avon Park. At least 81% of the dry prairie habitat has been converted to improved pasture for cattle production or to citrus plantations (Shriver and Vickery 1999). Delany et aL (2007) estimate that there is now only 44,933 ha of po- tential Florida Grasshopper Sparrow habitat, most of which is unoc- cupied. Bachman's Sparrow is restricted in distribution to the south- eastern United States and is generally thought to be associated with mature longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests with grassy open understories (Brooks 1938, Stoddard 1978). These sparrows occupy areas that have a dense layer of vegetation in the first m above ground, and low volumes of vegetation two to four m above ground (Dunning and Watts 1990). This description of the ground vegeta- tion is similar to that of Florida dry prairie, where they also occur. This species went through a major range expansion at the turn of the 20th century, but its northern range has contracted in recent years and it is now rare and locally distributed in many areas (Dun- ning and Watts 1990). Bachman's Sparrow is among the species of highest management concern in the southeastern United States (Hunter et aL 1994) and is considered to be potentially threatened throughout its range (Dunning and Watts 1990, Plentovich et aL 1998) . Florida Grasshopper Sparrows respond favorably to frequent fires and to summer fires in the year they occur. Areas that have been burned within the last year (0.5 years post-burn) have generally had higher densities and higher reproductive success for Florida Grasshop- per Sparrows than areas burned 2.5 years earlier (Shriver and Vickery 2001). However, Delany et al. (2002) found no difference in territory densities among burn classes, but found higher reproductive success in 0.5 years post-burn than 1.5 and 2.5 years post-burn at Avon Park. Bachman's Sparrow responses to fire in Florida dry prairie are less dramatic than those of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Shriver and Vickery (2001) did not find any differences in territory density or indi- cators of reproductive success in winter burns 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 years post-burn. Most of the above studies took place in areas that have a history of winter prescribed fires only. The few studies that address sparrow re- sponse to summer fires were conducted only in the year the burn oc- curred, Shriver et al. (1999) found that Bachman's Sparrows increased in densities after June fires but not after July fires. Shriver et al. (1996, 1999) found that summer burns conducted in June greatly increased the length of Florida Grasshopper Sparrow breeding activity, while fires conducted in July did not increase the length of the breeding sea- son. However, it is not known if this extended breeding period affects 124 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST actual reproductive success in the year of the burn and whether sum- mer prescribed burns provide preferred breeding habitat in the breed- ing seasons following summer burns. Answering this question could provide valuable information leading to the positive management of this declining species. The objectives of this study were to determine territory density and an index of reproductive success of Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows with respect to time of burn. Specifically, we sought to compare breeding densities and reproductive success of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows and Bachman’s Sparrows in 1) pre- and post-burned areas in the year of a summer fire, 2) summer- burned areas versus winter-burned areas in years after the burn took place, and 3) several different burn classes. We have incorpo- rated data from earlier studies (Shriver et al. 1996, 1999, Shriver and Vickery 2001, Delany et al. 2002) and added approximately 50% more original data to present the most comprehensive data set known on the effects of fire on the breeding ecology of these two sparrows. Methods Study Sites We conducted this study on three sites in the Kissimmee River dry prairie region in central Florida (Fig. 1). Dominant species include wiregrass, dwarf live oak {Quer- cus minima), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), staggerbush {Lyonia fruticosa), gall- berry {Ilex glabra), gopher-apple {Licania michauxii), and shiny blueberry {Vaccinium myrsinites) (Orzell and Bridges 2006b). Avon Park Air Force Range (Avon Park). Avon Park is a 42,400 ha facility owned and managed by the Department of Defense, located east of Avon Park in Highlands and Polk Counties. There are approximately 4,200 ha of native prairie and three populations of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows at this site. The population at the 700- ha Delta Trail-OQ Range area (27°37’ N 81° 19’ W) was used in this study. This site is burned in winter on a two- to three-year rotation. Twelve plots, each 8-22 ha in size, were divided among 0.5 (3-6 months post burn), 1.5 (15-18 months post burn) and 2.5 (27-30 months post burn) year burn classes from 1993-1998 (Table 1). An average of 150.00 ha was surveyed in these plots from 1993-1998. Cattle have grazed this site for at least 25 years at a density of <1 animal per 10 ha. The first summer fire occurred here in 1998 as a result of a firearms ignition. Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (Three Lakes). Three Lakes, located in Osceola County (27°47’ N 81°06’ W), has approximately 4,000 ha of dry prairie, and is owned and managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Burns are conducted in winter and summer on a three-year rotation. Summer burns were first initiated in 1994. Thirteen plots ranging from 6.75 to 15.25 ha were dis- tributed between 0.0 (0-3 months post-burn), 0.5, 1,0 (12-15 months post burn), 1.5, 2.0 (24-27 months post-burn), and 2.5 year burn classes (Table 1). An average of 129.29 ha were surveyed each year from 1993-1998. There has been no cattle graz- ing since 1987. Perkins etal.—Fire and Spakrows 125 Figure 1, Location of dry prairie study sites in central Florida, 1993-1998 (APAFR != Avon Park Air Force Range, TLWMA s Three Lakes Wildlife Manage- ment Area, OWKPP - Ordway-Whittell Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, KPSP - Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park). Ordway-Whittell Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (Audubon). Audubon, located in Okeechobee County, approximately 20 km north of Basinger (27®34’ N 80°58' W) has ap- proximately 1,000 ha of dry prairie, and was owned and managed by the National Audubon Society during this study Managers of tMs site began conducting summer bums on a three- year rotation in 1992. Eight plots, ranging from 6.0 to 16.5 ha, were divided between 0.0, 1.0, and 2.0-year bum classes (Table 1). An average of 86.70 ha were surveyed each year from 1993 to 1998. No grazing has occurred at this site since the mid-1980’s. Bird Survey Methods We surveyed approximately 360 ha each year in permanent plots from 1993 to 1998 (Ta- ble 1). Efforts were made to study the same plots from year to year, but occasionally plots needed to be dropped or added due to changes in management. We marked and gridded per- manent plots at 50-m intervals to determine sparrow breeding densities and reproductive success. We delineated territories of Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows using 126 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Table 1. Number of plots spot-mapped in each burn class in each year used in determining breeding territory densities and reproductive success of Florida Grasshopper and Bachman^s sparrows in central Florida from 1996 to 1998 Year 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 Total Avon Park 1993 0 6 0 6 0 0 12 1994 0 3 0 6 0 3 12 1995 0 3 0 3 0 6 12 1996 0 6 0 3 0 3 12 1997 0 6 0 6 0 0 12 1998 3 2 0 3 Kissimmee Prairie 0 3 11 1993 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 1994 3 0 2 0 3 0 8 1995 3 0 3 0 2 0 8 1996 2 0 3 0 3 0 8 1997 3 0 2 0 3 0 8 1998 0 0 3 0 Three Lakes 2 0 8 1993 0 3 0 6 0 3 12 1994 3 3 0 4 0 4 14 1995 3 3 3 3 0 1 13 1996 3 3 3 2 1 0 12 1997 2 1 3 3 2 1 12 1998 0 4 3 2 3 1 13 standard spot-mapping techniques (International Bird Census Committee 1970) and the flushing technique (Wiens 1969). We began surveying in early March and concluded in late August to early September. Territory density is useftd as a determinant of patterns of habi- tat occupancy, but may be misleading as an indicator of habitat quahty (Van Home 1983, Vickery et al. 1992a), therefore we surveyed every territoiy 10-15 times to develop an index of reproductive success for each territory (Vickery et al. 1992b). We calculated sparrow den- sities as the number of territories per 10 ha by dividing the number of territories by the size of the plot and multiplying by 10. We included a territory in these calculations if more than 50% of its area lay within a plot. We used reproductive success, determined by a reproductive index based on behav- ioral observations, to determine the importance of burn regime to breeding success. We ranked reproductive success from 1-4 as follows:, rank 1 = unpaired male present 4+ weeks; rank 2 = paired male and female present 4+ weeks, rank 3 = nest stage; adult carrying nesting material, adult giving distraction display, or observed adult sparrow chipping; rank 4 = nestling stage; sparrow carrying food to presumed nestlings or fledg- lings. For reproductive indices, we excluded the year 1993 because surveys did not ex- tend throughout the breeding season. Data and Statistical Analyses Summer Fires. To examine the effects of summer burns on Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows in the year of the burn we used data from six bums at Three Perkins etal.— Fire and Sparrows 127 Lakes and Kissimmee Preserve (one from each site in each year) that took place from 1994-1996 and were reported by Shriver et al. (1999). We added new information from three additional burns that took place in 1997 at Kissimmee Preserve and Three Lakes and in 1998 at Avon Park. We then used linear regression to examine the effect of date of burn on territory densities on both burned and control plots (Zar 1984). Because we found distinctly different Florida Grasshopper Sparrow response to burns before and af- ter 28 June, and for Bachman’s Sparrows before and after 20 June (see Results), we tested all burns that were conducted prior to 28 June and 20 June, and those that were conducted after 28 June and 20 June in two separate ANOVAs for Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows, respectively. We used a three-way ANOVA to test for differ- ences among site, year, and treatment (burned and control plots). We defined the depen- dent variable as the difference between pre-fire densities and post-fire densities for burn plots and for control plots (e.g., plot A had three territories prior to the burn, and then four territories after the burn, difference = 1.0). Control plots were selected that matched the burn class that was present prior to that summer’s burn. Control plots then examined the difference in territory densities before and after the burn date. Dates, number of plots, and number of hectares for burned and control plots are listed in Ap- pendix 1. For reproductive success, we also conducted separate analyses for burns prior to 28 June or 20 June, and after 28 June or 20 June for the two sparrows. We classified a ter- ritory as reproductively successful if it was rated a 4. We used a two-tailed Fisher exact test to determine differences between reproductive success between pre- and post-fire dates on burn and control plots with the index from an individual territory as the statis- tical unit. Summer Versus Winter Fires. To examine the differences between summer and win- ter fires in the years following the burn we looked at data from 1995 to 1998 at Three Lakes, which were essentially all new data. Shriver and Vickery (2001) reported on win- ter burn data only from 1995 to answer a different question. Three Lakes was the only site that had winter and summer prescribed fires during the course of this study. To de- termine the effects of seasonality of fire on breeding ecology, we classified all burn classes as either summer or winter burns from 1995 to 1998 (Table 1). During 1995 we had data for only the 1.0 summer burn class; therefore we used only the corresponding 0.5 winter burn class in that year for comparisons. From 1996-1998 we used 1.0 and 2.0 burn classes for summer burns, and 0.5 and 1.5 burn classes for winter burn classes. We used a chi-square analysis of a 2 x 2 contingency table to determine differences between territory densities and reproductive indices between summer and winter burns. Burn Class. To examine the effects of time since burn on territory density and repro- ductive success, we included the three years (1993-1995) of data that were reported by Shriver and Vickery (2001) from Avon Park, Three Lakes, and Kissimmee Preserve for both species, and two years (1997 and 1998) of data on Florida Grasshopper Sparrows analyzed by Delany et al. (2002). We then added new data on both species for three years (1996-1998) at Three Lakes and Kissimmee Preserve, and one year (1996) and three years (1996-1998) for Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows, respectively, from Avon Park. To determine the effects of burn class on breeding densities, we exam- ined the differences in breeding densities as they changed from one burn class to an- other burn class. For example, at Avon Park, one statistical unit was the density in a plot of 0.5-year burn class in 1996, minus the density of that same plot in the following year when it was a 1.5-year burn class in 1997. We then used this difference as the sta- tistical unit to conduct an ANOVA on the differences in densities between each burn class. If there was a difference, we conducted a Duncan-Multiple Range test to deter- mine which burn classes differed. At Avon Park, only winter burns were present, while at 0-W Kissimmee Prairie only summer burns were present. Three Lakes had both summer and winter fires present. 128 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Since we found no significant differences between the season of burn at Three Lakes (see results), we combined summer and winter data at Three Lakes into years post burn, so 0.5 and 1.0 year post- burn classes were combined into 1.0 year post-burn. At Avon Park and Three Lakes, we found no differences between second- and third-year post-burn classes. Thus, we grouped all second- and third-year burn plots that were sub- sequently burned and then classified in the 0.5-year burn class the following year. Thus, for all plots each treatment was represented as follows; treatment 1 = 1st growing sea- son— 2nd growing season post burn; treatment 2 = 2nd growing season — 3rd growing season, and treatment 3 = 2nd or 3rd growing season — 1st growing season. To determine differences in reproductive success, because these were rank data, we conducted a separate non-parametric one-way Kruskal- Wallis ANOVA to test for differ- ences between burn classes, and between years at each site. To protect against Type I er- ror resulting from multiple comparisons, we set a = 0.05 and adjusted our rejection level to a = 0.025 using a Bonferroni correction factor based on the number of comparisons for each test (Beal and Khamis 1991). Results During the course of this study we mapped and estimated the re- productive success of 460 Florida Grasshopper and 350 Bachman’s Sparrow territories occurring at the three study sites. Florida Grass- hopper Sparrow territory density declined dramatically at Audubon in 1997 and 1998 as a result of flooding (Perkins and Vickery 2005). Pop- ulations were relatively stable at the other two sites although both de- clined slightly in 1998. Average Grasshopper Sparrow territory density was greatest at Three Lakes (2.84 territories per 10 ha average over all six years) and lowest at Audubon (1.13). Bachman’s Sparrow territory density was relatively stable during the six years of this study. Average Bachman’s Sparrow territory density was greatest at Three Lakes (2.37 territories per 10 ha average over all six years) and lowest at Au- dubon (1.15). Summer Fires Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. The change in Florida Grasshopper Sparrow densities on post-burned areas declined as burns took place later in the breeding season (F = 35.61, df = 1, P < 0.001, r^ - 0.61, Fig. 2). Densities generally increased or stayed the same for all burns that took place prior to 28 June, while sparrow densities declined or stayed the same for all burns after 28 June. The change in densities on control plots also declined as burns took place later in the breeding sea- son (P = 6.23, df ~ 1, P ™ 0.02, r^ = 0.25, Fig. 2). Control plots never had higher densities after the burn date than before the burn date regard- less of time of year (Fig. 2). Florida Grasshopper Sparrow densities increased or remained the same on plots that were burned prior to 28 June (Fig. 2). Densities gen- erally declined or remained the same on control plots. This change in Perkins etal—Fire and Sparrows 129 Control Plots Burn Plots Figure 2. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow regression line in response to summer fires conducted during the breeding season at three sites in central Florida, 1994-1998. The figure shows a decline in the difference in the number of terri- tories on burned plots as burns occurred later in the year. territory densities differed between burn and control plots for burns conducted prior to 28 June (F ^ 15.28, df = 1, P - 0.001). Year and site differences were not significant, (F = 2.46, df ^ 2, P = 0.12; F = 1.27, df = 1, P “ 0.27, respectively). For burns conducted after 28 June, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow densities declined on both burned and control plots (Fig. 2). The differ- ence in the change of densities did not differ between burn and control plots for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (P = 0.05, df = 1, P ~ 0.83). Site differences were significant (F = 14.73, df = 1, P = 0.002), but year dif- ferences were not (P = 0.16, df = 2, P = 0.69). Reproductive success as classified by the reproductive index did not differ between pre- and post-burn areas for burns conducted prior to 28 June (n = 34, P = 0.54), or after 28 June (n = S2,P - 0.07, Fig. 3). Reproductive success did not differ on control plots between pre-fire dates and post-fire dates when burns were conducted prior to 28 June (n = 35, P = 0.64), or after 28 June (n = 21, P~ 1.0). We documented reproductive success in post-burn areas; 33% of the territories (seven of 21) in post-burned plots received a rank of 3 or 4 for burns prior to 28 June, and 75% territories (three of 130 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST A. Reproductive success for burns conducted prior to 28 June, Pre Bum Post Burn Pre Control Post Control Figure 3. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow reproductive indices based on behav- ioral observations on plots from five fires conducted A) prior to 28 June, and B) later than 28 June in central Florida, 1995-1997. Figure shows no difference in reproductive success among treatments. four) were ranked a 3 or 4 for burns after 28 June. In addition, in 1996, we found a nest on 23 July with four nestlings that successfully fledged on 5 August in a summer-burned area (Perkins et al. 1998). Bachman's Sparrow. Bachman^s Sparrow densities increased on burned plots as burns took place later in the breeding season (F = 5.58, df s 1, P ~ 0.03, r^ “ 0.20, Fig. 4). There was no relationship between change in densities on control plots as burns took place later in the breeding season (F = 0.002, df = 1, P = 0,01, P = 0.96, Fig. 4). There was no clear trend in breeding densities on plots burned prior to 20 June (Fig. 4). In general, densities declined or remained the same on control plots, and fluctuated on burn plots (Fig. 4). This change in territory densities did not differ between burned and control plots (F = 0.46, df ^ 1, P = 0.51). Years and sites did not differ, (P = 0.35, df = 1, P ^ 0.56; F = 0.10, df = 1, P = 0.76). For burns conducted after 20 June, densities increased on burned plots, while they decreased on con- trol plots (Fig. 4). The change of densities did not differ between burned and control plots (P = 1.45, df = 1, P = 0.25). Years and sites did not dif- fer (P - 0.86, df = 1, P - 0.37; P = 0.12, df - 1, P - 0.74). Permns etal.— Fire and Sparrows 131 Control Burn June Figtire 4* Bachmaii’s Sparrow regression line in response to summer fires con- ducted during the breeding* season at three sites in central Florida, 1994-1998. Figure shows an increase in the difference in the number of territories on burned plots when burns occurred later in the year. Reproductive indices in pre- and post-fire burned plots did not dif- fer for fires that took place prior to 20 June (n - 27, P = 1.00, Fig. 5). For burns after 20 June, there was higher reproductive success on pre-burn plots than post-burn plots (n - 69, P < 0.001, Fig. 5). Control plots did not differ between pre-fire and post-fire dates when burns were con- ducted before 20 June (n = 33, P = 0.60), or after 20 June (n = 21, P ~ 1.00, Fig. 5). Sixteen percent of the territories (2 of 12) were rated a 3 or 4 in post-burn areas for burns conducted prior to 20 June, and 50% of the territories (20 of 40) in post-burn areas for burns conducted after 20 June. Summer Versus Winter Fires Territory densities did not differ between summer- and winter- burned areas at Three Lakes for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (S = 357, “ 18, = 18, P = 0.46) or Bachman's Sparrows (S ~ 340.5, n, ^ 18, = 18, P “ 0.82) (Fig. 6). Similarly, reproductive success did not differ between winter- and summer-burned areas for Florida Percent Percent 132 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST A. Reproductive success of bums conducted prior to 20 June 0.8 1 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0.8 0.7 ■ Male Present □ Male and Female Present □ Nest Present □ Nestlings/Fledglings Pre Burn Post Burn Pre Control Post Control B. Reproductive success of bums conducted after 20 June 0.6 - 0.5 ^ Pre Bum Post Burn Pre Control Post Control Figure 5. Bachman’s Sparrow reproductive indices based on behavioral obser- vations from four fires conducted A) prior to 20 June, and B) later than 20 June in central Florida, 1995-1997. Perkins etal.—Fibe and Spaerows 133 I --.I Winter lAZZA Summer Figure 6, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (FGS) and Bachman^s Sparrow (HASP) breeding densities (number of territories per 10 hectares), mean and SE, in summer- and minter-buriied areas at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Florida, 1995-1998, Grasshopper Sparrows {n ^ 120, df = 1, chi-square = 1.65 P = 0.20) or Bachman's Sparrows {n = 84, df = 1, chi-square = 1.01, P = 0.31) (Fig. 7). Burn Class Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, In general, densities were greater in early burn classes at Avon Park (F = 3.80, df = 2,P = 0.03), 0-W Kiss- immee Prairie (F = 51.03, df = 2, P < 0.001), and Three Lakes, (F = 28.52, df = 2, P < 0.001) (Fig. 8). At Avon Park the 3rd treatment (2nd and 3rd growing seasons— 1®* growing season) differed from the 2nd treatment (1st and 2nd growing seasons). At 0-W Kissimmee Prairie all treatments differed from one another. At Three Lakes, the 3rd treat- ment (2nd and 3rd growing seasons— 1st growing season) differed from the other two treatments (Table 2). Reproductive success did not differ between burn classes for Flor- ida Grasshopper Sparrows at 0~W Kissimmee Prairie (Lf = 1.74, df = 2, 134 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST 0.6 0.5 0.4 o 0.3 0.2 0.1 ■ Male Present OMale and Female Present □ Nest Present ONestlings/Fledglings Present Winter Summer Winter Summer FGS 1 FGS BASF BASF Figure 7. Florida Grasshopper and Bachman^s Sparrow reproductive indices at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area^ Florida^ 1995-1998. P = 0.42), or Three Lakes {H = 3.16, df = 4, P ^ 0.53). Reproductive suc- cess was highest in the 0.5 year burn class at Avon Park, then declined in the 1.5 and 2.5 year burn classes {H ™ 9.79, df = 2, P = 0.008; Table 3). Florida Grasshopper Sparrows showed a significant year effect for the reproductive success at Avon Park {H = 15.76, df = 4, P = 0.003; Ta- ble 4). Reproductive success did not differ in years at 0-W Kissimmee Prairie {H = 7.01, df ^ 4, P = 0.14) and Three Lakes {H - 3.52, df - 4, P - 0,48). Bachman's Sparrow, Territory densities did not differ between burn classes at Avon Park (F = 1.06, df ^ 2, P = 0.35), 0-W Kissimmee Prairie (P - 1,77, df - 2, P ^ 0.19), or Three Lakes (F = 0,26, df - 2, P = 0.77) (Fig. 8). Reproductive success did not differ between burn classes at 0“W Kissimmee Prairie (H = 2.62, df = 2, P = 0.27) or Three Lakes (i7 = 7.11, df = 4, P = 0,13) (Table 3). Bachman’s Sparrow reproductive success was highest in the 0,5-year burn class at Avon Park, followed Perkins etal.-^Fire and Sparrows 135 A. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow 5 — Figure 8. Territory densities (number per 10 hectares) of A) Florida Grasshop- per Sparrows^ and B) Bachman’s Sparrows, mean and SE, at Avon Park Air Force Range (AP), Ord way- Whitt ell Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (KP) and Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (TL), from 1993-1998 central Florida. 136 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Table 2. Results of Duncan Multiple Range Test of Florida Grasshopper Spar- row breeding densities from three burn treatments at Avon Park Air Force Range (AP), Ordway-Whittell Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (KP), and Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (TL), Florida, 1993-1998. Table shows higher densities in early burn classes. Site Treatment Mean“ Duncan AP 1 0.09 A AP 2 0.64 AB AP 3 -0.28 B KP 1 1.37 A KP 2 0.58 B KP 3 -1.07 C TL 1 1.48 A TL 2 0.65 A TL 3 -1.45 B “The change in territory density (number of territories per 10 ha) from that burn class from the previous one, e.g., treatment 1 = territories in year burn class - territories in 1®‘ year burn class. by 2.5- and 1.5-year burn classes (Table 3). Reproductive indices showed a year effect at Three Lakes {H = 19.16, df = 4, P < 0.001) (Table 4). There was no year effect at Avon Park {H ^ 5.24, df = 4, P - 0.26) or 0-W Kissimmee Prairie {H = 2.59, df ~ 4, P - 0.63). Discussion Summer Fires Fire has important consequences for grassland birds nesting in Florida prairies. The timing of summer fires clearly affected the two species differently. In particular, they responded in dissimilar ways to burns conducted before and after late June, which may be due to differ- ences in their reaction to reduced cover and rapid vegetative re-growth in post-burn areas. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. We think that the timing of summer fires is critical for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. We found that terri- tory densities generally increased on all plots that were burned prior to 28 June, but decreased on all plots burned after that date. Lightning strikes were historically most frequent in the summer months (Ko- marek 1964, Chen and Gerber 1990), however, there were probably fewer fires later in the summer as increased precipitation may have saturated soils and plants, making them less susceptible to burns (Platt et al. 2006). Our results demonstrated that birds in summer- burned areas (burned prior to 28 June) were reproductively active in July and August. Perkins etal.—Fire and Sparrows 137 Table 3. Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s sparrow reproductive indices of territories (% of total) in different burn classes at Avon Park Air Force Range (AP), Ordway-Whittell Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (KP), and Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (TL), Florida, 1994-1998. Reproductive Index Rank Site Burn Class One Two Three Four Florida Grasshopper Sparrow AP 0.5^ 7 (10.1) 9 (13.0) 29 (42.0) 24 (34.8) AP 1.5 15 (19.6) 13 (16.9) 36 (46.8) 13 (16.9) AP 2.5 5 (16.7) 6 (20.0) 9 (30.0) 10 (33.3) Iff 1 5 (13.9) 14 (38.9) 16 (41.7) 2 (5.6) KP 2 6 (54.5) 1 (9.1) 3 (2.7) 1 (9.1) TL 0.5 9 (13.8) 11 (16.9) 26 (40.0) 19 (29.2) TL 1 3 (6.7) 12 (26.7) 16 (35.6) 14 (31.1) TL 1.5 12 (18.8) 9(14.1) 26 (39.1) 18 (28.1) TL 2 5 (31.3) 2 (12.5) 5 (31.3) 4 (25.0) TL 2.5 3 (23.1) 0 (0.0) 6 (46.2) 4 (30.8) Bachman’s Sparrow AP 0.5 6 (15.0) 10 (25.0) 18 (45.0) 6 (15.0) AP 1.5 7 (16.6) 13 (28.9) 11 (24.4) 14 (8.9) AP 2.5 2 (7.4) 3(11.1) 11 (40.7) 11 (40.7) KP 1 2 (7.4) 15 (55.6) 6 (22.2) 4 (14.8) KP 2 5 (25.0) 6 (30.0) 5 (25.0) 4 (20.0) TL 0.5 6 (15.4) 7 (17.9) 14 (37.8) 12 (30.8) TL 1 1 (3.2) 4 (12.9) 15 (48.4) 11 (35.5) TL 1.5 8 (14.5) 19 (34.5) 16 (29.1) 12 (21.8) TL 2 0 (0.0) 3 (23.1) 8 (61.5) 2 (15.4) TL 2.5 2 (10.6) 4(21.1) 7 (36.8) 6(31.6) indicates the number of growing seasons post burn. Shriver et al. (1996, 1999) found that summer fires increased the length of singing period by males in burned plots versus control plots. Birds sang into late August on summer-burned plots and maintained a greater number of territories through this period. After the burn dates, unburned plots had lower densities and singing generally stopped in mid-late July. Shriver et al. (1996) theorized that this extended breeding season may increase the number of nesting opportunities and increase the number of pairs that attempt additional clutches. In this study, Flor- ida Grasshopper Sparrows were present on summer burns within one week after the fire. Dean (2001) followed two Florida Grasshopper Spar- rows with radio telemetry during a March 1997 fire at Avon Park. One individual flew up over the flames and then landed in the burned area. The second individual remained in the burned area, possibly in a subter- ranean burrow, during the fire and appeared to be unharmed. These two birds were back in the burned area within two days of the fire. 138 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Table 4. Comparisons of reproductive success between years for Florida Grass- hopper Sparrows (FGS) at Avon Park Air Force Range (AP), and Bachman’s Sparrows (BASP) at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (TL), Florida from 1995 to 1998, Underscores indicate years within a species where years were not different (P > 0.05) based on nonparametric Tukey test for unequal samples. Table shows no clear trend in reproductive success between years. Species Site Year High Success Low Success FGS AP 1995 1996 1994 1997 1998 BASP TL 1995 1998 1997 1996 1994 We think that fires conducted prior to 28 June had a positive im- pact on Florida Grasshopper Sparrow breeding ecology. Prescribed burn plots are selected from the oldest burn class and generally have fewer territorial Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Control plots in these same burn classes had very little breeding activity after the fire dates. Without summer fires, very little breeding activity would occur on these older post-burn areas. While summer fires likely burn up some nests, the areas selected for burns are usually in the oldest burn classes and therefore have the lowest densities and number of nests. The extended breeding season and increase in density likely makes up for any loss of nests. It seems evident that this taxon has evolved with, and has successfully adapted to, summer fires. Bachman’s Sparrow. Unlike Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, Bach- man’s Sparrow densities increased on burn plots for burns after 20 June, but did not increase on burns conducted prior to 20 June. Using a subset of this data set, Shriver et al. (1999) found that Bachman’s Sparrows responded favorably to July fires. It may be that Bachman’s Sparrows have more generalized habits and are adapted to a wider range of conditions than Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Bachman’s Sparrows on control plots did not decline as much as Florida Grasshop- per Sparrows after the earlier burn date. Bachman’s Sparrows have a longer breeding season than Florida Grasshopper Sparrows and may be able to adapt to late summer burns, while it appears that it is too late for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows to initiate breeding activity af- ter late summer burns. We documented that Bachman’s Sparrows are reproductively successful in these post-burned areas. Bachman’s Spar- row reproductive success was lower on post burn plots despite higher densities, possibly indicative of an increase in younger breeders or in- creased nest predation. Perkins etal —Fire and Sparrows 139 Summer Versus Winter Fires Seasonality of prescribed fires did not appear to affect the breeding ecology of either Florida Grasshopper or Bachman’s Sparrow in years after the initial fire. For both species, neither territory density, nor re- productive indices differed according to season of burn. It appears that suitable habitat may be found in both summer-and winter-burned ar- eas, despite notable differences in the overall vegetation structure. Shriver et al. (1996, 1999) and this study support positive effects of summer fires on Florida Grasshopper Sparrows in the year they occur. This study shows that in years after the initial fire, summer fires do not negatively affect territory density or reproductive success. Summer prescribed fires may be beneficial to Florida Grasshopper Sparrows for reasons beyond breeding ecology. The seasonality of pre- scribed burns may affect survivorship during winter when mortality is likely highest due to an increase in the number of overwintering raptors (Dean 2001). Perkins and Vickery (2001) found that annual survivorship of adult males was higher on sites that were burned in summer than on sites burned in winter. Thus, the dense grass canopy that results from summer burns may provide better cover for this ground-foraging species. Shriver (1996) found that vegetation at the summer-burned Audubon was dominated by tall grass cover and had lower shrub cover than at win- ter-burned Avon Park and Three Lakes. At Audubon wire grass flowered profusely after summer burns which changed the structure of vegetation in comparison to Avon Park and Three Lakes. At Audubon wire grass flower stalks reached heights over 1.2 m, yet on winter-burned areas flower stalks rarely developed and grass cover was lower and more sparse (Shriver 1996). Frequent winter burning, when combined with cattle grazing, leads to declines in several dry prairie grasses, but in- creases in saw palmettos (Sievers 1985), and other brush cover (Fults 1991). Platt et al. (1988) found that burns conducted during the growing season (April-August) increased S5nichronization of flowering plants more than between growing season fires (November-February). Fires during the growing season also produced the greatest number of flower- ing stems, and enhanced flowering among dominant species in long-leaf pine forests in Florida (Platt et al. 1988). Ultimately, such changes in veg- etation structure could affect sparrow survival and reproductive success. Burn Class Florida dry prairie has evolved with frequent fires. It appears that these two grassland birds have adapted to this burn regime. Time since the most recent burn affected both species more than seasonality of fire. Frequent burning is essential to Florida Grasshopper Sparrow habitat. 140 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Managers should first ensure that the habitat burns frequently (every 2- 3 years), and as a second priority should try to schedule some of those fires in the summer. If a summer fire is missed due to drought or other reasons, a fire conducted the following winter would still be valuable. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Florida Grasshopper Sparrows had the highest territory densities on the yoimgest burn classes at all three sites. This taxon selected habitat in relation to time since bum more than the season of burn. Shriver and Vickery (2001) also found that Flor- ida Grasshopper Sparrows had higher densities in recently burned ar- eas. Delany et al. (1985) and Delany and Cox (1986) also provide anecdotal information that Florida Grasshopper Sparrows occur more on areas that have been recently burned. Delany et al. (2002) found no difference in territory density at Avon Park based on data from 1997 to 1999. We used data from 1993 to 1996 as well as Delany et al.’s (2002) data from 1997 and 1998 and found that territory density was higher at Avon Park in the earliest burn classes. The response of other subspecies of Grasshopper Sparrow differs in other parts of the country. Herkert (1994) found that the eastern subspecies (A. s. pratensis) was more com- mon on recently burned areas in Illinois. Others have found that Grass- hopper Sparrows in Maine (Vickery 1993) and California (Collier 1994) avoid the areas immediately after the burn, but had the highest densi- ties in areas two to four years post-burn. Grasshopper Sparrows avoided recently burned areas in Arizona (Bock and Bock 1992) and Montana (Bock and Bock 1987). Thus, it appears that Grasshopper Sparrows re- spond to fires differently depending on ecosystem vegetation. Reproductive success was higher in the earliest bum class at one (Avon Park) of the three sites. Nest predators may forage preferentially in different burn classes. It is likely that the youngest burn class pro- vides less cover for nest predators, potentially decreasing predator den- sities in early burn classes. Many nest predators (snakes and small mammals) are also prey themselves, and are susceptible to raptor preda- tion. Sparrows rely on micro-site selection for nest location, and suitable habitat may be found in these early burn classes despite reduced cover. Bachman's Sparrow. Bachman’s Sparrows did not appear to prefer any particular bum class; territory density did not change in response to burn classes. Bachman’s Sparrows did have higher reproductive success on the youngest burn class at Avon Park, similar to Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Tucker et al. (2004) found that Bachman’s Sparrows had higher densities in the first three years post-fire than areas that were > four years post-fire, and that season of burning had little effect on densi- ties in Alabama and Florida longleaf pine forests. They suggested a two- to three-year burn rotation with a preference for growing-season burns over dormant-season bums. In Georgia and South Carolina, Bachman’s Sparrows populations have decreased in areas that had not been burned Perkins etal.— Fire and Spakrows 141 for > three years (Johnson and Landers 1982, Dunning and Watts 1990, Gobris 1992), and they disappeared from forest stands that had not been burned for four to five years in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia (Engstrom et al. 1984, Gobris, 1992, Dunning 1993). Bachman’s Spar- rows were common 'in longleaf and loblolly (PinUs taeda) pine stands that' were managed on a three- to five-year burn rotation in South Carolina (Dunning and Watts 1990). In our study, no plots were left unburned for more than three years. Thus, it appears that Bachman’s Sparrows are not strongly affected by different age burn classes until these sites reach an advanced successional stage, perhaps four to five years post-bum. Fire appears to be highly beneficial to both of these sparrows and the dry prairie in central Florida. It is likely that other species of plants and animals in this ecosystem have also evolved with this frequent fire re- gime. Florida Grasshopper and Bachman’s Sparrows were affected by the time since prescribed bum more than seasonality of bum. Frequent burn- ing in summer or winter is paramount to maintaining habitat for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. However summer burns appear to increase breeding activity for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows when conducted prior to 28 June. We think that it is important that summer bums continue to be conducted at all sites in order to more closely simulate the natural fire regime and provide a variety of habitats. Summer fires should be con- ducted prior to 28 June in order to maximize breeding opportunities for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. One reason given by management agen- cies to not conduct summer fires is concern for mortality to Florida Grass- hopper Sparrows. This study shows that Florida Grasshopper Sparrows occur on bums within a week after the fire, have an increase in reproduc- tion in the year of the fire, and have no decrease in territory density and reproduction when compared to winter fires in future years, and therefore removes this concern. They appear well adapted for a summer fire regime. Current fire management at these sites, prescribed bums every two to three years, is essential for maintaining high-quality breeding habitat for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. 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Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Maine, Orono. Vickery, P. D., M. L Hunter, Jr. and J. V. Wells. 1992a. Is density a misleading indi- cator of breeding success? Auk 109:706-710. Vickery, P. D., M. L. Hunter, Jr., and J. V. Wells. 1992b. Use of a new reproductive in- dex to evaluate relationship between habitat quality and breeding success. Auk 109:697-705. Wiens, J. A. 1969. An Approach to the Study of Ecological Relationships Among Grass- land Birds. Ornithological Monographs 8. Zar, j. H. 1984. Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Perkins etal.—Fire and Sparrows 145 Appendix Burn dates, number, and si^e of burned and control plots from three sites, Avon Park Air Force Range (AP), Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (TL), and Ordway-Whittell Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (KP) in central Florida, 1994-1998. Site Year Burn Control Date Plots Hectares Plots Hectares KP 1994 15 July 3 34.00 1 6.00 TL 1994 22 June 3 26.00 1 11.25 KP 1995 29 June 3 38.50 2 18.75 TL 1995 31 July 3 43.00 1 12.00 1996 18 June 2 18.75 4 34.00 TL 1996 18 June 3 27.50 3 23.75 KP 1997 18 June 3 34.00 3 38.50 TL 1997 13 June 2 22.50 3 25.00 AP 1998 30 June 3 29.00 3 34.00 146 NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 37(4): 146-148, 2009. NESTING OF SOOT¥ T'ERNS'-iOnychoprion fuscatus) IN THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA John Murphy 766 Alligator Drive, Alligator Point, Florida 32346 In 2007 and 2008, a pair of Sooty Terns (Onychoprion fuscatus) nested on the St. George Island causeway, Franklin County, Florida. These occurrences are the second and third breeding records of this species for the county. The Sooty Tern is a widespread species of tropical oceans. The only large breeding colony (25,000-40,000 pairs) in Florida is on Bush Key at Dry Tortugas National Park, Monroe County (Robertson and Robertson 1996), though historical records list isolated breeding at Key West (Monroe County), Tampa Bay (Hillsborough County), and Frank- lin County (AOU 1983). Extralimital breeding, while not uncommon, is frequently short-lived and involves a small number of pairs (Schreiber et al, 2002). The causeway, located at 29°41’ 44.91’’ N, 84°53’ 7.88” W, is a sand-and-shell island constructed in 1965 as part of the Bryant Patton Bridge, which served as the thorough- fare between St. George Island and mainland Franklin County. In 2004 a new bridge was opened and with the removal of the old bridge spans the island became inaccessible except by watercraft. The causeway is 1.6 km long, with an area of approximately 20 ha (Pranty 2002), and about 2.1 km from the mainland. It is sparsely vegetated with vari- ous salt-tolerant grasses and forbs. It accommodates a number of breeding larids includ- ing Laughing Gulls {Leucophaeus atricilla), Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia), Royal (Thalasseus maximus), Sandwich (T sandvicensis), Gull-billed (Gelochelidon nilotica) and Least {Sternula antillarum) Terns; and Black Skimmers {Rynchops niger). The staff of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) have conducted annual nesting bird surveys of the St. George Island causeway since 1985. The survey team is comprised of eight to ten members divided into two groups in order to canvass both sides of the island simultaneously. As surveyors walk abreast of one an- other, they record the number of nests of each species and the number of eggs and/or chicks in each nest. In the course of the 1 June 2007 survey, the team flushed a Sooty Tern from a nest containing a single chick (A. Knothe, pers. comm.). On 30 May 2008 the survey group, including JM, was in the general vicinity of the 2007 nest when we witnessed a Sooty Tern emerge from coarse vegetation about 35 cm high, and hover overhead. Soon we saw a second Sooty flying among the Laughing Gulls. Concentrating on the area where the first tern was noted, we eventually located its nest, which con- tained a single downy chick (Fig. 1). The nest was a shallow depression about 30 cm in diameter lined with dead grasses and small bits of oyster and other shell fragments. Be- cause of the many gulls that might seize the unguarded chick, we left the nest site im- mediately after taking photographs. No other Sooty Terns were found. After moving away from the nest we looked back hoping to observe the terns returning to the nest, but the swirling mass of hundreds of gulls effectively obscured our view. To my knowl- edge, there were no subsequent sightings of Sooty Terns in the vicinity for the remain- der of the breeding season. In determining the terns’ identities, we noted their relatively large size, about the size of a Sandwich Tern, and sharply contrasting black upperparts and all-white body below. The underwings showed a marked contrast between the solid dark primaries and Notes 147 Figure 1. Sooty Tem chick in nest, St, George Island causeway, Franklin County, Florida 30 May 2008. Photograph by Alan Knotlie. the white coverts, and the tail had white restricted to the outermost rectrices. The white superciliary line extended posteriorly from the white forehead, not extending beyond the eye= These characters together with the lack of contrast between the black cap and. the equally dark back and upper wings made it possible for us to exclude Bridled Tern (O. anaethetus) and conclusively identify the birds as Sooty Terns (Fig. 2). The only other breeding record attributed to Franklin County is an egg collected on Dog Island by Louis Whitfield on 7 May 1892 (California Academy of Sciences #6354; Figure 2, Sooty Tern adult flying above nest with chick on St. George Island causeway, Franklin County, Florida 30 May 2008, Photograph by Alan Knothe. 148 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Stevenson and Anderson 1994), The current pair may have been remnants of those dis- placed during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season when Hurricane Katrina hit the small Sooty Tem breeding colony on the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (Wiedenfeld and Swan 2000), as well as the large colony at Bush Key. The resulting destruction may have caused this pair to seek other suitable breeding grounds. With the Sooty Terris fidelity to its prior years’ breeding site (Schreiber et al. 2002), this pair may continue to use the causeway site so long as there is no significant habitat change, though such extralimital breeding attempts are seldom long-lived (Schreiber et ah 2002). Acknowledgments I thank Alan Knothe for information regarding the 2007 discovery of nesting Sooty Terns and for providing photographs; Lee Edmiston of the Apalachicola National Estua- rine Research Reserve for graciously allowing me to join the 2008 survey; and Brace Anderson, Jim Cavanagh, Bobby Crawford, and Jeff Gore for improving drafts of this manuscript. Literature Cited AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, sixth ed. American Omithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Pranty, B. 2002. The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000-2002, Eastern Panhandle. Unpublished report, Audubon of Florida, Miami. Robertson, W. B., Jr., and M. J. Robertson. 1996. Sooty Tem. Pages 514-531 in Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida. VoL V. Birds (J. A. Rodgers, Jr., H. W. Kale II, and H. T. Smith, Eds.), University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Schreiber, E. A., C. J. Feare, B. A. Harrington, B. G. Murray, Jr., W. B. Robertson, Jr., M. j. Robertson, and G. E. Woolfenden. 2002. Sooty Tem {Sterna fuscata), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/ 665. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Wiedenfeld, D. A., and M. M. Swan. 2000. Louisiana Breeding Bird Atlas (Internet ver- sion). Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, http://www.manybirds.com/atlas/at- las.htm. 149 Florida Field Naturalist 37(4):149-150, 2009. A RECENT CAPTURE OF A LARGE AMERICAN CROCODILE (Crocodylus acutus) IN FLORIDA Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Michael S. Cherkiss, Michael R. Rochford, AND Frank J. Mazzotti Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Ave., Davie, Florida, 33314 The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) occurs in northern South America, Cen- tral America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and southern Florida, USA (Thorbjarnson 1989). In 1975 the American Crocodile was declared Endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 1975). Since the crocodile’s classification, intensive moni- toring programs focusing on nesting ecology, growth, and survival of crocodiles were es- tablished in South Florida (Mazzotti et al. 2007). Here we report on a recent capture of a large C. acutus in Everglades National Park (ENP). On 15 December 2008, during a crocodile spotfight survey of East Cape Canal, ENP (25°7.97’ N, 81°3.98’ W), we captured a large male crocodile (Fig. 1) measuring 416.7 cm TL (total length) and marked with a distinct scute clip #225 as described in Mazzotti (1983). Head length measured 58.8 cm; snout- vent length was 220.0 cm; and tail girth was 107.5 cm. We did not have a scale large enough to accommodate the crocodile, so we were unable to measure its mass. However, we can estimate that crocodile #225 weighed more than three other large crocodiles measuring 364.5, 373.0, and 384.9 cm TL, the masses of which were 204, 194, and 238 kg, respectively. Crocodile #225 was originally captured Figure 1. Measuring the head length of an American crocodile in Everglades National Park. 150 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST and marked as a hatchling (27.3 cm TL) by one of the authors (FJM) on 9 August 1986, in the Flamingo Boat Basin, ENP (25°8.35’ N, 80°55.21’ W), and represents the largest re- cent live capture of C. acutus in Florida, as well as the longest time interval between cap- tures, 22 years. The second longest time interval is for a male (384.9 cm TL) from the same nest as crocodile #225. Both these recaptures allow us to calculate a 13.3% survival for greater than 21 years from this nest and growth of 0.05 cm/day for both individuals. Historically, there have been reports of larger C. acutus in South Florida, although there is some confusion about the details of those accounts. Moler (1992) mentions an an- imal in the late 1800s reported at 472 cm TL and Hornaday (1875) writes of a crocodile 427 cm TL (14 ft) he shot in Arch Creek, near Bisca3me Bay. Barbour (1923) also writes of the crocodile shot by Hornaday in Arch Creek, but noted that it was 462 cm TL (15 ft 2 in) “with half a foot of the tail gone” and suggested that the remains were on display in the United States National Museum in Washington D.C. However, museum records list the specimen’s location as unknown (Reynolds et al. 2007). Another large crocodile also shot near Arch Creek in 1883 measured 442 cm TL (14 ft 8 in, Munroe and Gilpin 1974) and is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In 2007, the American crocodile was reclassified from Endangered to Threatened (USFWS 2007) by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to the “improvement in the species’ status.” Mazzotti et al. (2007) reported that there are more crocodiles cur- rently in South Florida than in 1975. The number of known nests has increased from a maximum of 20 in 1975 (Ogden 1978) to over 170 in 2008. Since monitoring began in South Florida there have been more than 9,600 crocodile capture events (ongoing stud- ies). Thorbjarnarson (1989) reported that in the late 1980’s C. acutus rarely attained lengths over 400 cm. Our observations of crocodiles close to or at the maximum size pro- vide further evidence of steps towards a successful recovery in Florida. In addition, these recent recaptures of two long-lived C. acutus in ENP, and their associated growth and survival data underscore the importance of long-term monitoring programs for En- dangered and Threatened species recovery. Literature Cited Barbour, T. 1923. The Crocodile in Florida. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Hornaday, W. T. 1875. The Crocodile in Florida. American Naturalist 9:498-504. Mazzotti, F. J. 1983. The Ecology of Crocodylus acutus in Florida. Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Mazzotti, F. J., L. A. Brandt, P. E. Moler, and M. S. Cherkiss. 2007. American Croc- odile {Crocodylus acutus) in Florida: Recommendations for endangered species recov- ery and ecosystem restoration. Journal of Herpetology 41:121-131. Moler, P. E, 1992. American Crocodile. In Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida, Volume III, Amphibians and Reptiles (P. E. Moler, Ed.). University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Munroe, R. M., and V. Gilpin. 1974. The Commodore’s Story. Greater Miami Bicenten- nial Project. Historical Association of Southern Florida, New York, New York. Ogden, J. C. 1978. Status and nesting biology of the American Crocodile, Crocodylus acu- tus (Reptilia, Crocodilidae) in Florida. Journal of Herpetology 12:183-196. Reynolds, R. P., S. W. Gotte, and C. H. Ernst. 2007. Catalog of Type Specimens of Re- cent Crocodilia and Testudines in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithso- nian Institution. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington, D.C. Thorbjarnarson, J. 1989. Ecology of the American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus. Pages 228-258 In Crocodiles, Their Ecology, Management, and Conservation. A Special Pubhca- tion of the Crocodile Speciahst Group. lUCN Pubhcations, N. S. Gland, Switzerland. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 1975. Federal Register 40:44149. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] 2007. Federal Register 72:13027-13041. 151 Florida Field Naturalist 37(4):151-152, 2009. WILSON’S PLOVER (Charadrius wilsonia) CHICK FORAGES ON SMALL FINFISH Patrick Leary 1291 S. 3rd Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034 E-mail: PRLeary@Bellsouth.net Wilson’s Plovers {Charadrius wilsonia) live only along coastlines and feed predom- inantly on small crustaceans. Studies on their breeding and wintering grounds re- vealed that a high percentage of their diet consisted of fiddler crabs {Uca spp.): 98.6% in Venezuela and 95.7% in Panama with trace percentages of annelids (1.1%) and in- sects (3.8%) (Corbat and Bergstrom 2000). Published research on the food habits of this species focuses primarily on the diet of mature birds, but flightless chicks may be more dependent on higher percentages of insects and arachnids in natal, high beach, habitats (B. Winn pers. comm.) However, no observations of small vertebrate con- sumption by Wilson’s Plovers of any age have previously been reported in the scientific literature. On the morning of 31 May 2009, ca, 0930 EDT, I observed a Wilson’s Plover chick catch and eat a small finfish on the northeast inlet shore of Ft. Clinch State Park in Nassau County, Florida (30°44’ 17.78” N, 81°26’ 15.06” W). When first sighted, the chick (ca. 15 days old) alternately rested and foraged for small terrestrial crabs (possibly Sesarma cinereum) within the dense wrack line along the high beach. After 20 min it moved into a complex of remnant tide pools within a large mid-beach slough drained by the ebb tide. Although it pecked at minuscule objects on the wet substrate around the perimeters of the pools, I could see no identifiable prey organisms. I watched the bird through my spotting scope (20 ~ 60X 82 mm) and soon noticed its animated pursuit of something trapped in one of the shallow pools. My view of the en- tire pool was partially obstructed, but I could determine from the plover’s behavior that it was chasing very active prey in a tightly confined space. The chick stabbed at the wa- ter in a circular manner and was seen to capture and lift a shiny, lanceolate-shaped and laterally compressed finfish from the water. As the chick held the (est. 2.5 cm long) fin- fish crosswise in its bill, the fish began vibrating vigorously and soon dropped back into the water. The chick immediately resumed stabbing at the water’s surface while turning about from side to side. In less then 30 s, the chick captured another finfish of the same size and shape as the first. It then rushed up the beach slope where it stopped short of the wrack line and dropped the fish on the ground. The chick picked up the fish, aligned it head first, and swallowed it whole. On 2 June 2009 I returned to the site on a subsequent ebb tide to collect and identify finfish trapped in the pools. I found a series of pools measuring ca. 2 x 1 m in area and up to 30 cm in depth containing small numbers of finfish. All pools were bowl shaped with shallow slopes, but the small finfish (0.5-1. 5 cm long) moved swiftly and erratically and proved difficult to capture. I collected one minnow, smaller, but similar in appear- ance to the prey specimen and closely resembling a juvenile Spanish sardine (Sar- dinella aurita) or possibly scaled sardine {Harengula jaguana) (McClane 1978). From the appearance of the slough’s substrate, it was evident that the pools princi- pally drained via gravity but also through seepage and evaporation in the hot beach en- vironment. One or more combinations of these processes (c£ Amos and Amos 1985) contributed to the fortuitous entrapment of the small finfish in a space small enough for capture by the plover chick. 152 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Acknowledgments I thank Katy NeSmith and Janell Brush for their generous assistance improving drafts and Brad Winn for sharing his personal observations and superb images of Wil- son’s Plover chicks foraging on arachnids. Literature Cited Amos, W, A., and S. H. Amos. 1985. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The Audubon Society Na- ture Guides. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, New York. CORBAT, C, A,, AND P. W. BERGSTROM. 2000. Wilson’s Plover iCharadrius wilsonia). In The Birds of North America, No. 516 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. McClane, A. J. 1978. McClane’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fishes of North America. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York. 153 Florida Field Naturalist 37(4): 153= 154, 2009. REVIEW On the Wings of Cranes— Larry Walkinshaw^s Life Story, Lowell M. Schake; ed- ited by James R. Walkinshaw. 2008. iUniversity Inc. ISBN: 978-0-595-48497-3 (paper- back), ISBN: 978-0-595-7199-0 (cloth), ISBN: 978-0-595-60589-7 (ebook). Dr. Lawrence Harvey Walkinshaw (1904-1993) was by profession a dentist. In the course of this biography, written by his son-in-law and edited by his son, one realizes that he was also a professional ornithologist in every way except one: his income came from elsewhere. In addition to a thriving dental practice, Dr. Walkinshaw dedicated a great deal of his free time and discretionary funds to the study of birds. His landmark books The Sandhill Cranes (1949), Kirtland's Warbler— The Natural History of an En- dangered Species (1983), and Life History of the Eastern Field Sparrow in Calhoun County, Michigan (1987) were seminal to our understanding of those species. He in- creased the present-day knowledge of Whooping Cranes {Grus americana) and the rest of the cranes with his many other publications, especially his book Cranes of the World (1973). His penchant for meticulous note-taking served him well, as he published an ad- ditional 400 or so articles on over 70 other species of North American birds. One of the first ‘outside’ scientists I met after I began working as a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the fall of 1971 was Dr. Walkin- shaw. When I asked my grandfather, also in the wildlife field, if he knew Dr. Walkinshaw he told me with obvious respect and admiration that, though a dentist, Walkinshaw’s accom- phshments in ornithology matched or exceeded those of most of his contemporaries. I as- sumed that they knew each other only through AOU meetings and other ornithological gatherings. I learned they had, at the least indirect, contact in the field. In 1941 my grand- father apparently collected (shot) a male Kirtland’s Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) banded by Walkinshaw the year before, and Walkinshaw’s observations collected during a 1947 “ex- pedition” to Alaska were incorporated into my grandfather’s book Birds of Alaska. Walkinshaw had a strong connection to Florida. One of the first birds he focused his interest on was the Greater Sandhill Crane {Grus canadensis tahida). They nested in the area of Michigan where he grew up and where he lived most of his life, and they mi- grate to Florida for the winter. In later years Larry and his wife Clara had a winter home in Lake Wales, and when there he spent time stud3dng the Florida Sandhill Crane (G. c. pratensis) of south-central Florida. This book is more than simply a biography of an amazingly prolific amateur ornithol- ogist; it is in fact a chronicle of the beginning of endangered species conservation in North America. Walkinshaw realized during the early part of 20th century that Sandhill Cranes and Kirtland’s Warblers were both in decline and set about to change that trend. We learn of his primary role in the conservation and restoration of both Sandhill and Whooping Cranes and how, early on, he realized what needed to be done to prevent the Kirtland’s Warbler from becoming extinct. His systematic life history studies came at a time of transition in field biology, when goals were changing from finding out which spe- cies were where, to finding out what they were doing while they were there. In the course of this book we realize what an impact this one dedicated individual had on the species he chose to champion. The author compares Walkinshaw to the likes of Aldo Le- opold and Rachel Carson, and I think justifiably so. In addition to his study of birds Dr. Walkinshaw maintained an abiding interest in family genealogy. Ironically, within a few meters of my grandfather’s grave in Northern Virginia is one bearing the name Walkinshaw. When I mentioned this to Dr. Walkin- shaw he knew exactly which family member that was. 154 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST The book has a few minor editorial details amiss; some between-words spaces are missing and in other places words are missing. There are some errors of fact; on page 205 Carroll D. Littlefield is referred to as female (this well known Sandhill Crane au- thority is assuredly male), on page 226 the location of one of the Kirtland’s Warblers is identified as “Kazadazua”, Quebec (I suspect this should be Kazabazua), and on page 328 editorship of Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida Volume V is listed as James A. Rodgers, Jr,, Herbert W. Kale II and Henry Schmidt (it should have read Henry T. Smith). These are minor errors that do not detract from an interesting life story or from the fiow of natural and conservation history that proceeds from these pages, making for a very enlightening read. Dr. Walkinshaw is described in these pages as birdman of the world; he could just as appropriately been referred to as birdman to the world. Birds were always the center of his life, which is quite understandable, for, after all, they are the most fascinating of creatures. Stephen A. Nesbitt 5407 SW 86th Drive Gainesville, Florida 32608 155 Florida Field Naturalist 37(4):155-168, 2009. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Spring Report; March-May 2009. — This report consists of significant bird obser- vations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC), Submissions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and sig- nificance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-July), and fall ( August-No vember). Submit observations to regional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. Addresses of the compilers are found at the end of this report. We greatly prefer observations sent via e-mail. Sight-only observations are considered '‘reports” while only those supported by verifi- able evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; Bowman 2006, Fla. Field Nat. 34:90-102) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = Air Force Base, AFR = Air Force Range, CWA = Critical Wildlife Area, EOS = end of season, FLMNH = Florida Museum of Natu- ral History, NERR = National Estuarine Research Reserve, nm = nautical miles, NP = National Park, NS = National Seashore, NSRA = North Shore Restoration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SF = State Forest, SP = State Park, STA = Stormwater Treat- ment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, UCF = University of Central Florida, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. Summary of the Spring Season Weather patterns created several fallouts of migrant landbirds along the Gulf coast. Twenty-seven individuals of 15 FOSRC-review species were reported this season. High- lights include two species new to Florida — Greater Sand-Plover at Jacksonville and White-throated Swift at Navarre Beach-plus three Northern Fulmars, three California Gulls, six Iceland Gulls, and Florida’s third Loggerhead Kingbird in as many years. The state’s record count of Sprague’s Pipit came from Eglin AFB. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 3 at St. Petersburg (Pinellas) 13 Mar (E. Haney); 335 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Orange) 20 Mar (H. Robinson); 350 at The Villages (Sumter) 4 Apr (J, Dinsmore); 350 at Lake Okeechobee Day-Use Area (Okeechobee) 5 May (D. Rankin); 105 at Lake Wales (Polk) 9 May (T. Palmer); 7 over Holiday (Pasco) 21 May (D. Gagne); 5 in Walton 23 May (G. Bucheit, C. Goodyear). Snow Goose: 7 at Gulf Hammock (Levy) 1 Mar (F. Seiler); 1 immature white morph at Port Charlotte (Charlotte) to 1 Mar (B. & E. Marr); 1 adult white morph at St. Peters- burg 19 Mar (D. Margeson). Ross’s Goose: 2 at Gainesville (Alachua) 1 Mar (C. Lockwood). Canada Goose: 1 B. a parvipes at Key West Golf Club, Stock Island (Monroe) to 17 Apr (C. Goodrich). Egyptian Goose; 13 at The Villages (Lake) 24 Mar (L. Felker); 3 at Lake Tamarron, Summerfield (Marion) 23 May (J. Long). Mute Swan: 9 (2 adults, 7 fledglings) at Viera (Brevard) 4 Apr-EOS (D. Freeland). 156 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Mandarin Duck: 1 male at Crescent Lake Park, St. Petersburg to 5 Mar (T. Wright); 1 male at Allen’s Creek Park, Clearwater {Pinellas) 4 Apr (L, Childress). Wood Duck: as many as 3 at Stock Island 17-24 Apr (C. Goodrich). Gadwall: 92 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Mar (H. Robinson). Mottled Duck: 2 (1 perhaps not “pure”) at Fort Clinch SP (Nassau) 23 Apr and 26 May (B. Pranty, photos to FOC); 2 (perhaps neither “pure”) at Amelia Island SP (Nassau) 27 May (B. Pranty, photos to FOC); 209 at STA-5 (Hendry) 9 May (M. England et ah). Blue-winged Teal: 590 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Mar, and 1 there to 17 May (H. Robin- son); 2 (female and male) at STA-IW (Palm Beach) 24 May (M. Berney). Northern Shoveler: 1 at Tallahassee (Leon) 13 May (G. Menk); 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). *White-CHEEKED Pintail: 2 in a flooded field at Florida Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion, Belle Glade (Palm Beach) 25 May (B. Hope, no details). Green-winged Teal: 1 female at Lake Davis, Orlando (Orange) to 10 May (A. Boyle); 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). Pochard species: 1 adult with a Mottled Duck at Sanibel Island (Lee) 17 Mar (A. Stark) undoubtedly was the hybrid Rosy-billed Pochard x Red-crested Pochard that has been seen in the area accompanying a Mottled Duck since 2007. Greater Scaup: 2 at Honeymoon Island SP (Pinellas) 10-12 Mar (D. Gagne); 5 (1 male) at Fort Island Gulf Beach (Citrus) 24 Mar, and 2 there 1 Apr (M. Gardler); 5 at Merritt Island NWR (Brevard) to 1 Apr (M. Harris); 1 female at Gulf Harbors, New Port Richey (Pasco) 9 Apr (M. Gardler, photos by K. Tracey to FOC); 1 female at Sarasota (Sarasota) 13 Apr (J. Palmer); 1 at Tallahassee 23 May (G. Menk). Lesser Scaup: 75,000 at Melbourne (Brevard) 12 Mar (D. Freeland); 2 at Holiday 23 May, with 1 to EOS (D. Gagne). Surf Scoter: 15, including several in alternate plumage, at Bald Point SP (Franklin) 7 Mar (J. Murphy); 10 off Alligator Point (Franklin) 19 Apr (A. Banker!, D. Simpson); 2 at Bunche Beach, Fort Myers (Lee) 25-26 May (V. McGrath). White-winged Scoter: 1 off Alligator Point 19 Apr (D. Simpson). Black Scoter: 20 off Alligator Point 19 Apr (A. Banker!, D. Simpson). Long-tailed Duck: 1 at Cape Canaveral AFS (Brevard) to 26 Mar (J. Eager). Bufflehead: 15 at Lake Weir (Marion) 8 Mar (J. Stefancic); as many as 31 at The Vil- lages (16 in Lake and 15 in Sumter) to 3 Apr (L. Felker); 1 female at Bradenton (Man- atee) 5 Apr (J. Fisher); 3 at St. Marks NWR (Wakulla) 19 Apr (A. Banker!, D. Simp- son). *COMMON Merganser: 1 female at Gulf Harbors 3-4 Apr, then 2 km to the south 6 May (K. Tracey et al., accepted by FOSRC). Red-breasted Merganser: 14 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Mar, and 8 there 1 May (H. Robinson); 1 male flew N over Tallahassee 23 Mar (G. Menk). Ruddy Duck: 1300 at Lake Apopka NSRA 8 Mar, and 1 there 10 May (H. Robinson). Red-throated Loon: 1 flew over Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) 15 Mar (R. Rowan). Common Loon: a seasonal total of 711 over Alachua 15 Mar-21 Apr, vdth 575 during 20- 27 Mar (A. Kratter, R. Rowan et al.); 1 inland at Sarasota 26 May (J. Palmer). *Northern Fulmar: 3 singles brought to Marine Science Center (M. Brothers, all ac- cepted by FOSRC) from Ormond Beach (Volusia, specimen to FLMNH) 22 Mar, New Smyrna Beach (Volusia, specimen to UCF) 22 Mar, and New Smyrna Beach 24 Mar (released 24 May). Black-capped Petrel: 3 birds 50-70 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia) 24 May (M. Brothers et al.). Cory’s Shearwater: 6 birds 20-60 nm offshore off Ponce de Leon Inlet 10 May, and 3 birds 25-70 nm off there 24 May (M. Brothers et al.). Greater Shearwater: 6 at Patrick AFB (Brevard) 21 May (D. Freeland). Field Observations 157 Sooty Shearwater: 1 at Ormond-By-The-Sea 26 Apr (M. Brothers); 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 19 May (M. Brothers); 2 at Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS (Brevard) 20 May (M. Harris); 1 at Daytona Beach Shores (Volusia) 21 May (M, Brothers); 2 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland); 2 at Ponce Inlet (Volusia) 22 May (M. Brothers); 1 in surf at Huguenot Memorial Park (Duval) 23 May (fide R Powell); 1 at Flagler Beach (Fla- gler) 23 May (M, Brothers); 1 at Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS 23 May (B. Ahern et aL). Audubon’S Shearwater: duos off Miami (Miami-Dade) 3 and 30 May (R. Torres, J. Boyd). Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 20 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland); 2 at Guana-Tolomato- Matanzas NERR (St. Johns) 23 May (D. Reed); 2 off Miami 30 May (J. Boyd). Leach’S Storm-Petrel: 9 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland); 1 at Huguenot Memo- rial Park 22 May (J. Wheat); 100 or more from Flagler Beach to Ormond-By-The-Sea 22 May (M. Brothers); several along SR-AIA from Fernandina Beach (Nassau) to Or- mond Beach 23 May (R, Smith); 1 at Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas NERR 23 May (D. Reed); 6 at Playalinda Beach 23 May morning (B. Ahern et al.), 13 there the same evening (E. Kwater), and 1 there (with several storm-petrels too distant to identify) there 24 May (J. Greenlaw, B. Pranty); 25 birds 50-70 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 24 May (M. Brothers et al.). Band-RUMPED Storm-Petrel: 5 between the Marquesas Keys and Dry Tortugas NP 29 Apr (C. Goodrich); 2 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland); 1 bird 60 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 10 May, and 5 birds 50-70 nm off there 24 May (M. Brothers et al.); duos at Playalinda Beach 20 May (M. Harris), and 1 there 23 May (B. Ahern et al., details to FOC). Storm-Petrel species: 40 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). White-tailed Tropicbird: 1 immature 9-10 nm E of Dry Tortugas NP 27 Apr (J. Shep- pard); 1 adult 70 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 24 May (M. Brothers et al.); 1 at Flagler Beach 27 May (M. Brothers, specimen to FLMNH). *Red-BILLED Tropicbird: 1 immature at Flagler Beach 23 May (M. Brothers, specimen to FLMNH); 1 adult off Biscayne NP (Miami-Dade) 23 May (R. Torres et al., accepted by FOSRC). Tropicbird species: 1 E of Dry Tortugas NP 1 May (B. Mulrooney). Masked Booby: 67 at Dry Tortugas NP 16 Mar (T. Johnson et al.); 2 off Miami 30 May (J. Boyd). Brown Booby: 1 at a St. Johns River jetty (Duval) 15 May (L. Johannsen); 20+ off Bis- cayne NP 23 May (R. Torres, T. Mitchell); 1 at Playalinda Beach 24 May (J. Greenlaw, B. Pranty); 1 along Eau Gallie Causeway, Melbourne (Brevard) 31 May (P. Corapi, photo to FOC). Northern Gannet: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 13 May (D. Gagne); 1 at Alligator Point 30 May (J. Murphy). American White Pelican: 75 at New Port Richey 7 Mar (D. Gagne); 140 at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne); 32 at Huguenot Memorial Park 2 May (R Leary). Brown Pelican: 4 over Lake Placid (Highlands) 20 Apr (M. McMillian); 1 at Newnans Lake (Alachua) 9-21 May (J. Hintermister et al.); 2 at Gainesville 20 May (G. Parks). Double-crested Cormorant: 1 leucistic at Weeki Wachee (Hernando) 28 Mar (M. Gardler, photo to FOC). AnhingA: 288 migrated over Talbot Islands SP (Duval) in 3 hrs 3 Apr (P. Leary); 542 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Apr (H. Robinson). Magnificent FrigatebirD: 1 at Gainesville 20 May (S. McKeon). American Bittern: 12 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Mar (H. Robinson). Least Bittern: 35 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 May (H. Robinson). Great Blue Heron: 25 migrated N over Honeymoon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne); 1 white morph at St. Marks NWR 29 Mar (J. Murphy); 1 white morph at Merritt Island 158 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST NWR 16 Apr (D. Freeland); 1 white morph at Englewood (Sarasota) 19 May (S. Daughtrey); 1 white morph at Lake Apopka NSRA to 23 May (H. Robinson). Great Egret: 1 captured a Kentucky Warbler at Fort De Soto Park 22 Apr (D. Bales). Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 10 May (P Laipis). Scarlet Ibis: 1 bred unsuccessfully with a White Ibis at Lakes Park, Fort Myers (Lee) during the season (B. Repenning et al., photos to FOG by G. Campbell). Scarlet Ibis x White Ibis: 1 bred unsuccessfully with a White Ibis at Lakes Park, Fort Myers during the season (B. Repenning et al., photos to FOG by G. Campbell). Glossy Ibis: 460 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Mar (H. Robinson); 2 at Stock Island 21 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 adult in NW Leon 22 Apr (G. Menk, M. Collins); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 1-3 May (B. Mulrooney); 10 off Miami-Dade 30 May (R. Torres et al.). White-faced Ibis: as many as 2 at Lake City (Columbia) to 24 Mar (B. Richter, P. Burns); 1 at McKethan Lake, Withlacoochee SF (Hernando) 17-22 Mar (D, Simpson et al., photos to FOC by M. Erler-Bradshaw et al.). Roseate Spoonbill: 1 at Spring Hill (Hernando) 27 Mar (C. Black); 2 nests with chicks at Coffee Pot Bayou, St. Petersburg 4 Apr (D. & L. Margeson); 9 at Bartow (Polk) 9 May (T. Palmer); 34 at Lake Apopka NSRA 13 May (H. Robinson); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14 May (G. Stephens); 2 at Cross Creek (Alachua) 25 May (M. Manetz); 92 at N St. Augustine (St Johns) 28 May (J. Kern). Wood Stork: 65 including fledglings in NW Leon 22 Apr (G. Menk). Black Vulture: 1 at Stock Island 20 Apr (C. Goodrich). Osprey: 88 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Apr (H. Robinson). Swallow-tailed Kite: 6 at Brandon (Hillsborough) 2 Mar (E. Kwater); more than 55 variously in the W Panhandle during late Mar-early Apr included two singles that flew W over Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa; fide B. Duncan); 1 nest with one chick at Lower Suwannee NWR (Dixie) 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 145 at Lake Apopka NSRA 31 May (H. Robinson). White-tailed Kite: 1 at STA-5, 7 Mar and 3 Apr (M. England et al.); 1 at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs SP (Wakulla) 29 Mar (C. Borg); 1 pair fledged 4 young at Avon Park APR (Highlands) 5 May (D. Rankin). Snail Kite: 10 at STA-5, 9 May (M. England et al.). Mississippi Kite: 2 at Melrose (Alachua) 1 Mar (L. Levin); 21 in NE Leon 3 May (M. Mor- ris). Bald Eagle: 1 adult at Hernando Beach (Hernando) 24 May (A. & B. Hansen). Cooper’s Hawk: 1 pair at St. Petersburg 19 Mar copulated and carried nesting material (E. Haney); 1 nest with young at A. D. Barnes Park (Miami-Dade) 12 May (R. Diaz). Broad-winged Hawk: 1 adult at New Port Richey, where 1 immature wintered, 23 Mar (D. Gagne); 1 adult just W of Macclenny (Baker) 31 May (R. Clark). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 light morph at Key Biscayne (Miami-Dade) 3 Mar (R. Diaz); 1 light morph S of Aripeka (Pasco) 4 Mar (T. Mann); 1 dark morph at Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg 5 Mar (R. Smith, S. Patterson et al.); 1 dark morph at S Merritt Island (Brevard) 7 Apr (D. Freeland); 1 dark morph N of Old Town (Dixie) 10 Apr (S. McCool); 1 adult dark morph at Union Park (Orange) 10 Apr (A. Vinokur); 1 light morph NW of Lacoochee (Pasco) 12 Apr (S. McCool); 1 dark morph at Morris Bridge Park, Tampa (Hillsborough) 17 Apr (B. Ahern); 1 dark morph at Chassahowitzka WMA (Hernando) 8 May (K. Wood); 1 dark morph at Double Branch Creek Preserve (Hillsborough) 11 May (D. Gagne); 1 dark morph at Brandon 15 May (E. Kwater); 1 light morph NE of East Palatka (Putnam) 28 May (B. Pranty); 1 dark morph near Brooker Creek Preserve (Pinellas) 29 May (M. Poling); up to 3 pairs in W Pasco this season (K. Tracey, D. Gagne et al.). Red-tailed Hawk: 1 leucistic adult with a pure white plumage except for a reddish tail and yellow bill and tarsi at Lake Wales (Polk) 6 Mar (K. Holten). Crested CaracarA: 1 at Frog Pond WMA (Miami-Dade) 14 Mar (T. Mitchell). Field Observations 159 Merlin: 5 passed Cape Romano, Rookery Bay NERR {Collier) 28 Apr (T. Below); 1 at Avon Park APR {Highlands) 12 May (G. Schrott). Peregrine Falcon: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 21 Mar (B. Carroll); 2 flew past Cape Romano, Rookery Bay NERR 28 Apr (T. Below). SORA: 1 at Roosevelt Wetlands, St. Petersburg 3 May (D. & L. Margeson); 1 at Honey- moon Island SP 8 May (D. Gagne, E. Kwater). Purple Swamphen: after shooting more than 3100 individuals since 2007, state agencies have given up attempts at eradication, estimating that 2000-3000 swamphens cur- rently occupy the state; 47 at STA-5, 9 May (M. England et aL). Purple Gallinule: 28 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 May (H. Robinson). LimpkiN: as many as 3 at Lake Henrietta, Tallahassee Mar-Apr (G. Menk et aL); 1 at Key West 14 Mar (C. Goodrich). Sandhill Crane: 60 at Blackwater River SF {Santa Rosa) 19 Mar (P. Baker, L. Kelly); 100 at Milton {Santa Rosa) 22 Mar (L. Kelly). Whooping Crane: as many as 7 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 3 Mar-EOS (J. Kilhan et al.). Black-bellied Plover: 43 at Myakka River SP 15 Mar (E. Kwater); 205 at Hone5nnoon Island SP 24 Mar (D, Gagne); 400 at Crandon Park Beach {Miami-Dade) 25 Apr (R. Diaz); 11 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 May (H. Robinson). *Greater Sand-Plover {Charadrius leschenaultii): 1 in alternate plumage at Hugue- not Memorial Park 14-26 May (D. Leary, L. McCullagh et al., photos to FOSRC) fur- nished the second record for the Western Hemisphere, and represents one of the most unexpected vagrants to Florida. Snowy Plover: 1 at Crandon Park {Miami-Dade) to 9 Apr (C, Sanchez); 6 at Caladesi Is- land SP {Pinellas) 20 Apr (M. Korosy, S. Crawford); 2 nests at Little Estero Island CWA {Lee) 16 May (C. Ewell). Wilson’s Plover: 65 at Honeymoon Island SP 19 Mar (D. Gagne); 1 at John U. Lloyd SP {Broward) 26 Apr (M. Berney). Semipalmated Plover: 250 at Boca Chica Key {Monroe) 31 Mar (C. Goodrich); 4 at Three Lakes WMA {Osceola) 26 Apr (B. Sanders); 1 at Gainesville 3 May (P. Laipis); 9 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 May (H. Robinson). Piping Plover; 11 at Shell Key Preserve, St. Petersburg 7 Mar (R. Smith, B. Pranty et al); 25 at Honeymoon Island SP 1 Apr (D. Gagne, E. Kwater et al.); 2 at Boca Chica Key 2 Apr (C, Goodrich); 13 at Caladesi Island SP 20 Apr (M. Korosy, S. Crawford). American OystercatcheR: 3 pairs along the Amelia River {Duval) 25 Apr (P. Leary). Black-necked Stilt: as many as 32 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 17 Mar-EOS (G. Stephens et al.); 3 at Inverness {Citrus) 28 Mar (K. Spilios); 18 at Roosevelt Wetlands 3 May (D. & L. Margeson); 428 at STA-5, 9 May (M. England et al.). American AvoceT: 10 at STA-5, 18 Apr (M. England et al.); 6 at Gulf Islands NS {Santa Rosa) 8 May (B. Duncan). Spotted Sandpiper: 7 at Lake Fannie, Winter Haven {Polk) 2 May (T. Palmer); 8 at Weekiwachee Preserve {Hernando) 9 May (A. & B. Hansen). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 at Ocala NF {Marion) 6 Mar (T. Dunkerton); 1 at Tallahassee 9 Mar (G. Menk); 1 at Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa 12 Mar (B. Ahern); 2 at Alligator Lake {Columbia) 26 Mar (J. Swarr); 4 at Amelia Island SP {Nassau) 23 Apr (B. Pranty); 5 at New Port Richey 15 Apr, and 6 there 3 May (K. Tracey); 3 at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 14 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 at Felts Preserve {Manatee) 2 May (B. Ahern). Greater YellowlegS: 8 at Lake Jackson, Tallahassee 3 Apr (G. Menk). WiLLET: 225 at Hone5mioon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne). Upland Sandpiper: 1 at Cutler Wetlands {Miami-Dade) 8 Apr (R. Torres, C. Sanchez); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Apr, and 1 there 29 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 11-19 Apr (L. Manfredi et al.); 2 at sod fields along Lem Turner Road, Jacksonville 12 Apr (R. Clark); 1 at Key West 22 Apr (C. Goodrich). 160 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Whimbrel: as many as 9 at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Mar-1 Apr (D. Gagne et aL); 2 at Horseshoe Beach {Dixie) 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 2 at Cape Romano, Rookery Bay NERR 23 Apr (T. Below); 3 at John U. Lloyd SP 26 Apr (M. Berney); 3 at Fort De Soto Park {Pinellas) 30 Apr (1. Hernandez); 2 at Pinellas Point, St. Petersburg 2 May (R. Smith); 1 at Grassy Key {Monroe) 9 May (J. Boyd). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 2 Apr and 23-28 May (R. Smith, D. & L. Margeson et aL); 1 at Little Estero Island CWA 16 May (C. Ewell). Ruddy Turnstone: 155 in a variety of plumages at Fort Clinch SP 23 Apr (B. Pranty). Red Knot: 177 at Honeymoon Island SP 13 May (D. Gagne); seasonal high of 1048 (with 114 of these color-banded, 17 in South America) at Fort George Inlet {Duval) 18 May (P. Leary); 100 at Three Rooker Island {Pinellas) 24 May (M. Korosy, L. Kenney). Sanderling: 1 or singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 and 27 May (H. Robinson). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne); 21 at Tram Road STF, Tallahassee 18 May (G. Menk). White-rumped Sandpiper: 1 at Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston {Hendry) 5 May (E. Kwa- ter); 3 at Fort George Inlet 21 May (P. Leary); 112 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 May (H. Robinson); 5 at Pasco Palms Park, Holiday {Pasco) 22 May, and as many as 2 there 30- 31 May (K. Tracey et al.); 3 at Three Rooker Island 24 May (M. Korosy, L. Kenney); 10 at Bunche Beach 24 May (V. McGrath); 320 at Everglades Agricultural Area {Palm Beach) 24 May (M. Berney). Baird’s Sandpiper: 1 at Gulf Breeze 5 Apr (B. & L. Duncan); as many as 2 at Huguenot Memorial Park 21-22 May (A. Harper, J. Wheat). Purple Sandpiper: 2 at Fort Clinch SP 23 Apr (B. Pranty); 1 in alternate plumage at Hu- guenot Memorial Park 27 May (D. Bosler, photos to FOC). Dunlin: 340 at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne). Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 15 Apr (L. Manfredi). Ruff: 1 at Alligator Lake, Lake City 17-28 Mar (P. Burns et al.). Short-billed DOWITCHER: 148 at Hone3mrioon Island SP 24 Mar (D. Gagne); 4 at Pasco Palms Park 31 May (B. Pranty, H. Lovell). Wilson’s PhalaropE: as many as 3 at St. Marks NWR 11-19 Apr (A. Wraithmell et al.). Red-necked Phalarope: 1 female at Port Canaveral {Brevard) 11 Mar (D. Freeland); 5 off Miami 3 May (R. Torres); 2 birds 20-60 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 10 May (M. Brothers, B. Wallace); as many as 3 at Huguenot Memorial Park 18-19 May (R. Clark et al.); 1 at Eco Pond, Everglades NP {Monroe) 20 May (B. Showier, T. Mitchell); 5 at Fort Clinch SP 23 May (R. Smith). Black-legged KittiwakE: l first-summer at Ponce Inlet 26 Mar (M. Brothers; specimen to UCF). Franklin’s Gull: 1 first-summer at Lake Okeechobee Day-Use Area 11-14 Apr (D. Sim- pson). *CaliF0RNIA Gull: single first-winters at Daytona Beach Shores 2 and 23 Mar (M. Brothers, A. Kratter, accepted by FOSRC); 1 adult at Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa 27 Mar (M. Harris, accepted by FOSRC). Herring Gull x Glaucous Gull: single first-winters at Da5rtona Beach Shores 2 and 5 Mar (M. Brothers, A. Kratter). Presumed Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult at Daytona Beach Shores 19 Mar (M. Brothers). *Thayer’S Gull: 1 first- winter at Da5rtona Beach Shores 2 Mar (M. Brothers, A. Kratter, accepted by FOSRC); 2 first-cycles at Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa 6 Mar (M. Har- ris, accepted by FOSRC). *Iceland Gull: at least 4 first-winters at Daytona Beach Shores 2-25 Mar, with 3 on 2 Mar (M. Brothers, A. Kratter, accepted by FOSRC); 1 first-winter at Central Disposal Field Observations 161 Facility, Cocoa 13 Mar (M. Harris, accepted by FOSRC); 1 second-winter at Fort Is- land Gulf Beach 10 Mar-18 Apr (R Bazany, D. Simpson, accepted by FOSRC). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 87 at Cutler Wetlands 6 Mar (C. Goodrich); 24 at Stock Is- land 24 Mar (C, Goodrich). Glaucous Gull: at least 4 first-winters at and near Da5d;ona Beach Shores 2-25 Mar (M. Brothers); 1 first- winter at Talbot Islands SP 31 Mar (P. Leary); 1 at the St. Johns River 23 Apr (R. Clark); 1 at Canaveral Air Force Station (Brevard) 7 May (D, Bales); 1 first-winter at New Smyrna Beach 13 May (M, Brothers). Black Noddy: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 19 Apr-3 May (L. Manfredi et aL). Sooty Tern: 2 at Fort George Inlet 19 May (R. Clark); 2 at Newnans Lake 20 May (J. Hintermister); 25 birds 50-90 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 24 May (M. Brothers et aL); 1 found dead at Barefoot Beach (Collier) 29 May (J. Bachrach). Bridled Tern: 14 at Fort George Inlet 19 May (R. Clark); 40 off Biscayne NP 23 May (R. Torres, T. Mitchell et aL). Least Tern: 10 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 23 Mar (M. Brothers); 1 at Viera Wetlands 24 Mar (D. Freeland); 1 at Dunedin causeway (Pinellas) 30 Mar (M. Gardler); 64 nests at Lit- tle Estero Island CWA 16 May (C. Ewell). Gull-billed Tern: 1 in alternate plumage at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Apr (M. Brothers); 16 incubating pairs (of 36 adults present) at Big Bird Island, Nassau Sound (Duval) 16 May lost their nests during strong winds and tides 19-21 May (P. Leary). Caspian Tern: 1 at Newnans Lake 20 May (J. Hintermister). Black Tern: 1 in basic plumage at Bald Point SP 11 Apr (J. Murphy); 1 at Newnans Lake 21 May (L. Davis); 8 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). Roseate Tern: 40 at Marathon (Monroe) 17 May (B. Rapoza). Common Tern: 1 in almost complete alternate plumage at Fort Island Gulf Beach 1 Apr (M. Gardler); 27 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Apr (D. Gagne); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 May (H. Robinson). Arctic Tern: 2 in alternate plumage at Ponce de Leon Inlet 19 and 23 May (M. Brothers, details to FOC); 2 at Boynton Inlet (Palm Beach) 23 May (B. Hope); 1 in alternate plumage at Huguenot Memorial Park 23-26 May (R. Cass, L. McCullagh et aL, photos to FOC by D. Irizarry). Forster’s Tern: 1 at Newnans Lake 21 May (L. Davis). Royal Tern: 1 at Land O’ Lakes (Pasco) 19 Mar (M. White); 375 nests at Three Rooker Island 24 Apr (M. Korosy). Sandwich Tern: 1 at Pine Island Park (Hernando) 28 May (C. Black et aL). POMARINE Jaeger; 1 at Huguenot Memorial Park 18 May (J. Wheat). Parasitic Jaeger: 1 injured sub-adult at Huguenot Memorial Park 4 Apr (K. Dailey). White-winged Dove: 1 at Alligator Point 4 Apr (J. Murphy). Common Ground-Dove: 21 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP (Miami-Dade) 19 Mar (R. Diaz). COCKATIEL: 1 with 2 Blue-crowned Parakeets at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale 5 Apr (M. Berney); 1 gray morph at Genius Drive Nature Preserve, Winter Park (Or- ange) 26 Apr (B. Anderson et aL). Monk Parakeet: 1 at Leesburg (Lake) 24 Apr (L. Streeper). Blue-crowned Parakeet: 11 at Evergreen Cemetery 14 Mar (R. Titus). Red-crowned Parrot: 3 at N St. Petersburg 9 Apr (D. Margeson). Lilac-crowned Parrot: 2 at Matheson Hammock Park (Miami-Dade) 4 Apr entered a cavity (D. Simpson). Orange-winged Parrot: 1 associated with a Monk Parakeet (even perching on the Monk’s nest when the Monk was inside) at Markham Park (Broward) 15 May (B. Pranty, J. Greenlaw). Mangrove Cuckoo: 1 at Matheson Hammock Park 30 Mar (R. Torres); 1 at Boca Chica Key 31 Mar (C. Goodrich); 1 at Wolf Branch Creek Preserve (Hillsborough) 31 May (K. Allen). 162 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Black-billed Cuckoo: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 21 Apr (T. Mossbarger et al.); 1 along Tamiami Trail (Miami-Dade) 16 May (R. Torres). Smooth-billed Ani: 4 at Dania Beach {Broward) 14-18 Mar (J. Kellam et al.). Short-eared Owl: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 16 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 of the Antillean race at Bonnet House {Broward) 29 May (T. Friedel, photo to FOC). Lesser Nighthawk: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 16 Apr (L. Manfredi). Common Nighthawk: 1 at Brandon 31 Mar (E. Kwater); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 4 Apr (D. Gagne et al.); 10 flew NNE past Rookery Bay NERR 17 Apr (T. Below et al.). Chuck- WILL’S-WIDOW: 3 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg 5 Mar (R, Smith); 1 heard calling in N Baker 10 Mar (B. Richter). Whip-poor-will: 7 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 in song at Inverness 31 Mar (K. Spilios). Chimney Swift: 120 at one roost at New Port Richey 9 Apr (K. Tracey). *White-THROATED Swift {Aeronautes saxatalis): 1 on a condominium balcony at Na- varre Beach {Santa Rosa) 9 Apr that was released at Innerarity Point {Escambia) 26 May (C. Beattie, photos by D. Kaufmann and L. Duncan, accepted by FOSRC) fur- nished the first Florida record. Rufous Hummingbird: 2 at Valrico {Hillsborough) to 14 Mar (S. Backes). Red-headed Woodpecker: 2 at Royal Palm Cemetery {Pinellas) 12 Mar (A. Wallace); 1 adult at Fort De Soto Park 28 Apr (R. Smith). Acadian Flycatcher: 4 in song at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern). Least Flycatcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA to 25 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 that called re- peatedly at Fort De Soto Park 22 Apr (A. & B. Hansen et al.). Say’s Phoebe: 1 near Astatula {Lake) to 12 Mar (J. Swarr). Vermilion Flycatcher: 1 male at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) to 11 Mar (K. Jones), Ash-throated Flycatcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Apr (H. Robinson). Great Crested Flycatcher: 1 at Gainesville 13 Mar (L. Hensley); 2 at John Chesnut Park, Tarpon Springs 15 Mar (D. & L. Margeson); 1 at Inverness 31 Mar (K. Spilios). Brown-crested Flycatcher: 1 along C-lllE Canal, Homestead {Miami-Dade) 7-21 Mar (R. Torres, T. Mitchell et al.); 1 at Matheson Hammock Park 31 Mar (R. Torres, L. Manfredi et al.). La Sagra’S Flycatcher: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 11 Apr (L. Manfredi et al.); 1 second-year banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz, photos to FOC). *Tropical Kingbird: 1 at '‘Dump Marsh,” Homestead to 10 Apr (R. Torres, M. Berney et al.). Western Kingbird: 4 at Imeson Airport {DuvaDAA^r (R. Clark); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 30 Apr-7 May (B. Duncan, P. James); as many as 44 (18 Mar) at The Villages {Marion) to 8 May (J. Dinsmore); 1 at Bartow 9 May (T. Palmer). Eastern Kingbird: 12 at Weekiwachee Preserve 15 Apr (A. & B. Hansen). Gray Kingbird: 14 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (D. Gagne); 2 at Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston 5 May (E. Kwater). *Loggerhead Kingbird: 1 leucistic at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 12-23 Apr (C. Goodrich, L. Manfredi et al., accepted by FOSRC). SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: singles at St. Marks NWR 29 Mar (J. Murphy, A. Knothe) and 14 Apr (B. Phelan); 6 at Key West 15 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Gulf Breeze 17 Apr (B. Duncan); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 7 May (P. James). Fork-tailed Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 25-26 Apr (C. Goodrich, B. Wallace et al.). Bell’s Vireo: 1 at Woodmont Natural Area {Broward) 2 Mar-17 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Ti- tus et al.); 2 at Frog Pond WMA {Miami-Dade) 7-21 Mar (R. Torres, T Mitchell et al.); 1 in song at Sugden Regional Park, Naples {Collier) 11-16 Apr (A. Murray, D. Thur- ston); 1 at Boca Raton 20 Apr (B. Hope). Field Observations 163 Warbling VireO: 1 in song at Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral 23 Apr (P. Mansfield, details to FOC). Red-eyed Vireo: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Mar (H. Robinson). Black-whiskered Vireo: 10 at Key West 16-17 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 24-29 Apr (R. Greenspun, D, & L. Margeson et aL); 1 in song at Green Key, New Port Richey 20 May (K. Tracey). Horned Lark: 4 (including 2 in song for 20 minutes) in corn-stubble fields along Concord Road (Jackson) 30 May (D. Simpson). Tree Swallow: 50,000 at Fort Island Gulf Beach 24 Mar (M. Gardler). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 1 at Alligator Point 8 Mar (J. Murphy); 1 at Talla- hassee 9 Mar (G. Menk). Bank Swallow: 5 at St. Petersburg 20 Mar (D. Margeson); 6 at Hone5rmoon Island SP 13 May (D. Gagne); 6 at Newnans Lake 20 May (J. Hintermister). Cliff Swallow: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Mar and 6 May, and 2 there 21 May (H. Robinson); 1 at Boca Chica Key 22 Apr (C. Goodrich). Cave Swallow: as many as 6 P. f. pallida and a few P. f. fulva at Key West 6 and 20-22 Mar and 12-17 Apr (C. Goodrich); singles at Honeymoon Island SP 10 Mar (D. Gagne) and 1 Apr (D, Gagne, E. Kwater); 4 at Wakodahatchee Wetlands (Palm Beach) 17 Mar (R. Titus); 1 at St. Marks NWR 29 Mar (J. Murphy, A. Knothe). Barn Swallow: 70 at Viera Wetlands 6 Mar (D. Freeland); 300 at Fort George Island 21- 22 May (R. Clark); 420 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 May (H. Robinson). Carolina Chickadee: 1 at Altamonte Springs (Seminole) 23 Apr (P. Hueber); 7 (pair and 5 juveniles) at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 May (H. Robinson). Brown-headed Nuthatch: 1 at St. George Island (Franklin) 14 Apr (J. Cavanagh). Winter Wren: 1 at Gainesville to 20 Mar (C. Gordon). Sedge Wren: 1 at Double Branch Creek Preserve 11 May (D. Gagne). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 55 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 3 Mar (R. Diaz); 53 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Mar (H. Robinson); 50 at Key West 22 Mar (C. Goodrich). Gray-cheeked Thrush: 1 at St. George Island 14 Apr (J. Cavanagh). Swainson’S Thrush: 4 at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern). Wood Thrush: 1 at Fort Clinch SP to 20 Mar (P. Leary); 1 in song at Vaill Point (St. Johns) 15 Mar (D. Reed); 2 at Pinecraft Park 8 Apr (K. Young, R. Greenspun); 6 at Key West 17 Apr (C. Goodrich); 5 at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 5 at Fort De Soto Park 19 Apr (J. Hooks et aL); 7 at Hone3rmoon Island SP 24 Apr (D. Gagne). Catharus SPECIES: 500 estimated at Dry Tortugas NP 15-16 May, in order of decreasing abundance: Wood, Swainson’s, Gray-cheeked, and Veery (L. Manfredi). American Robin: 1 leucistic at Deer Prairie Creek Preserve (Sarasota) 7 Mar (B. & M. Dunson, photos to FOC); reported at two sites in Pensacola 28 May (L. Duncan, J. Green); several new breeding sites in the Tallahassee area (fide G. Menk). Gray Catbird: 104 at Hone3mioon Island SP 8 Apr (D. Gagne). Bahama Mockingbird: 1 at Stock Island 17-25 Apr (C. Goodrich). American Pipit: 105 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Mar (H. Robinson). Sprague’s Pipit: 11 at Site B-70, Eglin AFB (Okaloosa) 21 Mar (L. Fenimore); 1 at Apalachicola (Franklin) 4 Apr (J. Murphy, J. Cavanagh). Cedar Waxwing: 125 at Bradenton 18 Mar (W. Stinehelfer); 150 at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale 22-26 Apr (M. Berney et aL); 100 at West Kendall (Miami-Dade) 22 Apr (J. Boyd); 260 at St. Petersburg 24 Apr (D. Margeson); 125 at Plantation Linear Preserve, Plantation (Broward) 25 Apr (R. Titus); 645 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Apr, and 30 there 13 May (H. Robinson). Blue-winged Warbler: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 8 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at St. George Is- land 14 Apr (J. Cavanagh) and 19 Apr (C. Borg); 1 at Evergreen Cemetery 14 Apr (J. Hutchison); 1 at Gainesville 17 Apr (G. Parks); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 19 Apr (J. Hooks et aL); 1 at N St. Augustine 23 Apr (J. Kern). 164 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Golden-winged Warbler: 1 male at Merritt Island NWR 17 Apr (M. Harris); 1 male at Honeymoon Island SP 24 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 male at Fort De Soto Park 25 Apr (A. Bankert et al.); 1 male at St. Petersburg 30 Apr (E. Haney). Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 16 Apr (L. Manfredi); 1 at Hugh Tay- lor Birch SP, Fort Lauderdale 18 Apr (M. Berney, B. Roberts); 1 at Key West 18 Apr (C. Goodrich). Nashville Warbler: 1 at Jacksonville 5 Mar (J. Cocke); 1 male at Morris Bridge Park, Tampa 9 Mar (B. Ahern); 1 at Key West 11 Mar (C, Goodrich); 1 at Gulf Breeze 15 Mar (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Royal Palm, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 21 Mar (B. Boeringer); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 15-17 Apr (L. Manfredi). Yellow Warbler: 1 at Captiva Island (Lee) 21 May (V. McGrath). Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 8 Apr (J. Hooks); 1 male at Honey- moon Island SP 21 Apr (D. Gagne). Magnolia Warbler: 1 at Gainesville 31 Mar (B. Simons). Cape May Warbler: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 31 Mar, and 42 there 28 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 female at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 38 at New Port Richey 27 Apr, and 30 there 28 Apr (D. Gagne); 82 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 30 at Evergreen Cemetery 22 Apr (R. Titus); 133 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). Yellow-RUMPED Warbler: 320 at Honeymoon Island SP 9 Mar, and 1 there 24 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at Key West 8 Apr (C. Goodrich); 4 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Apr (H. Robinson). Black-throated Gray Warbler: 1 at Bill Sadowski Park {Miami-Dade) 7 Mar (B. Pon- with et al., photos to FOC by T. Mitchell). Black-throated Green Warbler: 1 at Pinecraft Park 8 Apr (K. Young, R. Greenspun); 2 at Hone5nnoon Island SP 16-17 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at Green Key 17 Apr (K. Tracey); 1 at Fort George Island 23 Apr (R. Clark). *Kirtland’s Warbler: 1 color-banded male at Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach {Brevard) 24 Apr (B. & K. Keskinens, accepted by FOSRC) was banded in Oscoda, Michigan during 2008. Palm Warbler: 199 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Apr (H. Robinson); 49 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 28 Apr (D. Gagne); 60 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). Bay-breasted Warbler: 1 male at St. Petersburg 30 Apr (D. Margeson). Blackpoll Warbler: 156 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith); 100 at Fort George Island 21-22 May (R. Clark); 3 at Big Talbot Island SP {Duval) 27 May (B. Pranty). Black-and-white Warbler: 30 at Fort De Soto Park 26 Apr (G. Schrott, D. Rankin). American Redstart: 21 at Honeymoon Island SP 28 Apr (D. Gagne); 45 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith); 150 at Fort George Island 21-22 May (R. Clark). Worm-eating Warbler: 1 at Gainesville 2 Apr (G. Kiltie); 1 at Lake Deaton Park {Sumter) 1 May (J. Dinsmore). SWAINSON'S WARBLER: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 16 Mar (T. Johnson et al.); 4 at Fort Za- chary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 22 Mar (C. Goodrich); 1 at Pinecraft Park 9-11 Apr (J, Fisher et al.); singles at Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach {Volusia) 10 and 14 (banded) Apr (M. Wilson); singles at Honeymoon Island SP 11 Apr (E. Kwater) and 30 Apr-1 May, and 2 there 17 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at Largo {Pinellas) 29 Apr (C. Evans). OVENBIRD: 60 at Hugh Taylor Birch SP and 26 at Evergreen Cemetery 22 Apr (M. Ber- ney); 60 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). Northern Waterthrush: 18 at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 24 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Apr (H. Robinson); 17 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith); 4 along the Weeki Wachee River {Hernando) 16 May (C. Black); 1 at Green Key 30 May (K. Tracey). Field Observations 165 Louisiana Waterthrush: 2 at Morris Bridge Park, Tampa 2 Mar (B. Ahern); 2 at Homo- sassa Springs Wildlife SP {Citrus) 3 Mar (D. Simpson); 22 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 18 Apr-1 May (R. Smith, C. Rasmussen et al.); singles at Key West 21, 22, and 24 Apr (C. Goodrich). Kentucky Warbler: 5 at Fort De Soto Park 8 Apr (M. Wilkinson et al.); 1 at Coconut Point Sanctuary, Melbourne {Brevard) 12 Apr (A. Vinokur); 1 adult male at Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange {Volusia) 13 Apr (M. Brothers); 1 at Union Park {Orange) 14 Apr (A. Vinokur); 1 at Gainesville 17 Apr (G. Parks). Connecticut Warbler: 1 at A. D. Barnes Park 9 & 11 May (C. Sanchez, R. Torres). Mourning Warbler: 1 second-year male at Brandon 27 Apr (E. Kwater). Common Yellowthroat: 81 at Honeymoon Island SP 30 Apr (D. Gagne); 190 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). Hooded Warbler: 1 female at St. Petersburg 19 Mar (E. Haney); 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Mar (H. Robinson); 6 in song at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern); 5 or more in a loose flock at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP, Port Richey {Pasco) 18 Apr (K. Tracey, B, Pranty, J, Greenlaw). Wilson’s Warbler: 2 at A. D. Barnes Park 1-9 Mar (T. Mitchell); 1 near Flamingo, Ev- erglades NP {Monroe) 26 Mar (C. Sanchez); 1 male at Pinecraft Park 11-15 Apr (V. Ponzo, J. Fisher et al.); 1 female at Hone5nnoon Island SP 22 Apr (D. Gagne). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 at Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area {Mi- ami-Dade) 14 Mar (M. Berney); as many as 10 daily at Lake Apopka NSRA 8 Apr- EOS (H. Robinson). Summer Tanager: 1 at Temple Terrace {Hillsborough) 12 Mar (B. Ahern); 6 at Pinecraft Park 8 Apr (K. Young, R. Greenspun); 5 at Honeymoon Island SP 8 Apr (D. Gagne). Scarlet Tanager: 6 at Pinecraft Park 15 Apr (K. Young). Western Tanager: 1 male at Niceville {Okaloosa) 9-10 Mar (B. Hardison, K. Jones); 1 male at Tallahassee 22 Mar, and 1 female there 5 Apr (F. Rutkovsky); 1 male at Groom Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest 27 Mar (A. Roush et al., details to FOC). Western Spindalis: 1 male at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale 12 Mar (J. Snider- man); 1 black-backed male at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 28-29 Apr (C. Cummings, M. Hedden et al.); 1 second black-backed male at Indigenous Park, Key West 29 Apr (M. Hedden, photos to FOC by P. Davis); 1 black-backed male (same as one of the previous two?) at Stock Island 3 May (C. Goodrich); 1 black-backed male at Snyder Park, Fort Lauderdale 4-6 May (B. Roberts et al.); 1 male at Seacrest Scrub Natural Area, Boynton Beach {Palm Beach) 19 May (R. Crandall). *YelloW“FACED Grassquit: 1 male at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 20-27 Apr (C. Goodrich, L. Manfredi et al., photos to FOSRC). Clay-colored Sparrow: 1 at Eco Pond, Everglades NP {Monroe) 1 Mar (P. Bithorn); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Fernandina Beach {Nassau) 21 Mar (T. Johnson et al.); 1 at Wimauma {Hillsborough) 23-27 Mar (L. Deaner); 1 in song at Cedar Key 15-18 Apr (D. Henderson). Field Sparrow: 1 at Tallahassee 20 Mar (G. Menk). Savannah Sparrow: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 30 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at Archer {Ala- chua) 22 May (J. Hinson). Le Conte’s Sparrow: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP to 8 Mar (D, Gagne et al.); 1 at Talbot Islands SP 2 Apr (R. Clark); 1 in song at Weekiwachee Preserve 10 Apr (M. Gardler); 1 at Avon Park AFR {Highlands) 14 Apr (D. Rankin); 1 at Gamble Rogers SP {Flagler) 23 Apr (D. Simpson). Nelson’s Sparrow: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP to 13 May (D. Gagne). Saltmarsh Sparrow: at least 2 at Shell Key Preserve, St. Petersburg 7 Mar (R. Smith, B. Pranty et al., photos to FOC); 2 at Honeymoon Island SP to 10 Mar (D. Gagne). Seaside Sparrow: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP to 19 Mar (D. Gagne et al.). Song Sparrow: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 18 Mar (D. Freeland). 166 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Lincoln’s Sparrow: 1 at Two Mile Prairie Tract, Withlacoochee SF (Citrus) 12 Mar (D. Simpson); 1 at Boca Ciega Millennium Park, Seminole (Pinellas) 22 Mar (D. Marge- son). Swamp Sparrow: 4 at Hone3nnoon Island SP 30 Apr (D. Gagne); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 13 May (H. Robinson). White-throated Sparrow: 7 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Mar (H. Robinson). *Harris’S Sparrow: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP to 11 Mar (L. Davis et al.). White-crowned Sparrow: 13 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 adult at Fort Clinch SP (Nassau) 22 Apr (B. Pranty). Northern Cardinal: 266 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Apr (H. Robinson). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 along C-lllE Canal 7 Mar (C. Sanchez et al.); 1 imma- ture male at Mahogany Hammock, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 7 Mar (J. Boyd); 12 at Key West 19 Apr (C. Goodrich); 20 at Honeymoon Island SP 21 Apr (D. Gagne). Black-headed Grosbeak: 1 male at Lakeland 8 Mar (fide C. Geanangel, photo to FOC). Blue Grosbeak: 1 male at Sorrento (Lake) 29 Mar (C. Pierce); 11 at Key West 9 Apr (C. Goodrich); 19 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). *Lazuli Bunting: 1 second-year male at Oviedo (Seminole) 4 Mar- 19 Apr (R. Chris- tensen fide M. Acken, accepted by FOSRC). Indigo Bunting: 2 at Lake Seminole Park, Largo 4 Mar (D. Ivey); as many as 135 (21 Mar) at Fort Pierce (St. Lucie) to 28 Mar (A. & S. Comer); 20 at Key West 8 Apr (C. Goodrich); 54 (49 males) at East Palatka (Putnam) 17 Apr (P. Bowen); 23 at Honey- moon Island SP 21 Apr (D. Gagne); 20 at Fort De Soto Park 21 Apr (R. Smith); 19 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 May (H. Robinson). Painted Bunting: 6 at San Antonio (Pasco) 7 Mar had wintered (K. Tracey); as many as 43 (7 Mar) at Fort Pierce to 28 Mar (A. & S. Comer); 5 males at Honeymoon Island SP 8 Apr (D, Gagne); 1 male at Tallahassee 12 Apr (M. Forehand); as many as 4 daily at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Apr-EOS (H. Robinson). Passerina SPECIES: 1 adult male Indigo-type bunting with grayish wingbars and a white belly banded at Tomoka SP 22 Apr (M. Wilson, photos to FOC) was thought to be an Indigo X Lazuli bunting hybrid, the first for Florida. Dickcissel: 1 at St. George Island SP (Franklin) 19 Apr (J. Murphy, C. Borg); 1 at Gainesville 31 Mar (L. Hensley); 1 female at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 30 Apr (R. Diaz). Bobolink: 50 at St. Marks NWR 26 Apr (D. Bryan); 120 at Brandon 27 Apr (E. Kwater); 200 at the Celery Fields (Sarasota) 30 Apr (J. Palmer); 1730 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 May (H. Robinson); 200 or more at Bystre Lake (Hernando) 3 May (D. Robbins); 23 at Green Key 20 May (K. Tracey); 1 adult male at Bald Point SP 30 May (J. Murphy). Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA to 1 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Cut- ler Ridge (Miami-Dade) 1-12 Mar (R. Torres, T. Mitchell); 1 at Homestead 7 Mar (L. Manfredi); 2 (female and male) at Cocoa (Brevard) 18 Mar-23 Apr (D. Sphar, D. Freeland et al.); 1 male at Port St. Lucie (St. Lucie) 21-22 Mar (D. Hull). Rusty Blackbird: 4 at Lutz (Pasco) 1-9 Mar (D. Bowman). Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 female in NW Duval 5 Apr (R. Clark). Boat-tailed Grackle: 2 (female and male) Fort Walton Beach 13 Apr (K. Jones). Shiny Cowbird: 1 at Castellow Hammock Park (Miami-Dade) 1 Mar (R. Hammer); 1 at Homestead 7 Mar (L. Manfredi); 1 female at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Apr, 1 male there 19 Apr, and both there 22 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 female at Dry Tortugas NP 16 Apr (L. Manfredi); 1 at Weeki Wachee 17 Apr (M. Gardler) furnished the first report for Her- nando-, 1 at Cedar Key, where annual since 1990, 28 Apr-EOS (D. Henderson); 1 male at St. Petersburg 1-30 May (D. & L. Margeson, R. Smith); as many as 2 males at Fla- mingo, Everglades NP 1-20 May (B. Showier et al.); 1 at Alligator Point 6 May (J. Mur- phy); 1 male at Pensacola 12-13 May (A. &. D. Forster). Field Observations 167 Bronzed Cowbird: 1 male at Cedar Key 21 Mar and 28 Apr (M. Hafner, D, Henderson et aL); 1 at Tallahassee 25 Apr (B. Hudgens) provided the first Leon report; 1 singing male at Plantation Linear Preserve 22 May (R. Titus). Orchard Oriole: 8 at New Port Richey 8 Apr (K. Tracey); 15 at Honeymoon Island SP 8 Apr (D. Gagne); as many as 14 daily at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Apr (H. Robinson); sin- gles at Genius Drive Nature Preserve, Winter Park 12, 15, and 21 Apr (B, Anderson et aL); 1 pair that built a nest at The Villages (Sumter) by 17 Apr were feeding nestlings 16 May (P. Mstico, J. Dinsmore); 11 at Lower Suwannee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern). *BulL0CK’S Oriole: 1 female at Tallahassee 10 Mar (E Rutkovsky, accepted by FOSRC). Baltimore Oriole: 1 male at Pensacola to 14 Mar (B. Tetlow); 1 male at Lower Suwan- nee NWR 18 Apr (B. Ahern). House Finch: 2 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 3 Mar (R. Diaz); 2 (male and female-plum- aged) at Naples 23 Mar (A. Murray); 1 in song at Port Charlotte 6 Apr (D. Quilty); 1 male at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 26 Apr (M. Gardler, photo to FOC); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). Pine Siskin: 2 in Putnam 8 Mar (C. Levreault); 2 at Sorrento 15-29 Mar (C. Pierce); as m.any as 18 at Sanford (Seminole) to 15 Mar (M. Machovina); 2 at Tallahassee 4 Apr (F. Rutkovsky); as many as 40 at DeLand (Volusia) toll Apr (P. May); 1 at Pensacola 16 Apr (A. Harper); 3 at Tallahassee to 25 Apr (J. Langley); 2 at Alligator Point 19 Apr (J. Murphy); as many as 80 at Salt Springs (Marion) during the season, with 1 to 13 May (A. Luzader). American Goldfinch: 1 male at Putnam 25 May (C. Levreault). Nutmeg Mannikin: 1 adult at Green Key 27 Apr (K. Tracey, photo to FOC). Bishop species: 1 in female plumage at Key Largo (Monroe) 14 May (L. Manfredi). Contributors! Mary Acken, Brian Ahern, Ken Allen, Bruce Anderson, Jan Bachrach, Steve Backes, Peggy Baker, Danny Bales, Andy Bankert, Pat Bazany, Clive Beattie, Ted Below, Mark Berney, Paul Bithorn, Clay Black, Bill Boeringer, Chris Borg, Devin Bosler, David Bowman, John Boyd, Andy Boyle, Michael Brothers, Dana Bryan, Geri Bucheit, Patricia Burns, Gail Campbell, Bob Carroll, Rachel Cass, Jim Cavanagh, Liz Childress, Roger Clark, Julie Cocke, Marvin Collins, Allie & Sam Comer, Patty Corapi, Ron Crandall, Sid Crawford, Cindy Cummings, Kevin Dailey, Susan Daughtrey, Lloyd Davis, Phil Davis, Lauren Deaner, Robin Diaz, James Dinsmore, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Bill & Mary Dunson, Jim Eager, Margaret England, Myma Erler-Bradshaw, Christina Evans, Charlie Ewell, Linda Felker, Lenny Fenimore, Jeff Fisher, Melissa Forehand, Ann & Dan Forster, David Freeland, Tom Friedel, Dave Gagne, Murray Gardler, Chuck Geanangel, Carl Goodrich, Carol Goodyear, Caleb Gor- don, Johnny Green, Jon Greenlaw, Rick Greenspun, Matt Hafner, Roger Hammer, Erik Haney, A1 & Bev Hansen, Blake Hardison, Alex Harper, Mitchell Harris, Mark Hedden, Dale Henderson, Linda Hensley, Irene Hernandez, June Hinson, John Hintermister, Katrina Holten, Jeff Hooks, Brian Hope, Bill Hudgens, Paul Hueber, Dotty Hull, John Hutchison, Dan Irizarry, Don Ivey, Patrick James, Laura Johannsen, Tom Johnson, Kelly Jones, Dorothy Kaufmann, John Kellam, Les Kelly, Lillian Kenney, Jackie Kern, Barbara & Ken Keskinens, John Killian, Grace Kiltie, Alan Knothe, Marianne Korosy, Andy Kratter, Ed Kwater, Phil Laipis, Janeen Langley, Doris Leary, Patrick Leary, Laura Levin, Cathy Levreault, Cecelia Lockwood, Joyce Long, Holly Lovell, Angela Luzader, Michelle Machovina, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, Tim Mann, Phyllis Mans- field, Don & Lorraine Margeson, Bill & Eleanor Marr, Peter May, Sean McCool, Lenore McCullagh, Vince McGrath, Sea McKeon, Mike McMillian, Gail Menk, Trey Mitchell, Matt Morris, Tina Mossbarger, Brennan Mulrooney, John Murphy, Alan Murray, Paul Nistico, Jeff Palmer, Tom Palmer, Geoff Parks, Scott Patterson, Matt Paulson, Bill Phelan, Cheri Pierce, Matthew Poling, Bonnie Ponwith, Valerie Ponzo, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Dianne Quilty, Dave Rankin, Brian Rapoza, Chris Rasmussen, Diane Reed, 168 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Bob Repenning, Bob Richter, Dotty Robbins, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, Al Roush, Rex Rowan, Fran Rutkovsky, Carlos Sanchez, Bob Sanders, Greg Schrott, Frances Seiler, Jay Sheppard, Bob Showier, Bob Simons, David Simpson, Ron Smith, Jerry Sni- derman, Doug Sphar, Ken Spilios, Alex Stark, Joyce Stefancic, Greg Stephens, Wes Stinehelfer, Leann Streeper, Jim Swarr, Betsy Tetlow, Dave Thurston, Russ Titus, Rob- erto Torres, Ken Tracey, Alex Vinokur, Al Wallace, Bob Wallace, James Wheat, Michelle White, Meret Wilson, Kristin Wood, Andy Wraithmell, and Terry Wright. Winter 2008-2009 report not published previously: Black Swan: two adults and four juveniles at Palm Harbor (Pinellas) 19 Feb (Bill Pranty, Darcy Stumbaugh). Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662, ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ; Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ), Andy Banker! (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ); John H, Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ). Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ), Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304, no e-mail), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ). BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8568 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger William Post David Hartgrove 169 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989): Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. EOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Kobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 170 Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Managing/Copy Editor: Tom WEBBER, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: tweb- ber@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aol.com Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: Tom Palmer, 1805 26th Street, N.W, Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. Rodgers, Jr., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E- mail: james.rodgers@myfwc.com Web Page Editor: Stephen Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please con- sult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/FFN/ FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 37, No. 4 November 2009 Pages 115-170 CONTENTS ARTICLES First record of Least Grebes (Tachyhaptus dominicus) nesting in Florida Lee M. Hasse and O. David Hasse 115 The effects of fire on the breeding ecology of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) and Bachman’s Sparrows (Aimophila aestivalis) Dustin W. Perkins, W. Gregory Shriver, and Peter D. Vickery 121 NOTES Nesting of Sooty Terns {Onychoprion fuscatus) in the eastern Panhandle of Florida John Murphy 146 A recent capture of a large American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Florida Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Michael S. Cherkiss, Michael R. Rochford, and Frank J Mazzotti 149 Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) chick forages on small finfish Patrick Leary 151 REVIEW On the Wings of Cranes — Larry Walkinshaw’s Life Story, by Lowell M. Schake Stephen A. Nesbitt 153 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Spring report: March-May 2009 Bill Pranty 155 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends ofFFN 169 FOS Special Publications 170 Qu on .f(^ f(j^ Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 1 March 2010 Pages 1-42 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: JEROME A. JACKSON, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Ft. Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: jjackson@fgcu.edu Vice President: Elena Sachs, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1239 SW 10th St., Ocala, FL 34471. E-mail: elena.sachs@myfwc.com Secretary: JAMES Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasurer: PETER G. MERRITT, 8558 SE Sharon St., Hobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmerritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural His- tory, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2010 Karl E. Miller, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: karl.miller@m3rfwc.com Ann F. Paul, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: apaul@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2011 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: Dgood389@aol.com Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@myfwc.com Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Larry Manfredi, Birding Tours, Inc., P.O. Box 343002, Homestead, FL 33034 Paul Miller, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 NW 192nd Ave., Okeechobee, FL 34972. E-mail: Paul.Miller@dep.state.fl.us Honorary Members Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999; Fred E. Lohrer 2009 All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, especially its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing to the Treasurer. Annual mem- bership dues are $25 for individual members, $30 for a family membership, $15 for stu- dents, $45 for contributing members, and $40 for institutional membership; add $5 for overseas delivery. One-time contributions for life membership are $400 for individuals and $500 for families. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is published quarterly (March, May, September, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Ornitho- logical Society is Division of Birds, Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum Road at Newell Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Maech 2010 Pages 1-42 VOL. 38, No. 1 Florida Field Naturalist 38(l):l-7, 2010. FIRST BREEDING RECORD OF THE BRONZED COWBIRD (Molothrus aeneus) IN FLORIDA Bill Pranty^ and Arthur Nelson^ ^8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: hillpranty@hotmaiLcom ^225 SW 5th Street, Dania, Florida 33004-3939 Abstract.^ — -We document the first record of Bronzed Cowbird {Molothrus aeneus) breeding in Florida, based on photographs of a fledgling cowbird following and being fed by a Spot-breasted Oriole {Icterus pectoralis) at Dania, Broward County, in July 2009. We discuss other summer sightings of Bronzed Cowbirds in Florida, including two previous reports of fledglings fed by other icterids. Bronzed Cowbirds {Molothrus aeneus) have benefitted greatly from human settlement of North America. Prior to 1940, their breeding range in the United States was confined to Texas, but it now encom- passes parts of Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico (Ellison and Lowther 2009) and Florida (this note). Bronzed Cowbirds were first observed in Florida in 1962 (Truchot 1962) and are now permanent residents in southeastern Florida. The two previous observations that suggested breeding in Florida were not accompanied by verifiable evidence. Here we provide photographic documentation of a fledgling Bronzed Cowhird in Florida during July 2009, and discuss previous reports that suggested breeding in the state. Results Discovery.— On 25 July 2009, Nelson noted that the resident pair of Spot-hreasted Orioles {Icterus pectoralis) in his neighborhood at Dania, Broward County, was accompanied by one cowbird fledgling (Fig. 1) and no oriole fledglings. Over the next six days. Nelson observed the cowbird fledgling for a total of six hours. During this period, the oriole 1 2 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. Fledgling Bronzed Cowbird accompanying an adult Spot-breasted Oriole at Dania, Broward County, Florida. No other fledgling was observed with this oriole pair. Photograph by Arthur Nelson, 26 July 2009. pair fed the cowbird a total of 21 times; food provided was small green caterpillars and bits of mango (Mangifera indica) fruit. At no time dur- ing 25-31 July was any other bird observed feeding the cowbird fledg- ling, which strongly suggests that the oriole pair were the hosts of the cowbird. Bronzed Cowbird nestlings fledge at 10-12 days of age, and are fed for approximately two weeks post-fledging (Ellison and Lowther 2009). The cowbird was unsteady in flight and clumsy when perched on 25 July, but its proficiency at flight and perching had im- proved noticeably by 29 July, when Nelson photographed one of the ori- oles feeding it (Fig. 2). Except for rectrices that appeared to be still growing, the fledgling appeared full-grown. Its plumage was dark sooty-black, lacking gloss, and with a hint of pale mottling throughout. The basal half of the bill was pale, and the distal half blackish. The iri- des were brown and the legs and feet were gray. The bill was stout, rather long, and not as conical as that of a Brown-headed Cowbird {Mo- lothrus ater). Plumage coloration and the stout, rather elongated bill ruled out the fledgling being a Brown-headed Cowbird or a Shiny Cow- bird (M. honariensis). Previous Florida reports that suggested breeding.-— We limit poten- tial breeding reports to those Bronzed Cowbirds observed during June or July; observations during May could refer to lingering winter resi- Pranty AMD Nelson— BmmEB Cowbird Breeding in Florida 3 Figure 2. Adult Spot-breasted Oriole feeding a fledgling Bronzed Cowbird at Dania, Broward County, Florida. This photogi’aph documents the first record of Bronzed Cowbird breeding in Florida, and the first record in the United States east of the Mississippi. Photograph by Arthur Nelson, 29 July 2009. dents, and observations during August could refer to post-breeding or post-natal dispersers. There are 19 observations of Bronzed Cowbirds in Florida during June or July, with 10 of these representing single adults (Table 1). The first report was from Key West, Monroe County, on 21 July 1982 (Paul 1982). Nineteen years elapsed before the next summer report, in July 2001 (Pranty 2002). Bronzed Cowbirds have been reported annually in Florida during summer since 2003, at times in numbers (Table 1). One cowbird fledgling fed by a Spot-breasted Ori- ole at Sweetwater, Miami-Dade County, on 11 July 2004 (Pranty 2005), and another fledgling fed by a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoen- iceus) at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park, Broward County, on 23 June 2008 (Pranty 2009) were not photographed. A juvenile Bronzed Cowbird that summered with an adult male and female at Princeton, Miami- Dade County, during 2004 (Pranty 2005), and two juveniles with an adult male and female at Pinecrest, Miami-Dade County, on 17 July 2006 (Pranty 2007) were almost certainly reared locally but were inde- pendent when discovered. Among at least 12 Bronzed Cowbirds at Homestead, Miami-Dade County, on 12 July 2008 were two males per- forming courtship hover-flights over separate females, and several in- dependent juveniles (Pranty 2009). Reports of as many as six Bronzed Cowbirds at Redlands, Miami-Dade County, for most of summer 2005 Table 1. All observations of Bronzed Cowbirds in Florida during June or July. Cowbirds observed in May could be lingering 4 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST a 'd £ oooooooooooooooo (MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oooac5 .s ^ Q d s .a ® ^ ^ J ^ ^ ^ l4pLiaDO. Accessed 8 August 2009. Pranty AND ATelsoat— Bronzed Cowbird Breeding in Florida 7 Paul, R. T. 1982. Florida region [Summer 1982 seasonal report]. American Birds 36:967- 970. Pranty, B. 1993. Field Observations fall report: August-November 1992. Florida Field Naturalist 21:42-51. Pranty, B. 1995. Field Observations fall report: August-November 1994. Florida Field Naturalist 23:44-56. Pranty, B. 1997. Field Observations fall report: August-November 1996. Florida Field Naturalist 25:74-84. Pranty, B. 2000. Shiny Cowbird: possible an5rwhere. Birding 32:514-526. Pranty, B. 2001. Field Observations fall report: August-November 2000. Florida Field Naturalist 29:60-74. Pranty, B. 2002, Field Observations summer report: June-July 2001. Florida Field Nat- uralist 30:11-19. Pranty, B. 2004. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2003. Florida Field Nat- uralist 32:34-41. Pranty, B, 2005. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2004. Florida Field Nat- uralist 33:20-27. Pranty, B. 2006. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2005. Florida Field Nat- uralist 34:28-35. Pranty, B. 2007. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2006. Florida Field Nat- uralist 35:30-37. Pranty, B. 2008. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2007. Florida Field Nat- uralist 36:12-20. Pranty, B. 2009. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2008. Florida Field Nat- uralist 37:22-30. Pranty, B. 2010. Field Observations summer report: June-July 2009. Florida Field Nat- uralist 38:32-40. Smith, P. W., and A. Sprunt IV. 1987. The Shiny Cowbird reaches the United States. American Birds 41:370-371. Stevenson, H, M. 1976. Vertebrates of Florida. University Presses of Florida, Gaines- ville, Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville. Truchot, E. 1962. Bronzed or Red-eyed Cowbird (Tangavius aeneus). Florida Naturalist 35:135. NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 38(1):8-11, 2010. RESPONSE OF ENDANGERED CAPE SABLE SEASIDE SPARROWS {Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) TO NEST EXCLOSURES Rebecca L. Boultoni-^and Julie L. Lockwood^ ^Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, Birmingham University, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, United Kingdom E-mail: rlboulton@gmail.com ^Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Habitat protection and restoration are often the first step in endangered species management. While habitat preservation may prevent short-term extinction risk, in many circumstances, further conservation action is required. Avian conservation rou- tinely implements the use of lethal predator control and nest protection as management tools owing to high nest predation rates suffered by many species. Lethal control prac- tices, although effective in some situations (e.g., Innes et al. 1999, Powlesland et al. 1999, Moorhouse et al. 2003), can evoke a negative public response, particularly when the predator itself is native or threatened (e.g., Roemer and Wayne 2003). A common, non-lethal method employed to reduce nest predation is the protection of the nest site via cages, barriers, or electric fences (Post and Greenlaw 1989, Johnson and Oring 2002, Murphy et al. 2003, Isaksson et al. 2007). The federally Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow {Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) suffers high nest predation, especially late in the breeding season when nests rarely succeed (Baiser et al. 2008). These late-season nests are important for population recovery (Lockwood et al. 2001), so investigating management practices that may assist sparrow nest survival seem critical in helping conserve this species. Here, we examine the willingness of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows to accept predator exclosure fences po- sitioned around nest sites and their effectiveness as a management tool to increase sparrow nest survival. Methods and Results. — During April and May 2008, we searched for sparrow nests in the 0.5 km^ Dog Leg and Alligator Hammock plots within sparrow subpopulation B, Everglades National Park, Florida (for a further description of the sites see Pimm et al. 2002). We attempted to assign fences to nests randomly; however, a nest’s distance from the road (placing the exclosure required carrying heavy equipment in the prairie) and nesting stage sometimes determined assignment. We monitored control nests on adjoining territories to test the effectiveness of the fences at increasing nest survival. We modified a fence design originally described by Post and Greenlaw (1989) for use with another race of the seaside sparrow, A. m. peninsulae, in Florida salt marshes. We constructed fences from 0.6 m x 15 m rolls of White & Brown Aluminum Trim Coil (Amerimax Home Products, Lancaster PA), which we cut in half, resulting in a fence with a diameter of approximately 2.4 m (~7.6 m circumference) and 0.6 m height. We drove the fences 5-6 cm into the ground and further stabilized them with 5-6 wooden stakes (2.5 cm diameter) on their inner sides. An L-bracket was screwed to the top of 8 Notes 9 Figure 1. (a) Small-ground predator exclosure fences made from aluminum flashing to protect Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow nests in the Florida Ever- glades 2008, and (b) L-bracket attached to wooden stake to hold down alumi- num flashing during high winds. each stake to help hold down the aluminum flashing. We used duct tape to seal the joint where the ends of the fence material met, and flattened any vegetation that could serve as a predator bridge on the outside of the fence. Before we put fences around active sparrow nests, we tested whether the aluminum flashing significantly increased the temperature at the nest site, possibly due to the ob- struction of wind or heating of the aluminum. We recorded ambient temperature inside and outside the fence using Thermochron iButtons (Maxim Integrated Products, Sunny- vale CA). The average temperatures recorded from iButtons within the fence were simi- lar to those from outside, confirming that the aluminum flashing would not adversely affect nest temperatures. We attempted to establish predator exclosure fences around six sparrow nests, one containing day-old nestlings and five with eggs. To allow females to habituate to the structure we positioned the fence within 2-50 m of their active nest for one day. All females tolerated this initial attempt at habituation. The next day we positioned the fence around the nest, but left a gap (0.3 m) and the vegetation undisturbed, to allow the birds to enter the nest by walking on the ground, which is a common be- havior for this species. At this stage only one female entered the structure; she re- turned to the vicinity of the fence within 5 min of construction, and 25 min later dropped inside it from a nearby grass stem, without using the gap. The following day we closed the gap in the fence around her nest. The other five females (and the male in two cases) generally reappeared within 15 min of the initial enclosure of their nests (with the gap left open), but did not enter the fence, though they sat relatively close to it and sometimes flew over it. After one hour the parental birds had still not returned to the nest and continued to show signs of stress (alarm calling, panting), so we removed the fence as quickly as possible and immediately left the area. Four of the females returned to their nests after we removed the fence. We were unable to confirm if one female returned to her nest because the nest had failed when we checked its contents the following day. Of the other four nests, three successfully fledged and one failed six days after the fence experiment ended. The fully fenced nest fledged 14 days later whereby we removed the fence to allow the fledglings’ eas- ier mobility. Conclusion. — The unwillingness of females to accept exclosures around their nests hampered our ability to examine the success of this method. Throughout the experi- ment, we changed fence positioning in a number of ways, attempting to understand 10 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST which aspects of the structure the female disliked. However, because only one female ac- cepted the fence, it is difficult to evaluate what these were. We suggest that acceptance was more likely dependent on an individual female’s willingness to tolerate the struc- ture. We do not recommend that nest exclosures be pursued further in the management of this species due to extremely low acceptance rates, and the amount of time and labor involved in deplo3ring the structures. Finally, we do not know if the fences are capable of protecting a nest from predators because the single nest that fledged was during a pe- riod of high nest survival regardless of being fenced. Considering the documented acceptance of similar fences by A. m. peninsulae, we had not anticipated such an adverse reaction by A. m. mirabilis. Our experiment high- lights the need for stringent contingency plans when working with endangered species and the need to test thoroughly any management action that has the potential to modify individual behavior. Acknowledgments We are exceeding grateful to B, Olsen and R. Greenberg for advice and detailed de- scriptions of similar predator exclosures, earlier correspondence with W. Post, and help- ful comments by J. Greenlaw. We thank M. Davis, V. Kuczynska, M. Sileo, and R Cassey for assistance in the field. This research was funded by grants from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative of Everglades National Park. All monitoring and protocols complied with our US. Fish and Wildlife permit restrictions. Literature Cited Baiser, B., R. L. Boulton, and J. L. Lockwood. 2008. The influence of water depths on nest success of the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow in the Florida Ever- glades. Animal Conservation 11:190-197. INNES, J., R. Jay, I. Flux, P. Bradfield, H. Spreed, and P. Jansen. 1999. Successful re- covery of North Island Kokako Callaeas cinerea wilsoni populations, by adaptive management. Biological Conservation 87:201-214. ISAKSSON, D., J. Wallander, AND M. Larsson. 2007. Managing predation on ground-nest- ing birds: The effectiveness of nest exclosures. Biological Conservation 136:136-142. Johnson, M., and L. W. Oring. 2002. Are nest exclosures an effective tool in plover con- servation? Waterbirds 25:184-190. Lockwood, J. L., K. H. Fenn, J. M. Caudill, D. Okines, O. L. Bass, Jr., J. R. Duncan, AND S. L. Pimm. 2001. The implications of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow demography for Everglades restoration. Animal Conservation 4:275-281. Moorhouse, R., T. Greene, P. Dilks, R. Powlesland, L. Moran, G. Taylor, A. Jones, J. Knegtmans, D. Wills, M. Pryde, I. Fraser, A. August, and C. August. 2003. Control of introduced mammalian predators improves Kaka Nestor meridionalis breeding success; reversing the decline of a threatened New Zealand parrot. Biologi- cal Conservation 110:33-44. Murphy, R. K., R. J. Greenwood, J. S. Ivan, and K. A. Smith. 2003. Predator exclusion methods for managing endangered shorebirds: Are two barriers better than one? Waterbirds 26:156-159. Pimm, S. L., J. L. Lockwood, C. N. Jenkins, J. L. Curnutt, M. P. Nott, R. D. Powell, AND O. L. Bass, Jr. 2002. Sparrow in the Grass. A Report on the First Ten Years of Re- search on the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow {Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis). Ev- erglades National Park Service, Homestead, Florida. Notes 11 Post, W., and J. S. Greenlaw. 1989. Metal barriers protect near ground nests from predators. Journal of Field Ornithology 60:102-103. POWLESLAND, R. G., J. W. Knegtmans, AND I. S. J. MARSHALL. 1999. Costs and benefits of aerial 1080 possum control operations using carrot baits to North Island Robins (Petroica australis longipes), Pureora Forest Park. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 23:149-159. ROEMER, G. W., and R. K. Wayne. 2003. Conservation in conflict: the tale of two endan- gered species. Conservation Biology 17:1251-1260. Florida Field Naturalist 38(1):12-14, 2010. Figure 1. Male Florida Scrub- Jay BK-SR seizes egg in open bill. FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY (Aphelocoma coerulescens) PREYS ON COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor) EGGS Lauren M. Deaner Quest Ecology, Inc., 735 Lakeview Dr., Wimauma, Florida 33598 E-mail: Lauren@questecology.com The diet of Florida Scrub-Jays {Aphelocoma coerulescens) consists mostly of arthro- pods and acorns, but they opportunistically take small vertebrates and may rarely prey on the nests of small birds (Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1984, Woolfenden and Fitz- patrick 1996, Ehrlich et al. 1988). Because breeding bird densities in oak scrub are low, it is likely that scrub-jays could not rely on other bird eggs as a regular source of food (Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1984, 1986). In one study, researchers led Florida Scrub Jays to nests that contained eggs, where the jays would immediately seize the eggs and carry them away for caching, without breaking them (Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1984). Here, I report my observations of nest predation by Florida Scrub-Jays and two methods they used to remove eggs. Observations. — On 9 June 2008 at 0700, I observed a group of three Florida Scrub-Jays (one female and two males) on Duette Preserve in Manatee County. The group was established in April of 2008 when the female immigrated to the site and 12 Figure 2. Male Florida Scrub-Jay SRG-K impales egg on closed bill. began courtship with one of the male jays. The two males were both members of the 2007 cohort, although I presume that BK-SR was more dominant than SRG-K as he was observed courtship feeding the female. Furthermore, K~SGR was observed giv- ing submissive displays to BK-SR. The three jays gradually moved into a small clearing in the scrub with sparse vegetation. The female was perched atop a sand live oak (Quercus geminata) serving as sentinel while the two males foraged on the ground approximately 5 m apart from one another. At 0752, BK-SR discovered an unattended Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) nest containing two eggs. He at- tempted to grasp one in his bill but failed. He then tried, unsuccessfully, to do the same with the other egg. He returned to the first egg, this time successfully grasping it in his bill (Fig. 1), and flew approximately three m into a sand live oak. The other two jays immediately followed. Although the birds were then out of sight, I heard a substantial amount of “conversational gutterals” as described in Bednekoff et al. (2007), and activity that sounded like short fast movements of more than one bird, indicating there may have been a dominance struggle over the egg. At 0802, BK-SR returned to the nighthawk nest and attempted to carry away the second egg. He was unsuccessful and after 1 min he resumed foraging elsewhere. At 0812, SRG-K dis- covered the nest and attempted to grasp the remaining egg in his bill. After 1 min of manipulation, he impaled the egg on the end of his entire bill (Fig. 2) and flew less than one m before the other two jays began to chase Mm. He dropped the egg as he fled and the two others continued to chase him for about three min. During the chase, SRG-K made several attempts to return to the egg, but the other two de- fended it and he was unsuccessful. When the chase ended the three jays resumed foraging independently, and the chasers inexplicably did not attempt to take the egg. At 0818 SRG-K returned to the egg, cracked it open using the hole he already ere- 14 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST ated by impaling it, and began to eat it. It appeared that he ate most of the egg’s contents. After leaving the egg for several minutes, he returned once and ate the re- mainder of the yolk. The other two jays continued to forage independently at this time. At approximately 0830, a Common Nighthawk circled low over the nest area where the three jays remained foraging, but did not land. The three scrub-jays re- mained in the area until I left at 0900. Discussion. — Although the Common Nighthawk is smaller in body length (22.8 cm) than the Florida Scrub-Jay (27.9 cm) (Pranty et al. 2006), their egg is slightly longer (30.2 mm) and wider (21.7 mm) than that of the scrub-jay (20.2 x 27.1 mm; Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1996). Predation upon Common Nighthawk eggs by Florida Scrub-Jays may indicate that scrub-jays would eat eggs of larger birds if they were opportunisti- cally found. Although it may be preferable for a jay to grasp eggs of other birds and cache them for later consumption, this observation suggests that jays are not limited to eggs that they can grasp. It may be possible that Florida Scrub-Jays will consume eggs of larger birds opportunistically by altering the method by which they carry prey from grasping to impaling with the bill. Literature Cited Bednekoff, P. a., R. Bowman, and G. E. Woolfenden. 2008. Do conversational gutter- als help Florida Scrub- Jays coordinate their sentinel behavior? Ethology 114:313- 317. Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York. Pranty, B., K. A. Radamaker, and G. Kennedy. 2006. Birds of Florida. Lone Pine Pub- lishing International. Auburn, Washington. Woolfenden, G. E., and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1984. The Florida Scrub Jay: Demography of a Cooperative-breeding Bird. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Woolfenden, G. E., and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Florida Scrub-Jay {Aphelocoma coer- ulescens). The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cor- nell.edu/bna/species/228doi:10.2173/bna.228 Florida Field Naturalist 38(1):15-31, 2010. EIGHTEENTH REPORT OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY RECORDS COMMITTEE^ 2008 Andrew W. Kratter Florida Museum of Natural History, R O. Box 117800, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 Abstract.— -In 2008, the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee as- sessed 52 submissions. In addition, two older submissions were reopened because new information became available. Forty-one of the submissions were accepted, nine were not accepted, one was withdrawn, and three were tabled pending fur- ther consideration or resolution of requests for more information. The submis- sions assessed covered 34 species, one species pair, and one distinctive subspecies. The occurrence history of the rare species represented by accepted re- ports is reviewed in the species accounts. Species new to Florida are Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi), supported by photographs, and Common Myna {Acridotheres tristis), accepted as an established exotic. These two additions bring Florida’s State List to 503 species. This 18th report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) summarizes decisions made by members of the Committee in 2008. The FOSRC criti- cally reviews submitted reports of rare or unusual birds in Florida, as well as potential new records for the state, including whether exotic species meet criteria to be consid- ered established. Submissions are requested for species or distinctive subspecies that are believed to be first-time vagrants in Florida or that are listed as review species or subspecies on the Official State List, published on-line in the Florida Ornithological So- ciety’s (FOS) website (http://www.fosbirds.org/RecordsCommittee/OfficialState- List.aspx). FOSRC review species or subspecies (= Review List) are mostly those taxa on the Official State List for which the FOSRC has previously reviewed and accepted 10 or fewer reports (but see below). In a few cases, species or distinctive subspecies are in- cluded in the Review List when Committee members seek further information on their status in the state. The FOSRC web pages (see above) also include the Rules and Proce- dures that govern the activities of the Committee, a reporting form for the direct on-line submission of reports to the FOSRC, the names and addresses of current Committee members, reports to the FOS Board on the proceedings of all recent FOSRC meetings, and a growing gallery of photographs of rare birds in Florida evaluated by the FOSRC. This report details the evaluations of 48 new submissions, involving 32 species, one species pair, and one subspecies. Of the 48 reports, received from September 2007 through July 2008, 38 were reviewed and accepted, including Common Myna {Acridot- heres tristis) added to the Official State List as an established exotic, seven were not ac- cepted, two were tabled pending further consideration of available evidence and specimen examination, and one was withdrawn by the submitter. Of the seven submis- sions not accepted, one was not accepted based on provenance (Great Black-Hawk, Bu- teogallus uruhitinga), and six submissions were not accepted because the identification had not been firmly established. In addition, the committee resolved four reports that had been tabled in previous meetings pending further information or were otherwise previously unresolved: Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferus, FOSRC #07-629, ac- cepted), Yellow-legged Gull {Larus michahellis, FOSRC #07-645, not accepted), Califor- nia Gull {Larus californicus, FOSRC #07-646, accepted), and Caribbean Martin {Progne 15 16 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST dominicensis, FOSRC #07-647, not accepted). Two older FOSRC decisions were re- opened because we had received new information. The Bachman’s Warbler (Vermivora hachmanii, FOSRC #85-075) record from a bird photographed in 1977, originally ac- cepted by the FOSRC, was reopened because some authors had doubted this identifica- tion. The matter was left unresolved to await more comparisons with specimens. The Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii, FOSRC #06-596) record of a bird photographed in 2005, originally not accepted by the FOSRC, was reopened because additional photo- graphs became available. We voted to accept this record. Thus, overall, the committee evaluated or reevaluated a total of 54 submissions at its 2008 meetings, accepting 41 of them (76%) and not accepting 9 (17%); one was with- drawn, and the rest were tabled. The current acceptance rate is somewhat above the rate of 71% in the period from 2001-2007 (169 of 237 submissions accepted). The per- centage of submissions that include a specimen or photographic/video/audio evidence supporting the submission (81%) continued to be high, as mentioned in previous reports (Greenlaw and Kratter 2007, Kratter 2008). For the 41 submissions that were accepted, all but four (90%) had specimen or photographic/video/audio evidence. Of the nine sub- missions not accepted, only three (33%) had specimen or photographic/video/audio evi- dence. The Committee believes that more sight reports would be accepted if the descriptions were more complete, and if the submitters presented more thorough analy- ses of how the species was separated from similar species. The Committee feels strongly that well documented sight reports are an important part of documenting rare birds in Florida. Bowman and Greenlaw (2006) reviewed the history of the Official State List of the Birds of Florida and provided an updated list (their Appendix 1) for the period ending 31 December 2005. This list comprised a total of 495 species, all of which are based on inde- pendently verifiable evidence (specimens, photographs or videotapes, and audio record- ings), Two species were added to this list in the 16th Report (Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), and four species were added in the 17th report (Kratter 2008) to bring the state total to 501 species. For 2008, we added two species: Common Myna (FOSRC #08-662) as an established exotic, and Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes toivnsendi, FOSRC #08- 680) based on photographs. These additions bring the total number of species on the State List to 503. The Townsend’s Solitaire also now appears on the Review List. The Committee did not remove any species from the Review List in 2008. It is the view of some current Committee members that we should increase the number of accepted records before removing a species from the Review List; Florida has a low threshold for removal relative to other states with large or even moderate numbers of active birders (e.g., California, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana), All documentation reviewed by the FOSRC, including descriptions, photographs, vid- eotapes, audio recordings, and committee comments is archived in the Ornithology De- partment at the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and is available for public access. All observers are encouraged to submit reports on Review listed species, and on species potentially new to the State List. Ideally, observers should record details of plumage, shape, size, behavior, and other pertinent information, in a timely fashion in the field. Reports to the Committee should provide all pertinent forms of documentation, including a written description of obser- vations, in the original submission. All observations should be submitted on the stan- dard report form available from the Secretary or on-line in the FOSRC web-pages (see link above). In addition to uniformity, the report form provides the Committee and the observer with guidelines to those criteria used by the FOSRC for its evaluation. Com- pleted forms should be submitted to the Secretary of the FOSRC, Andrew W. Kratter (address above), email at kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu. This report was prepared on behalf of all members of the FOSRC serving during 2008 when the reports discussed here were evaluated. The members serving during Eighteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 17 these reviews and their last year of tenure were Mickey C. Wheeler (2008), Bill Pranty (2009), Sally Jue (2010), Andrew W. Kratter (2011), Bruce Anderson (2012), Mark Ber- ney (2013), and John Murphy (2014). See the FOS website (above) for a list of the cur- rent members on the FOSRC and their addresses. Contributors to this report: Angel Abreu (AA), Bruce Anderson (BA), Lyn Atherton (LA), Tricia Auffhammer, Barry Ault (BAu), Andy Bankert (AB), Fred Bassett (FB), Greg Bossart (GB), John Boyd, III, Michael Brothers (MB), Jim Cavanagh (JC), Julie Cooke, Cameron Cox, Rich Dernier (RD), Robin Diaz, Stephen Dinsmore, Bob Duncan (BD), Lucy Duncan (LD), Tom Dunkerton (TD), Charlie Ewell (CE), Linda Felker (LF), Lindsay Galland, Murray Gardler (MG), Barbara Gay (BG), Reinhard Geisler (RG), Carl Goodrich (CG), David Goodwin (DG), John Hintermister, Alvaro Jaramillo (AJ), Paul Johnson (PJ), David Johnston (DJ), Dean Jue (DJu), Andrew W. Kratter (AWK), Dorothy Kaufmann (DK), Patrick Leary (PL), Garrett Legates (GL), Larry Manfredi (LM), Janet Millard, Trey Mitchell (TM), John Murphy (JM), Laure Neish (LN), Chris Newton (CN), Jan Osborn (JO), Bonnie Ponwith, Bill Pranty (BP), Alexa Roche (AR), Roberto Torres (RT), Bob Wallace (BW), Mickey Wheeler (MW), Meret Wilson, Casper Zuyderduyn (CZ) Committee News, Formats, and Terminology Committee news. — During 2008, the FOSRC met twice, on 19 January at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, and on 30 August at Archbold Biological Sta- tion, Lake Placid. At the August meeting, FOSRC member Mickey Wheeler reached her term limit of seven years on the committee. After serving a full term, a member can not be re-nominated to serve again until one or more years have passed. Mickey’s vacancy was filled by Jon Greenlaw, who had previously served on the FOSRC from 1999 to 2006. Formats and terminology.— The following accounts report on all actions undertaken by the committee during 2008, and provide information on the history of the rare spe- cies in Florida covered in the accepted reports. We follow current nomenclature and sequence in the species accounts that follow (AOU 1998 and subsequent supplements). Within accounts, reports on more than one submission on a species are introduced sequentially by the date of receipt. The code (in parentheses) associated with each submitted report to the committee (e.g., 06-601) is the catalog number for the sighting or specimen report that is logged into an electronic catalog as it is received, and refers to year (06-) followed by sequential number (-601), beginning with the first entry in the catalog. The initials following the catalog number refer to one or more contributors who supplied information to the committee (see list above). Our terminology for age largely follows the calendar-based system outlined in Pyle (1997, 2008); however we use “cycles” for gulls, as described in Olsen and Larsson (2004). We may use terms such as “first fall” or “first winter”, but we substitute the am- biguous term “first summer” (= second calendar summer, including the hatching sum- mer) with “first year.” We normally do not review subspecies, but on occasion we accept submissions on distinctive, field-identifiable subspecies whose taxonomic rank may be revisited by the American Ornithologists’ Union. Our use of the words “report” and “record” to describe occurrences of species in Florida follows Robertson and Woolfenden (1992) and the Field Observation Committee reports. For each species, the number of records and reports previously accepted by the FOSRC is detailed. In addition, records with specimens or photographic evidence prior to establishment of the FOSRC (in 1983) are also included. For species with five or fewer acceptable records or FOSRC accepted reports, we provide details of previous occurrences in Florida. 18 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Abbreviations used in this report are: FLMNH, Florida Museum of Natural History; UF, University of Florida (used as a prefix to catalog numbers of specimens in the FLMNH collection); and subsp. and sspp., singular and plural for subspecies. Accepted Submissions Masked Duck, Nomonyx dominicus 08-686 (LM; photographs). A male was found 2 May 2008 at a private community on Sheridan Street, Pembroke Pines, Broward Co. The FOSRC has accepted four previous reports (three photographs, one sight re- port); in addition, Stevenson and Anderson (1994) list 11 documented records (seven photographs, four specimens) that have not been evaluated by the FOSRC. Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena 08-675 (JO; sight report). This bird was found 20 February 2008 at Old River, just north of Perdido Key, in Escambia Co. It was seen in direct comparison with Horned Grebes (P. auritus). There are only two previously accepted reports of Red-necked Grebe for Florida, one photographed in Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa Co.), December 2000 (FOSRC #01-437, Bowman 2004), and a sight report, also from Gulf Breeze, in January 2001 (FOSRC #01-442, Bowman 2004). Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus 07-649 (PL; photographs). This beached carcass (specimen not salvaged) was found on 30 September 2007 at Little Talbot Island, St. George Inlet, Duval Co. There are 14 previously accepted records for Florida (nine specimens, two photos, three sight reports). Red-billed Tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus 07- 653 (AWK, BW; photographs). This hatch-year bird was seen on 11 November 2007, ca. 32 nm east of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia Co., by 50+ observers during a commercial pelagic trip. 08- 683 (RT, AA, TM; photographs). This bird was found 23 May 2008 about 9 nm east of Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co. There were nine previously accepted reports (four specimens, four photos, one sight report) for this species in Florida. Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus Hdibundus 08-684 (RG, CN; photographs). This first-cycle gull was present 26 April-2 May 2008 at Peacocks Pocket, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Brevard Co. There are six previously documented records and one accepted sight report for Florida: in Brevard Co., in 1972 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992), Leon Co. in Au- gust 1982, Collier Co. in November 1990, Duval Co. in December 1998, Alachua Co. in January 2000, Indian River Co. in February 2002, and Miami-Dade Co. in October 2005. California Gull, Larus californicus 07-646 (DJ; photographs). This third-cycle bird was found 18 April 2007 at Cedar Key, Levy Co. A low-quality scan of a photograph and a brief written description were submitted for our meeting in August 2007. The Committee opted to table the submission and ask the submitter for a higher resolution photo, which was provided for our January 2008 meeting. 08-669 (AJ; photographs). This bird was present 27 January-3 February 2008 at the Tomoka Landfill, Da5dona Beach, Volusia Co., and was probably the same individual Eighteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 19 that appeared at Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia Co. 12 February) and Daytona Beach Shores (Volusia Co., 20 February-6 March), but documentation was not submitted for these other sightings. The FOSRC has previously accepted two submissions: a sight report from Pinel- las Co. in 1983 (FOSRC #83-040) and one photographed in Franklin Co. in 1998 (FOSRC #99-392). The state’s first record, photographed in Pinellas Co. in April 1978, has not been assessed by the FOSRC. Iceland Gull, Lams glaucoides 07- 655 (JM; photographs). This first-cycle gull was found 2 December 2007 at Alliga- tor Point, Franklin Co. 08- 659 (PL; photographs). This first-cycle bird was present 29 December 2007-9 Feb- ruary 2008 at Bird Island, Duval Co. 08-668 (BW, AB, TD, MB; photographs). This first-cycle bird was present in the Day- tona Beach, Volusia Co., area from 23 January- 15 February 2008, where it wandered widely. It was photographed at the Tomoka Landfill, Daytona Beach Shores, and off Ponce de Leon Inlet. 08-674 (BW; photographs). This first-cycle bird was found 23 January 2008 at the To- moka Landfill, Daytona Beach, Volusia Co. Before these four records, there were 13 accepted records for Florida (1 supported by a specimen, 12 supported by photographs). Thayer’s Gull, Lams thayeri 08-678 (AB, DF; photographs). This bird was seen 3-6 March 2008 at the Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa, Brevard Co.; a sight report from the same location on 29 January 2008 was almost certainly the same bird. There are 10 previous documented or accepted reports of Thayer’s Gull in Florida: one specimen and six records with photographs from before 1984 (and not reviewed by the FOSRC; Stevenson and Anderson 1994), but only three birds accepted by the FOSRC since: a bird photographed in March 1985 in Broward Co. (FOSRC #86-091; Dowling 1989), a sight report from Broward Co. in January 1999 (FOSRC #99-389, Bowman 2004), and a bird photographed in November 2001 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #02-460, Bowman 2004). Razorbill, AZca torda 08-671 (MB; sight report). This bird was seen on 25 January 2008 at Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia Co. 08-681 (GB, AWK; specimen). This mummified specimen (UF 46592) was found beached by Andrew and Troy Westover on 6 April 2008 at South Beach, Vero Beach, Indian River Co. The carcass was brought to Harbor Branch Oceanographic Insti- tute, and then sent to the FLMNH, where a skeletal specimen and spread wing were prepared. Although the specimen was quite mummified, it is unlikely to have died outside of state waters and drifted > 350 km south to Indian River Co. This rare winter visitor was previously known from Florida on the basis of one photographed in Brevard Co. in 1967 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992), and 11 spec- imens (Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Pranty 1993, 1996, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). Long-eared Owl, Asio otus 07-654 (BD, LD, DK; photographs). This hatch-year male was found 30 November 2007 in very weak condition in a ditch at Garcon Point, Santa Rosa Co. It was brought to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida for rehabilitation. The bird recovered and was released back to the wild on 1 January 2008 (Duncan et al. 2008) but not subsequently refound. 20 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST There were five previously accepted reports of this species in Florida: a specimen from Key West, Monroe Co., in 1898 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992); a specimen from Cassia, Lake Co, in 1992 (not assessed by the FOSRC, Stevenson and Anderson 1994); a videotaped bird from Archbold Biological Station, Highlands Co. (FOSRC #94-290, Anderson 1996); a sight report, also from Archbold Biological Station, High- lands Co. (FOSRC #95-330, Anderson 1996); and a photo April 2003 at Dry Tortugas NP, Monroe Co. (FOSRC #03-503, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006). Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris 08-660 (AB, DG, BW, LA, FB; photographs). This after-second-year male visited hummingbird feeders at the residence of Ray and Elsie Dennis (18743 Lake Joyce Road, Blountstown, Calhoun Co.) starting ca. 17 December 2007 and stayed through 1 March 2008. It was trapped, measured, banded, and photographed and then seen by many birders, providing Florida’s second record. 08-664 (AWK, FB; photographs). This second-year male visited hummingbird feeders from 16 January to 21 February 2008 at the residence of Sandy Dixon (6181 Deep- wood Drive E., Jacksonville, Duval Co.). The bird was photographed, then later trapped, measured, banded, and photographed in the hand by Fred Bassett. The bird stayed and was subsequently seen by many birders. Prior to these two birds, the only Florida record was one photographed in Pensa- cola (Escambia Co.) following Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 (FOSRC #04-549, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006). Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna 08-661 (FB, AB; photographs, video). DeFuniak Springs, Walton Co. This after-sec- ond-year female visited hummingbird feeders at the residence of Dara and Lloyd Dobson in DeFuniak Springs, Walton Co. from early November 2007-23 January 2008. It was trapped, measured, banded, and photographed, and was subsequently observed by many birders, with additional photographs and video submitted. This established Florida’s second record; the first was in January 1988 in Leon Co. (FOSRC #88-154, Baker 1991). Broad-TAJLED Hummingbird, Selasp horns platycercus 08-663 (FB, AB; photographs, video). This after-second-year female visited hum- mingbird feeders from 6-22 December 2007 at the residence of Maryann Friedman in Baker (2.5 km N of intersection Hwy. 189 & SR 2), in Okaloosa Co. It was trapped, measured, banded, and photographed in hand; additional photographs and video were submitted. The FOSRC had previously accepted four records of Broad-tailed Hummingbird in Florida, all since 2000; one is from Wakulla Co. (FOSRC #00-409, Bowman 2000) and three are from Escambia Co. (FOSRC #s 01-434, 02-470, 04-532; Bowman 2004, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006). Say’s Phoebe, Sayornis say a 07- 656 (BP, MG, AB; photographs). This bird, found by Gian Basili’s party on Ranch Road in Astatula, Lake Co., during the Zellwood-Mount Dora Christmas Bird Count, was subsequently seen by many observers during its stay from 21 December 2007 until 20 March 2008. The FOSRC has accepted three previous reports of this species (one sight report from Franklin Co. and photographs from Hamilton and Escambia cos.). Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax alnomm 08- 691 (MW; audio recordings). This bird was found on 5 September 2007 at “The Annex,” Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area, Miami-Dade Co. The documentation included a written description of this Empidonax flycatcher and a re- Eighteenth Report— -FOS Records Committee 21 cording of its flat “pip” calls (calls transcribed from Sibley 2000). This recording was compared to recordings of Empidonax species in Stokes et al. (1997), 08-696 (LM; audio recordings). This bird was found 28 August 2008 at “Lucky Ham- mock ” Frog Pond Wildlife Management Area, west of Homestead, Miami-Dade Co. The audio file has examples of song (burry harsh “vreee-™bee-o”), some song vari- ants, and a few calls typical of Alder Flycatcher. This recording was analyzed in ref- erence to recordings of Empidonax species in Stokes et al. (1997), Manfredi stated (in litt.) that there were six Alder Flycatchers present at this time at “Lucky Ham- mock,” and that several are present at this site every fall. The FOSRC added Willow Flycatcher and Alder Flycatcher to the FOSRC Review List because the status of these extremely similar species, which were formerly lumped as Traill’s Flycatcher {E. traillii), is very unclear in Florida. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Myiodynastes luteiventris 07- 650 (JC; sight report). This bird was found 11 October 2007 at St. George Island, Franklin Co. The description and sketch of this large flycatcher mentioned a rufous tail and rump, streaked underparts with a yellowish wash, a long bill, and a con- trasting face pattern with dark malars meeting under the chin. The bird illustrated had a bill that was too long for the extremely rare Variegated Flycatcher (Empidono- mus varius), and the malar streaks were too prominent. The FOSRC has previously accepted five records (all documented by photo- graphs), all from either Miami-Dade Co. (four) or Pinellas Co. (one). Loggerhead Kingbird, Tyrannus caudifasciatus 08- 679 (LM, CZ, LN; photographs). This bird was present 14-22 March 2008 at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Monroe Co. The gray back with little olive tone, pale tail tips, and white flanks of the Dry Tortugas bird indicates either the nom- inate race from Cuba or T. c. flavescens from the Isle of Youth. This record comes quickly on the heels of the first record from Florida in March 2007 (FOSRC 07- 632; Kratter 2008), though this species has had a convoluted history on the Offi- cial State List of Florida. Birds photographed in the 1970s had been accepted by Robertson and Woolfenden (1992), but Smith et al. (2000) reviewed these records and concluded that none established the species for the state. The FOSRC subse- quently voted to remove the species from the list in 2003 (Bowman and Greenlaw 2006), and it was not reinstated until the appearance of the Key West bird in 2007. Cassin’S Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans 07-629 (AB, CG; photographs). This bird was present 27 January-10 February 2007 on the east side of SR 437, across from Hooper Farm and Hooper’s Landscape Nursery Inc., 2828 Hooper Farms Road, Apopka, Orange Co. This report was tabled at the Au- gust 2007 meeting because we had not received photographs, though committee mem- ber Bruce Anderson knew photographs had been taken. Cassin’s Kingbirds have been reported annually in recent years at the Lake Apopka kingbird roost (B. H. Anderson, pers. comm.), but the FOSRC has reviewed records only from the winters of 1999-2000 (FOSRC #00-047) and 2002-2003 (FOSRC #03-516, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006). It is possible that this is the same individual as in preceding winters. 07-657 (GL; photographs). This bird was discovered during the Clewiston-STA-5 Christmas Bird Count (near Clewiston, C.R, 835 on fence of Ocean Boy Shrimp Co,, Hendry Co.) on 15 December 2007 and it stayed until 20 March 2008, Like the Cassin’s Kingbird near Hooper Farms (07-629, see above), this individual may have wintered at this location for several years (06-598 in April 2006), although it was not reported in the winter of 2006-2007. 22 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Before these two records, the FOSRC had previously accepted nine submissions (five photographs, four sight reports), but 07-629 may represent the third accepted record of the same individual and 07-657 may represent the second accepted record of the same individual. Tropical Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus 08-658 (LA; photographs). This bird was found 29 September 2007 at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Co. The vocalizations were described as twittering, thus differentiat- ing this from Couch’s Kingbird (T. couchii), which is otherwise very similar aside from a somewhat shorter bill and a less deeply notched tail. Six accepted records with photographs and one accepted sight report of Tropical Kingbird are now known from Florida; an additional accepted record (photo) was ei- ther a Tropical or a Couch’s Kingbird. Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus I couchii 08-692 (BD; sight report). This bird was found 2 August 2008 in Gulf Breeze, Peake Subdivision, Santa Rosa Co. The description of this silent, yellow-bellied kingbird in- cluded the long bill, unmarked notched tail, and green breast that indicated either Tropical Kingbird or Couch’s Kingbird. Field identification of these two species is not possible without hearing their distinct vocalizations or observing the relative lengths of some of the outer primaries (Pyle 1997). 08-693. (LA; photographs). This silent bird was found 16 July 2008 at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Co. Field identification of these two species is not possible without hearing their distinct vocalizations or observing the relative lengths of some of the outer primaries (Pyle 1997), although the length of this bird’s bill may be outside the range of Couch’s Kingbird. Nevertheless, without measurements or vocaliza- tions, the Committee felt it was appropriate to list this as a Tropical/Couch’s King- bird. Six previously accepted records (including FOSRC #08-658 above) with photo- graphs and recordings and/or descriptions of vocalizations plus one accepted sight report of Tropical Kingbird are known from Florida; an additional accepted record (photo) was either a Tropical or a Couch’s Kingbird. Couch’s Kingbird remains to be documented from Florida. Vocalizing Couch’s Kingbirds, which were not recorded, have been found in Florida and were accepted by the FOSRC (# 86-092 and 86-106), but the species is not included on the Official State List (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992) because verifiable documentation was lacking. Yellow-green Vireo, Vireo flavoviridis 08-685 (LM; photographs). This bird was found 18 June 2008 at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, Monroe Co. 08-688 (CG; sight report). This bird was found 23 April 2008 at Key West Botanical Gardens, Stock Island, Monroe Co. The description included the olive back and un- marked wings, white underparts with distinctive yellow flanks and undertail co- verts, large bill, and gray crown lacking black borders that are diagnostic for Yellow- green Vireo. Prior to these two submissions, accepted reports in Florida included one speci- men from Santa Rosa Co. in May 1958 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992) and six sight reports, as follows: May 1984 in Palm Beach Co. (FOSRC #84-064, Langridge 1985, Powell 1986), May 1986 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #86-102, Dowling 1989), May 1998 in Escambia Co. (FOSRC #00-422, Bowman 2004), September 2002 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #03-515, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006), September 2002 in Monroe Co. (FOSRC #04-526, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), and August 2003 and in Monroe Co. (FOSRC #04-527, Bowman and Greenlaw 2006). Eighteenth Report-^FOS Records Committee 23 Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis 08-662 (BP). Pranty (2008) detailed the establishment and population growth of the Common Myna in Florida. This species, native from Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia, first bred in Florida in 1982 and the population has expanded consistently, now being found in 18 counties in Florida, with breeding con- firmed in 11 of these. There is also one probable report from Georgia. To be accepted as an Established Exotic in Florida (see http://www.fosbirds/RecordCommittee/Rule- sAndProcedures.aspx, Appendix A), a species must meet the Persistence Criterion and one or both of two additional criteria. These criteria state: An exotic species will be deemed ‘‘established” in Florida if a stable or increasing population of that species has persisted continuously in one or more areas for at least 15 years (Persistence Criterion) and meets one or both of the following addi- tional criteria: a. An exotic species that has exhibited rapid population growth by widely evident natural reproduction, accompanied by evidence of extensive range expansion within (and perhaps beyond) Florida, may be deemed “estab- lished,” See 3b for publication requirement b. An exotic species for which there is acceptable evidence that successful nesting (fledged young) is a characteristic of one or more local populations of several hundred individuals, that this nesting activity is recruiting young adults into the population(s), that (if applicable) the population(s) have exhibited resilience in the face of major perturbations such as hurri- canes or habitat disruptions, and that there is little or no evidence that on- going releases play a significant role in population maintenance, may be deemed “established,” but only after such evidence as is available has been published in at least one scientific source (e.g., peer-reviewed journal, tech- nical book), or after this evidence has been amassed by a Committee mem- ber or some other interested individual and reviewed by the Committee. In the last instance, a detailed analysis of the issue must be published in a suitable scientific source if a judgment of Establishment is rendered by the Committee. Furthermore, by extension, the requirement for publication applies to species considered “established” under section 3a as well. Given the evidence presented in the manuscript the Common Myna meets the es- tablishment criterion, and definitely additional criterion “a” and possibly “b.” For ‘b” it can only be assumed that nesting activity is recruiting young adults into the popu- lation, although there is no evidence that additional escapees from captivity (the species is rare in captivity in the continental United States) are fueling the expan- sive population growth. The Common Myna population, centered in Miami-Dade Co., survived and continued to expand in the face of a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States. The Com- mon Myna is thus added to the Official List of Florida Birds. Townsend’s Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi 08-680 (BA, AB, BP, LA; photographs). This bird, a first record for Florida, was present 9-13 March 2008 at the Genius Drive Nature Preserve, Winter Park, Orange Co. (Bankert et al. 2009). This migratory, western montane species breeds east to southwestern Saskatchewan, southwestern South Dakota, and northwestern Ne- braska, and regularly winters at lower elevations east to western Missouri, western Oklahoma, and western Texas (AOU 1998). It has strayed east to much of northeast- ern North America south to Iowa, Ohio, and New Jersey (AOU 1998), and more re- cently to South Carolina (SCBRC 2008), Mississippi (sight report; MOSBRC 2007), and Louisiana (Dobbs 2003). Townsend’s Solitaires staged a mini-invasion of eastern 24 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST North America during winter 2007-2008 and the Florida individual was undoubtedly associated with this movement. MacGillivray’s Warbler, Oporornis tolmiei 08-682 (LA; photographs). This bird, present 22-23 April 2008 at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Co., was discovered by Pete Timmer, Chuck Geanangel, and Mark Hender- son. The FOSRC has accepted four previous reports: one photographed April 1998 in Lee Co. (FOSRC #98-385, Bowman 2000) and sight reports from Broward Co. in Feb- ruary-March 2002 (FOSRC #02-464, Bowman 2004), Miami-Dade Co. in April 2001 (FOSRC #02-487, Bowman 2004), and September 2005 in Miami-Dade Co. (FOSRC #06-588, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). “Audubon’s” Yellow-RUMPED Warbler, Dendroica coronata “auduboni” 08-687 (LM; video). This bird was found 15 April 2004 at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortu- gas, Monroe Co. The two reports previously accepted by the FOSRC were a sight report on 30 April 1988 from Monroe Co. (FOSRC #88-143, Dowling 1989), and a fall migrant photographed 28 September 2006 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #06-592, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). Bullock’S Oriole, Icterus hullockii 08-665 (AB, DJu; photographs). The winter of 2007-2008 marked the third consecu- tive winter that a female oriole visited feeders at the residence of Fran Rutkovsky in Tallahassee, Leon Co. (FOSRC #06-607 in 2005-2006 and #07-628 in 2006-2007). We tabled the submission at the January 2008 meeting to await a photograph, which was provided in February. These records likely involve the same individual. 08-690 (AR; video). This adult male was present from 26-31 March 2008 in Tallahas- see, Leon Co. Seven previously confirmed records of Bullock’s Oriole are known from Florida (Pranty et al. 2005, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), although these include the two pre- vious submissions of the same individual as 08-665 (see above). Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena 08-667 (LF, BG, BA; photographs). This bird was present 28 January-4 February 2008 at Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area, Lake Co. 08-670 (CE, BP, RD; photographs). This second-year male was present 5 February-30 March 2008 at Alva, Lee Co. This individual was somewhat outside the usual spring occurrence of Lazuli Buntings in Florida, and likely wintered. Of the seven records and reports previously accepted by the FOSRC before these two individuals, six have been males in March or April. A female or immature in Belle Glade, Palm Beach Co., in December 1991 is the only exception. Submissions Not Accepted Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus 08-672. This bird was observed 21 November 2007 at Playalinda Beach, Merritt Is- land, Volusia Co. It was seen fiying ca. 300-400 m away through a spotting scope. The description of a small black-and-white shearwater matched either Manx Shearwater or Audubon’s Shearwater (P. Iherminieri), which can be difficult to distinguish. The description included a shorter tail, more extensive white on the underwing, white undertail coverts, and black upperparts all suggestive of Manx Shearwater, and the observer was extensively familiar with both species. However, at the distance of ob- servation the field marks can be difficult to observe, especially since Audubon’s Eighteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 25 Shearwater can show much white in the undertail coverts (along with pale feet ob- scuring the dark undertail coverts), and fresh birds can be quite black. The ob- server’s description of the flight — -“The bird alternated between a series of rapid wingbeats interspersed with short (1-2 seconds) glides” — is appropriate for Audu- bon’s Shearwater as well Great Black-Hawk, Buteogallus uruhitinga 08-689. Robin Diaz presented to us a written analysis of the reports, spanning sev- eral decades, of Buteogallus black-hawks in the Keys and southern mainland of Flor- ida. The current records and photographs occur from December 2003-August 2008 at Virginia Key, Miami-Dade Co., although reports date back to at least 1972. In 1973 two pairs of adults were present and immature birds were seen as well. In that year Wally George identified an adult Buteogallus hawk he saw well at Virginia Key as a Great Black Hawk of the nominate subsp. (R. Diaz unpubl. ms.). Photographs of the birds in 1970s continued to generate debate, however (R. Diaz unpubl. ms.) Many (e.g., Abramson 1976) attributing these sightings and photographs to Common Black-Hawks (B. anthracinusX either the resident nominate subsp. in Central Amer- ica or, more frequently, the resident Cuban taxon (B. [a.] gundlachii), which is now considered a separate species by the AOU (Banks et al. 2007) but was considered a subsp.of anthracinus at the time. Robertson and Woolfenden (1992) did not accept any Buteogallus species to the Official State List; their only reference, in their Unestablished Exotics Appendix, is to a 1992 University of Miami specimen of B. uruhitinga that “must be regarded as of doubtful origin.” They stated that some Mi- ami area observers recalled examining an adult Buteogallus found injured in Coral Gables and was ultimately donated to the University of Miami collection. Stevenson and Anderson (1994) placed B. anthracinus in brackets, denoting that that the origin was uncertain. The FOSRC reviewed a sight report of a Buteogallus not identified to species from Dixie Co. (FOSRC #94-296), but it was not accepted (Anderson 1996). In recent years, birds centered in and around Virginia Key have been identified as Great Black-Hawks. In the photographs presented by Diaz, the basal half of the tail and uppertail coverts were distinctively white, thus identifying this individual as a Great Black-Hawk from the nominate population in South America. This popu- lation is unlikely to reach Florida as a natural vagrant. Although it seems likely that a small population of Great Black-Hawks has persisted here for 30+ years, we only have photographs and submitted notes from 2003 onwards and thus restrict our identification to this time period. We thus accepted the identification as Great Black- Hawk of the nominate race, but did not accept the record as a natural vagrant to Florida, as Diaz had concluded in her analysis. Yellow-legged Gull, Lams michahelUs 07-645. This first-cycle gull, a potential first record for Florida, was found 5 March 2007 at the Tomoka Landfill, 1990 Tomoka Farms Road, Daytona Beach, Volusia Co. This species, which breeds in the eastern Atlantic Ocean east through southern Europe to central Asia, is a casual visitor to North America, with records from Newfoundland, where it is nearly annual in occurrence, south to North Carolina, with an additional record in Texas (Pranty et al. 2008). Eight photographs, a FOSRC form, and opinions from two gull experts were initially submitted for this well documented record. This bird’s plumage was similar to a first-cycle Lesser-Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus), but differed in proportions (larger bodied, deeper chested) and particularly in its large thick bill. Although we re- ceived two favorable outside opinions (see below) supporting identification as L. michahelUs atlantis (the subsp. breeding on eastern Atlantic islands), we tabled this report at the August 2007 meeting because a first state record should be unambigu- 26 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST ous. The Committee then solicited opinions from several more experts on gull identi- fication. A summary of expert opinions follows: “Well I can say for sure that it is not a nominate michahellis from the Med- iterranean . . . there is a lot about this bird that looks good for Yellow- legged Gull . . . there is no question that your bird is atlantis”. “It looks very good for michahellis of some kind . . . although I still have slight problems with the rather dense tail pattern , . . 95% sure for micha- hellis”. “It does look interesting but I don’t know how to eliminate LBBG [Lesser Black-backed Gull]”. “I would certainly call this a Yellow-legged Gull. I would even say that it was a michahellis, not an atlantis . . , the only thing that worries me is that the wing coverts are not that much worn . . . [and they] don’t show 2nd generation feathers”. “It lacks one of the key elements that I look for in a top-level candidate YLGU , , . Almost every kind ofYLGU has the outer web of R6 pure white except for the narrow subterminal black mark ... I personally could not vote for the FL gull as a good YLGU . . , yet. I would want to be sure that it was slated for review when more knowledge of the ID issues and evolving occurrence situation comes to hand”. One problem in assessing this record is that immature plumages of hybrids of Lesser Black-backed Gull and “American” Herring Gull (L. argentatus smithso- nianus), which has been a suspected combination in northeastern North America, are not known (Howell and Dunn 2007), and would presumably look like this indi- vidual. However, one Committee member felt that the bulky bill was too large to be from this hybrid combination. Another problem is that proportions of the posterior part of the bird are difficult to assess given the angle of the photographs. Lastly, some experts thought the bird was subsp. atlantis, while others thought it was nom- inate michahellis. Overall, most Committee members felt that too much uncertainty existed to admit this as a first state record. “Thayer’s” Gull, Lams thayeri 08-694. This gull was originally posted on the Internet as a probable Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Iceland Gull (L. glaucoides kumlieni) hybrid with a North American Her- ring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus). It was found and photographed 31 Jan- uary 2008 at the Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa, Brevard Co. The Committee thought it was appropriate to review the record, as both Iceland Gull and Thayer’s Gull are on the Review List, even though no one had submitted it as a review-list taxon. This first-cycle gull had noticeable damage to its inner primaries. Although this gull had some characters of Thayer’s Gull (long wings, smaller size relative to Herring Gull, dark primaries that were paler from below), it also had a massive bill that is not typical of “white-winged” gulls (Thayer’s and Iceland gulls). The oversized bill indicates a possible hybrid ancestry, most likely with Herring Gull as one parent, and Thayer’s Gull or possibly Kumlien’s Iceland Gull as the other parent. However, neither hybrid combination is known (Howell and Dunn 2007). Caribbean Martin, Prague dominicensis 07-647. This potential first state and ABA record was found and photographed 29 March 2007 at Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West, Monroe Co. The Caribbean Martin breeds in the West Indies from Jamaica and Hispaniola south through the Lesser Antilles to Tobago and presumably winters in South America (AOU 1998), The se- ries of photographs show a martin in flight with a mostly white belly and dark sides and throat (with some brown feathers), similar to the pattern shown in adult Eighteenth Report=-FOS Records Committee 27 Caribbean Martins. The mix of dark and lighter brown feathers in the throat and the irregular margins of the white belly indicate a second-year male. The submit- ter also supplied photographs of series of specimens of the following martin spe- cies: Caribbean Martin, Gray-breasted Martin (P. chalyhea), Purple Martin (P suhis), and Sinaloa Martin (P sinaloae). Howe¥er, none of the specimens photo- graphed appeared to be a second-year male. At the August 2007 meeting we de- cided to table the submission to see if we could find more martin specimens for comparison. Although Kratter requested specimens from the Louisiana State Uni- versity Museum of Natural Science in September, which has a good series of P do- minicensis, they have a back-log and we did not receive the specimens by the January meeting. At the August meeting, some Committee members showed an ar- ticle in Birding (Hill 2002) that pictured a second-year male Purple Martin (from Pennsylvania in April) that is very similar to the bird photographed at Key West. It was also noted that the dark throat of second-year Purple Martins extended far- ther down the breast than in adult Caribbean Martins (and thus probably also in second-year plumage). Although the tail of the martin from Key West does appear to be quite deeply forked, which is shown by Caribbean Martin, the Committee felt that the depth of the fork is difficult to judge in flying birds, and depends on how wide the tail is spread. The Committee thus felt there was a strong possibility that this bird may have been a Purple Martin. BiCKNELL’S Thrush, Catharus bickneUi 07- 652. This bird was observed 1 October 2007 in Jacksonville, Duval Co. A FOSRC form was submitted for this sighting, made on one day by a single observer. The de- scription of the bird, seen with Swainson’s Thrushes (C. ustulatus), mentioned the smaller size, spotted breast (spots dark and distinct) and plain face that are indica- tive of Gray-cheeked (C. minimus) and BicknelFs thrushes. The rufous tail described is more likely to be found in BicknelFs, but identification to species within this pair is nearly impossible without in-hand measurements or vocal confirmation. The descrip- tion does not include bill coloration, which in Bicknell’s tends to be brighter yellow orange, and extends more than halfway to the tip. 08- 666. This bird was observed and photographed 28 October 2007 at Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West, Monroe Co. This Catharus thrush, with its relatively plain face, lack of eyering, and dark spotted breast on a white background is either a Gray- cheeked (C. minimus) or BicknelFs Thrush. The lower mandible showed a bright yel- lowish-orange base, extending more than halfway toward the tip, which is character- istic of BicknelFs. The color of the tail and wings was described as reddish brown, also indicating BicknelFs. The observer, who is quite familiar with both species, stated that the size and subtle plumage differences are noticeable in the field, but without in hand measurements, this would be difficult to determine. Although most of the Committee felt that this is a good candidate for BicknelFs Thrush, based on the bill pattern and tail color, a Committee member stated that banders in south Florida have had good BicknelFs candidates previously, but measurements showed them to be Gray-cheeked. Most references (Pyle 1997, Lane and Jaramillo 2000) state that BicknelFs Thrush cannot be safely identified without measurements or descriptions of vo- calizations. Previous records for Florida of BicknelFs Thrush in Florida include four specimens identified by Woolfenden and Greenlaw (2005), three from spring (Nassau [1-May], Brevard [1-May], Miami-Dade [2-May] and one from fall (Mi- ami-Dade [Nov]), and three birds (two fall and one spring) that were mist-netted, photographed, and measured in Miami-Dade and Monroe cos.; the spring record (FOSRC #07-641) consisted of two birds and a third bird was also heard there that day. 28 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Golden-cheeked WAEBLER, Dendroica chrysoparia 08-677. This bird was briefly observed on 15 March 2008 at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Lee Co. The observer had only a 3-second view of this bird, but noted the bird’s black crown and throat, yellow face, and thin black line through the eye. The rest of the bird was not seen. Although this face pattern matches Golden- cheeked Warbler and this species arrives on its central Texas breeding grounds in mid-March, the Committee felt that a rarity of this magnitude requires a much more detailed observation, including the solid black back that is diagnostic for this species. The similar Black-throated Green Warbler (D. virens) winters in small numbers in south Florida. There is but one record of Golden-cheeked Warbler for Florida, a specimen col- lected at Sawgrass Lake, Pinellas Co., on 24 August 1964 (Woolfenden 1967). Kirtland’S Warbler, Dendroica kirtlandii 07-651. This bird was observed on 11 October 2007 in Ormond Beach, Volusia Co. The description includes the yellow underparts, black streaked sides, dark head and back, wingbars, and split white eye-ring. The description did not include some other pertinent critical marks, such as back and crown color, color of undertail coverts, prominence of the wing bars, tail length and pattern, nor was there a description of the prominent tail-wagging behavior typical of Kirtland’s Warbler. Mid-October is during the expected passage of fall migrant Kirtland’s, but the lack of details critical to confirming the identification resulted in the rejection of this report. There are six previously accepted reports for Florida (one specimen, three photos, two sight reports). Submissions Withdrawn Band-tailed Pigeon, Patagioenas fasciatus 08-676. This columbid was photographed 16 March 2008 at Blind Creek Park, Stu- art, St. Lucie Co. Though submitted as a Band-tailed Pigeon, the photographs clearly showed a Common Ground-Dove {Columbina passerina). The submitter withdrew the record when he was made aware of the mis-identification. Submissions Not Resolved Yellow-legged Gull, Lams michahellis 08-673. This first-cycle gull was present and photographed 27 January- 10 February 2008 at the Tomoka Landfill, Daytona Beach, Volusia Co. Opinions from nine Euro- pean gull experts were also submitted. If confirmed as a Yellow-legged Gull, this would be the first record for Florida. This first-cycle gull generated some debate among the European gull experts. Eight of nine thought it was a Yellow-legged Gull, probably from one of the Atlantic populations in France, Spain, or Portugal. One of these experts, however, stated “ ... as a first for Florida, you may wish to wait for a more typical individual.” Another expert was not sure what it was, but did not think it was a Yellow-legged Gull. However, his concerns about the identification were re- butted by one of the other experts. The photographs showed a large gull (about size of Herring Gull), with a large, mostly dark bill, white head and breast streaked lightly with brown, rather long wings, mostly dark primaries with only a suggestion of a pale window in the inner primaries, mostly new scapulars with distinct dark an- chor pattern, pale worn wing coverts with indistinct brown bars, and a white tail with broad dark subterminal band and no dark barring in the outer rectrices. The vote left the issue unresolved. Votes to not accept were concerned with the one dis- senting opinion among the opinions solicited from the gull experts. Eighteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 29 Iceland Gull, Lams glaucoides 08-695. This bird was observed 29 January 2008 at the Central Disposal Facility, Co- coa, Brevard Co. The rather brief description included several characters that are good for Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, such as the size (between Herring and Ring-billed gulls), short dark bill, rounded head, and white primaries with few brown bars. How- ever, the description did not include the length of the primaries and details of the tail and tertials, which are important criteria for differentiating an Iceland Gull from a small bleached or leucistic Herring Gull. The vote (five accept, two not accept) was not resolved. Old Files Reopened Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii 06-596 (PJ). This bird, photographed 10 December 2005 in Okaloosa Co., was as- sessed by the Committee at its January 2006 meeting; at that time only one photo- graph had been submitted and the record was not accepted because it was difficult to judge size and bill proportions given the angle of the photograph and the distance to the bird. For the August meeting, Johnson submitted about 15 additional photo- graphs with images of the goose in question, a very small white-cheeked goose in the Canada Goose (B, canadensis) complex. The new photos gave much better views and called into question the vote to not accept; thus, we voted to reopen the submission. The photographs showed the goose in flight and on the ground with two large obvi- ous Canada Geese, one Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), and a few Ross’s Geese {Chen rossii). The goose in question was about the size of Ross’ Goose, with a small bill and steep forehead, thus matching “Richardson’s” Cackling Goose {B. h. hutchinsii), the expected race of Cackling Goose in eastern North America, in size and bill shape and proportions. Based on the new photographs, the Committee voted to accept this record. There are only two previously accepted records for Florida (a December 1956 specimen from Wakulla Co. and one photographed in Brevard Co. in 2003) of this re- cently recognized species (Banks et al. 2003). Bachman’s Warbler, Vermivora hachmanii 85-075. This bird was observed and photographed on 30 March 1977 at Lake Wash- ington, west of Melbourne, Brevard Co. This record, accepted by the FOSRC in 1985, was described in Barber (1985). Five photographs and a written analysis, which in- cluded transcribed opinions of S. D. Ripley and R. F. Pasquier from the National Mu- seum of Natural History, H. M. Stevenson from Florida, and N. K. Johnson and S. F. Bailey from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, were originally submitted to the FOSRC. The original correspondence from the ex- perts, however, is not in the FOSRC file. In addition, the observers visited the Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, to study warbler specimens. The identification as a Bachman’s Warbler is particularly intriguing, because the next most recent confirmation of this probably extinct species was in 1962 in South Caro- lina. In their warbler monograph, Dunn and Garrett (1997) questioned the identifi- cation as a Bachman’s Warbler (as have others in Internet posts). Dunn and Garrett (1997) concluded that this was likely a female “Golden” Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia in the petechia group), which is resident {D. p. gundlachi) in mangroves in southernmost Florida and throughout most of the Caribbean. However, they did not provide reasons for their conclusion. Interestingly, the identification of Yellow Warbler was never considered by either the original observers or the consulted experts. With the recent question of the identity of this bird, the FOSRC decided to re-assess the submission. At our August meeting, the Committee had digital copies of the original 30 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST photos, a digital photograph posted to the Internet of three Bachman Warbler speci- mens from VIREO (Visual Resources for Ornithology), and specimens of Golden Yel- low Warblers and North American {aestiva group) Yellow Warblers from the FLMNH and Archbold Biological Station. The photographs of the 1977 bird, none of which is very sharp, showed a very drab pale brownish warbler, whitish below with a band of pale yellow across the chest, no wingbars, indistinct yellow edges on the remiges and perhaps on some coverts. The primary extension appeared short. The bill seemed to have a slightly curved maxilla. The plumage matched that of some Bachman’s War- blers, but may have also approached that of some female Golden Warblers, although none of the specimens or photographs we examined showed such drab plumage in a spring female. The primary extension of Bachman’s Warbler appeared long in the VIREO photographs, but the angle of the photographs did not permit an accurate as- sessment of this character. Unlike Yellow Warblers of the aestiva group, Golden Yel- low Warblers have a short primary extension (FLMNH specimens). The bill of the Brevard Co. bird did not appear to be as decurved as that of typical Bachman’s War- blers, but the observers thought it matched a female specimen at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The Committee felt that it needed more comparative material to overturn a prior FOSRC decision and voted to table the matter. Literature Cited Abramson, L J, 1976. The Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) in South Florida. American Birds 30:661-662. Anderson, B. H. 1996. Twelfth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee. Florida Field Naturalist 24:122-134. AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th edition, American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Baker, J. L. 1991 FOS Records Committee Report. Florida Field Naturalist 19:56-57. Bankert, a., B. H. Anderson, and B. Pranty. 2009. First record of Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) for Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 37:16-21. Banks, R. C., C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., j. A. Rising, and D. F. Stotz. 2003. Forty-fourth supplement to the American Or- nithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 120:923-931. Banks, R. C., R. T. Chesser, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W, Kratter, I. J. Lovett, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., J. A. Rising, and D. F. Stotz. 2007. Forty-eighth sup- plement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 124:1109-1115. Barber, R. D. 1985, A recent record of Bachman’s Warbler from Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 13:64-66. Bowman, R. 2000. Thirteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Florida Field Naturalist 28:138-160. Bowman, R, 2004. Fourteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee, 2001-2002. Florida Field Naturalist 32:7-33. Bowman, R., and J. Greenlaw. 2006. Fifteenth report of the Florida Ornithological So- ciety Records Committee: 2004-2005. Florida Field Naturalist 34:103-112. Dobbs, R. C. 2003. First record of Townsend’s Solitaire {Myadestes townsendi) from Lou- isiana. Journal of Louisiana Ornithology 6:1-4. Dowling, H. P, 1989. FOS Records Committee Report. Florida Field Naturalist 17:51-52. Duncan, R. A., L. Duncan, and D. Kaufmann. 2008. Long-eared Owl in the western Panhandle of Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 36:62-63. Dunn, J. L., and K. L. Garrett. 1997. A Field Guide to the Warblers of North America. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts. Eighteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 31 Greenlaw, J. S., and A. W. Kratter. 2007. Sixteenth report of the Florida Ornitholog- ical Society Records Committee: 2006. Florida Field Naturalist 35:49-59. Hill, J. R. III. 2002. A guide to sexing and aging Purple Martins - with some notes on martin rarities in the ABA Area. Birding 34:246-257. Howell, S. N. G., and J. L. Dunn. 2007. Gulls of the Americas. Houghton Mifflin, Bos- ton, Massachusetts. Kratter, A. W. 2008. Seventeenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2007. Florida Field Naturalist 34:103-112. Langridge, H. P. 1985. First peninsular sighting of Vireo olivaceus flavoviridis in Flor- ida. Florida Field Naturalist 13:37-38. Lane, D, F., and A. Jaramillo. 2000. Identification of Hylocichla i Catharus thrushes; Part III: Gray-cheeked and Bicknell’s thrushes. Birding 32:318-331. MOSBRC [Mississippi Ornithological Society Bird Records Committee]. 2007. Checklist of Birds of Mississippi, (website: www.msstate.edu/org/mos/ MS_Checklist„3-07.pdf). Olsen, K. M., and H. Larsson. 2004. Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Prince- ton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, Powell, P. 1986. FOS Records Committee Report. Florida Field Naturalist 14:107-109. Pranty, B. 1993. Florida Ornithological Society Field Observations Committee Winter Report: December 1992-February 1993. Florida Field Naturalist 21:92-100. Pranty, B. 1996. Florida Ornithological Society Field Observations Committee Spring Report: March-May 1996. Florida Field Naturalist 24:114-121. Pranty, B. 2008, Status and distribution of Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) in Flor- ida. North American Birds 61:658-665. Pranty, B., J. Dunn, S. C. Heinl, A. W. Kratter, P. E. Lehman, M. W. Lockwood, B. Mactavish, and K. j. Zimmer. 2008. ABA Checklist: Birds of the Continental United States and Canada, 7th ed. American Birding Association, Colorado Springs, Colo- rado. Pranty, B., A. W. Kratter, and R. Bowman. 2005. Records of the Bullock’s Oriole in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 33:41-46. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part 1. Columbidae to Plo- ceidae. Slate Creek Press, Point Reyes Station, California. Pyle, P. 2008. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part 11. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California. Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Special Publication No. 6. Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville. SCBRC [South Carolina Bird Records Committee]. 2008. Official List of the Birds of South Carolina (website: www.carolinabirdclub.org/brc/ checklisUof_South_Carolina_birds.html). Sibley, D. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. National Audubon Society. Alfred Knopf, New York, New York. Smith, P. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and A. Sprunt IV. 2000. The Loggerhead Kingbird in Florida: The evidence revisited. North American Birds 54:235-240. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Stokes, D., L. Stokes, and L. Elliott. 1997. Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region (audio CD). Time-Warner. Woolfenden, G. E. 1967. A specimen of the Golden-cheeked Warbler from Florida. Auk 84:116. Woolfenden, G. E., and J. Greenlaw. 2005. Specimen evidence for the occurrence of both Gray-cheeked and Bicknell’s thrushes in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 33:93- 98. Florida Field Naturalist 38(l):32-40, 2010. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Summer reports June- July 2009, — This report consists of significant bird obser- vations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Submissions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and sig- nificance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June- July), and fall (August-November). Submit observations to regional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. Addresses of the compilers are found at the end of this report. We greatly prefer observations sent via e-mail. Sight-only observations are considered “reports” while only those supported by veri- fiable evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; ) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = Air Force Base, AFR = Air Force Range, EOS = end of season, NERR = National Estuarine Research Re- serve, nm = nautical miles, NP = National Park, NSRA = North Shore Restoration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SF = State Forest, SP = State Park, STA = Stormwa- ter Treatment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. Summary of the Summer Season It was an uneventful season weatherwise. The biggest ornithological news was the discovery and confirmation of successful breeding by a pair of Western Spindalis at Ev- erglades NP. This record represents a breeding “first” for Florida and the continent, as well as the first native tanager to breed in North America (following the recent taxo- nomic move of Piranga to the Cardinalidae: R.T. Chesser et al. 2009. Auk 126:705-714). FOSRC-review species observed this season were Neotropic Cormorant at Lake Apopka, Zenaida Dove at Key Largo, Tropical Kingbird at Homestead, and Tropical-type king- bird in Taylor County. Bronzed Cowbird was confirmed as a breeding species in Florida based on a juvenile fed by Spot-breasted Orioles. Three exotics were newly recorded: one Elliot’s Pheasant in Broward County, six Sun Parakeets in Pasco County, and one Bronze Mannikin in Volusia County. We welcome David Simpson to the FOC; David will compile observations in the interior central Florida region. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 2 at St. Petersburg {Pinellas) 18 Jun (L. Snyder); 1 at Sanford (Seminole) 30 Jun (P. Daum); 2 at Roosevelt Wetlands, St. Petersburg 24-31 Jul (C. & J. Bloomfield et al.). Fulvous Whistling-DucK: 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) 3-6 Jun (L. Davis et al.). Canada Goose: 4 at St. Petersburg 3 Jun (R. Smith); 5 at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville (Du- val) 11 Jul (D. Freeland); 2 near John Chesnut Park, Tarpon Springs (Pinellas) 26 Jul (D. & L. Margeson). 32 Field Observations 33 Blue-winged Teal: 1 male at Roosevelt Wetlands 1 Jun (R. Smith); 1 male at Lake Ap- opka NSRA {Orange) 10-14 Jun (H. Robinson); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Oka- loosa) 28 Jul (D= Ware). Ring-necked Duck: 1 at Lake City {Columbia) 2 Jun (J. Krummrich). Lesser Scaup: 1 flightless female at Holiday {Pasco) to 13 Jul (D. Gagne); 4 at S Merritt Island {Brevard) 1 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 at Melbourne {Brevard) 16 Jun (D. Freeland); 1 female at Palm Harbor STF {Pinellas) 19 Jun (R. Smith, D. Gagne); 1 male at Cape Canaveral {Brevard) 6 Jul (J. Eager); 1 at Viera {Brevard) all season (D. Freeland), Surf Scoter: 1 adult male at Eagle Crest Lake, St. Petersburg 30 May-8 Jun (G. Brecht et al., photos to FOC); 1 adult male at Ormond Beach {Volusia) 2-12 Jun (M. Broth- ers); 12 at Bald Point SP {Franklin) 11 Jun, 14 (mostly males) there 15 Jun, and 2 there to EOS (J. Murphy, M. Forehand); 3 (1 female, 2 males) at Cedar Key {Levy) 19 Jun (D. Henderson). Black Scoter: 1 female at Bald Point SP 15 Jun (M. Forehand). Ruddy Duck: 3 males in alternate plumage at STA-5 {Hendry) 11 Jul (K. Willis et al.). Elliot’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti): one at Davie {Broward) 1 Jun (G. Gianotti, photos to FOC) furnished the first Florida record of this SE China species. Common Loon: 5 at Deer Lake SP {Walton) 20 Jul (D, Simpson). American Flamingo: 14 at STA-2 {Palm Beach) 24-27 Jun {fide M. Baranski); 2 at Snake Bight, Everglades NP {Monroe) 19 Jul (B. Roberts). Flamingo species: 1 over STA-5, 11 Jul (K. Willis et al.). Cory’s Shearwater: 1 off Miami {Miami-Dade) 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.); 35 birds 10-13 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet {Volusia) 5 Jul (M, Brothers, B. Wallace). Sooty Shearwater: 1 off Dunedin {Pinellas) 12 Jun died later {fide R. Smith, S. Patter- son). Audubon’s Shearwater: 16 off Miami 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.); 1 at Grayton Beach SP {Walton) 30 Jul (D. Simpson). Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 2 off Clearwater Beach {Pinellas) 6 Jun (S. Czaplicki); 3 off Mi- ami 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.); 8 birds 13-26 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 5 Jul (M. Broth- ers, B. Wallace). Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 2 birds 5.6 nm off Clearwater Beach 30 Jun (S. Czaplicki, photo to FOC); 1 bird 26 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 5 Jul (M. Brothers, B. Wallace). Band-rumped Storm-Petrel: 3 off Miami 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.). Brown Booby: 19 off Miami 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.); 1 at Port Canaveral {Brevard) 16 Jun (S. Small, specimen to Florida Institute of Technology); 1 immature 1 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 5 Jul (M. Brothers, B. Wallace); 1 adult at Count Philippe Park {Pinellas) 9-12 Jul (J. Zarolinski et al., photos to FOC); 1 immature at Matanzas Inlet {St. Johns) 25 Jul (M. Hafner). Northern Gannet: 1 at Fort De Soto Park {Pinellas) 1 Jun (R. Smith); 1 immature at Ponce de Leon Inlet 3 Jun (M. Brothers); 1 at Stump Pass {Charlotte) 22 Jun (S. Daughtrey); 1 immature beached at Cedar Key 26 Jun (R. Rowan); 27 at Destin Pass {Okaloosa) 27 Jun (D. Simpson); 1 juvenile at Coquina Beach {Manatee) 28 Jun (J. Fisher); 1 immature at Anclote Key Preserve SP {Pasco) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et al.). American White Pelican: 25 at Holiday 16 Jun (D. Gagne); 9 at St. Marks NWR {Wakulla) 12 Jul (J. Simpson); 3 at Snake Bight 19 Jul (B. Roberts). Brown Pelican: 3 (1 adult, 2 immatures) at Lake Lochloosa {Alachua) 14 Jun (M. Hafner et al.); 1 at Orlando {Orange) 9 Jul (C. Pierce). *Neotropic Cormorant: 1 adult at Lake Apopka NSRA {Orange) 3-7 Jun (H. Robinson et al., accepted by FOSRC). Magnificent Frigatebird: 1 at Port Orange (Volusia) 3 Jun (M. Brothers); 2 at Palm Bay {Brevard) 11 Jun (J. Eager); 1 at Bald Point SP 27 Jun (M. Kiser). American Bittern: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 6 Jun (B. Shea et al.). 34 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Great Blue Heron: 3 white morphs at STA-5, 20 Jun, and 4 white morphs there 11 Jul (K. Willis et aL); 1 captured an adult Least Bittern at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 18 Jul (C. Faulhaber, photo to FOG). Reddish Egret: as many as 7 (4 red and 3 white) at Opal Beach, Gulf Islands NS {Santa Rosa) 8 Jun-27 Jul {fide B. Duncan); 10 (8 red and 2 white) at Ponce de Leon Inlet 29 Jun (M. Brothers). Scarlet-type Ibis: 1 pink adult at Turtle Beach {Sarasota) 31 Jul (M. Davis). Glossy Ibis: 50 at Holiday 9 Jul (K. Tracey, B. Pranty et aL). White-faced Ibis: 1 adult at Lake Apopka 8 Jul (H. Robinson). Roseate Spoonbill: 1 at Hague {Alachua) 3 Jun (B. Kramer); 6 at Orlando Wetlands Park {Orange) 6 Jun (B. Anderson, C. Pierce); 1 juvenile at Holiday 6 Jun had been banded as a nestling at State Key {Monroe) in Dec 2008 (D. Gagne); as many as 10 (10 Jun) at Lake Apopka NSRA to 26 Jun (H. Robinson); 1 at Santa Rosa Island {Oka- loosa) 17 Jun (D. Varble); as many as 84 at N St. Augustine {St. Johns) all season (J. Kern). Wood Stork: 1 in N Walton 28 Jun (B. Reid). Swallow-tailed Kite: 50 at STA-5, 20 Jun (K. Willis et al.); 30 in Okaloosa 9 Jul (M, Stephen); 1 at Jacksonville 24 Jul (L. Connor). White-tailed Kite: 1 along Browns Farm Road, Everglades Agricultural Area {Palm Beach) 11 Jul (V. McGrath). Snail Kite: 1 immature at St. Augustine {St. Johns) 22-23 Jun had reportedly been present about four weeks (G. Lepera, details to FOG); 5 at Hams Marsh, Lehigh Acres {Lee) 11 Jul (B. Ahern). Mississippi Kite: one pair nested in a laurel oak at Carlton Village Park {Lake) 24 Jun ff (G. Quigley et al., photos to FOG by R. Leatto); 1 juvenile at Cocoa {Brevard) 15 Jul (M. Harris); 1 at Jacksonville 25 Jul (R. Rowan). Northern Harrier: 1 in worn female plumage at Avon Park AFR {Highlands) 3 Jun (D. Rankin); 1 adult female in heavily worn plumage at Viera Wetlands 22 Jun-12 Jul (M. Kiser, T. Dunkerton et al., photo to FOG). Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1 adult female at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Jul (H. Robinson). Great Black-Hawk: 1 at Virginia Key {Miami-Dade) 31 Jul (B. Rapoza). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 dark morph at Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg 6-12 Jun (R. Smith, D. Goodwin, E. Haney); 2 adults and 1 juvenile (all light morphs) at Ormond Beach {Volusia) 6-17 Jul (M. Wilson); 1 dark morph at Temple Terrace {Hillsborough) 6 and 28 Jul (J. Guerard); 1 immature light morph at Orlando 20 Jul (K. Blye, photo to FOG); 1 light morph at Saddle Creek Park, Lakeland {Polk) 26 Jul (P. Fellers). Red-tailed Hawk: 1 at St. Augustine 2 Jul captured a Clapper Rail (D. Reed, photo to FOG). Crested CaracarA: 1 adult and 2 juveniles at Sanford {Seminole) 31 Jul (J. Mills). American Kestrel: 2 at Winter Springs {Seminole) 12 Jul (B. Sicolo). Purple Swamphen: 3 adults at Chapel Trail Nature Preserve, Pembroke Pines {Bro- ward) 5 Jun (R. Titus) furnished a new location. Purple Gallinule: 2 adults with 5 chicks at Sawgrass Lake Park 31 Jul (S. Patterson). American Coot: 2 at Lake Jackson, Tallahassee {Leon) 3 Jul (G. Menk). Limpkin: 10 at Hams Marsh 11 Jul (B. Ahern); increasing in Leon as a result of an in- crease in exotic channeled apple snails: 1 adult at Lake Talquin, Tallahassee 26 Jun (M. Collins, G. Menk) and 1 at Lake Henrietta Park, Tallahassee 29 Jul (G. Menk). Sandhill Crane: 2 adults with one chick at Chapel Trail Nature Preserve, Pembroke Pines 5 Jun (R. Titus). Black-bellied Plover: as many as 4 at Lake Apopka NSRA to 10 Jun (H. Robinson); 26 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (P. Sykes); 30 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers). Snowy Plover: 100 active nests at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS {Escambia) in Jul {fide M. Nicholas, V. Withington); 4 adults and 2 juveniles 10 Jul furnished the Field Observations 35 first fledglings at Little Estero Lagoon, Fort Myers Beach (Lee) in at least 10 years (C, Ewell); 20 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pasco and Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et aL)= Wilson’s Plover: 19 at Opal Beach and Navarre Beach (Santa Rosa) 25 Jun (B, & L. Duncan); 27 adults and 5 juveniles at Little Estero Lagoon 10 Jul (C. Ewell); 34 at An- clote Key Preserve SP (Pasco and Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et al.); 7 pairs were nest- ing at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (R Sykes); 147 at Bird Island, Nassau Sound (Duval) 24 Jul (R Leary). Semipalmated Plover: 4 at Port Canaveral Jetty Park 16 Jun (D. Freeland); 62 at Nas- sau Sound 1 Jul (R Leary); 58 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (R Sykes); 20 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Jul, and as many as 5 there 24 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson). Piping Plover: 1 at Mashes Sands Park (Wakulla) 22 Jul (S. McCool); 1 at Tigertail Beach, Marco Island (Collier) 24 Jul (T. Below); 5 at Bird Island 28 Jul (R Leary). Killdeer: 20 at Tram Road STF, Tallahassee 15 Jul (G. Menk). American Oystercatcher: 12 at Nassau Sound 1 Jul (R Leary); 5 sub-adults, including one banded in Virginia, summered at Little Estero Lagoon (C. Ewell). American Avocet: 1 at Cutler Wetlands (Miami-Dade) 18 Jul (S. Paez); 10 at Snake Bight 19 Jul (B. Roberts). Spotted Sandpiper: 1 at Newnans Lake (Alachua) 7 Jul (J. Hintermister); 5 at Snake Bight 19 Jul (B. Roberts); 1 at Tram Road STF 22 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22 Jul, and 3 there 24 Jul (H. Robinson); 2 at Tomoka SP 27 Jul (M. Wilson); 3 at Green Key, New Port Richey (Pasco) 28 Jul (K. Tracey). Solitary Sandpiper: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Jul (H, Robinson); 1 at Homestead (Mi- ami-Dade) 18 Jul (R, Torres, T. Mitchell); 3 at Lake Osprey (Sarasota) 24 Jul (J. Dubi, V. Ponzo); 1 at Crandon Park (Miami-Dade) 25 Jul (J. King). Greater YellowlegS: as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Jun-3 Jul, and 23 there 31 Jul (H. Robinson); 3 at Three Rooker Island (Pinellas) 12 Jul (R. Smith et aL); 3 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et al.); 10 at Snake Bight 19 Jul (B. Roberts); 1 at Tram Road STF 22 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins). WiLLET: 107 at Amelia River (Nassau) 1 Jul (R Leary); 1 T. s. inornatus at Tigertail Beach, Marco Island (Collier) 6 Jul (T. Below); 33 adult T. s. inornatus at Little Estero Lagoon 10 Jul (C. Ewell); 62 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (P. Sykes); 30 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers). Lesser YellowlegS: 15 in alternate plumage at South Bay (Palm Beach) 18 Jul (J. Boyd); 21 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Jul, and 100 there 31 Jul (H. Robinson); 3 at Tram Road STF 22 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins). WhimbreL: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Jul (H. Robinson). Long-billed Curlew: 1 summered at Fort De Soto Park, with a second there 14 Jun (R. Smith, M. McPherson et al.); 1 at Bunche Beach, Fort Myers 7 Jul (E. Swank, photo to FOC). Marbled Godwit: 1 at Snake Bight 21 Jun, and 200 there 19 Jul (B. Roberts); 19 at Fort De Soto Park 24 Jun (R. Smith); 1 at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS 2 Jul (P. James); 19 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pasco and Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et al.); 30 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (R Sykes); 1 at St. Marks NWR 19 Jul (E. Woodruff); 23 at Mashes Sands Rark 22 Jul (S. McCool); 5 immatures summered at Little Estero La- goon (C. Ewell). Ruddy Turnstone: 5 at Port Canaveral Jetty Park 16 Jun (D. Freeland); 4 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (P. Sykes). Red Knot: 75 at Fort De Soto Park 1 Jun (R. Smith), and 84 there 12 Jul (R Sykes); 1 in basic plumage at Little Estero Lagoon 16 Jun (C. Ewell); 1 with color-bands at Stump Pass 22 Jun (S. Daughtrey); 24 at Bald Point SP 27 Jun (M. Kiser); 4 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers). 36 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST SanderlinG: 26 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (P. Sykes); 2 at Tram Road STF 29 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 12 at Snake Bight 21 Jun, and 70 there 19 Jul (B. Roberts); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jul (H. Robinson). Western Sandpiper: 60 at Snake Bight 21 Jun (B. Roberts); 43 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pasco and Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et ah). Least Sandpiper: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Jun, 6 there 12 Jul, and 41 there 31 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Tram Road STF 22 Jul, and 10 there 29 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins). White-RUMPED Sandpiper: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP (Monroe) 2 Jun (C. Wolf). Pectoral Sandpiper: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jul, 6 there 17 Jul, and 16 there 31 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Tram Road STF 19 Jul (G. Menk, M. Collins). Stilt Sandpiper: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at South Bay 25 Jul (J. Dubi). Short-billed Dowitcher: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Jun, and 2 there 15 Jul (H. Rob- inson); 14 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Jul (P. Sykes); 20 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers); 1 in alternate plumage at South Bay 18 Jul (J. Boyd); 1 at Cutler Wetlands 18 Jul (S. Paez); 300 at Snake Bight 19 Jul (B. Roberts). Long-billed Dowitcher: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12-15 Jul (H. Robinson). Wilson’s PhalaropE: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Jun (H. Robinson). Laughing Gull: 52 at Newnans Lake 7 Jun (R. Rowan); several thousand at Fort George Island, Jacksonville 4 and 5 Jul fed on arthropods (mainly grasshoppers) forced to the tips of Spartina by high tides (J. & P. Sykes). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 at Three Rooker Island 12-17 Jun (R. Smith, W. Spina); 1 first-year at Ponce de Leon Inlet 29 Jun (M, Brothers); 1 immature at Ben T. Davis Beach, Tampa (Hillsborough) 12 Jul (K. Tracey, photos to FOC); 3 at Cutler Wetlands 12 Jul (S. Paez); 1 adult at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers). Great Black-backed Gull: 1 first-year at Ponce de Leon Inlet 29 Jun (M. Brothers); 2 immatures at Jetty Park 11 Jul (J. Thornton); 1 adult at Treasure Island (Pinellas) 12 Jul-EOS (S. Harris); 1 at Tyndall AFB (Bay) 15 Jul (D. Greene). Sooty Tern: 3 off Miami 13 Jun (R. Torres et aL). Bridled Tern: 25 off Miami 13 Jun (R. Torres et al.); 1 bird 26.8 nm off Ponce de Leon In- let 5 Jul (M. Brothers, B. Wallace). Least Tern: 243 chicks at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS 8 Jun (fide M. Nicholas, V. With- ington); 92 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Jun (H, Robinson); “hundreds” of nests at Ma- tanzas Inlet (St. Johns) were destroyed by the May storms, but 25 young fledged there by 27 Jul from renesting attempts (M. Borboen); 160 adults, 28 nests, 1 chick, and 48 juveniles at Little Estero Lagoon 10 Jul (C. Ewell). Gull-billed Tern: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA to 10 Jun, and singles there 24 Jun and 31 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 second-year at Orlando Wetlands Park 6 Jun (B. Anderson, C. Pierce); as many as 3 pairs bred at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS 15 Jun-8 Jul (B. & L. Duncan); 4 at The Villages (Sumter) 19 Jun (J. Dinsmore); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 20 Jun (D. Margeson). Caspian Tern: 31 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Jun (H. Robinson); 1 thought to be a winter- ing returnee at Tigertail Beach 24 Jul (T, Below). Black Tern: 35 immatures at Three Rooker Island 12 Jun (R. Smith); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Jun, and as many as 5 there 5 Jul-EOS (H. Robinson); 2 at Jetty Park 11 Jul (J. Thornton); 1 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et al.); 1 basic- plumaged adult at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers); 1 at St. Marks NWR 19 Jul (E. Woodruff); 2 at Newnans Lake 20 Jul (R. Rowan); 2 at San Carlos Bay (Lee) 29 Jul (R. Clark); 204 at Fort De Soto Park 31 Jul (R. Smith). Common Tern: 1 at Stump Pass 22 Jun (S. Daughtrey); 1 at Jetty Park 11 Jul (J. Thorn- ton); 2 at Anclote Key Preserve SP (Pinellas) 12 Jul (D. Gagne et ah); 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 13 Jul (M. Brothers). Field Observations 37 Aectic Tern: 1 second-year at Opal Beach^ Gulf Islands NS 27 Jul (B. & L. Duncan^ de- tails to FOG). Forster’s Tern; 1 at Newnans Lake to 5 Jun (L. Davis); as many as 8 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10-24 Jun, and 1 there 5-10 Jul (H. Robinson). Black Skimmer: adults abandoned their traditional nesting site at Navarre Beach Causeway and formed two colonies at Gulf Islands NS, one at Opal Beach and the other at Fort Pickens; both colonies produced numerous young by 8 Jul (B, Dun- can). POMARINE Jaeger: 1 bird 5.6 nm off Clearwater Beach 30 Jun (S. Czaplicki). White-winged Dove: 13 at Green Key 5 Jul (R. Smart), and one nest, with a large chick, built in a black mangrove there 20 Jul (K. Tracey); 39 at The Villages {Marion) 25 Jul (J. Dinsmore). *Zenaida Dove: 1 at Key Largo {Monroe) 4 Jun (L. Manfredi, accepted by FOSRG). Rosy-faced Lovebird: 1 at West Kendall (Miami-Dade) 28 Jul (J. Boyd). Lovebird species: 2 avicultural morphs or hybrids of indeterminate identity at Fort Walton Beach {Okaloosa) 4 Jul (A. Knothe, photos to FOC). COCKATIEL: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jul (H. Robinson). Rose-ringed Parakeet: 20 at Port Royal, Naples (Collier) 27 Jul (J. Slack). White-eyed Parakeet: 10 in the Port Orange/South Daytona area (Volusia) 20 Jun re- portedly had been present for 15 years, and 1 pair was nesting in a cavity in a live oak 23 Jun (M. Brothers, photos to FOC). Sun Parakeet (Aratinga sol8titiatt§}i 6 (3 adults and 3 juveniles) in NW Pasco 5 Jul- EOS (B. Pranty H. Lovell et al, note to Florida Field Naturalist) furnished the first Florida record. Lilac-crowned Parrot: 19 at A.D. “Doug” Barnes Park (Miami-Dade) 28 Jul (B. Rapoza). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 1 late migrant at Honey- moon Island SP 19 Jun (R. Smith, D. Gagne); 4 at Castellow Hammock Park (Miami- Dade) 9 Jul (R. Hammer, T. Mitchell). Smooth-billed Ani: 1 at Belle Glade (Palm Beach) 3 Jun (E. Gehring); 1 at STA-5, 20 Jun (K. Willis et al, photo to FOC); 3 at Aladdin City (Miami-Dade) 30 Jun (R. Ham- mer); 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP (Miami-Dade) 30 Jul (R. Diaz). Barn Owl: 1 at St. Petersburg 7 Jun (R. Smith). Burrowing Owl: 1 at Satellite Beach (Brevard) 12 Jul (S. Small); 2 along Kissimmee Road, Avon Park AFR (Highlands) 24-26 Jul (D. Rankin). Short-eared Owl: 1 at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP (Okeechobee) 1 Jun (fide P. Miller); 1 at Bravo Range, Avon Park AFR (Polk) 12 Jun (D. Rankin, details to FOC). Chimney Swift: for the sixth consecutive year, one pair bred in the Duncans’ chimney at Gulf Breeze, with nest-building in early Jun, nestlings audible by 8 Jul, and fledging by late Jul (B. & L. Duncan). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 1 at Holiday 27 Jun (D. Gagne); 1 was nest-building at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve SP (Collier) 27 Jun (A. Murray). Belted Kingfisher: 1 at Newnans Lake 5 Jun (S. Goodman); 1 at Eglin AFB (Walton) 21 Jun (D. Simpson); 1 at STA-5, 11 Jul (K. Willis et al.); 1 at Tigertail Beach 23 Jul (T. Below); 1 at Sarasota (Sarasota) 18 Jul (C. Faanes); 1 male at Holiday 28 Jul (D. Gagne); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 31 Jul (H. Robinson). Hairy Woodpecker: 1 along Tarkiln Bayou Trail (Escambia) 6 Jun (C. Bunch); 1 at Three Lakes WMA (Osceola) 18 Jul (B. Anderson et al.). *Tropical Kingbird: 1 seen and heard at Homestead (Miami-Dade) 18 Jul (R. Torres et al., accepted by FOSRC). *TropicaL"TYPE Kingbird: 1 Hickory Mound WMA (Taylor) 14 Jun (D. Murphy, S. Parker, accepted by FOSRC). 38 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Gray Kingbird: breeding reported from 5 areas in the extreme W Panhandle {fide B. Duncan). Red-eyed VireO: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 1 at Mead Garden, Winter Park {Orange) 24 Jul (J. Thornton). Black-whiskered Vireo: 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 1 in song at West Ken- dall {Miami-Dade) 2 Jul (J. Boyd); 1 at Matheson Hammock Park {Miami-Dade) 30 Jul (B. Rapoza). American Crow: 1 at River To Sea Preserve {Flagler) and 5 at Washington Oaks Gar- dens SP {Flagler) 18 Jun were E of the Intracoastal Waterway (B. Pranty). Horned Lark: 1 in song 3 km SW of Dellwood {Jackson) 4 Jun (B. Roberts). Purple Martin: 487 perched and others flying N of Hudson 5 Jul (B. Pranty, H. Lovell); 2000 at Pine Island {Hernando) 9 Jul (C. Black). Tree Swallow: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 3, 12, 19, and 26 Jul (H, Robinson); 1 adult at Holiday 16 Jul (D. Gagne, details to FOC); 1 at Bald Point SP 19 Jul (J. Mur- phy); 1 at Tomoka SP 27 Jul (M. Wilson). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 3 pairs were breeding at Geneva {Seminole) 6 Jun (D. Freeland); 3 pairs fed fledglings at New Port Richey 6 Jun (K. Tracey); 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 7 Jun, and singles there 10 Jun and 26 Jul (H. Robinson). Bank Swallow: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 and 12 Jul, and as many as 7 there 17- 29 Jul (H. Robinson). Cliff Swallow: 1 at Opal Beach, Gulf Islands NS 8 Jul (B. Duncan); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jul (H. Robinson); 3 adults at Holiday harassed a Cooper’s Hawk 16 Jul (D. Gagne); 2 at West Kendall 17 Jul (J. Boyd). Cave Swallow: 4 or more of the Mexican race reportedly bred at St. Marks NWR {Wakulla) to 18 Jul {fide J. Murphy). Barn Swallow: 30 under the SR-46 bridge over the St. Johns River {Seminole and Vo- lusia) 1 Jun (M. Brothers); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 3 at Fort De Soto Park 13 Jun (R. Smith), and 1 there 12 Jul (P. Sykes); 5 nests at Opal Beach, Gulf Is- lands NS 17-25 Jun furnished a new nesting location {fide B, Duncan); 50 at West Kendall 17 Jul (J. Boyd). American Robin: 1 male in song and carrying nesting material at Tallahassee 1 Jun (G. Menk); 1 at Gulf Breeze 7 Jun (B. Duncan); singles at Niceville and Fort Walton Beach {Okaloosa) 7-17 Jun (P. Baker); 1 at Boulogne {Nassau) 10 Jun (D. Freeland). Gray Catbird: singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Jun and 17 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at Gainesville 10-30 Jun (C. Parenteau et al.); 1 at Sugden Park, Naples 3 Jul (A. Mur- ray). Northern PARULA: 1 female at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 1 male at Castellow Hammock {Miami-Dade) 27 Jul (R. Hammer). Yellow Warbler: 1 at Temple Terrace {Hillsborough) 26 Jul (B. Ahern); 2 at Tallahas- see 28 Jul (G. Menk); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Jul (H. Robinson). Magnolia Warbler: 1 male at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf, details to FOC); 1 im- mature at Turkey Point {Franklin) 21 Jul (R. Lengacher, photo to FOC). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1 female at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf, details to FOC). Yellow-throated Warbler: 1 at Yamato Scrub Natural Area, Boca Raton {Palm Beach) 11 Jul (A. & M. Abreu); 2 migrants at Green Key, New Port Richey 16 Jul (K. Tracey); 2 at Kendall Indian Hammocks {Miami-Dade) 28 Jul (J. Boyd); 1 at Saddle Creek Park 30 Jul (P. Fellers); 3 at Matheson Hammock Park 30 Jul (B. Rapoza). Prairie Warbler: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Jul, and 5 there 31 Jul (H. Robinson); sin- gles at Saddle Creek Park 23 and 30 Jul (P. Fellers). Blackpoll Warbler: 1 female at Fort Lauderdale 1 Jun (R. Titus); 1 female at Dry Tor- tugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf). Cerulean Warbler: 1 female at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville 31 Jul (D. Freeland). Field Observations 39 Black-and-white Wakbler: 1 female at Gulf Breeze 6 Jun (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Kings- ley Plantation, Fort George Island 4 Jul (J. & R Sykes); 1 at Gainesville 11 Jul (D. & J, Nugent); 1 at Long Pine Key, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 18 Jul (B, Roberts); 1 at Saddle Creek Park 23 Jul (P. Fellers); 1 at Kendall Indian Hammocks 27 Jul (B, Rapoza); 6 at Matheson Hammock Park 30 Jul (B. Rapoza). American Redstart: 2 females at Dry Tortugas NP 2 Jun (C. Wolf); 1 female-plumaged at Bald Point SP 19 Jul (J. Murphy); 1 at Gainesville 22 Jul (M. Manetz); 1 at Mead Garden, Winter Park 24 Jul (J. Thornton); 1 at Matheson Hammock Park 30 Jul (B. Rapoza), WORM-EATMG WARBLER: 1 at Jacksonville 24 Jul (M. Davidson), Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg 4 Jul (R. Smith); 1 at Brooksville (Hernando) 8 Jul (D, Grimes); 1 at Quintette Landing, Es- cambia River (Santa Rosa) 11 Jul (D, Simpson); 1 at Gainesville 13 Jul (M. Manetz); 1 at Three Lakes WMA 18 Jul (B. Anderson et al.); 1 at Saddle Creek Park 23 Jul (P, Fellers); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Jul (H. Robinson); 1 at St, Petersburg 25 Jul (D, Margeson); 1 at Crandon Park 25 Jul (J. King); 1 at Matheson Hammock Park 30 Jul (B. Rapoza). Waterthrush species: 1 inLeon 16 Jul (D, Br3^an), Kentucky Warbler: 1 at Boulogne 10 Jun (D. Freeland). Common Yellowthroat: 1 or singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 14, 17, and 21 Jun (H. Rob- inson). Canada Warbler: 1 along RR-311, Eglin AFB (Okaloosa) 23 Jul (D. Simpson), Yellow-breasted Chat: as many as 12 (1 Jul) summered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Scarlet Tanager: 1 male at Jacksonville 15 Jun (J. Ross). Western Spindalis (Spindalis zena): 3 adults (1 S. zena and 2 females) at Long Pine Key, Everglades NP 28 Jul-EOS, included a breeding pair that nested success- fully (H, Trudell, M. York et aL). Lark Sparrow: 1 at Gulf Breeze 10 Jul (B. Duncan), Blue Grosbeak: as many as 26 (1 Jul) summered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Indigo Bunting: as many as 30 (19 Jul) summered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robin- son). Painted Bunting: as many as 4 (31 Jul) summered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robin- son). Dickcissel: as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12 Jun-3 Jul, and 1 there 19 Jul (H. Robinson). Shiny Cowbird: 1 adult male at Alligator Point (Franklin) 6 Jun (J, Murphy); 1 male at St. Petersburg to 6 Jun (D. & L. Margeson, photos to FOG); 1 male in song at Cedar Key 18 Jun (D. Henderson); 1 male at Green Key 18 Jun and 16-26 Jul (K. Tracey R. Smart et al.) and perhaps the same male at Gulf Harbors, New Port Richey 1 Jul (K. Tracey); 1 female at Lake Apopka NSRA 22-26 Jul (H. Robinson); 4 at Boca Raton (Palm Beach) 24 Jul (L. McCandiess). Bronzed Cowbird: 1 at Cutler Ridge 10 Jul (R. Torres); 1 juvenile fed by two Spot- breasted Orioles at Dania (Broward) 25-31 Jul (A. Nelson, photos to FOC). Orchard Oriole: as many as 28 males (19 Jun) summered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). House Finch: 1 male at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Jun (H. Robinson); 50 roosted in Spanish moss at downtown Dade City (Pasco) 8 Jul (K. Tracey). American Goldfinch: 1 male in alternate plumage in Wakulla 1 Jun (L. Ronolds); 1 at Crawfordville (Wakulla) 11 Jun (S. McCool); 1 female at Cedar Key 3 Jul (D, Hender- son, M. Barbour). Tricolored MuniA: 2 adults at Dry Tortugas NP 7 Jul (K. Lebo, photos to FOSRC) might have arrived from Cuba. 40 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Nutmeg Mannikin: adults and juveniles at Milton {Santa Rosa) 15 Jun (H. Moore). Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata)i 1 adult at Ormond Beach sometime in Jul {fide M. Brothers, photo to FOC). Pin-tailed Whydah: 2 (female-plumaged and male) at E Pensacola {Escambia) to 13 Jun (P. James); 1 female-plumaged at SW Pensacola 3 Jul (A. Forster). Contributors! Angel & Mariel Abreu, Brian Ahern, Bruce Anderson, Pat Baker, Mike Baranski, Melissa Barbour, Pam Daum, Ted Below, Clay Black, Caryn & Jeff Bloomfield, Kenn Blye, Monique Borboen, John Boyd, Greg Brecht, Michael Brothers, Dana Bryan, Cheryl Bunch, Roger Clark, Marvin Collins, Larry Connor, Stan Czaplicki, Susan Daughtrey, Pam Daum, Mary Davidson, Lloyd Davis, Marinell Davis, Robin Diaz, James Dinsmore, Jeanne Dubi, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Jim Eager, Charlie Ewell, Craig Faanes, Paul Fellers, Jeff Fisher, Melissa Forehand, Ann Forster, David Freeland, Craig Faulhaber, Dave Gagne, Eric Gehring, Gail Gianotti, Steven Goodman, David Goodwin, Dan Greene, Debbie Grimes, Jason Guerard, Matt Hafner, Roger Hammer, Erik Haney, Mitchell Harris, Sandy Harris, Dale Henderson, John Hintermister, Patrick James, Jackie Kern, Jim King, Mark Kiser, Alan Knothe, Bryan Kramer, Jerry Krummrich, Patrick Leary, Renne Leatto, Karin Lebo, Rob Len- gacher, Greg Lepera, Holly Lovell, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, Don & Lorraine Mar- geson, Linda McCandless, Sean McCool, Vince McGrath, Mia McPherson, Gail Menk, Paul Miller, Janet Mills, Trey Mitchell, Heidi Moore, Deanna Murphy, John Murphy, Alan Murray, Arthur Nelson, Mark Nicholas, Dylan & Jessica Nugent, Stephen Paez, Craig Parenteau, Stephanie Parker, Scott Patterson, Cheri Pierce, Valeri Ponzo, Bill Pranty, Gallus Quigley, David Rankin, Brian Rapoza, Diane Reed, Bob Reid, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, Lyn Ronolds, Jamie Ross, Rex Rowan, Barbara Shea, Bob Si- colo, David Simpson, Jean Simpson, John Slack, Stephen Small, Ray Smart, Ron Smith, Lee Snyder, Walt Spina, Michael Stephen, Elaine Swank, Joan & Paul Sykes, John Th- ornton, Russ Titus, Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Heidi Trudell, Dustin Varble, Bob Wal- lace, Don Ware, Kim Willis, Meret Wilson, Vicky Withington, Cole Wolf, Ed Woodruff, Matthew York, and Joe Zarolinski. Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662, ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ), Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ), Andy Bankert (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ), John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ), Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ), Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304, no email), Peggy Powell (2965 For- est Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ), and David Simp- son (139 South Willow Street, Fellsmere, Florida 32948, ). BE A FRIENB OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS^ an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B* Freeland 2008 Jack P. Mailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B* Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Jitdith C. Bryan Peg^ Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Ihiberl BudUgt^r William i*ost David Hartgrove 2010 Brian Ahern 41 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989): Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R, W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. EOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Hobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 42 •S, *- ■ 1 , < r^;tv- , -'. » ■ »w,i, - Vi'> ’ J<*, ^'-V: hlnn^ .. f>iu^'*;' "!*A ’.^ '• .,' .I'l'H", I'T r - r>- 1 • ■ •■■ :‘:v' ' ■ '■ •'.' ^ •^v ^ ■■•-' ■' Cr^K . / • ', ■, • ( . ,.!■' ■ "1 j , ,t ‘ . 'i- . ' lHihyf*»’ r^m: r;. ‘If ■ ■ 'v i Z >v- ^■v" •' ' ! |J'' " INVtJHM W" ';-. ' ■ V r.'-;. I vJ.kIm' T'* , • 4.1 ■ • i^-fTi'-JJ''.. 4^1 Wr~ ' i- tn.\< - r. •• ' n , r . f ^ , ■ V i .i^cM “ '“ lfc« f'‘^ ''■ •■ 1 ■ :■ D-' ,;( ! . : ^ ^Cl^fU'^. . ' i*" ■ ■ -fe Pov^ nifui. tU<}T fit Or'^‘ '.itxr. "■-.. ■ ' ■■; L^itu !• > ; 1' »:. VV.. \hJuU-i, oyA I ft • ‘''''- in /iimafcy * ‘f^jSst/n !udi'2_ •*» f * *- ' 'rUii,l ' ' -V ‘ -*: \vi l-titJb^ai Btnf ifi < U V /*».**•% 'vii. ‘ rt?' •■' ' :■• . I I- ■' ' ti» Vs‘ H,ir iif •■#- ‘. yioridji 4toP|(Hyj^* ^ 1^*1 li /V^i, 'A* ' ^ . .*1 E fWNr>t»KV,«^f . *1 < Vm U-. L tjf Ll0£aiip^#t^ fViAi ;wt f*-'*- ’ .. - >^4 •" *' ' i'lt 9ir4<»'r S|H*dSfil ’I ■ '-t; <■ ’ ' *1 H' 't.ii tHv *1 nsiiTnonr. " * v ,♦■■ -ajJ AU . iV«t4t^nat* • - .j►r■*Jv^, ' . ■ ... g p-^ .*4||SMB *^i»i.«»» tkx. ftakfc • : *v *-Ii^J4\4>- ti^ncuil i^uldHili^ .’'.ri‘‘ i - ,iv*r:‘ ‘I >%1 Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editors Scott Robinson, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Managing/Copy Editor: TOM Webbee, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: twebber@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aol.com Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kitei Tom PALMER, 1805 26th Street, N.W., Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. Rodgers, Jr, Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E-mail: james.rodgers@myfwc.com Web Page Editor: STEPHEN BANKERT, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/ FFN/FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/ RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O, Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL, 38, No. 1 March 2010 Pages 1-42 CONTENTS ARTICLES First breeding record of the Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) in Florida Bill Pranty and Arthur Nelson 1-7 NOTES Response of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows {Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) to nest exclosures Rebecca L. Boulton and Julie L. Lockwood 8-11 Florida Scrub- Jay {Aphelocoma coerulescens) preys on Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) eggs Lauren M. Leaner 12-14 EIGHTEENTH REPORT OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGI- CAL SOCIETY RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2008 Andrew W. Kratter, Secretary 15-31 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Summer report: June-July 2009 Bill Pranty 32-40 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends of FFN 41 FOS Special Publications 42 a 9-^ ,^(3F6 3 Florida Field Naturalist FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: JEROME A. JACKSON, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Ft. Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: jjackson@fgcu.edu Vice President: Elena SACHS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1239 SW 10th St., Ocala, FL 34471. E-mail: elena.sachs@myfwc.com Secretary: JAMES Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasurer: PETER G. MERRITT, 8558 SE Sharon St., Kobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmerritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural His- tory, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2010 Karl E. Miller, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: karl.miller@myfwc.com Ann F. Paul, Audubon of Florida, Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, 410 Ware Blvd., Suite 702, Tampa, FL 33619. E-mail: apaul@audubon.org Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2011 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: Dgood389@aol.com Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@m5rfwc.e0m Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Larry Manfredi, Birding Tours, Inc., P.O. Box 343002, Homestead, FL 33034 Paul Miller, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 NW 192nd Ave., Okeechobee, FL 34972. E-mail: Paul.Miller@dep.state.fl.us Honorary Members Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999; Fred E. Lohrer 2009 All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, especially its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing to the Treasurer. Annual mem- bership dues are $25 for individual members, $30 for a family membership, $15 for stu- dents, $45 for contributing members, and $40 for institutional membership; add $5 for overseas delivery. One-time contributions for life membership are $400 for individuals and $500 for families. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is published quarterly (March, May, September, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E.O. Psunter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Ornitho- logical Society is Division of Birds, Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum Road at Newell Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 2 May 2010 Pages 43-91 Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):43-54, 2010. PATTERNS OF NONBREEDING SNOWY PLOVER (Charadrius alexandrinus)f PIPING PLOVER (C. melodus), AND RED KNOT {Calidris canutus) DISTRIBUTION IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA Bradley S. Smith Apalachicola Riverkeeper, 232~B Water Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320 E-mail: shorehirds@apalachicolariverkeeper. org Abstract.— From August 2006 to May 2007 observers from Apalachicola River- keeper conducted one to four counts of nonbreeding shorebirds per month at nine north- west Florida migratory bird sites across 59 km of mainland and barrier island coastline in Franklin and Wakulla counties. We calculated nonbreeding seasonal abundance at each site for three migratory bird species of conservation concern in Florida: Snowy Plo- ver {Charadrius alexandrinus), Piping Plover (C. melodus) and Red Knot (Calidris canu- tus). For these three highly vulnerable shorebird species we recorded habitat use and movements of individually color-banded birds. Additionally, we offer recommendations to reduce anthropogenic disturbances to nonbreeding shorebirds in northwest Florida. Shorebirds are a large and diverse group of migratory waterbirds that includes plovers, oystercatchers, stilts, avocets, and sandpipers. Most shorebird species breed inland at high latitudes yet spend much of their annual life cycles in lower-latitude coastal regions. Only six shorebird species breed in Florida, yet many shorebird species spend 10 or more consecutive non-summer months per year in the state (Rob- ertson and Woolfenden 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Across North America populations of many shorebird species have declined because of historical overharvesting and continued habitat degradation and loss (Brown et al. 2001). In Florida, shorebirds are a group of high-priority wildlife species identified as being in need of ba- sic survey and monitoring (Millsap et al. 1990). Several Florida shore- bird species are already on either the federal or state imperiled species lists. Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) is designated by the state of Florida as a Threatened species (Florida Administrative Code 68A-27.004); Snowy Plover is also considered an at-risk species at the 43 44 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST federal level. Piping Plover (C. melodus) is protected as a Threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Great Lakes Piping Plover breeding population is classified as Endangered (USFWS 1985). Piping Plover is also on the Florida state list as a threatened species (FAC 68A~27.004). Red Knot (Calidris canutus) was designated as a candidate species for federal listing under the ESA in 2006 (USFWS 2006). The amount and quality of Florida’s coastal waterbird habitat has declined (Johnson and Barbour 1990, Kautz 1993) and much remains to be learned of nonbreeding shorebird distribution in many coastal ar- eas, especially along Florida’s northern Gulf coast. In northwest Flor- ida, quantitative nonbreeding shorebird information is limited and few waterbird surveys have included multiple nonbreeding shorebird spe- cies (Gunnels 1999, Sprandel et al. 2000, Sprandel 2007); fewer still have focused on nonbreeding shorebirds in seasons other than winter (Sprandel 2007). International Piping Plover and Snowy Plover (and Red Knot in Florida) Census results from 2001 and 2006 revealed win- ter (January) concentrations of these three high priority migratory bird species in the eastern Florida panhandle region, particularly in Franklin and Wakulla counties (USFWS unpubl. data). Apalachicola Riverkeeper personnel and volunteers sought to gather information on nonbreeding seasonal distribution and relative abundance of these three species in this area that had been surveyed infrequently in the past and where consistent replicated shorebird counts have been con- ducted at only a few sites (Sprandel 2007). We also identified anthropo- genic disturbance of nonbreeding shorebirds (i.e., disturbance directly by humans or indirectly attributable to them, such as by house pets), and recommend ways of reducing it to improve shorebird survival. Methods One observer, with the help of one to three volunteers, conducted 173 counts of 25 non- breeding shorebird species on foot or with low-tire-pressure all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) one to four times per month (x = 1.9 counts per site per month) at nine migratory bird sites across 59.4 km of mainland and barrier island coastline in Franklin and Wakulla counties from 15 August 2006-8 May 2007. Migratory shorebird sites surveyed included coastal and island sites on both publicly and privately owned lands: St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge (federal), two Florida State Parks (state), two municipal parks (county), two Nature Conservancy (TNG) closed preserves (private), an unmanaged private site Yent Bayou, and Lanark Reef, an important offshore migratory bird site that is predomi- nately sovereign submerged state lands (Fig. 1). These migratory shorebird survey sites were not uniform in size (1.1-20 km) or composition (Table 1). Survey sites contained varying proportions of high-energy Gulf beaches (0-14 km), low-energy sound beaches (0.2-7 km), and other wildlife habitats such as salt marshes, tidal creeks, and oyster bars. One important Franklin County migratory bird site, Cape St. George State Reserve, a portion of which is part of wintering Piping Plover Critical Habitat unit FL-8 (USFWS 2001), was not surveyed due to logistical difficulties in accessing this island site. Smith— Northwest Florida Shorebirds 45 Figure 1. Northwest Florida nonbreeding shorebird study area. During each visit we recorded the general weather, wind speed on the Beaufort scale, temperature, tidal stage (low, mid, or high) and tide direction (rising or falling). We also collected information on human use of migratory bird sites and information on shore- bird disturbance factors: the number of people and dogs observed, number of vessels landing or passing within 50 m of shore, presence or absence of vehicles or ATVs and ve- hicle or ATV tracks, and presence or absence of dog or raccoon tracks. On initial site vis- its, we recorded habitat information on the area immediately landward of each survey area and the number of human access points. We made all nonbreeding shorebird observations with a 40-60x spotting scope and binoculars. During each visit, the numbers of individuals of all shorebird species were counted, and then band combinations were recorded on banded birds. We searched the upper, mid- and lower beaches, as well as sand and mud flats and offshore shoals for roosting or foraging shorebirds. All nonbreeding shorebird counts were conducted in fair weather during daylight hours only, and lasted s30 min, even if few birds were present. Few large groups of shorebirds (>500 individuals) were encountered at each site, and therefore we recorded complete counts, and not estimations, by species. Counts were summarized as seasonal shorebird abundance per site (autumn: August-November 2006, winter: December 2006-February 2007, and spring: March-May 2007). At any given site, shorebird numbers vary by day, season, and year. As such, data presented here should be considered minimum estimates of seasonal abundance. (Note: this non- breeding shorebird survey began in mid-August 2006 and may have missed the begin- ning of the autumn migration period. Future nonbreeding shorebird surveys should begin in early- to mid-July and continue at least until the beginning of June in order to encompass the entire nonbreeding shorebird season in northwest Florida.) 46 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST (M 1 site in spring (April): Dog Island and Lanark Reef, and Bald Point State Park and Dog Island, distances of 5 km and 23 km, respectively. One Red Knot banded at Stone Harbor in New Jer- sey in August 2005, was noted using two sites, once in January and April 2007, St. George Island State Park and Lanark Reef, a linear dis- tance of 27 km. Color-banded Piping Plovers that were not observed in winter (7 of 31 or 22.5%) seemed to utilize the same sites in both au- tumn (2006) and spring (2007). TNC Phipps Preserve/Alligator Point SM/m— Northwest Florida Shorebirds 51 Critical Wildlife Area had the highest numher of Piping Plovers (47), in both fall 2006 and spring 2007, and the most banded Piping Plovers (14) noted at one time. In 2006 and 2007, St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge had the highest number of Red Knots (345) and the most banded Red Knots recorded at one time (8), in spring 2007, yet a max- imum of only five Piping Plovers was observed at this site. Discussion Although the number of banded birds observed in this one non- breeding season is small relative to current Gulf coast winter popula- tion estimates (Harrington et al. 1988, Nicholls and Baldasarre 1990), we suggest that Piping Plover may be less mobile among these non- breeding sites than Red Knot in both winter and in migration and that both species overwinter in as well as migrate through northwest Flor- ida’s Gulf coast wildlife habitats in autumn and spring. Further, a com- plex of multiple well-managed migratory bird sites established within close range of one another may be even more important to recovery of more mobile shorebird species such as Red Knot. It is clear that some Red Knots banded in winter on the Gulf coast of southwest Florida migrate through northwest Florida’s Gulf coast in spring. It is also important to understand that distant migratory bird sites in Florida are linked and to recover declining migratory bird spe- cies statewide, identification of and sound management of multiple sites is critical. This would include northwest Florida sites with rela- tively small wintering shorebird numbers (but a large number of win- ter shorebird species) that are important to multiple declining shorebird species such as Lanark Reef, TNG Phipps Preserve, and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge. Initial Piping Plover conservation ef- forts have focused on increasing reproductive success on northern breeding grounds, yet many anthropogenic factors during nonbreeding seasons may negatively impact annual shorebird survivability (Brown et al. 2001, USFWS 2003). Franklin County, Florida, has several sites that are important to declining shorebird species. For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated six of our nine study sites (Table 1) as winter- ing Piping Plover Critical Habitat units (USFWS 2001). Six of our study sites are publicly owned and managed, however, three of our study sites remain unmanaged, and shorebird conservation often is far from the highest management priority even at many managed sites. Wildlife conservation is also often not buttressed by adequate educa- tional and law enforcement programs. Five of our northwest Florida study sites are posted seasonally each year to prevent trespass during the spring and summer shorebird 52 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST and seabird breeding season. Migration and harsh weather impose high energy costs on shorebirds, so it is especially important to reduce disturbance, especially from house pets, at foraging and roosting sites during the nonbreeding period (Burger and Gochfeld 1991, Thomas et ah 2003). Efforts should be made to reduce anthropogenic disturbances to nonbreeding shorebirds and their habitats, particularly state and/or federally listed shorebird species such as Snowy and Piping Plovers, and Red Knot (Brown et al. 2001, Lafferty 2001). For example, Sprandel (2007) noted consistent usage of the un- managed site Carrabelle Beach by migratory shorebirds from 1994- 2005. In 2006 and 2007, we also recorded usage by large numbers of shorebirds at this site and noted relatively large numbers of species of conservation concern such as Red Knot (Table 2c). We also routinely ob- served humans and unleashed domestic dogs flushing federally and state listed species such as Snowy and Piping Plovers, American Oys- tercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), and Red Knot, despite a county or- dinance requiring domestic dogs to be on a leash at all times. Lafferty (2001) found that symbolic fencing (i.e., a series of posts or stakes, which may be connected by cord or tape) and signs were successful in providing refuge from anthropogenic disturbance (including house pets) for wintering western Snowy Plovers while still allowing for law- ful human of the beach. Nicholls and Baldasarre (1990) found that (Piping) plover winter- ing sites had an average of 0.7 people/km and that non-(Piping) plover sites had an average of 6.5 people/km. Smith (2007) found that Carra- belle Beach, a site with a small number of wintering Piping Plovers (Table 2b) had a winter recreational activity rate of 4.6 people/km in 2006 and 2007, yet the overall (fall-spring) rate was 8.3 people/km and the spring (March-May) recreational activity rate was 15.9 people/km. Snowy and Piping Plovers and Red Knot were least abundant at this site in spring (Table 2a-c). Additionally, as more Piping Plovers and Red Knots (Table 2b-c) were observed at this site in autumn than in winter 2006 and 2007, nonbreeding shorebird protection efforts that focus on migration as well as winter would benefit a greater number of birds. Informational signage and symbolic fencing, at least on some portion of this unmanaged migratory bird site may help to lessen an- thropogenic disturbances during the shorebird nonbreeding season, perhaps most especially from housepets. Two important migratory bird sites in Franklin County could benefit from increased management attention and/or from develop- ment of wildlife conservation plans. Lanark Reef, noted by Sprandel et al. (2000) as one of the most important winter shorebird sites in Florida, had the highest number of shorebird species present in fall and winter in our 2006-2007 survey. Yet, Smith (2007) noted people Sm/th— Northwest Florida Shorebirds 53 or human footprints on 8 of 24 visits (33%), and domestic dogs or dog tracks on 5 of 24 visits (21%) in 2006 and 2007 at this offshore mi= gratory bird site that had historically benefited from the lack of hu- man recreational pressures and mammalian predators (Gunnels 1999, FFWCC unpubl. data). Furthermore, this site which is largely publicly owned submerged land, is managed only minimally and is a good candidate for state Critical Wildlife Area designation. This would allow for all available law enforcement personnel to actively prevent trespass and to prohibit unauthorized vessel landings. The Nature Conservancy Jeff Lewis Wilderness Preserve on Dog Island would also benefit from establishment as a Critical Wildlife Area. Fortunately, actions taken by public land managers to aid Pip- ing Plover and Red Knot recovery also benefit other shorebird and seabird species, many of which are also declining (USFWS 2008). There remains, however, a real need to inform local decision makers of the importance of Franklin County’s fish and wildlife habitats to international migratory bird conservation. Further, as the popula- tion in this formerly rural area increases, the quality of these wild- life habitats may be lessened by local land use changes and increases in pressure from human recreation, unless they are ac- tively managed for migratory bird conservation. Beneficial manage- ment actions include (1) posting informational signage regarding minimization of disturbance to roosting or foraging shorebirds, (2) erecting symbolic fencing to guide visitors away from shorebird con- centrations, (3) enforcing existing pet leash laws, (4) use of predator proof refuse containers to avoid concentrating predators such as fe- ral cats, (5) limiting and/or regulating vehicles on the beach, and (6) educating local residents and visitors about migratory bird conser- vation. Acknowledgments We thank the 21 Apalachicola Riverkeeper volunteer shorebird monitors, R. Watt, and USFWS Panama City Field Office biologists W Gierhart, P. Kelly, and C. Stahala for assistance with field work and logistics. Cheri Gratto-Trevor and Sharilyn West- worth, Canadian Wildlife Service, Olivia LeDee, University of Minnesota, and Daniel Catlin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, provided information on banded Piping Plovers. William Pitts, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, pro- vided information on banded Red Knots. R. T. Engstrom, Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, and G. L. Sprandel, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, provided helpful comments on earlier manuscript drafts. N. J. Dou- glass, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, provided a thorough manu- script review. The US. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-Environmental Laboratory and the US. Fish and Wildlife Service funded this avian conservation project. 54 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Literature Cited Brown, S., C. Hickey, B. Harrington, and R. Gill, Eds. 2001. The U.S. Shorebird Con- servation Plan, 2nd ed. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, Mas- sachusetts. Burger, J., and M. Gochfeld, 1991. Human activity influence and diurnal and noctur- nal foraging of Sanderlings {Calidris alba). Condor 93:259-265. Gunnels, C. M. 1999. Survey and Home Range Analyses of Wintering Shorebirds Using the Lanark Reef Shorebird Complex, Franklin County, Florida. M.S. thesis. West Vir- ginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. Harrington, B. A., J. A. Hagan, and L. E. Leddy. 1988. Site fidelity and survival dif- ferences between two groups of New World Red Knots {Calidris canutus). Auk 105:439-445. Johnson, A. F., and M. G. Barbour. 1990. Dunes and maritime forests. Pages 429-480 in Ecosystems of Florida (R. Myers and J. Ewel, Eds.). University of Central Florida Press, Orlando. Kautz, R. S. 1993. Trends in Florida wildlife habitat 1936-1987. Florida Scientist 56:7- 24. Lafferty, K. D. 2001. Disturbance to wintering western Snowy Plovers. Biological Con- servation 101:315-325. Millsap, B. a., j. a. Gore, D. E. Runde, and S. I. Cerulean. 1990. Setting Priorities for the Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Species in Florida. Wildlife Monographs 111:1-57. Nicholls, j. L., and G. a. Baldassarre. 1990. Winter distribution of Piping Plovers along Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Wilson Bulletin 102:400-412. Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication No. 6. Gainesville. Smith, B. S. 2007. Nonbreeding shorebird survey Franklin and Wakulla Counties, FL. Final Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Apalachicola, Florida. Sprandel, G. L. 2007. Shorebird occurrence at three sites in Franklin County, Florida: 1994-2005. Florida Field Naturalist 35:105-113. Sprandel, G. L., J. A. Gore, and D. T. Cobb. 2000. Distribution of wintering shorebirds in coastal Florida. Journal of Field Ornithology 71:708-720. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Thomas, K., R. G. Kvitek, and C. Bretz. 2003. Effects of human activity on the foraging behavior of Sanderlings (Calidris alba). Biological Conservation 109:67-71. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 1985. Determination of Endangered and Threatened status for the Piping Plover. Federal Register 50:50720-50734. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 2001. Endangered and Threatened wildlife and plants; final designation of critical habitat for wintering Piping Plovers. Federal Register 66:36038-36143. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 2003. Recovery Plan for the Great Lakes Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). Ft. Snelling, Minnesota. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 2006. Endangered and Threatened wildlife and plants; review of native species that are candidates or proposed for listing as En- dangered or Threatened; new candidates. Federal Register 71:53755-53835. USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 2008. Birds of Conservation Concern 2008. United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migra- tory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):55-62, 2010. NATURAL HISTORY OF BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAWS (Ara ararauna) IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA Bill Pranty\ Daria Feinstein^ and Karen Lee^ ^8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: hUlpranty@hotmaiLcom ^3661 South Miami Avenue, Suite 1005, Miami, Florida 33133 ^Coral Gables, Florida 33146 Abstract,— -A small breeding population of Blue-and-yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) has been present in east-central Miami-Dade County Florida since the mid-1980s. This naturalized population originated from escapees from sources such as animal exhibits, quarantine facilities, and private collections. Despite its 25-year persistence, little has been published on this population. Our results indicate that by early 2010, at least 24 macaws occupied 74.1 km^ of urbanized habitats. All 15 Blue-and-yellow Macaw nests found since 1986 have been built in snags of exotic palms, primarily Cuban royal palms (Roystonea regia elata). We also discuss macaw food items and interactions with conspe- cificB and other species. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw {Ara ararauna: Fig, 1) is a large, mo- notypic parrot native from eastern Panama south to Paraguay, south- ern Brazil, and northern Argentina (Dickinson 2003). Neither Long (1981) nor Lever (1987) listed any Blue-and-yellow Macaws found out- side their natural range, but a small population has been present in southeastern Florida since the mid-1980s (Toops and Dilley 1986, Kale et al. 1992, Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Pranty in prep,). Nearly all previously published information on Blue-and-yellow Macaws in Florida is limited to dates and locations of one to a few individuals each. In this paper, we provide information on macaw numbers and range, persistence, breeding substrates and sea- sonality, food items, and interactions with conspecifics and other spe- cies. Gathering natural history information is the necessary first step in understanding how these and other exotic birds interact with their environment and other species. Methods We supplemented our observations of Blue-and-yellow Macaws since 2002 with those of others that have been posted to the Miami Bird Board (TAS 2009) since 2003. All ob- servations were opportunistic. Our study area is located in east-central Miami-Dade County, primarily the cities, towns, or hamlets of Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Gables 55 56 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. A flock of seven Blue-and-yellow Macaws (of at least nine present) on a feeder stocked with unshelled peanuts at Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, Florida, 13 February 2009. Photograph by Bill Pranty. Estates, Green Mar Acres, southern Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. The study area includes several small parks, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the University of Miami campus, and intervening residential areas. Although heavily ur- banized, much of the area is densely vegetated with native and exotic trees, palms, and shrubs. Results and Discussion Distribution, population size and persistence, and population soi/rce. —Since the 1980s, Blue-and-yellow Macaws have been observed in six counties in Florida and have bred in four of these (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Pranty in prep.). Outside of Miami-Dade County, three or more macaws were found at Fort Lauderdale, Broward County during the 1980s (Pranty and Epps 2002, B. Neville in litt.) and a few are again present (A. Rosner in litt.); one was observed once in Orange County in 1992 (Stevenson and Anderson 1994); as many as two were in Highlands County in 1995 (Pranty 1995); and solitary pairs bred in Palm Beach County during 1997 (Pranty 1998) and in Monroe County during an unstated year (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992). PiMJVTF CTAL.-BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAWS 57 The only known breeding population of Blue-and-yellow Macaws in Florida is in east-central Miami-Dade County, where a small number has persisted since 1986 or earlier (cf. Kale 1985)» This population orig- inated from escapees from sources such as animal exhibits, quarantine facilities, and private collections. “Probably thousands” of Blue-and- yellow Macaws passed through a single facility at Miami during the 1980s (S. Clubb in litt.). Despite rumors to the contrary the former Parrot Jungle exhibit at Pinecrest was not the source of this natural- ized population (S. Clubb in litt,). The first known observations of non-captive Blue-and-yellow Ma- caws in our study area were of pairs that bred at South Miami in 1986 (Toops and Dilley 1986) and Coconut Grove for two or more years dur- ing the latter 1980s (Neville 1988, Kale et ah 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). We mapped 23 locations where Blue-and-yellow Ma- caws were observed between January 2003 and July 2009. Twenty- one of these locations are clustered within our study area and create a current range of approximately 74.1 km^ (minimum convex poly- gon), an area 0-8 km wide and 14-17 km long (Fig. 2). The macaws' range is bounded by A. D. “Doug” Barnes Park to the northwest, David T. Kennedy Park to the northeast, and Bill Sadowski Park to the south. Of the remaining two locations we mapped, one macaw at Homestead in October 2004 was likely a recent escapee, while two macaws 8.5 km from our mapped range at northeast Miami in August 2004 (B. Boeringer in litt.) probably represented a separate pair, but perhaps were birds from our study area that had wandered some- what. Even though the Blue-and-yellow Macaw population has persisted for as many as 25 years, its size remains small. We cannot census the population because none of the macaws is known to be banded, and we cannot track the macaws as they travel between foraging and roosting/ breeding areas. The largest numbers of macaws seen together since 2002 have been seven at the University of Miami campus and 3 km away at South Miami during 2005 (R, Kelley in litt,), 11 at Palmetto Bay in January 2009 (J. Galbrie in litt.), as many as 17 at KCs resi- dence in Coral Gables from 2007-2009, and 21 at KUs residence and 3 simultaneously at DF's residence on 7 Jan 2010. We believe that these sightings all refer to the same flock of macaws, and that this flock rep- resents the bulk if not the entirety of the population. Excluding single escapees, the only other non-captive Blue-and- yellow Macaws known in North America were found in San Diego County, California, As many as three macaws were found around Ocean Beach and Point Loma from 1992 to 2004, including one macaw that successfully bred with a Green-winged Macaw (A. chloroptera) and produced one young in 1992 (Unitt 2004). 58 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 2. Range of the Blue-and-yellow Macaw population in east-central Mi- ami-Dade County, Florida. The range (minimum convex polygon) of 74.1 km^ of urbanized habitats was drawn around 21 mapped locations of from one to 17 macaws observed between January 2003 and July 2009. Breeding biology.— We have gathered data (Table 1) on 15 Blue- and-yellow Macaw nests built within our study area (apparently no nest has been observed elsewhere in Florida). Except for two nests found during the 1980s (Toops and Dilley 1986, Neville 1988, Kale et al. 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994), all were active during 2004- 2009 (Table 1). All 15 nests were built in palm snags, of either Cuban royal palms {Roystonea regia elata; n = 10), fan palms {Borassus spp.; n = 2), or unidentified palms {n - 3), Several palms were used as nesting substrates for multiple years, until, in some cases, the palms were top- pled by strong winds (e.g.. Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma during 2005) or were cut down for reasons of safety or aesthetics {n = 3). Ma- caws excavated at least two nest cavities, while others appropriated abandoned woodpecker cavities or used natural cavities. The breeding season appears protracted (Table 1), but only one brood seems to be produced. Two cavities were excavated during December, one nest was active in January, two nestlings fledged from one nest ca. February, one nest was active during April, three others were active during May, Table 1. Blue-and-yellow Macaw nests found outside captivity in east-central Miami-Dade County, 1986-2009 {n = 15). The name PigAiviYETAL.— Blue-and-yellow Macaws 59 o o - ' • d s 05:^ CC 03 03 ' CD 0)'— 0 O) . a a ^ ® O. a .S .S ^ S o .S -S O'g'S ^ S .s .s ^ t ^ e .g as . d d cG ^ ^ S : .a 6 I o ! 'S 'S ! "S "S w . . - - w bo bo bD d rt d m cn m bD bfl bD bD d d d d ' d - ass M a s a a e3 fi .. 03 W d a s ^ bD^ '»« '•« ^ '•« v.y tv ?=< >=i o.g ftftftC p.B.aa'^-a b b b i d d d !>n H ^ o^ooo^oooocddo^o bD 03 m 0) O) d d O 0) ca cc 0) 0) d d 0) 0) ^ 1 bD bD ' - ^ § -5 g « -S g ^ o o o o < < <1^ d d d 0) O) 0) ^ ^ ^ d 2 Id *d *d o *d CO ^ « qOqq> ^ <1 '^cocoi>^ioco«o®?o?oo)io W o pO d o O O d d 0) 0) d d Orh CQ cQ ce ^ 0> 0) 0) ^ 03 CQ a3^^+5-M-M 0) CP cd d dddd 3 3 W W W o o o SSHssssssggs ggsggsssaaa a6<3i2.Sooo(££(2 a a d d 3 S pd pd d d o o m m d « d S 5 ^ bD g d S 60 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST one nestling fledged ca. 1 August, and another nest was active in Au^ gust (Table 1). Brood size, based on the number of fledglings observed, is 1.5 (tx = 4): three of the nests in Table 1 plus one family of four ma- caws photographed at Coral Gables during 2000 {fide A. McKie, Pranty in prep.). In their native range, Blue-and-yellow Macaws nest in palm snags, breed during winter and spring months, and are single-brooded (Forshaw 1977, Juniper and Parr 1998). Brood size is one or two nest- lings, and one captive brood fledged after 13 weeks (Forshaw 1977). Food items. “-Blue-and-yellow Macaws in Miami-Dade County have been observed to feed on seed pods of royal poinciana (Delonix re- gia) and yellow poinciana (Peltophorum pterocarpum); fruits of mango {Mangifera indica), Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis)^ and Cuban royal palm; nuts of tropical almond (Terminalia catappa); “milk” from immature coconuts (Cocos nucifera); cones of South Florida slash pine (Pinus elUottii var. densa); and human-supplied foods such as sun- flower seeds, unshelled peanuts and walnuts, banana (Musa spp.), star fruit (Averrhoa caramhola), other fruits and vegetables, and cookies. We have observed macaws also perched in, but not necessarily foraging in, black olive (Bucida huceras) and banyan (Ficus henghalensis) trees. One macaw at Fort Lauderdale, Broward County fed on fruits of sea- grape (Coccoloha uvifera) in 1985 (B. Neville in litt.), Blue-and-yellow Macaws in their native range feed on a variety of seeds, fruits, nuts, leaf buds, and other vegetable matter (Forshaw 1977, Juniper and Parr 1998). Interactions with conspecifics and other species. -Blue-and-yellow Macaws in Florida rarely associate with other parrots. The only three exceptions we know of involved individuals of other macaws: one Scar- let Macaw (A. macao) with three Blue-and-yellow Macaws at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in March 2005 (J. Lopez in litt., 2005); per- haps the same Military Macaw (A. militaris) that accompanied a Blue- and-yellow Macaw at Coral Gables during the first half of the 2000s (DF pers. obs.) and then observed with six Blue-and-yellow Macaws at Matheson Hammock Park in April 2004 (photograph by J. Boyd); and one escaped Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) that joined the flock of Blue-and-yellow Macaws at Fort Lauderdale in re- cent years (A. Rosner in litt.). Two of the naturalized macaws that visit DF’s captive Blue-and-yellow Macaws, Green- winged Macaws, and captive-bred hybrid macaws have become so tame as to accept un- shelled walnuts from the hand. When foraging or resting, Blue-and-yellow Macaws at Coral Ga- bles post a sentinel to watch for predators (KL pers. obs.), a behavior known in some parrots in their native range (Juniper and Parr 1998) and also observed in Sun Parakeets (Aratinga solstitialis) in Pasco County, Florida during 2009 (Pranty and Lovell in review). In our PiMiVrF£JrAL.-~BLUE~AND"YELLOW MACAWS 61 study area, macaws are wary of raccoons {Procyon lotor), domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and domestic cats {Fells catus), and most ma- caws abandon a feeder when gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) ar- rive to feed on peanuts and walnuts. We have observed three interactions with raptors: macaws chased by a Buteo that may have been a Red-tailed Hawk {B. jamaicensis); one macaw that chased a Merlin {Falco columbarius; R. Kelley in litt.); and macaws repeatedly flushed from a feeder by a female Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) that attacked Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) foraging under the feeder. We have heard stories of at least two Blue-and-yellow Macaws in east- central Miami-Dade County that were captured or recaptured hy hu- mans. One of the tame macaws that visits DF’s residence, now three years old, displays atypical plumage that suggests a hybrid origin: an orange (rather than green) forehead; rather indistinct black and yellow (rather than bold black) feathered lines across the white facial skin; and a grayish-white (rather than blackish) culmen. This macaw still accompanies a typically-plumaged Blue-and-yellow Macaw, believed to be one of its parents. Based on an examination of our photographs, Su- san Clubh (in litt.) believes that this individual may be the offspring of a Blue-and-yellow Macaw and a “Catalina macaw,” a hybrid between a Blue-and-yellow Macaw and a Scarlet Macaw. We cannot say whether this potential hybrid pairing occurred in or out of captivity, but a free- flying Scarlet Macaw was observed nearby with other macaws in 2005 (see above). It suffices to say that we have scarcely begun to under- stand the complexities of parrot identification in Florida caused by in- adequate descriptions of juvenile and immature plumages, uncertainty in subspecies of some parrots, potential natural or human-bred hybrid pairings, and potential natural or human-bred color morphs. Acknowledgments We thank Joe Barros, “Carlos,” Ann Marie Clyatt, Patrick Ellsworth, Felipe Gua- jardo, Cynthia Guerra, Anne Guthrie, Janet Guthrie, Stewart and Phyllis Guthrie, the late Robert Kelley, Karl Koslowski, Jan Lopez, Karen Mabb, Larry Manfredi, Annabelle McKie, Bruce Neville, Brian Rapoza, Andrea Rosner, Roberto Torres, Helen Violi, Jeff Weber, and especially John H. Boyd for providing us with their observations. As an ex- perienced aviculturist and as avian veterinarian of the former Parrot Jungle and the current Jungle Island exhibits, Susan Clubb provided especially valuable comments. Kimball L. Garrett also improved a draft of the manuscript. Darcy Stumbaugh took ad- ditional photographs. Literature Cited Dickinson, E. C., Ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, 3rd ed. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 62 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST FORSHAW, J. M. 1977. Parrots of the World, 3rd ed. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, New Jersey. Juniper, T., and M. Parr. 1998. Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World. Yale Univer- sity Press, New Haven, Connecticut. Kale, H. W., II. 1985. Florida region [Spring 1985 seasonal report]. American Birds 39:288-291. Kale, H. W., II, B. Pranty, B. M. Stith, and C. W. Biggs. 1992. The Atlas of the Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Final report to Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, . Accessed 23 June 2009. Lever, C. 1987. Naturalized Birds of the World. Longman Scientific and Technical, New York. Long, J. L. 1981, Introduced Birds of the World. Reed Proprietary, Sydney. Neville, B. 1988. A Field Guide to the Exotic Avifauna of Dade County. Unpublished leaflet. Pranty, B. 1995. Field observations spring report: March-May 1995. Florida Field Nat- uralist 23:99-108. Pranty, B. 1998. Field observations winter report: December 1997-February 1998. Flor- ida Field Naturalist 26:100-108. Pranty, B. In prep. The unestablished exotic avifauna of Florida. Appendix B in The Robertson and Woolfenden Annotated Checklist of Florida Birds (J. S. Greenlaw and R. Bowman). To be submitted to Florida Ornithological Society. Pranty, B., and S. Epps. 2002. Distribution, population status, and documentation of ex- otic parrots in Broward County, Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 30:111-131. Pranty, B., and H. W. Lovell. In review. An addition to Florida’s exotic avifauna: Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis) in Pasco County. Submitted to Florida Field Natural- ist. Robertson, W. B., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Annotated List. Special Publication Number 6, Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. TAS [Tropical Audubon Society], 2009. Miami Bird Board . Accessed 14 June 2009. TOOPS, C., AND W. E. Dilley. 1986. Birds of South Florida: An Interpretive Guide. River Road Press, Conway, Arkansas, Unitt, P. 2004. San Diego County Bird Atlas. Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History No. 39, San Diego, California. Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):63-67, 2010. FIRST RECORD OF WHITE-THROATED SWIFT {Aeronautes saxatalis) FOR FLORIDA Andrew W. Kratter^ and Dorothy Kaufmann^ ^Florida Museum of Natural History, RO. Box 117800, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu ^Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, 105 North “S” Street, Pensacola, Florida 32505 The White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis) is a common breeder throughout rocky hilly and mountainous country in western North America (Ryan and Collins 2000). Its breeding distribution reaches as far north as southern British Columbia, and as far east as the Black Hills in South Dakota. The northern populations of the nom- inate subspecies are migratory, while populations from the southwest- ern United States (southern parts of Texas and New Mexico, and central Arizona and California) south through interior Mexico are res- ident. Another subspecies (A. s. nigrior) is resident in southern Mexico south to Honduras (Ryan and Collins 2000). Although it would seem that a highly aerial and migratory bird would be a good candidate for vagrancy, there are few records of White-throated Swift east of its nor- mal range (AOU 1998, Ryan and Collins 2000). The species has not previously been known from the entire southeastern portion of the con- tinent. On 9 April 2009, a weak swift was found on a balcony of a condo- minium tower by Clive Beattie at Navarre Beach (Santa Rosa Co.) in Florida’s western Panhandle. Beattie took the bird to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida in Pensacola, where DK identified it as a White-throated Swift, which, when confirmed, made it the first record for Florida. Over the next few days, Lucy Duncan photographed the bird (Fig. 1) and took a few measurements. The swift rapidly gained weight and stayed in a flight enclosure while rehabilitating. On 26 May 2009, DK brought the bird to Innerarity Point in extreme west- ern Florida (Escambia Co.) and released it back to the wild. It circled three times to increasing heights, flew from sight, and was not relo- cated. The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) accepted this record (FOSRC #09-729). A sight report of a White- throated Swift in Volusia Co. Florida in May 1996 was not accepted by the FOSRC (#06-364; Bowman 2000). 63 64 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. White-throated Swift, photographed 14 April 2009 at Wildlife Sanctu- ary of Northwest Florida. Photograph by Lucy Duncan. This was a medium-sized swift (weight = 28 g on 14 April), with dark brownish-black upperparts, and white (anteriorly) and black (pos- teriorly) underparts (Fig. 1). The white on the posterior part of the flanks extended dorsally to form white patches on either side of the black rump. The black secondaries had narrow white edges on the tips of the outer webs, with the inner secondaries having increasingly more white, and the broadest white tips on the tertials (not including the all black shortest tertial). The tail was black and moderately forked (ca. 12 mm). The white of the throat narrowed posteriorly to a point on the black belly, where the black of the flanks was broadest. The undertail coverts were brownish black, with some paler tips. The anterior portion of the black flanks was spotted white. The lores, face, and forehead were grizzled buffy white. The belly was not visible in the photographs. The remiges and rectrices were uniformly moderately worn. The combination of the moderate abraded outer primaries, extent of white in the longest tertials, and moderate tail fork, indicates that this was likely a second-year male (Pyle 1996). The black-and-white pattern (grizzled face, white throat and cen- tral stripe down underparts, and white posterior flank patches) is KRATTER and KAUFMANN-WniTE-THROATEB SWIFT IN FLORIDA 65 unique to the White-throated Swift (Chantler and Driessens 1995). White-tipped Swift (A. montivagus) of the Andes is somewhat similar in coloration, but is much smaller, lacks the intrusion of white down the central underparts and the grizzled face, and males have white tail tips (Chantler and Driessens 1995). The Antillean Palm-Swift {Tachor- nis phoenicohia) of the Greater Antilles is more extensively dark below and the rump is almost wholly white (Chantler and Driessens 1995); there is a 1972 record of this species from the Florida Keys (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992). Both species in the Neotropical genus Panyptila have a similar black and white pattern, but one species (R sanctihiero- nymi) is larger and the other species is smaller (P. cayennensis) than the bird in question; both species have long, very forked tails, more con- trasting black-and-white plumage, and darker faces (Chantler and Driessens 1995). Interestingly, this is the second species of swift whose first Florida record occurred on a condominium tower on Florida's Panhandle. On 25 January 1981, a White-collared Swift {Streptoprocne zonaris) was found dead on a condominium tower balcony at Perdido Key, which was a first record for Florida (Hardy and Clench 1982). That specimen (UF 20620) was identified as the subspecies from Mexico {S. z. mexicanus). White-throated Swifts regularly migrate through the western fringe of the Plains States. Records from farther east are scarce, and include a specimen taken in Michigan (August 1926 in Hillsdale, Mich- igan, UMMZ 61955; Barber 1927), a sight report from Ohio (2 April 2006 at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, B. Whan in litt.), a spec- imen from Arkansas (4 May 1935 in Hot Springs, Garland Co.; USNM 335155), and a specimen from Missouri (7 November 1988 from Cape Giraudeau; Robbins and Easterla 1991). In Texas, the species breeds in the trans-Pecos region of west Texas, but is considered rare to casual on the Edwards Plateau, the western Panhandle, and in central coastal Texas (Lockwood and Freeman 2004). There is a sight report from the Dominican Republic (AOU 1998). Surprisingly, the two other swifts of western North American, Vaux’s Swift {Chaetura vauxi) and Black Swift (Cypseolides niger), have been recorded more frequently in southeastern North America than White-throated Swift, even though both species are less common and more localized, have more restricted distributions in western North America, and are more difficult to identify (AOU 1998; Bull and Collins 1993, Lowther and Collins 2002). Florida has two accepted records of Vaux’s Swift (Anderson 1996, Bowman 2000) and a few other sight reports and records that were likely this species (Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007); the species is nearly an- nual in Louisiana (J. V Remsen in litt.). Alabama had its second report of Black Swift in the spring of 2009 (pending acceptance by the Ala- 66 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST bama Bird Records Committee: ABRC). The first report, from Fort Morgan (Baldwin Co.) on 11 April 2007, was accepted by the ABRC (S. McConnell in litt.). However, Black Swifts also breed in the Greater Antilles (AOU 1998, Lowther and Collins 2002), and these populations may have been the source of the Alabama birds. Mason and Steffee (1966) reported seeing 15 swifts that they considered to be Black Swifts at the Dry Tortugas of Florida during Hurricane Alma on 8~9 June 1966. If this identification was correct, these birds probably came from the Greater Antilles (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Black Swift is still considered unverified (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992) or hypo- thetical (Stevenson and Anderson 1994) in the state. Acknowledgments We thank Lucy Duncan for measuring and photographing the specimen and for pro- viding comments on the manuscript. Van Remsen shared distribution records from Lou- isiana. Charles T. Collins made major contributions to improving the manuscript, and Tom Webber also provided refinements. Literature Cited AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D. C. Anderson, B. H. 1996. Twelfth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 1994 & 1995. Florida Field Naturalist 24:122-134. Barber, B. A. 1927. White-throated Swift in Michigan. Auk 44:565. Bowman, R. 2000. Thirteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Florida Field Naturalist 28:138-160. Bull, E. L., and C. T, Collins. 1993. Vaux’s Swift {Chaetura vauxi). In The Birds of North America, No. 77. (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Chantler, P., and G. Driessens. 1995. Swifts: A Guide to the Swifts and Treesvafts of the World. Pica Press, Sussex, United Kingdom. Greenlaw, J. S., and A. W. Kratter. 2007. Sixteenth report of the Florida Ornitholog- ical Society Records Committee: 2006. Florida Field Naturalist 35:49-59. Hardy, J. W., and M. H. Clench. 1982. First United States specimen of the White-col- lared Swift. American Birds 36:191-141. Lockwood, M. W., and B. Freeman. 2004. The TOS Handbook of Texas Birds. Texas A & M Press, College Station. Lowther, P. E., and C. T. Collins. 2002. Black Swift (Cypseloides niger). In The Birds of North America, No. 676. (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mason, C, R., and N. D. Steffee. 1966. A banding party waits out Alma. Florida Natu- ralist 39:147-148. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I. Columbidae to Plo- ceidae. Slate Creek Press, Point Reyes Station, California. Robbins, M. B., and D. A. EASTERLA. 1991. Birds of Missouri, Their Status and Distri- bution. University of Missouri Press, Columbia. Robertson, W. B., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species, An Annotated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication No. 6. Gainesville. Kratter and Kaufmann— White-throated Swift in Florida 67 Ryan, T. P., and C. T. Collins. 2000. White-throated Swift {Aeronautes saxatalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 526. (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):68-70, 2010. WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus) NESTING IN THE BAHAMAS James A. Kushlan PO Box 2008, Key Biscay ne, Florida 33149 E-mail: Jkushlan@earthlink.net The nesting range of the White Ibis {Eudocimus alhus) is known to encompass the southern coasts of North, Central and South America, from Baja California to north- western Peru and from Virginia to French Guiana (AOU 1998). Within this range, it is particularly widespread and locally abundant in the southeastern United States, where it has expanded its range northward to North Carolina and Virginia within the past half century (Kushlan and Bildstein 1992). In southern Florida, it was historically the most abundant wading bird and, with the exception of the Cattle Egret (Buhulcus ibis), re- mains so today (Kushlan and Bildstein 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). In the Caribbean, it nests on Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles but is con- sidered to be accidental, occasional, or a non-breeding resident elsewhere in the region (Raffaele et al. 1998). In The Bahamas, it has been considered to be a non-breeding resi- dent by Raffaele et al. (1998) and a winter resident by White (1998). Previous to the in- ventory reported on in this paper, it has not been known to nest in The Bahamas. Our initial nesting record was noted in Hallett (2006). In this paper, I document the nesting range expansion of the White Ibis into The Bahamas, describing the first and second known instances of nesting in that country. Observations were made as part of an ongoing program inventorying the seabirds and other waterbirds in the northern Bahamas (2002-2010). The methods and extent of coverage are described in detail in Kushlan and Steinkamp (2007). Generally, a shallow- draft boat was used to approach shorelines closely, with surveys continuing on land when indicated. Species were determined and the numbers of birds and nests were counted. An airplane also was used to help locate colonies in the Berry Islands in 2002, but aerial counts were not included in the data set. Overall, the study area included Grand Bahama, and the Abaco, Berry, and Bimini island chains. Due to the extensive- ness of the area, the inventory covered different areas of the northern Bahamas in dif- ferent years. Observations were concentrated in June, but overall extended from April to July. White Ibis were found nesting in two locations. North Bimini and east of Grand Ba- hama. On North Bimini, ibises nested on a small island within Bimini lagoon, generally named Sandy Cay on charts (25°43.634’ N, 79°17.764’ W). It is a small mangrove-cov- ered patch immediately across the channel from Alice Town. White Ibis nests were first discovered on 26 June 2005, whenl2 nests were counted (Fig. 1). Nesting was confirmed again in June 2008 without a nest count, and on 19 June 2009 with the nest count hav- ing increased to 28. Near east Grand Bahama, ibises nested on a small island called Brush Cay (26°3 1.262’ N, 77°48.608’ W). These were found on 20 June 2009. Ibises were not observed to be nesting at this site on a previous survey in June 2005. In June 2002, young of the year White Ibis were observed on an aerial survey in the Berry Islands on Frazer Hog Cay (Chubb Cay). No nesting site was found on subsequent ground search of this and nearby islands. 68 Notes 69 Figure 1. Nest and eggs of White Ibis, Bimini Bahamas, June 2005, the first record of the species nesting in The Bahamas. These observations demonstrate that the status of the White Ibis in The Bahamas is now that of a permanent resident nesting species. Although it nests in small numbers at present, the documentation of the second colony off Grand Bahama along with an in- creased number of nests at Bimini suggest that it is slowly consolidating its colonization of The Bahamas and expanding its nesting range there. That there are now two nesting locations known suggests the importance of further documentation of the occurrence of the White Ibis in The Bahamas, especially in late spring and summer, and the impor- tance of investigating leads to its nesting elsewhere. The White Ibis is abundant in nearby southern Florida and over the past decades has increased its presence in intensely developed urban areas along the east coast, im- mediately across the Gulf Stream from The Bahamas. Both Bahamian nesting sites are in the western Bahamas, Bimini sitting only 87 km and the Grand Bahama site onlyl32 km from southern Florida. Certainly White Ibises in southern Florida seem the most likely source population. The White Ibis is an eruptive, semi-nomadic species known to move its colony sites from year to year (Kushlan and Bildstein 1992). Its tendency to wander, its habit of shifting nesting sites, its ability to live in a human-dominated land- scape, and its presence in The Bahamas as a winter resident all may have predisposed it to colonize The Bahamas as a nesting species. The two known colony sites are tiny, a small fraction of a hectare each, yet are not unimportant from a national and regional conservation perspective. In addition to White Ibis, Reddish Egrets (Egretta rufescens) nest at both sites. Brush Cay is the only known nesting site for Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in the northern Baha- mas (Kushlan and Steinkamp 2007) and also contained a high (for the region) number 70 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST of Tricolored Heron nests— 18 in 2005^ 21 in 2009. Whereas the Brash Cay site is diffi- cult to access due to the shallowness of the surrounding water, the Bimini site is easily accessible to small boats, kayaks, jet skis, and wading, and has hundreds of boats pass- ing near to it each day. Although the birds in the colony are clearly well habituated to the nonintrusive presence of people nearby, intrusion into the colony itself is disruptive. The resident and seasonal human population of Bimini is expanding along with on-go- ing development, and with it the numbers of small boats and kayaks. As a result, the risk of inadvertent intrusion into the colony increases. It would be relatively straightfor- ward to post the site with information to discourage entering and so protect its value as a nesting colony. As a conspicuous element in Bimini harbor, the Sandy Cay colony pro- vides an environmental education opportunity through explanative signage and per- haps through engaging local environmentalists in monitoring its composition and condition on a continuing basis. Acknowledgments I thank those who participated in the census of White Ibises in the western Baha- mas, Ross Exler, Louis Harts, Kirsten Hines, William Hume, Philip Kushlan, and Brace Purdy. I thank David Lee for advice on this paper. Literature Cited AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Hallett, B. 2006. Birds of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. MacMillan Car- ibbean, Oxford, United Kingdom. Kushlan, J. A., and K. L. Bildstein. 1992. White Ibis. In The Birds of North America, No. 9 (A. Poole, R Stettenheim, and F, Gill, Eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Kushlan, J. A., and M. J. Steinkamp. 2007. Seabird nesting and conservation in the northern Bahamas. Waterbirds 30:613-623. Raffaele, H., j. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. White, A. W. 1998. A Birder’s Guide to the Bahama Islands (Including Turks and Ca- icos). American Birding Association, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):71-72, 2010. HMRY WOODPECKERS (Picoides villosus) FEED DOWNY WOODPECKER (P pubeseens) NESTLINGS Bill Pranty Avian Ecology Lab, Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Florida 33960 Current address: 8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: billpranty@hotmail.com Many instances of interspecific feeding in birds have been reported^ and several ex- planations have been proposed (e.g., Shy 1982). A proximate cause that has received lit- tle emphasis is human disturbance. In this note, I relate a series of interspecific feeding incidents with Hairy (Picoides villosus) and Downy (P. pubeseens) woodpeckers, and suggest that human disturbance caused the behavior. On 24 March 1992, Mike Bessert discovered a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers excavating a cavity about 8 m above the ground in a slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) snag in scrubby flatwoods habitat at Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida. As part of a demographic study, both adult woodpeckers had been color-banded in previous years and were readily identifiable from their color bands. On 8 May 1992, 1 color-banded their three nestlings, two females with black crowns and one male with a red-orange crown patch. While I was at the nest, both adults returned with food, but could not feed the nestlings due to my presence. Both adults eventually flew to a Downy Woodpecker nest that was about 30 m away. The cavity of the Downy nest was approximately the same height as the Hairy nest, was also in a slash pine snag, and was visible from the Hairy nest. The Downy Woodpecker nest contained at least two nestlings close to fledging (i.e., a nestling head protruded from the cavity entrance when being fed) and the nestlings begged loudly and nearly continuously. First the male Hairy Woodpecker and then the fe- male fed at least one of the Downy Woodpecker nestlings before departing the area, I monitored the Hairy Woodpecker nest before and after the nestlings were banded from a vantage point that allowed an unobstructed view of both woodpecker nests. On 5 May 1992, during a brief visit to determine the age of the nestlings, I watched as the fe- male flew to the nest with a billful of insects. She fed the young while she was perched outside the cavity, indicating that the nestlings would soon fledge (Jackson 1976). On 7 May, I watched the nest for 131 min, from 0744 to 0955 DST. During this time, the fe- male fed the Hairy young eight times (at 0746, 0810, 0823, 0841, 0918, 0929, 0936, and 0950), and the male fed them three times (at 0750, 0841, and 0932). No nest watch was conducted on 8 May prior to banding, but I briefly checked the nest 45 min after the young were returned to it. At that time, the nestling male was looking out from the cavity, and was soon fed by the breeding male. On 9 May, I watched the nest for 132 min, from 0915 to 1127. The breeding male fed the nestling male four times (at 0924, 0929, 0949, and 1021). The female flew into the area with food seven times (at 0915, 1015, 1059, 1106, 1114, 1119, and 1125). On four of these occasions, she fed the Downy Woodpecker nestlings, and attempted to feed them during two other visits but was repelled by the female Downy Woodpecker, During her fi- nal visit while I was watching the nest, the female Hairy Woodpecker flew to the Downy Woodpecker nest tree, but I chased her am^ay to try to induce her to resume feeding her own young. After 1 min, the female flew to her nest and fed the nestling male. On 10 May, I watched the Hairy Woodpecker nest for 171 min, from 0832 to 1123. The breeding male fed the nestling male three times (at 0910, 0922, and 0932). The 71 72 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST breeding female visited the area three times (at 0843, 0941, and 1056). At 0843, she flew to the Downy Woodpecker nest, but I chased her away. The female then spotted another Hairy Woodpecker, which she repelled from the area. She fed no young during this visit. The female returned at 0941, and remained until 1016. She flew to the Downy Wood- pecker nest seven times. I chased her away at 0941, 1010, and 1014, and the female Downy Woodpecker repelled her at 0949, 0951, 0954, and 0957. Again, she fed no young. At 1056, the female returned with food. She flew to the Downy Woodpecker nest, but I chased her away. After 10 min, she flew back to the nest, but was repelled by the female Downy Woodpecker, At 1116, while the nestling male Hairy Woodpecker was calling loudly from the entrance of its nest cavity, the female Hairy Woodpecker fed the Downy Woodpecker young, then departed. On 11 May, I examined the two woodpecker nests from the ground and both appeared to be empty. At 1122, I found the breeding male Hairy Woodpecker and the recently fledged male about 50 m south of the nest tree. On 21 May, both female Hairy Woodpecker fledglings accompanied a parent about 1 km south of the nest (R. Mumme pers. comm,). The final observation of a young Hairy Woodpecker from this nest was on 5 June, when I observed the fledgling male with the breeding female about 1,5 km south of the nest. Shy (1982) summarized 140 cases of interspecific feeding among birds, and listed their probable causes. She grouped the causes into eight categories: mixed clutches; original nest or brood destroyed; close nesting by two species; young birds calling as a stimulus; orphaned young; male feeding another species while his mate was incubating; unmated birds; and miscellaneous. The miscellaneous category contained the largest number of entries, 41 (not 40 as in Shy 1982: Table 2). My observations of a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers feeding Downy Woodpecker nest- lings fall into two of Shy’s (1982) categories: (1) close nesting by two species; and (2) young birds calling as a stimulus. However, I feel it was human disturbance that caused the Hairy Woodpecker parents to feed the Downy Woodpecker nestlings. Shy (1982) does not mention human disturbance as a probable cause of interspecific feeding. Among hundreds of references on the effects of human disturbance on birds, few references re- late to interspecific feeding. Allen (1930 in Williams 1942), wrote of a brood of American Redstarts {Setophaga ruticilla) that had been removed from their nest and placed in the hands of Allen’s children to be photographed. The male redstart continued to feed the young, but the female, “restrained by fear,” instead fed nestling American Robins in a nearby nest. An alternative explanation for the Hairy Woodpecker adults feeding the Downy Woodpecker nestlings could be displacement behavior or redirected behavior due to disturbance at the nest (J. Jackson in litt.). Acknowledgments I thank Mike Bessert, Reed Bowman, Ron Mumme, and Keith Tarvin for field assis- tance, and Reed Bowman, Glen Woolfenden, and Jerry Jackson for improving drafts of the manuscript, I thank John W. Fitzpatrick and Archbold Biological Station for sup- porting this research. Literature Cited Jackson, J. A. 1976. How to determine the status of a woodpecker nest. Living Bird 15:205-221, Shy, M. M. 1982. Interspecific feeding among birds: A review. Journal of Field Ornithol- ogy 53:370-393. Williams, L, 1942, Interrelations in a nesting group of four species of birds, Wilson Bul- letin 54:238-249. Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):73-75, 2010. REVIEW Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson by Elizabeth T Rosenthal. 2008. The Lyons Press. Guilford, Connecticut. 436 pp. ISBN-10: 1599212943. $29.95 hard- cover, $14.95 paperback. Roger Tory Peterson: A Biography by Douglas Carlson. 2007. University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas. 296 pp. ISBN-10: 029271680X. $24.95 hardcover. “Dammit!-=I don’t like Massachusetts at all — I find that I cannot draw books out of the Boston Public Library because I live in Brookline — I cannot get a collecting permit because bird painting falls under the heading of 'personal gain’— -Hell! A person can’t do a goddam thing around here— Can’t get along with any of the local babes because they’re all 'debs’ & their mamas don’t favor school teachers, . . . Just now, my sex-life is the thing I’m worried about.” So wrote a frustrated young buck named Roger Tory Peterson, not long after his 23rd birthday, to fellow Bronx Bird Club member Joe Hickey. It’s a highlight of Elizabeth J. Rosenthal’s biography of birding’s founding father. Published in the centenary of his birth, Birdwatcher is the product of over one hundred interviews and an impressive amount of research in the archives of the National Audubon Society, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and other public and private collections, and it mostly does what Rosenthal intends, which is to show us Peterson’s centrality not merely to birding but to the international conservation movement as well. This is perhaps a necessary thing, because Peterson diminished with age. Many of us remember only Ms last decades, when his white-haired visage grimaced at us from countless magazine ads, when it seemed as though no popular bird book issued from the presses without a foreword or introduction by him, and when nearly every Bird- watcher's Digest essay that he churned out (often retreads of older pieces, Rosenthal says) ended with a resolution that, any day now, he was going to take up his brush and resume the “more painterly” style he’d abandoned for field guide illustration. Which he never got around to doing. Now he’s a historical figure. A Field Guide to the Birds was published three quarters of a century ago; the European field guide he wrote with Guy Mountfort is fifty years old. Modern American birders carry Sibley or National Geographic into the field, not Peterson, and in Europe the Collins ^ide predominates, while Peterson and Mount- fort’s book, once “the absolute Bible,” is dismissed as “inferior.” Birdwatcher is a re- minder that Peterson once held a singular position, and possessed an absolute authority that none of his successors can command. Unfortunately its organization leaves a lot to be desired. A biography should read just as the life it describes was lived: start at the beginning and end at the end. Rosenthal, however, remarks that Peterson’s life was “starlike, an explosion of experi- ences and work in countless directions” and that’s how she writes it, sorting incidents from all periods of Peterson’s life into thematically-related chapters. This approach has a number of failings. Stories are shoved in haphazardly. An exciting trip to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego is shoe-horned into “Adventuresome Flights of Conservation” even though conservation was not its focus; Rosenthal excuses this by writing that scholarly articles that eventually resulted (decades later, in some cases) from the trip “may have brought the birds and other animals a step closer to wise stewardship” [my emphasis]. The reader often gets the impression that Rosenthal collected hundreds of anecdotes and is determined to use every last one of them. Peterson’s mother receives a letter from 73 74 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST a friend, describing Peterson’s quick adjustment to New York, and this is quoted as evi- dence of “his ability to quickly assess his surroundings— something any naturalist must do even in urban areas/’ Awkward transitions abound. E.O. Wilson calls Peterson “a great scientist”; the next paragraph begins, “Was Roger a scientist— or a sorcerer?” and introduces an entirely unrelated story describing his preternatural field skills. But Rosenthal was not the only one inspired by the Peterson centenaiy. In 2007 Douglas Carlson, a retired English teacher (and, like Peterson, a native of Jamestown, New York), published Roger Tory Peterson: A Biography. Carlson’s is probably the superior work, more focused and better edited. Its chief failing, or chief merit, depending on what you expect from a biography, is that it gives us less of Peterson’s personal life and more about his books, his art, and his photography. As a critic Carlson seems to know his stuff; his evaluations are knowledgeable, thoughtM, thorough, and sympathetic, and his obvious admiration is tem- pered by an awareness of Peterson’s limitations. More to the point, he understands that Peterson’s greatest achievement demands the lion’s share of attention from his biographer. That achievement — the watershed event of both Peterson’s life and the history of birding — was the publication of A Field Guide to the Birds in 1934, when he was only 25 years old. Houghton-Mifflin so doubted the book’s prospects that it printed a mere 2,000 copies and promised royalties only after the first 1,000 were sold. On the day of publica- tion, Peterson was “absolutely flabbergasted ... to walk through Harvard Square, and to see in the co-op there a whole window full of my field guides!” In three weeks all 2,000 had been purchased, and Peterson never looked back. Rosenthal says little about the process of the Field Guide's composition. She tells us that the idea of simplified illustrations came from Ernest Thompson Seton’s Two Little Savages, which Peterson “devoured” as a youth. He made such sketches for his own use, and when William Vogt, a fellow nature enthusiast, saw them in 1930, he urged Peterson to create a field guide. In 1931 Clarence Allen offered Peterson a job teaching natural his- toiy at Rivers School, of which he was headmaster: “Roger could devote free time to his field guide. Allen’s secretary at Rivers would be available to t5rpe the manuscript.” The next thing we know, the book is being shopped around to one publishing house and another. Carlson is more specific, tracing the book’s development meticulously and noting the most pertinent elements in Peterson’s training and background. He displays an actual page from Two Little Savages of “Far-sketches showing common Ducks as seen on the water at about 50 yards distance,” and the resemblance to Peterson’s illustrations is re- markable. He explains how Peterson’s lack of financial support from his parents blocked any chance at the academic career he probably would have chosen and pushed him to- ward commercial art (so that “he approached things visually rather than phylogeneti- cally. Grouping birds by their appearance rather than their taxonomic relationships emphasized visual differences among similar species and helped with field identifica- tion”). He considers the stylistic influences of Peterson’s instructors at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design, as well as what he learned from his field experience with the Bronx County Bird Club and Ludlow Griscom. He describes the cru- cial role played by Peterson’s instructional jobs at camps and schools from 1929 to 1934 in forming the idea of the Field Guide, which was conceived primarily as a teaching de- vice. And he devotes three chapters to an analysis of the book itself and a description of its favorable reception by the public and the ornithological community (“nowhere will the novice find better training or less sparing discipline,” wrote Frank Chapman). The Field Guide and its successors— Western Birds, Birds of Britain and Europe, Birds of Texas and Adjacent States, Wildflowers, and Mexican Birds— wem the source of Peterson’s fame and fortune, and yet they haunted and frustrated Mm. For years at a time he had to put off doing what he most wanted to do, which was to paint artistically, so that he could work on the plates or text of some new guide or revise an old one (he re- vised the original Field Guide four times). On all of this, the products of Peterson’s working life, Carlson is better than Rosenthal. Review 75 On Peterson’s life in the wider sense, however, Rosenthal’s book tells us more. She goes into more depth about the ventures that occupied Peterson when he wasn’t paint- ing or writing. For instance, only in passing does Carlson mention Peterson’s close asso- ciation with Lindblad Wildlife Tours; Rosenthal gives it a whole chapter. She writes more than Carlson about Peterson’s friendships with James Fisher and Peter Scott, and includes interviews with birders and conservationists who were close to Peterson or just had an interesting story to tell about him. One of the main themes of her book is Peterson’s deep involvement with wildlife con- servation, which occupied his entire adult life. He published a plea to end the shooting of hawks in 1930, he wrote about the dangers of oil slicks as early as 1942, and he worked as a staffer with the National Audubon Society from 1935 until he was drafted in 1943. There’s a section nearly a hundred pages long called “Conservation Stories.” One protegee declares that “Roger should be remembered as the 'father of the environ- mental movement,”’ and Rosenthal makes a fairly good case for this. Rosenthal also gives us much more about his personality and his home life. She clearly regards Peterson with something more than admiration, but unlike Carlson she does not shrink from describing his less heroic traits. For instance she suggests that, as a young instructor at the Audubon Nature Camp in Maine, he pursued women almost as assiduously as birds. He wangled permission to take “some campers” out after dark looking for owls, but this was revoked when someone discovered that “Peterson always limited those expeditions to a party of himself and the comeliest lass in the camp.” In fact, a mere six months after he started working there, he wed one of those comely lasses, Mildred Washington. She was the first of Peterson’s three wives, and their union was the briefest, lasting six years. He married his second wife, Barbara Coulter — the only one of the three still surviv- ing and thus the only one interviewed by his biographers— shortly after his divorce from Mildred became final, and remained with her for 33 years. They had two sons, Tory and Lee, but Peterson was not a family man. “He was not one to submit to the needs of oth- ers, even of loved ones,” writes Rosenthal. A friend stated simply that, as far as domestic life went, “he was not there.” And Barbara said, “Roger had nothing to do with his chil- dren.” He and Barbara divorced in 1976, and later that year he married Virginia Marie Westervelt, for whom no one has anything good to say (William Zinsser called her “very bossy, a very peremptory woman,” and a family friend said she was “a bunch of fluff, and unsubstantive”). Carlson reports that Peterson left all his paintings, photographs, and papers to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, but that after his death Vir- ginia secretly altered the agreement so that her own children inherited “the most com- mercially and educationally valuable items,” leaving the Institute only the “dregs.” It’s a mistake, though, to equate the personal with the “real.” Peterson made every- thing else in his life secondary to his work. He was “pure energy,” recalled Robert Michael Pyle. “He worked as hard as any human I’ve ever seen,” said a literary agent. His son Lee wrote, “He was never content. He always needed to do more.” A man who worked that hard does not want to be judged on what kind of husband or father he was. He judged himself on his accomplishments and expected us to do the same. Obsessed with his place in history, he would ask what history will say about him. Carlson tries to answer that question, while Rosenthal, in depicting “an explosion of experiences and work in countless directions,” gives a more rounded, but ultimately more superficial, view of his life. Both books are worthwhile, but because of its deeper engagement with Peterson’s work Carlson’s is more highly recommended. Rex Rowan 2041 NE 15th Terrace Gainesville, Florida, 32609 Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):76-89, 2010. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Fall Report: August-November 2009. — This report consists of significant bird ob- servations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Electronic submis- sions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, ob- server(s), and significance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March- May), summer (June-July), and fall (August-November). Submit observations to re- gional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. Addresses of the compilers follow this report. Sight-only observations are considered “reports” while only those supported by verifi- able evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOC and by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; ) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) ac- companies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = Air Force Base, APR = Air Force Range, EOS = end of season, NERR = Na- tional Estuarine Research Reserve, NP = National Park, NS = National Seashore, NSRA = North Shore Restoration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SF = State Forest, SP = State Park, STA = Stormwater Treatment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WEA = Wildlife and Environmental Area, WMA = Wildlife Management Area, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly re- ported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. SUMMAKY OF THE FALL SEASON It was a mild season weatherwise, with only two tropical storms, both of which struck the extreme western Panhandle: Claudette on 18 August, and Ida on 10 Novem- ber. Neither storm caused serious damage or brought ashore significant rarities. Cold fronts brought significant numbers of birds to the Lee County coast on 30 September, and to the western Panhandle on 31 October. A movement of Tennessee Warblers was evident 30 September. A huge flock of Common Terns was documented in Pasco County. FOSRC-review species reported this fall were Neotropic Cormorants at St. Marks NWR and Viera Wetlands, Harris’s Hawk at Cedar Key (if thought to be a vagrant), six Alder Flycatchers heard at three sites. Willow Flycatchers heard at two sites, Say’s Phoebe at Astatula, Tropical-type kingbird at Homestead, two Cassin’s Kingbirds at STA-5, Green-tailed Towhee at Fort Pickens, Lark Bunting at Alligator Point, Lazuli Bunting at Oviedo, and Western Meadowlark at Gulf Breeze. Finally, we note that Gail Menk has retired from the FOC, and we thank him for his 13.5 years of service. John Murphy will be the compiler for the eastern Panhandle beginning with the winter 2009-2010 report. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 3 adults and 12 young at San Carlos Park (Lee) 16 Aug (T Obrock); 2 adults at Disney Wilderness Preserve {Osceola) 9-22 Sep (M. Folk, J. Milikowsky); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) 19-20 Sep (C. & D, Ware); 1 adult with 8 chicks at Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa {Hillsborough) 29 Sep (B. Ahern); 20 at Alligator Lake Park {Columbia) 1 Oct (B. Ahern); 1 pair with 11 chicks at Viera 76 Field Observations 77 Wetlands (Brevard) 20 Oct (J. Wherley); 402 at Lake Apopka NSRA (Orange) 13 Nov (H. Robinson). Fulvous Whistling-Duck: 33 at Harney Pond Canal, Lake Okeechobee (Glades) 19 Sep (D. Simpson et al.); 730 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Nov (H. Robinson). Greater White-fronted Goose: 2 at Southwood (Leon) 23 Nov-EOS (M. Forehand, J. Cavanagh). Snow Goose: 6 over J.W. Corbett WMA (Palm Beach) 29 Oct (M. Baranski); as many as 3 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) 5 Nov-EOS (C. Littlewood et aL); 1 adult blue morph at Viera Wetlands 9 Nov (D. Freeland); 1 adult blue morph at St. Augus- tine (St. Johns) 18 Nov (D. Reed et al.); 1 adult white morph at New Port Richey (Pasco) 17-18 Nov (R Day, K. Tracey). Egyptian Goose: 33 at Orange Brook Golf Course, Hollywood (Broward) 2 Sep (R. Ti- tus). Gadwall: 1 at Pelican Island NWR (Indian River) 17 Oct (A. Bankert); 80 at Lake Apo- pka NSRA 22 Nov (H. Robinson). Eurasian Wigeon: 1 adult male at Lake Seminole all season (S. Prevuznak, R. Smith) provided the first Pinellas record; 1 male at Merritt Island NWR (Brevard) 14 Nov- EOS (R Hueber). Blue-winged Teal: 1 female at Tram Road STF (Leon) 28 Aug (G. Menk, M. Collins); a total of 223 in seven flocks flew S past Holiday (Pasco) 31 Aug, with 297 in six flocks on 27 Sep, and 610 in nine flocks in one hour there 29 Sep (D. Gagne); 1500 at Duda Farms, Belle Glade (Palm Beach) 13 Sep (B. Hope); 200 at Robinson Preserve (Manatee) 29 Sep (D. Irizarry, J. Ginaven); 2400 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Nov (H. Robinson). Northern Shoveler: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Aug (H. Robinson); 3 at Opal Beach, Gulf Islands NS (Escambia) 1 Sep (B. & L. Duncan). Green-winged Teal: 1800 at Canaveral NS (Brevard) 6 Nov (D. Simpson, M. Harris); 300 at Boynton Beach Inlet (Palm Beach) 1 Nov (B. Hope); 1200 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Nov (H. Robinson). Ring-necked Duck: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Sep (H. Robinson); 1100 in one pond at The Villages (Sumter) 22 Nov-EOS (J. Dinsmore). Greater Scaup: 4 at Lake Butler (Union) 5 Nov (J. Hintermister); 1 female at Lake Ap- opka NSRA 11 Nov (H. Robinson). Lesser Scaup: 9 at S Merritt Island (Brevard) 9 Aug (D. Freeland). Common Eider: 2 females at Fort Clinch SP (Nassau) 6 Nov (J. Krummrich). Surf Scoter: 2 in female plumage at Bald Point SP (Franklin) 2 Aug (J. Murphy); 3 at Boynton Beach Inlet 7 Nov (B. Hope). White-winged Scoter: 1 adult male at Opal Beach 28 Nov (L. Duncan et al.). Black Scoter: 25 at Melbourne Beach (Brevard) 3 Nov (A. Bankert); 120 at Boynton Beach Inlet 7 Nov (B. Hope); 2 off Honeymoon Island SP (Pinellas) 13 Nov (D. Gagne et al.); 1 at Hudson Beach (Pasco) 17 Nov (K. Tracey); 2 adult males at Biscayne Bay (Miami-Dade) 25 Nov (R. Torres). Bufflehead: 8 (3 males, 5 females) at Biscayne Bay 30 Nov (R. Torres). Common Goldeneye: 1 female at Port Orange (Volusia) 11 Nov (M. Brothers). Ruddy Duck: 1450 at Lake Apopka NSRA 29 Nov (H. Robinson). Wild Turkey: 13 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Oct (H. Robinson). Golden Pheasant: 1 adult at Longwood (Seminole) 9 Sep (fide P. Simmons, photo to FOC). Northern Bobwhite: 1 pair and chicks at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP, Bayonet Point (Pasco) 9 Sep (K. Tracey). Common Loon: 1 at Caladesi Island SP (Pinellas) 1 Aug (J. McGinity). Least Grebe: 1 at Yamato Scrub Natural Area, Boca Raton (Palm Beach) 15-24 Sep (N. Stuart et al.). 78 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST PlED-BILLED Grebe: 1 adult with 2 young at Gulf Harbors, New Port Richey 27 Aug (K. Tracey). Horned Grebe: 1 at Biscayne Bay 25 Nov (R. Torres). American Flamingo: 11 (7 immatures and 4 molting into adult plumage) at Snake Bight, Everglades NP {Monroe) 28 Sep (B. Roberts). Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor): 1 with a band on its left leg at Merritt Is- land NWR 30 Sep (T. Donovan, photo to FOC) provided the first Florida report and record. At least 29 Lesser Flamingos are known in captivity in Florida (wwwisis.org). Cory’s Shearwater: 1000+ off Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia) 27 Sep (M. Brothers, B. Wallace et al.), and as many as 120 there 15 Nov (M. Brothers et aL); 1 found 43 nm off St. Petersburg 24 Oct that later died in captivity (C. Allen, S. Patterson) provided the first Pinellas record; 1 at Sebastian Inlet SP (Brevard) 21 Nov (A. Banker! et al.). Greater Shearwater: 75 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 27 Sep (M. Brothers, B. Wallace et al.). Audubon’s Shearwater: 4 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 Nov (M. Brothers et al.). Masked Booby: 1 at Cocoa Beach (Brevard) 24 Sep (fide H. Mederer, Florida Wildlife Hospital); 1 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 27 Sep (M. Brothers, B. Wallace et al.); 1 at Canav- eral NS 21 Oct (M. Harris); 1 adult in Okaloosa 9 Nov was /). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ); Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ); Andy Bankert (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ); John H, Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ); Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ); Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ); Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ); Gail Menk (2725 Peachtree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304, no email); Peggy Powell (2965 For- est Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ); and David Simp- son (139 South Willow Street, Fellsmere, Florida 32948, ). BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M, Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger William Post David Hartgrove 2010 Brian Ahern 90 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967, Fla. Ornithol. Soa Special Puhl. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay* Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989)2 Species Index and County Gazetteer* Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Publ. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990); Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies; an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. FOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Kobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 91 Aouioji jaiootb imoQ8;^ro^ if (Ll?PMPlk.W^ bniiJ ebHoJM ji^dAi»Q«tva xi ;b.oa Ww#- ,v^. M|NP b^Hoimhmft i^h .floR fill- iifK'i#i«tiJit-m!V. ;rVvv^^y.Ht®f ilea 81ft ;wk^«iro EO"'l _<«! ' .lEivoatiWlli^^ r>^>'e>' «afaia<<>tet^Efa^.tjai(^ ,%■ XBi «9t«a 9* fc^<-<|e afl* ibi4«: Ui%. ^2 ^VmIH bM««nb Or. Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738--999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editors Scott Robinson, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, E-mail: srobinson@flmnli.ufi.edu Managing/Copy Editors TOM Webber, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: twebber@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aoLcom Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: TOM PALMER, 1805 26th Street, N.W, Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. RODGERS, jR, Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E-mail: james.rodgers@myfwc.com Web Page Editor: STEPHEN Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/ FFN/FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/ RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 9088 01539 7359 Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 2' . • ^ May 26io':!^ Pages 43-91 CONTENTS ARTICLES Patterns of nonbreeding Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Piping Plover (C. melodus), and Red Knot (Calidris canutus) distribution in northwest Florida Bradley S. Smith 43-54 Natural history of Blue-and-yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) in Miami-Dade County, Florida Bill Pranty, Daria Feinstein, and Karen Lee 55-62 First record of White-throated Swift {Aeronautes saxatalis) for Florida Andrew W. Kratter and Dorothy Kaufmann 63-67 NOTES White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) nesting in The Bahamas James A. Kushlan 68-7 Hairy Woodpeckers (Picoides villosus) feed Downy Woodpecker (P. pubescens) nestlings Bill Pranty 71-7! REVIEWS Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson, by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, and Roger Tory Peterson: A Biography, by Douglas Carlson Rex Rowan 73-7'" FIELD OBSERVATIONS Fall report: August-November 2009 Bill Pranty 76-89 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends ofFFN 90 FOS Special Publications 91 (tu . Accessed 29 June 2009. CBC [Carolina Bird Club]. 2009b. Official List of the Birds of South Carolina. . Accessed 29 June 2009. Garrido, O. H., and a. Kirkconnell. 2000. Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. Kratter, A. W. 2008. Seventeenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2007. Florida Field Naturalist 36:94-111. Kratter, A. W. 2010. Eighteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2008. Florida Field Naturalist 38:15-31. Pranty, B. 2007. Field observations spring report: March-May 2007. Florida Field Natu- ralist 35:124-137. Pranty, B. 2009. Field observations winter report: December 2008-February 2009. Flor- ida Field Naturalist 37:98-110. Pranty, B. 2010a. Field observations fall report: August-November 2009. Florida Field Naturalist 38:76-89. Pranty, B. 2010b. Field observations winter report: December 2009-February 2010. Flor- ida Field Naturalist 38:119-131. Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. [H.] Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Telfair, R. C., and M. L. Morrison. 2005. Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasil- ianus). No. 137 in The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. . Accessed 29 June 2009. TOS [Tennessee Ornithological Society]. 2009. Official List of the Birds of Tennes- see, October, 2007. . Accessed 29 June 2009. Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):99-105, 2010. USE OF SUPPLEMENTAL NORTHERN BOBWHITE (Colinus virginianus) FOOD BY NON-TARGET SPECIES Gail Morris^ ^ L. Mike Conner^^ and Madan K. Olp ^Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, 3988 Jones Center Dr, Newton, Georgia, 39870 ^Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 ^Corresponding author. E-mail: mconner@jonesctr.org Abstract.— Several studies have investigated the use of supplemental feeders by Northern Bobwhites {Colinus virginianus) and non-target species, but none have previ- ously examined the use of food spread along fields. We used motion-sensing cameras to as- sess use of supplemental quail food spread along the edges of fields. A total of 3,233 camera hours resulted in 591 animal pictures associated with 328 animal visits. Rodents were the most common visitors (66.2% of pictures, 46.3% of visits), followed by songbirds (19% of pictures, 35% of visits). Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus), Mourning Doves (Ze- naida macroura), Common Ground-Doves {Columbina passerina), white-tailed deer {Odocoileus virginianus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), feral hogs (Sus scrofa), nine-banded ar- madillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), and bobcats (Lynx rufus) were infrequent visitors, mak- ing up fewer than 13% of pictures or 16% of visits combined. Northern Bobwhites were not captured in any pictures, but this is likely an artifact of camera placement. Supplemental feeding is a common practice for the management of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus, hereafter quail) throughout the Southeast (Rebel and Kemp 1997, Townsend et al. 1999, Sisson et al. 2000, Guthery et al. 2004). Objectives of feeding include increasing or maintaining populations by increasing survival through winter or during periods of unfavorable conditions. Methods of delivering supple- mental food include maintaining fixed feeders and spreading feed along roads, in forested plots, or along field and food plot edges (Frye 1954, Godbois et al. 2003, Haines et al. 2004). Whatever the method of delivery, it is certain that a portion of feed is consumed by species other than quail. Several studies have investigated non-target consumption of feed at fixed quail feeders (Frye 1954, Collins 1956, Haugen 1957, Kane 1988, Boyer 1989, Guthery et al. 2004, Henson 2006). These studies suggest that quail only consume between 1 and 5% of supple- mental food (Collins 1956, Haugen 1957) and make between 0 and 11% of total visits to feeders (Kane 1988, Guthery et al. 2004, Henson 2006). Common visitors to feeders include songbirds, rodents, and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Deer and doves have also been noted as regular visi- tors. We know of no studies that have examined non-target use of feed 99 100 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST supplied by other methods, such as spreading feed along field and food plot edges. The less concentrated nature of feeding in this manner may attract a different set of foragers or present fewer potential side effects of feeding from fixed feeders such as food spoilage or attraction of pred- ators. Examination of crops of quail harvested on site shows that quail do use the provided supplemental food (J. Stober, J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, GA, unpubl. data); however, the use of sup- plemental food by non-target species has not been examined. There- fore, our objective was to fill this gap in knowledge by assessing the use of supplemental food spread along field and food plot edges by species other than quail. Methods Study site. — This study was carried out at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway in Baker County, Georgia. Ichauway is a 12,000 ha property con- sisting primarily of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and wiregrass (Aristida heyrichiana) ecosystem. Longleaf pine ecosystems have a low-density overstory, a diverse, herba- ceous groundcover, and an open, park-like mid-story with limited occurrence of hard- wood tree species (Van Lear et al. 2005). Management at Ichauway focuses on maintaining and restoring longleaf pine stands and maintaining populations of quail and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Atkinson et al. 1996). Management practices include frequent application of prescribed fire, predator removal, discing fields to provide habitat and food for quail, planting food plots throughout the site, and spreading supplemental food along field edges and in forested plots (Atkinson 1996, Godbois et al. 2003). Food plots are planted with a variety of agricultural crops includ- ing grain sorghum (Sorghum spp.), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), cowpea (Vigna spp.), corn (Zea mays), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), sunflower (Helianthus spp.), soybeans (Glycine spp.), and chufa (Cyperus esculentus). Supplemental food includes a mixture of grain sorghum, soybeans, and corn (except during deer season) and is spread at two- week intervals from October through June. Field methods. — ^We used Cuddeback Capture digital cameras (Non Typical, Inc., Park Falls, Wisconsin) to assess use of supplemental food. Five cameras were set out over sup- plemental food immediately after it was spread along field edges on 10 March 2009. These cameras were left out for 10 days and checked periodically to ensure adequate battery power and presence of supplemental food. A second set of 10 cameras was set out on 23 March 2009 and left out for nine days with the exception of one camera which was pulled on the sixth day following flooding from heavy rains. The minimum distance between the two sets of cameras was 1,930 m and the mean minimum distance between individual cameras was 268 m (±19 m, SE). To detect small mammals (e.g., rats and mice) and to avoid flash glare on vegetation in night pictures, cameras were set in areas with relatively little cover in front of the camera, although good cover occurred to either side. Animal images were classified by species (when possible) and group (e.g., songbird, ro- dent). Because individuals of some species (especially mice) had a tendency to spend longer periods of time in front of the camera than others, we distinguished between pictures and visits. Pictures of a single animal (or animals of the same species that could not be positively identified as a separate individual) occurring within 60 minutes of each other were grouped as a single visit. If multiple animals of the same species or group appeared in a single pic- ture, that was counted as one pictime for that species or group but as a separate visit for each individual. Morris stal.— Supplemental Bobwhite Food 101 Results Cameras were set for a total of 3,233.2 hours spread over 15 differ- ent locations. Five hundred and ninety-one pictures of animals were taken, with 328 separate visits (Table 1). Rodents including cotton mice (Peromyscus gosspinus), oldfield mice (P. polionotus)^ house mice {Mus musculus), cotton rats (Sigmodon Mspidus), an eastern fox squir- rel (Sciurus niger), and mice and rats that could not be identified to species, were the most common visitors accounting for 66.2% of total pictures and 46.3% of total visits. Songbirds including Chipping Spar- rows (Spizella passerina). Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater)^ Northern Cardinals {Cardinalis cardinalis), White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia alhicollis), Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), and other songbirds that could not be identified to species were the sec- ond most common visitors with 18,6% of pictures and 34.5% of visits. Quail did not appear in any pictures, but another game bird, Mourn- ing Doves (Zenaida macroura), appeared in 1.5% of pictures and made 2.4% of visits. Doves as a group, including Mourning Doves and Common Ground-Doves (Columbina passerina), accounted for 2.4% of pictures and 4.3% of visits. Mammalian predators including raccoons, a bobcat {Lynx rufus), and a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) were observed in only 1.1% of all pictures, making only 1.2% of visits. Other mammals including eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus, 5.4% of pictures and 6.4% of visits), deer (3,4% of pictures and 3.7% of visits) and feral hogs {Sus scrofa, 0,3% of pictures and 0,3% of visits) also made lim- ited visits to camera locations. Species/groups unable to be identified due Table 1. Non-target use of supplemental quail food in Baker County, Georgia, during March and April 2009. Pictures Visits N % N % Rodents^ 391 66.159 152 46.341 Songbirds® 110 18.613 113 34.451 Rabbits 32 5.415 21 6.402 Deer 20 3.384 12 3.659 Do¥es‘^ 16 2.707 14 4.268 Mammalian predators” 7 1.184 4 1.220 Hogs 2 0.338 1 0.305 Unknown 13 2.200 11 3.354 Totals 591 100 328 100 includes mice, rats, squirrels. ^Includes Chipping Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Browm headed Cowbirds, White- throated Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and birds identified only as passerines. ‘^Includes Mourning Do¥es and Common Ground-Do¥es. “Includes raccoons, bobcats, and armadillos. 102 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST to overexposure of pictures taken at night with a flash accounted for 2.2% of pictures and 3.4% of visits. Species considered to be exotic or in- vasive (house mice, Brown-headed Cowbirds, hogs, and armadillos) were observed in 10% of all pictures and made 13% of visits. Discussion Supplemental feeding is a common management tool for a variety of game species including quail, deer, and Wild Turkey {Meleagris gal- lopavo) (Frye 1954, Pattee and Beasom 1979, Lambert and Demarais 2001). Goals of providing supplemental food for game species include providing resources to the target species during times when natural food resources are limited and increasing body size, survival, or repro- duction of individuals in a population (Dunkley and Cattet 2003). For a feeding program with these goals to be successful, several assumptions must be met: 1) the natural food resources are limiting, 2) no other habitat parameter limits population growth when food is provided, 3) the target species uses the supplemental food, and 4) the food does in fact enhance survival and reproduction when used by the target spe- cies (DeMaso et al. 2002). Given that non-target species also commonly use supplemental food, populations of these non-target species meet- ing the assumptions above may also be influenced in a variety of ways. In small mammals and birds, these effects may include increases in abundance and litter or clutch size, earlier reproduction, increased body size and growth rates, and decreased home range sizes (Boutin 1990). A previous study at this site showed that supplemental feeding increased cotton rat populations by 5.5 times (L. M. Conner, J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, GA, unpubl. data). On our study site, supplemental food is spread along field edges for quail. We found that the most frequent visitors to the supplemental food were rodents and songbirds. Deer, rabbits, doves, mammalian predators, and hogs were less frequent visitors. These results are con- sistent with studies of non-target use of fixed feeders (for quail and other species) in that non-target species were by far the most common visitors. However, most of these studies noted songbirds as the primary visitors (Frye 1954, Haugen 1957, Kane 1987, Lambert and Demarais 2001, Guthery et al. 2004) although rodents were also observed as sig- nificant visitors in every case. Broadcast feeding may be more conduc- tive to use by small mammals than fixed feeders. Given that small mammals have small home ranges, fixed feeders are likely to provide food resources to a limited number of small mammals, especially in comparison to birds, which are more mobile. The more dispersed na- ture of broadcast feeding seems to enable access to supplemental feed by a greater proportion of small mammals than fixed feeders. Morris etal— Supplemental Bobwhite Food 103 Quail, the target species, were not captured in any of the images. Although it is possible that quail did not use supplemental food during our study, previous research on Ichauway suggests that this is unlikely Crops removed from quail harvested between 1995 and 2006 showed heavy use of supplemental food such that between 66.2 and 90.1% (78.3% ± 8.5%, mean ± SE) of crop volume consisted of supplemental food (J. Stober, J, W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, GA, unpubl. data). The apparent lack of quail use of supplemental food in this study is probably best explained by camera placement. Cameras were placed overlooking relatively open areas along field edges, al- though good cover existed to either side. Although this placement was intentional to allow detection of small animals such as mice and to avoid flash glare against vegetation in night pictures, this placement may have effectively prevented sampling of quail. This is supported by the relatively few pictures of cotton rats (10), a species that has been shown occur in great numbers in areas where supplemental feeding oc- curs (Doonan and Slade 1995). Like quail, cotton rats have heavy cover requirements (Goertz 1964) and are unlikely to forage in open areas. In addition to being biased against species with heavy cover require- ments, it is likely that our sampling was biased against uncommon species and very small species such as insects which were beyond the ability of our cameras to detect. Because of these complications due to camera placement, it is impossible for us to say whether feeding methods that involve spreading feed over large areas are more effective at delivering food to quail and other species than fixed feeders. However, compared to fixed feeder studies, we found fewer visits by mammalian predators which may be attracted to feeding areas by increased small mam- mal populations. Guthery et al. (2004) attributed 9.3% of visits to mammalian predators. Henson (2006) observed that 43% of total feeder visits were made by raccoons alone. Our finding that only 1.2% of visits were by mammalian predators was somewhat surpris- ing given the high proportions of predators detected in these fixed feeder studies and because previous research on site has found that predators are attracted to areas where supplemental food is spread. However, these results may also be an artifact of our sampling de- sign which may underestimate use of feed trails by less common species as well as species that avoid open areas. We know that bob- cats were found to occur 10 times closer to feeding areas than ex- pected (Godbois et al. 2004) and that Red-tailed Hawks {Buteo jamaicensis) were found to occur three times closer to feeding sites than expected (Turner et al. 2008). If other predators respond simi- larly, this suggests our sampling method may not have been sensi- tive to these relationships. 104 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST In conclusion, the supplemental food was used by a variety of bird and mammal species. Rodents and songbirds composed >80% of total visits and pictures. Although quail were not captured in any images, this was likely an artifact of camera placement. Future research should investigate use of supplemental food spread along field edges and food plots by including areas with greater cover. This study was conducted over a period of less than one month, from late March to early April. Extending similar research over a greater length of time would help to detect seasonal patterns of feed use by both target and non-target species of wildlife (Frye 1954, Haugen 1957, Henson 2006). Acknowledgments We thank S. Smith, R. Varnum, R. Thomas, and D. Mock for assistance with logistics and field work. We also thank J. Stober for granting access to quail hunting data and ed- itorial suggestions, and the Wildlife Ecology lab at the J. W Jones Ecological Research Center for funding and use of equipment. We thank Bill Palmer for a thoughtful review and editorial suggestions. Literature Cited Atkinson, J. B., J. Brock, and R. Smith. 1996. Operational longleaf pine management at Ichauway. The Longleaf Pine Alliance Annual Meeting, Mobile, Alabama. Boutin, S. 1990. Food supplementation experiments with terrestrial vertebrates: pat- terns, problems, and the future. Canadian Journal of Zoology 68:203-220. Boyer, D. A. 1989. Evaluation of Feeders, Waterers, and Shelters for Use in Bobwhite Management. M.S. Thesis, Texas A & I University, Kingsville. Collins, F. W. 1956. Artificial feeders — quail management techniques. Kentucky Happy Hunting Ground 12:29. DeMaso, S. j., D. E. Townsend II, S. A. Cox, E. S. Parry, R. L. Lochmiller, and A. D. Peoples. 2002. The effects of quail feeders on northern bobwhite density in western Oklahoma. National Quail Symposium 5:241-244. Doonan, T. j., and N. a. Slade. 1995. Effects of supplemental food on population dy- namics of cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus. Ecology 76:814-826. Dunkley, L., and M. R. L. CATTEt. 2003. A comprehensive review of the ecological and human social effects of artificial feeding and baiting of wildlife. Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. Frye, O, E. 1954. Studies of automatic quail feeders in Florida. Transactions of the North American Wildlife Conference 19:298-316. Godbois, I. A., L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2003. Bobcat diet on an area managed for Northern Bobwhite. Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 57:222-227. Godbois, I. A., L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2004. Space-use patterns of bobcats relative to supplemental feeding of northern bob whites. Journal of Wildlife Manage- ment 68:514-518. Goertz, j. W. 1964. The influence of habitat quality upon density of cotton rat popula- tions. Ecological Monographs 34:359-381. Guthery, F. S., T. L. Hiller, W. H. Puckett, Jr., R. A. Baker, S. G. Smith, and A. R. Rybak. 2004. Effects of feeders on dispersion and mortality of bobwhites. Wildlife So- ciety Bulletin 32:1248-1254. Morris £;tal— Supplemental Bobwhite Food 105 Haines, A. M., F. Hernandez, S. E„ Henke, and R. L. Bingham. 2004. Effects of road baiting on home range and survival of northern bobwhites in southern Texas. Wildlife Society Bulletin 32:401-411. Haugen, A. O. 1957. Quail and quail feeders. Alabama Conservation 29:4-9. Henson, K. D. 2006. Species Visitation at Free-choice Quail Feeders in West Texas. M.S, Thesis, Texas A & M University, College Station. Kane, A. H. 1988. Effects of Management on Bobwhite Habitat and Density in Southern Texas. M.S. Thesis, Texas A & I University, Kingsville. Lambert, B. C., Jr., and S. Demarais. 2001. Use of supplemental feed for ungulates by non-target species. The Southwestern Naturalist 46:118-121. Pattee, O. H., and S. L. Beasom. 1979. Supplemental feeding to increase wild turkey productivity. Journal of Wildlife Management 43:512-516. ROBEL, R. J., and K. E. Kemp. 1997. Winter mortality of northern bobwhites: Effects of food plots and weather. Southeastern Naturalist 42:59-67. Sisson, D. C., H. L. Stripling, and D. W. Speake. 2000. Effects of supplemental feeding on home range size and survival of northern bobwhites in south Georgia. Proceedings of the National Quail Symposium 4:128-131. Townsend, D. E., R. L. Lochmiller, S. J. DeMaso, D. M. Leslie, A. D. Peoples, S. A. Cox, AND E. S. Parry. 1999. Using supplemental food and its influence on survival of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Wildlife Society Bulletin 27:1074-1081. Turner, A. S., L. M, Conner, and R, J, Cooper 2008. Supplemental feeding of northern bobwhites affects red-tailed hawk spatial distribution. Journal of Wildlife Manage- ment 72:428-432. Van Lear, D. H., W. D. Carroll, P. R. Kapeluck, and R. Johnson. 2005. History and restoration of the longleaf pine-grassland ecosystem: Implications for species at risk. Forest Ecology and Management 211:150-165. Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):106-109, 2010. FIRST RECORD OF ANCIENT MURRELET (Synthliboramphus antiquus) FOR FLORIDA Andrew W. Kratter^ and Michael Brothers" ^Florida Museum of Natural History, R O. Box 117800, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 ^Marine Science Center, 100 Lighthouse Drive, Ponce Inlet, Florida 32127 The core range of the Ancient Murrelet {Synthliboramphus antiq- uus), a small alcid, encompasses the frigid waters of the north Pacific Ocean. In North America, it breeds coastally from the Aleutian Islands in western Alaska south to British Columbia; in eastern Asia it breeds from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia south to northern Japan (AOU 1998). The Ancient Murrelet winters regularly offshore through- out its breeding range and south to central California and southern Ja- pan and Taiwan. Curiously given this localized distribution, the species occurs sporadically in interior North America, with records east to the Great Lakes region, southern Quebec, and Massachusetts, and south to southeastern California, Nevada, Utah, northern New Mexico, central Colorado, Nebraska, Louisiana, central Illinois, north- western Indiana, northern Ohio and Pennsylvania, with one record from the British Isles (Munyer 1965, AOU 1998, Petersen 1998). Al- though there are plenty of far-flung records, there had been none from the Atlantic Coast of North America south of New England, and the species did not seem to be a likely vagrant to Florida, On 15 December 2009, the staff of the wildlife rehabilitation hospi- tal at the Marine Science Center, in Ponce Inlet, Florida, received a live small alcid and tentatively identified it as an Ancient Murrelet. They quickly phoned the director of the center (MB) who confirmed the iden- tification. The bird had been found by Steven Bell and John Brooks en- tangled in algae at the foot of the boat ramp in Ponce Inlet, only 100 m from the Center’s hospital. The bird did not survive the night, and the specimen was sent to AWK at the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), where he prepared a round skin, partial skeleton, and spread wing (UF 47280). This record has been accepted by the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC #2010-788), and constitutes the first record and specimen for Florida. The specimen and photographs of the live bird show the typical round head, thick short neck, round body, short rounded wings, webbed 106 Kratter and Brothers— ANCiEm Murrelet in Florida 107 Figures 1 and 2. Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) found 15 De- cember 2009 at Ponce Inlet, Volusia County, Florida. First state record. feet, and black upperparts and white underparts of an alcid. The black- and-white plumage, small size, and unmarked dark scapulars indicate the genus Synthliboramphus. Within this genus, only the Ancient Mur- relet in basic plumage shows a plain black crown, face, and neck con- 108 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST trasting with a gr*ay back. Japanese Murrelet ( Petersen, W. R. 1998. The third annual report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Com- mittee (MARC). The Bird Observer 26:276-282. Pyle, P. 1998. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part II, Anatidae to Alcidae. Slate Creek Press, Point Reyes Station, California. NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):110-112, 2010. SEABIRDS OF GREAT ISAAC CAY, THE BAHAMAS James A. Kushlan RO. Box 2008, Key Biscayne, Florida 33149 E-mail: Jkushlan@earthlink.net Seabirds nesting in the northern Bahamas have, until recently, been poorly known, despite the nearness of the islands to Florida and visits by large numbers boaters and others. Pelagic terns appear regularly off Florida, on the western edge of the Florida Current but do not nest in North America, other than on the Dry Tortugas off the ex- treme southwestern tip of Florida. Several nesting sites of seabirds have been found along the eastern edge of the Florida Current, in The Bahamas, mostly on small cays (is- lands) south of Bimini (Kushlan and Steinkamp 2007). The present paper documents the existence of an additional, relatively large and regionally significant, seabird colony site at Great Isaac Cay. Great Isaac Cay (26°2.0’ N, 79°5.0’ W) is located on the northwestern edge of the Great Bahama Bank, adjacent to the Florida Current, between Bimini and Grand Ba- hama, 54 nm from the Florida coast. The island is a rocky outcrop of limestone, much of it without vegetation but also having grassy areas, cactus, coastal shrubs, and a patch of Australian pines (Casuarina sp.). Observations reported in this paper were made as part of an ongoing program inventor3ring seabirds and other waterbirds in the northern Bahamas (2002-2009). The methods and extent of coverage are described in detail else- where (Kushlan and Steinkamp 2007). We conducted ground surveys of seabirds on Great Isaac Cay on 10 June 2008 and 19 June 2009. We counted birds and nests during a complete ground coverage of the island. The species found and nests counted in the two censuses are shown in Table 1. The results were similar in the two years. In each year, over 4,000 birds nested on the island. Most numerous was the Sooty Tern {Onychoprion fuscatus), with about 1,400 nests. The next most numerous was the Bridled Tern (O. anaethetus), with about 580 nests. Brown Noddies (Anous stolidus), Roseate Terns {Sterna dougallii), Least Terns (Sternula antil- larum), and Laughing Gulls {Leucophaeus atricilla) also nested there. There are two notable findings of the study. The first was the diversity and conserva- tion status of seabird species nesting on the island. Six species nested on the island. Of Table 1. Seabirds nesting on Great Isaac Cay, The Bahamas, 2008-2009. Species Number of nests 2008 2009 Bridled Tern 597 568 Sooty Tern 1,498 1,380 Brown Noddy 67 64 Roseate Tern 6 6 Least Tern 0 8 Laughing Gull 81 83 110 Notes 111 these, three (Bridled Tern, Least Tern, Roseate Tern) are considered to be of high con- cern in the context of hemispheric waterbird conservation (Kushlan et aL 2002) and three (Sooty Tern, Least Tern, Roseate Tern) are considered to be at risk within the con- text of Caribbean seabird conservation (Bradley and Norton 2009). The second finding was the relatively high numbers of nesting Bridled Terns. It has been estimated that 2,300-2,500 breeding pairs of this species occur in The Bahamas (Bradley and Norton 2009). Thus, the Great Isaac Cay population is a significant portion of the na- tional total. This is a species that generally nests in small munbers at £tny particular site; on average in the Bahamas a nesting site holds 20 pairs (Kushlan and Steinkamp 2007). Larger sites are very few. The numbers of Bridled Terns nesting on Great Isaacs are compa- rable to the presently-known largest colonies in the Bahamas, North Riding Rock, Romers Cay, and Bushes Cay (Kushlan and Steinkamp 2007). The abundance of Bridled Terns cer- tainly qualifies this site as a nationally and perhaps regionally Important Bird Area. From the point of view of both diversity of seabirds and to afford protection to one of the nation’s largest Bridled Tern colonies, Great Isaac Cay may be worthy of special pro- tection and management. Great Isaac is only 16 nm from Bimini. The island and its wa- ters are often visited by cruisers, fishermen, and day visitors. Birds nesting there can be adversely affected by unaware visitors, and even more so by fishermen and others who take seabird eggs for food, despite this being illegal in The Bahamas. The latter man- agement challenge is acknowledged by the local name for these terns, “egg birds.” In addition to the seabird colony, this island has historic significance to The Baha- mas as the site for Great Isaac Lighthouse (Langton-Jones 1944). This light was erected in 1856, but its origin was even earlier. It was built in England for the Great London Ex- position of 1852 and then sent to the Bahamas, where initially it was known Victoria Light in honor of the Queen. Thus for over 150 years, the light has stood as a critical navigation aid along the Florida Current and Northwest Providence Channel. The light is now automated and the station buildings are abandoned and crumbling. Visitation, including organized tours from Bimini, occurs but is unregulated and unsupported by interpretive materials. As a potential park. Great Isaac Cay offers multiple opportunities for environmental and historic conservation. The island itself is an inviting place, accessibly by dinghy or small boat with a landing site built for the lighthouse. The surrounding areas, including nearby Hen and Chickens rocks, offer visitors snorkeling and fishing opportunities. Pro- viding protection for this important seabird colony site from unregulated intrusion on the colony portions of the island, disturbance to nests, and egging is a primary need. In addition to protection, an opportunity exists to provide educational materials on the value of seabirds and their colonies. Interpretive signs could be erected. These might de- scribe the natural history of the birds, how they are used by sport and commercial fish- ermen to locate concentrations of fish, and how the practice of taking eggs of such birds is detrimental to the long-term conservation of the population. The lighthouse offers op- portunity for historical interpretation, including history of the light, nearby shipwrecks, and the still mysterious disappearance of its keepers in 1969. The light is often the first sight in the Bahamas seen by cruisers; designation might increase public interest in the resources of the island. Official designation, monitoring, protection, and interpretation would help protect the colony, better manage the nearby marine environment, and con- serve the historic site of Great Isaac Light. Acknowledgments I thank Louis Harts, Catherine Hickey, and Kirsten Hines for participating in the censuses at Great Isaac Cay and Elizabeth Ann Schreiber and Anthony White for com- ments on the paper. 112 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Literature Cited Bradley, P. A., and R. L. Norton. 2009. An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds of the Car- ibbean.University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. Kushlan, J. a., and M. J. Steinkamp. 2007. Seabird nesting and conservation in the northern Bahamas. Waterbirds 30:618-628. Kushlan, J. A., M. J. Steinkamp, K. C. Parsons, J. Capp, M, Acosta Cruz, M. Coulter, I. Davidson, L. Dickson, N. Edelson, R. Elliott, R. M. Erwin, S. Hatch, S. Kress, R. Milko, S. Miller, K. Mills, R. Paul, R. Phillips, J. E. Saliva, B. Sy- DERMAN, J. Trapp, J. Wheeler, and K. Wohl. 2002. Waterbird Conservation for the Americas, the North America Waterbird Conservation Plan. Waterbird Conservation for the Americas, Washington, D.C. Langton- Jones, R. 1944. Silent Sentinals. Frederick Muller, Ltd., London. Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):113-114, 2010. WINTER NESTING ATTEMPT BY A HOUSE FINCH (Carpodacus mexicanus) AT CEDAR KEY, FLORIDA David W. Johnston 5219 Concordia Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22032 On 14 November 2009 I was surprised to see a female House Finch {Carpodacus mexicanus) carr3dng nesting material while her mate sat quietly on a nearby wire. The site was under the eaves of a two-story porch of the Cedar Key Historical Society Mu- seum at the heavily traveled juncture of 2nd Ave. and State Road 24 in the town of Ce- dar Key Levy County She continued to carry material several times that day and again on the 15th and 16th. On the 16th I climbed to the porch eaves and discovered a par- tially completed nest 3 cm high and 15 cm across (Fig. 1). Thereafter, the pair aban- doned the nest, and I did not see them again in the neighborhood. During the previous week several observers reported the scarcity of House Finches in the town even though the species is a common breeding permanent resident there (Johnston 2008). The weather was mild during this time with ambient temperatures ranging between 26°C and 13°C. This report represents the first known winter nesting attempt of the House Finch in Florida (Stevenson and Anderson 1994), and likely the entire eastern United States (Hill 1993). Winter nesting has been reported twice in California (Smith 1930, Howell and Burns 1955). Figure 1. Unfinished nest of a House Finch on 16 November 2009 in Cedar Key, Levy County, Florida. 113 114 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Acknowledgments Roger Clapp kindly supplied literature references. Literature Cited Hill, G. E. 1993. House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), The Birds of North America On- line (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Howell, T. R., and R. D. Burns. 1955. Mid-winter nesting of the House Finch at Los An- geles, California. Condor 57:246. Johnston, D. W. 2008. Cedar Key. Birding in Paradise. Finding Birds Then and Now. Re- naissance Press, Gainesville, Florida. Smith, P. 1930. Winter nesting of a California Linnet. Condor 32:12. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):115-116, 2010. A RECORD OF ORANGE BISHOP (Euplectes franciscanus) FROM MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA JOHANSET ORIHUELA 15921 SW 44th St., Miami, Florida 33185 E-mail: Paleonycteris@gmail.com The Orange Bishop {Euplectes franciscanus) is a non-migratory ploceid from sub-Sa- haran Africa, with a native range extending from east Senegal to central Kenya (Barlow and Warcher 2006). Ploceids have black conical bills, and orange, red, or yellow plumage contrasting with black (Craig 1980, 1992; Barlow and Warcher 2006). Species of the ge- nus Euplectes have been widely introduced in other parts of the world such as Australia, Japan, Portugal, Hawaii, Bermuda, and Spain, because of accidental cage-bird escapes, and less frequent intentional releases (AOU 1998, Sol 2001, Christidis and Boles 2008, Pranty in prep.). In the New World, populations of the Orange Bishop are known from the West In- dian islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico (Moreno 1997, Lithner 2001, Raffaele et al. 2003). In North America, it was introduced in Cali- fornia during the 1970s, only recently spreading to Phoenix, Arizona, and Houston, Texas (AOU 1998, Gatz 2001, Roberson 2002, Witmer et al. 2007, HAS 2008). In Flor- ida, reports are from Lee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota, Semi- nole, and Wakulla counties (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, Pranty 1995, Pranty in prep.). Here I report the sighting of an Orange Bishop from southwestern Miami, Miami- Dade County, Florida. This adult male in alternate plumage (Fig. 1) was photographed 16 October 1999, a day after the passage of Hurricane Irene. The black cap and face, and orange chin and throat distinguished it from the similar Red Bishop E. oryx, which has a black chin and throat (Barlow and Warcher 2006). This constitutes the 10th record of an Orange Bishop in Florida (Pranty in prep.). Figure 1. A male Orange Bishop {Euplectes franciscanus) photographed in Mi- ami-Dade County, South Florida, during the 1999 hurricane season. Note the characteristic orange plumage reaching the chin. Photograph by Johanset Orihuela. 115 116 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Acknowledgments I thank Bill Pranty, Adrian Tejedor, Tom Webber, Bruce Anderson, Scott Robinson, and Tamara Castano for their support and for critically reviewing earlier drafts and providing constructive suggestions. Literature Cited AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. The Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Barlow, C., and T. Warcher 2006. A Field Guide to the Birds of Gambia and Senegal. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. Christidis, L., and W. Boles. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria. Craig, A. J. K. 1980. Behavior and evolution in the genus Euplectes. Journal of Ornithol- ogy 121:144-161. Craig, A. J. K. 1992. The identification of Euplectes species in non-breeding plumage. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 112:102-108. Gatz, T. a. 2001. Orange Bishops breeding in Phoenix, Arizona. Western Birds 32:81-82. HAS [Houston Audubon Society]. 2009. Orange Bishop in Species Accounts. . Accessed 13 May 2009. Lithner, S. 2001. A birding trip to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. El Pitirre 14:11-19. Moreno, J. A. 1997. Review of the subspecies status and origin of introduced finches in Puerto Rico. Caribbean Journal of Science 33:233-238. Pranty, B. 1995. Field observations winter report: December 1994-February 1995. Flor- ida Field Naturalist 23:77-86. Pranty, B. In prep. The unestablished exotic avifauna of Florida. Appendix B in The Rob- ertson and Woolfenden Annotated Checklist of Florida Birds ( J. S. Greenlaw and R. Bowman, Eds.). Raffaele, H., j. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 2003. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Roberson, D. 2002. Monterey Birds, 2nd ed. Peninsula Audubon Society, Monterey, Cal- ifornia. Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication No. 6, Gainesville. Sol, D. 2001. El problema de la introduccion de aves exoticas. La Garcilla, Revista de la Sociedad Espanola de Ornitologia 111:15. WiTMER, G. W., P. W. Burke, W. C. Pitt, and M. L. Avery. 2007. Management of inva- sive vertebrates in the United States: An overview. Pages 127-137 in Managing Ver- tebrate Invasive Species: Proceedings of an International Symposium (G. W. Witmer, W. C. Pitt, and J. A. Fagerstone, Eds.). USDA/APHIS/WS, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado. Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):117-118, 2010. REVIEW Birds of Eastern North America. A Photographic Guide. Paul Sterry and Brian E. Small. 2009. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN 978-0-691-13425- 3 (cloth) $45; ISBN 978-0-691-13426-0 (paper) $18.95. 336 pages. This book (BENA) is one of several recently published identification guides to North America’s birds. It is said to be aimed at “the needs of the keen birder . . . while not ne- glecting the needs of the beginner,” a statement that seems a bit ambiguous. Unlike sev- eral others that cover all of North America, BENA covers the eastern half of mainland North America, excluding Mexico. The western boundary is unclear in South Texas where some specialties (e.g., Plain Chachalaca, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Jay) are in- cluded but others (e.g., Neotropic Cormorant, Olive Sparrow, Tropical Parula) are not. Overall, most bird species that regularly occur in eastern North America seem to be in- cluded. A companion volume covers western North America. BENA starts with a brief table of contents followed by a short chapter on how to use the book, illustrations of the topography of a bird, a glossary, sections on plumage, habi- tats, how to identify birds, migration, a brief bibliography, and an index. The species ac- counts, some 300 plus pages, comprise most of the book. BENA covers 460 species, 407 meriting a full account, 27 with brief accounts as “sim- ilar species” next to a full-account species (e.g., European Wigeon with American Wigeon, Spotted Towhee with Eastern Towhee), and 26 listed as “Out of the Ordinary” and placed at the end of the book. The latter include a number of exotic species and va- grants, several Florida specialties (Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, White-crowned Pigeon), and even Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Range maps are included only for the 407 full-ac- count species. The format of the species accounts is similar to many other guides, with two or three species per two-page layout. The text, a range map, and often one photograph are on the left page, and one or more photographs are on the right facing page. The text for each species starts with an overview of its major characteristics and field marks including be- havioral patterns (foraging, flight, etc.) that are useful for identification. Next the color patterns of adults and juveniles along with seasonal differences are described. Subsec- tions on voice, status and habitat, and observation tips conclude the species accounts. Aspects of breeding biology are not covered. The species accounts seem to be concise and packed with information useful in identification. The observation tips concentrate on telling where or how to find a species rather than how to identify it. For many species, especially among the nonpasserines, these tips are helpful but in some cases they seem to be a bit trite. In particular among the passerines, the phrases “easy to see”, “easy to find in suitable habitat”, or “listen for its distinctive song”, are used frequently. Such statements are probably true for almost any species so those tips seem of questionable value. Likewise, it may be true that the best place to find American Golden-Plovers and Snowy Owls is on the breeding grounds but where in eastern North American can a birder reasonably gain access to such habitat in summer? For most range maps, the base map shows all of Canada, continental United States, and northern Mexico with state and provincial borders and large lakes also shown. Dif- ferent colors are used to show where the species is found year-round, during summer only, or during winter only. Smaller base maps are used for some species such as for Florida Scrub-Jay. I could quibble about some of the maps (e.g., the Black-bellied Whis- tling-Duck is not shown breeding in Florida) but in general they do a good job of show- 117 118 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST ing a species’ distribution, A major departure from most similar guides is that migration pathways are not shown. This reduces the clutter on the maps but may leave some users uncertain on whether a particular species is to be expected in their area during migra- tion. Likewise, records from outside of a species’ usual range are not shown, a feature that some users will miss. With more than 1,100 photographs, BENA is profusely illustrated. The photographs are sharp and show the major field marks for most species. The images are larger than those in some other similar guides, and the birds fill the space, features that users will appreciate. They include a portrait-like side view of the bird, and for most species, addi- tional photographs illustrate a bird in flight, males and females, different age classes, or different plumages. Three or four photographs are provided for many species, a few merit five, and Red-tailed Hawk has six. Inevitably, some users will note omissions but in general, with the images provided, users should be able to identify most individuals of most species they encounter. Although the quality of the photographs in this guide is very high, my biggest com- plaint is that I found it difficult to combine those visual images with the text and come away with a good idea of what characteristics to look for. The text for each species is full of good information on how to identify that species but that information is not as readily available to the user as it might be. There are no arrows or lines pointing out key char- acteristics on the photographs or short statements near the photographs to help the user know what to look for. Readers of this journal will quickly note that many of the 500 plus species now on the Florida list are not covered. It is not surprising that Florida rarities such as Ba- hama Mockingbird and Western Spindalis are not included, but others such as Budgeri- gar, Black-hooded Parakeet, Common Myna, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Shiny Cowbird are not included either. Most Florida birders, especially beginners and more casual bird- ers, will be satisfied with the coverage but inevitably some of the “keener” birders will be disappointed with some of the exclusions. Clearly BENA’s main goal is bird identification. So the major question is how well does it meet that goal? With the recent appearance of several new field guides, the bar has been set pretty high. Most others cover all of North America and claim to be compre- hensive or close to that. This book, with its more limited coverage, also seems to be aimed more at the beginning and learning birder rather than those who have more ad- vanced knowledge. It has great photographs of the birds it covers, and provides a vari- ety of images showing sex, age, and seasonal differences for most species. The maps are also good although the lack of information on migration paths may limit them some- what. The text is packed with information on how to identify each species. However, the key identification features are not effectively tied to the visual images and thus some users will struggle in tr5ring to understand what they should look for to identify the bird. Those limitations aside, for most birders, BENA provides basic identification infor- mation for nearly all of the species that they would typically encounter in eastern North America and gives birders another choice for their field guide library. James Dinsmore 646 Mallory Hill Drive The Villages, Florida 32162 Florida Field Naturalist 38(3):119-131, 2010. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Winter report; December 2009-February 2010. — This report consists of signifi- cant bird observations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Electronic submissions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individu- als, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and significance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-July), and fall (August-November). Submit observations to regional compilers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state com- piler within one month. Addresses of the compilers follow this report. Sight-only observations are considered “reports” while only those supported by verifi- able evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOC and by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; ) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) ac- companies the first-time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB ~ Air Force Base, AFR = Air Force Range, EOS = end of season, ff = “and fol- lowing”, NERR = National Estuarine Research Reserve, NP = National Park, NSRA - North Shore Restoration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SF - State Forest, SP = State Park, SRA = State Recreation Area, STA = Stormwater Treatment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WEA = Wildlife and Environmental Area, WMA - Wildlife Management Area, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida, or record numbers. SUMMAKY OF THE WINTER SEASON Winter 2009-2010 will be remembered for its bitter cold. Temperatures reaching record lows on 11 January included 14°F (-10°C) at Tallahasssee, 17° (-8.5°C) at Gainesville, 25° (- 4°C) at Tampa, 31° (-0.5°C) at Fort Myers, 33° (0.5°C) at West Palm Beach, and 38° F (3.5°C) at Miami. Pensacola had 11 straight days of sub-freezing low temperatures, with highs not reaching 40° F (4.5°C). Large numbers of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings followed the frigid air mass, and mortality of exotic reptiles such as anoles, iguanas, and pythons in the southeastern Peninsula was considerable. This report contains few CBC observations. FOSRC-review species submitted to the FOC were Cackling Goose at St. Marks NWR, Masked Duck at Viera Wetlands, two Aechmophorus grebes at Pensacola, Yellow- nosed Albatross off Key West, two single Manx Shearwaters at Ponce de Leon Inlet, Neotropical Cormorants at St. Marks NWR and Viera Wetlands, California Gull at Co- coa, Thayer’s Gull at Cocoa, Razorbill at Cocoa Beach, Florida’s first Ancient Murrelet at Ponce de Leon Inlet, Atlantic Puffins at Kobe Sound and in Brevard County, Broad- tailed Hummingbird at Fort Walton Beach, Say’s Phoebes at Fort Walton Beach and As- tatula. Tropical Kingbird in Hendry County, Green-tailed Towhee at Fort Pickens, La- zuli Buntings at Oviedo and Thonotosassa, and Bullock’s Oriole at Tallahassee. A Swainson’s Thrush photographed at Everglades NP in February provided the first veri- fiable wintering record. A Silver Pheasant at Spring Hill and one or more Crimson- fronted Parakeets at Miami Springs added two new verifiable exotics to the Florida list. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 200 at Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland (Polk) 16 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 1,660 counted carefully at Lake Apopka NSRA (Orange) 5 Feb 119 120 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST (H. Robinson); 536 at The Villages: 87 in Marion 7 Feb (J. Dinsmore), 87 others in Lake 8 Feb (J. Dinsmore), and 362 in Sumter 28 Feb (L. Felker). Fulvous Whistling-Duck: 450 at Lake Apopka NSRA 6 Dec (H. Robinson). Greater White-fronted Goose: 1 at Southwood {Leon) 6 Dec (S. McCool); 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP {Alachua) 1 Feb (P. Burns); 18 in N Escambia 8 Feb (B. & L. Dun- can). Snow Goose: 1 white morph at Southwood 6 Dec (S. McCool); 1 adult blue morph at Day- tona Beach {Volusia) 10 Dec (D. Hartgrove); 1 intergrade at The Villages {Sumter) 10 Dec-early Jan (J. Dinsmore), and 1 adult white morph there {Lake) 16 Dec (G. Quig- ley); 1 adult white morph at Huguenot Memorial Park {Duval) 17 Dec (L. Royce). Ross’s Goose: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) 14 Dec (D. Ware); 1 at Jacksonville {Duval) 6 Jan (T. Rohtsalu). *Cackling Goose: 1 at St. Marks NWR {Wakulla) 28 Jan (D. Bales et ah, photos to FOC). Canada Goose: 5 at Fort De Soto Park {Pinellas) 22 Jan (S. Patterson); 2 at Bradenton {Manatee) 23 Jan (D. Irizarry). Egyptian Goose: 6 at Plantation Preserve, Plantation {Broward) 12 Dec (R. Titus); 2 at Davie {Broward) 8 Jan (R. Titus); 6 (4 adults and 2 juveniles) at The Villages {Sumter) 28 Feb (L. Felker). Mute Swan: 2 (adult and immature) at South Merritt Island {Brevard) 29 Jan- 11 Feb (D. Freeland). Tundra Swan: 20 (3 adults and 17 juveniles) at Bartram Farm {St. Johns) 11 Dec (M. Hafner et al.), with 2 juveniles remaining to 25 Jan (J. Puschock). Muscovy Duck: 1 hen with 6 chicks at Lakeland 1 Feb (B. & D. Lane). Mandarin Duck: 1 at Largo {Pinellas) 3 Dec (P. Trunk). GadwalL: 48 at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Dec (H. Robinson). Eurasian Wigeon: as many as 2 males at Merritt Island NWR {Brevard) 11 Dec-EOS (M. Harris et al.). American Wigeon: 800 at St. Marks NWR 17 Jan (B. Ahern et al.). American Black Duck: 1 adult male at Lake Apopka NSRA 16 Dec-21 Jan (H. Robin- son); 1 adult male with a male Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid at Merritt Is- land NWR 17 Dec (M. Harris). CanvasbacK: 1 at Gainesville {Alachua) 8 Dec (G. Parks). Redhead: 2,500 at Honeymoon Island SP {Pinellas) 18 Jan (D. Gagne et al.); up to 700 wintered at Tierra Verde, St. Petersburg (R. Smith et al.); as many as 7 wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Ring-necked Duck: 165 at Emerald Lakes {Broward) 2 Dec (R. Titus); 2,500 at a single pond at The Villages {Sumter) 13 Dec (J. Dinsmore). Ring-necked Duck x Lesser Scaup: 1 male thought to be of this parentage at Tierra Verde 16-19 Jan (E. Plage, C. Cox). Greater Scaup: 3 at Fort Island Gulf Beach {Citrus) 10 Dec (M. Gardler); 1 at Lake Ap- opka NSRA 11 Dec (H. Robinson); 5 at Cockroach Bay Preserve {Hillsborough) 1 Jan (C. Cox); 22 in N St. Petersburg 1 Jan (C. Cox); 6 at New Port Richey {Pasco) 10 Jan (R. Smart); as many as 12 at Viera Wetlands {Brevard) 29 Jan-5 Feb (D. Freeland et al.); 1 at Holiday {Pasco) 2-22 Feb (D. Gagne). Lesser Scaup: 6,000 at Cockroach Bay Preserve 22 Jan (E. Kwater). Common Eider: 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet {Volusia) 11 Dec (M. Brothers); as many as 3 (25 Feb) at Gamble Rogers Memorial SRA {Flagler) 22 Dec-25 Feb (C. Tague et al.); 1 at Miami 17 Jan-28 Feb (W. Domke, S. Chapman et al., photo to FOC by L. Manfredi); 1 at Port Canaveral {Brevard) 11-17 Feb (P. Mansfield et al.). Harlequin Duck: 1 male in a fresh-water pond in the West Palm Beach area {Palm Beach) 2 Jan-7 Mar (C. Weber et al., photos to FOC by J. Levin) was of uncertain prov- enance— it accompanied Mottled Ducks and accepted handouts of bread from resi- Field Observations 121 dents; 1 female at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) 26 Jan-EOS (C« Cimino et aL). Surf Scoter: 4 at Navarre Beach (Santa Rosa) 7 Dec (B. & L, Duncan); 12 at Alligator Point (Franklin) 19 Dec (J. Murphy); 3 at Titusville (Brevard) 20 Feb-EOS (M. Har- ris). White-winged Scoter: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 11 Dec (M. Harris); as many as 2 at Ti- tusville mid-Dec-EOS (M. Harris); 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 9 Jan (M. Brothers); 1 at North Naples STF (Collier) 13-18 Feb (C. Ewell et aL). Black Scoter: 250 passed Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS (Brevard) 16 Dec, and 400 passed there in 3 hrs 17 Dec (M. Harris). “Dark-winged” scoter: 540 passed Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS in 3 hrs 17 Dec (M. Harris). Long-tailed Duck: 1 at St. Marks NWR 6 Dec (J. Simpson); 1 at Port Canaveral 20 Dec (G. Quigley et aL); 1 at Ackerman Lake Park (Sarasota) 26 Jan (R. Oren et aL); 1 fe- male at Umatilla (Lake) 7-14 Feb (D. Wheeler, M. Machovina et aL). Bufflehead: 14 at Inglis Dam (Citrus) 10 Dec (M. Gardler); 1 at Fruitville Road (Sara- sota) 16-18 Dec (M. Scarr, R. Greenspun et aL); 2 at Bradenton 28 Dec-EOS (Jeff Fisher); 1 female at Circle B Bar Reserve 16 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 23 at The Vil- lages (Lake) 8 Feb (J. Dinsmore), Common Goldeneye: 1 female at Fruitville Road 16 Dec-2 Jan (M. Scarr, R. Greenspun et aL); 1 female at Bartram Farm 21 Dec-EOS (M. Hafner et aL); 1 female at Kissim- mee (Osceola) 27 Dec-25 Jan (M. O’Sullivan); 1 female along Cockroach Bay Road (Hillsborough) 1-16 Jan (C. Cox, B. Ahern); 1 female at Port Orange (Volusia) 21 Jan (M. Brothers); 2 at Southeast Farm 10 Feb (S. McCool); 7 at Fort Island Gulf Beach 13 Feb (M. Gardler). Red-breasted Merganser: 194 passed Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS in 3 hrs 17 Dec (M. Harris); 92 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Dec (D. Gagne et aL). *Masked Duck: 1 male in alternate plumage at Viera Wetlands 22 Dec-8 Feb engaged in courtship display (D, Faylo et aL, photos to FOC). Ruddy Duck: 18,500 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Jan (H. Robinson); 1,000 at Newnans Lake (Alachua) 11 Feb (J. Hintermister, R. Rowan). Wild Turkey: 1 leucistic female at Osteen (Volusia) 27 Feb (D. Hartgrove, photo to FOC). Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera)i 1 male at Spring Hill 5-12 Feb (E. & W. Pierce et aL, photos to FOC by B. Hansen) furnished the first Florida record of this SE Asian species. Red-throated Loon: 1 at Daytona Beach Shores (Volusia) 26 Jan (M. Brothers et aL); 41 at Crescent Beach and St. Augustine (St. Johns) 29 Jan (M. Hafner); 5 off Flagler Beach 31 Jan (M. Brothers et aL); 2 at Bald Point SP (Franklin) 20 Feb (J. Murphy). Pacific Loon: 1 at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS (Escambia) 7-23 Jan (B. & L. Duncan et aL). Horned Grebe: 84 at Honeymoon Island SP 14 Jan (D. Gagne); 118 along Courtney Campbell Causeway (Pinellas) 4 Feb (R. Brigham); 23 at Nassau Sound (Duval) 6 Feb (R Leary); 200 at St. Vincent NWR (Franklin) 19 Feb (S. Cerulean et aL). *Aechm0PH0RUS SPECIES: 2 at Mulat Bayou, Pensacola (Santa Rosa) 19 Dec (T. Barbig, details to FOC) were identified as Western Grebes, but the description suggested Clark’s Grebes, for which there are no Florida records. American Flamingo: 1 at Apollo Beach (Hillsborough) 19 Feb (fide T. Mann), *Yellow-NOSED Albatross: 1 adult at Western Dry Rocks, Florida Keys National Ma- rine Sanctuary, 1.5 miles SW of Key West (Monroe) 22 Dec (Z. Bentley, B. Simonds, photo to FOC). *MANX Shearwater: 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 16 Dec (M. Brothers, photos to FOC), and 1 off there 1 Feb (M. Brothers et aL, photo to FOC by B. Wallace). 122 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Brown Booby: singles off Virginia Key Beach (Miami-Dade) 19 Dec and 10 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 over Key Biscayne {Miami-Dade) 26 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 juvenile at Canaveral Jetty Maritime Park {Brevard) 3-11 Feb (M. Harris et al.); 5 (1 adult & 4 immatures) at Pa- cific Reef Light {Miami-Dade) 15 Feb (R. Torres). Northern Gannet: 1 over land during W winds at Holiday 13 Dec (D. Gagne); 950 headed S past Jupiter Inlet Colony {Palm Beach) 17 Dec (J. & L. Hailman); 95 at Hon- eymoon Island SP 27 Dec (D. Gagne); 3,000 at Fort Pierce Inlet {St. Lucie) 16 Jan (B. Wagner). American White Pelican: 121 at Shell Key Preserve {Pinellas) 6 Dec (R. Smith et al.); 5,000 at Circle B Bar Reserve 29 Dec (E. Kwater) and 16 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 600 at Caxambas Pass, Cape Romano {Collier) 4 Jan (T. & V. Below); 1,050 at Merritt Island NWR 15 Jan (D. Freeland). Brown Pelican: as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 Dec-20 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 ju- venile at Circle B Bar Reserve 16 Jan (B. Ahern, B. Pranty), *Neotropic Cormorant: 1 at Viera Wetlands 30 Nov-2 Dec (T Dunkerton et al.); 1 at St. Marks NWR to 24 Jan (J. Simpson, photo to FOC). Great Cormorant: 1 immature at STA-5 {Hendry) 12 Dec (C. Fredricks, photos to FOC). Magnificent Frigatebird: 1 at Pensacola Beach {Escambia) 9 Dec (C. Ascherfeld); 1 at Port Orange 9 Dec (C. Tague). American Bittern: 105 at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Dec (H. Robinson). Great Blue Heron: 1 white morph at Platt’s Creek {St. Lucie) 12 Dec (B. Wagner et al.). Snowy Egret x Little Blue Heron: 1 adult believed to be of this parentage at Mel- bourne {Brevard) 14 Jan (A. Banker!, details to FOC). Reddish Egret: 1 juvenile at Jupiter Inlet Colony 21 Dec (J. & L. Hailman). Cattle Egret: as many as 5 at Fort Walton Beach STF 4-7 Dec, and 2 there 27 Jan (B. Duncan et al.); 4 at Pensacola 27 Dec-7 Jan (P. McLeod); 1 at Tallahassee 29 Jan (B. Henderson); 1 at Cantonment {Escambia) 8 Feb (L. Catterton). Black-crowned Night-Heron: 145 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Jan (H. Robinson). Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 24 inland at Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa {Hillsborough) 4 Jan (B. Ahern). White Ibis: 1,030 at War Veterans Park, St. Petersburg 19 Dec (D. Gagne); hundreds roosted at Riverside Park, Jacksonville 13 Jan (P. Bremer). White x Scarlet Ibis: 1 pink ibis at Kelly Park, Merritt Island 1 Jan (L. Streeper, photo to FOC). White-faced Ibis: 1 at Spring Hill {Hernando) 6 Dec-1 Jan (A. & B. Hansen et al., photos to FOC by M. Gardler); 2 at St. Marks NWR 19 Dec-3 Jan (R. Lengacher, J. Simpson); 1 adult at Circle B Bar Reserve 20 Dec-17 Mar (C. Fredricks, C. Cox et al.); 1 at Or- lando Wetlands Park {Orange) 6 Feb- 11 Mar (R. Geisler, A. Lamoreaux et al., photos to FOC). Roseate Spoonbill: 1 or singles intermittently wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Black Vulture: 1,180 at Viera {Brevard) 5 Feb (D. Freeland). Turkey Vulture: 500 headed S over Jupiter Inlet Colony 5 Dec (J. & L. Hailman); 1 leu- cistic at Lake Ida Park, Delray Beach {Palm Beach) 29 Jan (P. Fell, photo to FOC). Swallow-tailed Kite: 1 at Holiday 22 Feb (D. Gagne); 1 at N Tampa 26 Feb (J. Guerard). White-tailed Kite: 1 at Research Road, Everglades NP {Miami-Dade) 21 Dec (J. Boyd); 2 wintered at Frog Pond WMA {Miami-Dade; J. Boyd et al.). Broad-winged Hawk: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 13 Dec-EOS (R. Smith, S. Patterson et al.); 2 wintered near Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard; A. Banker! et al.). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 dark morph at Merritt Island 17 Dec (D. Freeland et al.); 1 light morph at St. Petersburg 19 Dec (M. Korosy, L. Margeson); 1 light morph at Titusville 25 Dec (M. Harris); 1 at Cocoa {Brevard) 5 Jan (M. Harris); 1 light morph at Sebring {Highlands) 5 Jan (F. Lohrer); 1 light morph at Myakka River SP {Sarasota) 13 Jan Field Observations 123 (W. Stinehelfer), and 1 dark morph there 23 Feb (S. Schlabach); 2 dark morphs courted over Avon Park AFR {Highlands) 18 Feb (G. Schrott); 1 light morph at John Chesnut Park, Tarpon Springs (Pinellas) 23 Feb (K. Ashley); 1 dark morph at Wall Springs Park, Palm Harbor (Pinellas) 26 Feb (M. Korosy, L Hernandez); 2 dark morphs at Sawgrass Lake Park, St. Petersburg 26 Feb-EOS (R. Smith et al.). Swainson’S Hawk: 2 (juvenile light-morph & intermediate morph) at Fort Walton Beach STF to 14 Dec (B. & L. Duncan et aL); 2 (1 adult intermediate morph & 1 sub-adult light morph) at Frog Pond WMA 13 Jan ff (R. Diaz et al.); 2 at Royal Palm, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 23 Jan (M. Berney). Red-tailed Hawk: 1 Krider’s race at Lake Apopka NSRA 26 Dec (H. Robinson). Crested Caracara: as many as 3 along Government Road (Broward) 26 Jan- 11 Mar (T. Mann); 1 adult at Fort Lauderdale (Broward) 8 Jan (R. Titus); 1 sub-adult at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 13-14 Jan (R. Rowan et al., photo to FOC by C. Littlewood); 12 near Myakka River SP 25 Feb (J. Dubi, R. Greenspun). Yellow Rail: 1 at Research Road, Everglades NP 21 Dec (R. Torres, details to FOC); 1 at Weekiwachee Preserve (Hernando) 23 Jan (A. Kent, C. Putnam et al.). Black Rail: 1 at Weekiwachee Preserve 22 Dec (B, Ahern, B. Pranty); 1 at Scottsmoor (Brevard) 28 Dec (M. Harris). Purple Gallinule: 30 at Orlando Wetlands Park 12 Feb (B. Anderson et aL). Common Moorhen: 2,750 at Lake Apopka NSRA 19 Feb (H. Robinson). American Coot: 18,000 at Lake Apopka NSRA 15 Jan (H. Robinson). Limpkin: 1 of 4 chicks at the Sarasota Celery Fields 8 Dec was found dead 13 Dec, being “pecked at” by a Boat-tailed Grackle (B. & D. Lane). Sandhill Crane: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 5 Jan (E. Kwater); 6 in N Escambia 15 Jan-8 Feb (M. Griggs et al.); 1 at New Port Richey laid an egg 3 Feb (M. Valentine); 600 headed N over The Villages (Sumter) in about 20 min, 15 Feb (J. Dinsmore); 800 headed N over Sebiing in 40 min, 21 Feb (G. Schrott). Gray Crowned Crane: 1 at Orange Lake (Alachua) 24 Jan (S, Pasteur) has apparently persisted since 1999 (see Pranty 2001, Florida Field Naturalist 29:64). Black-bellied Plover: 18 at Lake Apopka NSRA 13 Dec, and 1 there 8 Jan- 14 Feb (H. Robinson); 131 at Shell Key Preserve 17 Jan (S. Janes et al.); 141 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 20 Jan (D. Gagne). Wilson’s Plover: 1 at Pine Island Park (Hernando) 3 Dec (M. Gardler); 8 at Crandon Park Beach (Miami-Dade) 18 Dec-EOS (R. Diaz); 71 at Honeymoon Island SP 20 Jan (D. Gagne). Semipalmated Plover: 160 along Courtney Campbell Causeway 18 Feb (B. & D. Lane). Piping Plover: 34, including 4 with color-bands, at Crandon Park Beach 18 Dec-EOS (R. Diaz); 7, including 2 with color-bands, at Shell Key Preserve 28 Feb (R. Smith, B. Pranty et ai,). American Oystercatcher: 22 at Caxambas Pass, Cape Romano 4 Jan (T. & V. Below); 100 along Courtney Campbell Causeway 6 Feb (W. Spina). Black-necked Stilt: 4 near Roosevelt Wetlands, St. Petersburg 3 Jan (R. Smith); 5 at Lake Jessup (Seminole) 25 Jan (B. Sicolo et al.). American Avocet: 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 5 Dec (A. Kent); 1 at Stuart (Martin) 2 Jan (J. & L. Hailman); 100 at Cedar Key 16 Jan (M. Gardler); as many as 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 27 Jan-19 Feb (H. Robinson). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 at Sarasota (Sarasota) 2 Jan (P. Lewis); 1 at the Celery Fields 18 Feb (J. Palmer). WiLLET: 565 at Pinellas Point, St. Petersburg 12 Dec (R. Smith); 300 at Lassing Park, St. Petersburg 28 Jan (D. Gagne et al.). Whimbrel: 1 at Weekiwachee Preserve 22 Dec (B. Ahern, B. Pranty); 7 at Caxambas Pass, Cape Romano 4 Jan (T. & V, Below); 13 at Honeymoon Island SP 20 Jan (D. Gagne). 124 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Bunche Beach (Lee) 31 Dec (B. Hargrave); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 24 Jan (R Jackalone); 2 at St. Vincent NWR 17 Feb (S. Cerulean). Marbled Godwit: 135 at Lassing Park 14 Jan (R. Smith); 1 inland at Lake Jessup 25 Jan (B. Sicolo et aL); 4 inland at Harold A. Campbell Public Use Facility {Palm Beach) 21 Feb (B. Hope, M. Berney). Red Knot: 100 at North Lido Beach {Sarasota) 9 Dec (R. Greenspun); 750 at Cedar Key 16 Jan (M. Gardler); 300 at Shell Key Preserve 17 Jan (S. Janes et aL); 110 at Fort George Inlet {Duval) 23 Jan (R Leary); 450 at Merritt Island NWR 26 Jan (M. Gardler); 190 at Honeymoon Island SP 5 Feb (D. Gagne). Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 at Alligator Lake {Columbia) 21 Feb (P Burns). Purple Sandpiper: 1 at Sebastian Inlet SP 29 Jan-EOS (R. Diaz et aL); 6 at Huguenot Memorial Park 2 Feb (K. Dailey); 4 wintered at Ponce de Leon Inlet (M. Brothers). Dunlin: 2,500 at Cedar Key 16 Jan (M. Gardler); 12 at Orlando Wetlands Park 12 Feb (B. Anderson et aL); 450 along Courtney Campbell Causeway 18 Feb (B. & D. Lane). Stilt Sandpiper: as many as 3 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 2 Jan-15 Feb (C. Gordon, R. Rowan et aL). Short-billed DOWITCHER: 700 at Shell Key Preserve 31 Dec (R. Smith, R. Greenspun et aL); 500 at Cedar Key 16 Jan (M. Gardler). Long-billed DowitcheR: as many as 14 at Fort Walton Beach STF 4-14 Dec (B. Duncan et aL). Wilson’s Snipe: 1 at Cedar Key 20-21 Feb (D. Henderson) was the observer’s first there. American Woodcock: 2 at Research Road, Everglades NP 21 Dec (R. Diaz); 1 in court- ship flight at Tate’s Hell SF {Franklin) 28 Feb (J. Murphy). Red Phalarope: 1 at Da3dona Beach 15 Jan (M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 1 at Port Orange 21 Jan (M. Brothers, specimen to UCF); 250 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 1 Feb (M, Brothers). Black-legged Kittiwake: 1 first-winter apparently roosted 500 m inland at Holiday 16 Dec (D. Gagne, photo to FOC); 1 first-winter at Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore 16 Dec (M. Harris). Bonaparte’s Gull: 1,013 at Lake Apopka NSRA 18 Jan (H. Robinson); 170 at Lassing Park 6 Feb (R. Smith); 350 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 26 Feb (M. Brothers). Laughing Gull; 174 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Feb (H. Robinson). Franklin’s Gull: as many as 3 at Daytona Beach Shores 3-19 Dec (M. Brothers); 1 first- winter at Gulf Breeze {Santa Rosa) 6 Dec (B. Duncan); as many as 2 first-winters at Fort Walton Beach STF 7-14 Dec (B. & L. Duncan et aL); 2 at Fort Lauderdale Beach {Broward) 7 Dec (R. Titus); 1 first-winter near East Palatka {Putnam) 10-12 Dec (M. Hafner et aL). *California Gull: 1 second-cycle at Central Disposal Facility, Cocoa 29 Jan (D. Freeland et aL, photos to FOC), and 1 adult there 10 Feb (M. Harris, photos to FOC). *Thayer’S Gull: 1 first-cycle at Central Disposal Facility 18 Dec and 29 Jan (D. Freeland, M. Harris et aL, photos to FOC). Iceland Gull: 1 first-winter at Santa Rosa Landfill 19 Jan (B. & L. Duncan, details to FOC); 1 first- winter at Ponce Inlet 30-31 Jan (C. Cox, M. Brothers, photos to FOC). Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult thought to be of this parentage at Daytona Beach Shores 22 Dec (M. Brothers, photos to FOC). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult at Siesta Key {Sarasota) 4 Dec (K. Yoimg); 1 at Fla- mingo, Everglades NP 6 Dec (G. Schrott); 1 first-winter at Fort Walton Beach 14 Dec (K. Jones); 16 (10 adults) at Crandon Park Beach 18 Dec-EOS (R. Diaz); 7 first- winters at Ju- piter Inlet Colony 11 Jan (J. & L. Hailman); 9 at Lassing Park 28 Jan (D. Gagne et al.). Glaucous Gull: 1 first- winter at Flagler Beach 21 Dec (B. North, photo to FOC); 1 sec- ond-winter at Huguenot Memorial Park 31 Jan (J. Wheat); 1 first- winter at Santa Rosa Landfill 18 Feb (B. Duncan); 4 variously along the Volusia coast to 22 Mar (M. Brothers et al.). Field Observations 125 Great Black-backed Gull: 2 at Shell Key Preserve 6 Dec (R. Smith et aL); 1 at Coquina Beach {Manatee) 12-16 Dec (Jeff Fisher, D. Irizarry); 1 third-winter at Destin {Oka- loosa) 14 Dec-3 Feb (B. & L. Duncan, E. Kwater); 4 (2 adults) at Crandon Park Beach 18 Dec-EOS (R. Diaz); 1 at Bottoms Road {Wakulla) 19 Dec (J. Simpson). Gull-billed Tern: as many as 3 at Merritt Island NWR 30 Dec-30 Jan (M. Harris, M. Gardler et aL); 1 at Cedar Key 16 Jan (M. Gardler); 6 at Orlando Wetlands Park 12 Feb (B. Anderson). Black Tern: 1 at Pensacola Beach 17 Jan (J. Grossa). Common Tern: 5 at Fort De Soto Park 2 Dec (R. Smith); 1 at North Lido Beach 9 Dec (R. Greenspun). Royal Tern: 4 at Inglis Dam 10 Dec (M. Gardler); 1,000 at Shell Key Preserve 17 Jan (S. Janes et aL). Sandwich Tern: 1 at Fort Island Gulf Beach 10 Dec (M. Gardler); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 18 Dec (H. Robinson). Black Skimmer: 4,900 at Huguenot Memorial Park 1 Dec (B. Richter); 600 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 16 Jan (M. Brothers); 475 at Dunedin Causeway {Pinellas) 19 Feb (A. & B. Hansen); 38 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Feb (H. Robinson). POMARINE Jaeger: 25 passed Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS in 3 hrs 17 Dec (M. Har- ris). Parasitic Jaeger: 8 passed Playalinda Beach, Canaveral NS in 3 hrs 17 Dec (M. Har- ris); 3 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Dec, and 2 there 18 Jan (D. Gagne, E. Kwater); 25 at Gamble Rogers Memorial SRA 3 Feb (D. Freeland); 2 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Feb {fide R. Smith); 2 near Pacific Reef Light 15 Feb (R. Torres). Long-tailed Jaeger: 1 first-winter light morph at Ponce de Leon Inlet 19 Feb (M. Broth- ers, details to FOC). *Razorbill: 1 at Cocoa Beach {Brevard) ca. 2 Feb {fide A. Kratter, specimen to FLMNH). *Ancient Murrelet {Synthliboramphus antiquus): 1 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 Dec {fide M. Brothers, specimen to FLMNH, photos to FOC) provided the first Florida record. *Atlantic Puffin: 1 at Hobe Sound NWR {Martin) 29 Jan {fide A. Kratter, specimen to FLMNH); 1 at Patrick AFB {Brevard) 4 Feb (T. Fiorillo, K. Datillo-Bain, specimen to UCF). White-crowned Pigeon: 1 at Lantana Natural Area {Palm Beach) 30 Jan (B. Hope). White-winged Dove: 11 at Moccasin Lake Park, Clearwater {Pinellas) 30 Dec (R. Smith); 1 at Southeast Farm 10 Feb (S. McCool); 21 at Green Key, New Port Richey 26 Feb (R. Smart). Budgerigar: 1 blue-and-green morph at Fort Lauderdale 1 Dec (R. Titus). Black-hooded Parakeet: 90 at Lassing Park 14 Jan (R. Smith); 3 at Tamarac {Bro- ward) 27 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). Monk Parakeet: 2 at Lake Placid {Highlands) 30 Dec (B. Kolhoff, photo to FOC) proba- bly represented local escapees. Blue-crowned Parakeet: as many as 54 (13 Jan) at Fort Lauderdale all season (R. Ti- tus); 2 examined a cavity at Colee Hammock Park {Broward) 3 Feb (R. Titus). Scarlet-fronted Parakeet: 3 or more at Miami Springs {Miami-Dade) 5 Dec (P Bithorn et aL, photos to FOC by B. Pranty). Crimson-fronted Parakeet {Aratinga finschi): 1 or more at Miami Springs 5 Dec (S. Chapman, photos to FOC) furnished the first verifiable record of this Central American species. Mitred Parakeet: 70 at Kendall Baptist Hospital {Miami-Dade) 5 Dec (B. Pranty et aL); 15 at Fort Lauderdale 13 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). Red-masked Parakeet: 30 at Matheson Hammock Park 5 Dec (B. Pranty, J. Greenlaw); 135 at Fort Lauderdale 13 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). Chestnut-fronted Macaw: 7 at Fort Lauderdale 20 Jan (R. Titus). 126 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST White-winged PAKAKEET: 2 at Plantation Preserve 25 Jan (R. Titus). Yellow-CHEVRONED Parakeet: 15 at Fort Lauderdale 13 Jan (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). Scaly-headed Parrot: 1 at Matheson Hammock Park 21 Feb (T. Manson). Yellow-crowned Parrot: 1 with a Red-crowned Parrot at Miami Springs 5 Dec had been present for several years (R Bithorn et al., photos to FOG by B. Pranty). Smooth-billed AnI: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP (Miami-Dade) 31 Dec-14 Feb (R. Diaz); 1 at Royal Palm, Everglades NP 9 Feb-EOS (C. Sanchez et al.); 1 at Southern Glades WEA {Miami-Dade) 23 Feb (C. Sanchez). Barn Owl: 3 at St. Petersburg 12 Dec (R. Smith); 1 landed on a boat 200 nm off Pinellas in early Jan {fide B. Walker). Great Horned Owl: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 10 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 pair and 1 chick in an Osprey nest at North Key Largo {Monroe) 21 Feb (J. Ogden) furnished the first Keys report. Additionally, the following two observations are outside the range mapped by the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas project: 1 adult and 2 nestlings at Choko- loskee {Collier) 24 Feb 2001 (J, Boyd); and 1 in an Osprey nest at Porgy Key, Biscayne NP {Miami-Dade) 15 Dec 2006 (E, Alvear), Burrowing Owl: 1 at River Lakes Conservation Area {Brevard) 5 Feb (D. Freeland). Barred Owl: 1 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg for the 3rd year 26 Jan-4 Feb (S. Lemieux, R. Smith). Short-eared Owl: 1 at Research Road, Everglades NP 17 Dec (R. Diaz). Nighthawk SPECIES: 1 “flying low” at Riverview 3 Dec (G. Nareff); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) 14 Dec (E. Kwater, details to FOC). Chuck-WILL’S-WIDOW: 1 or singles at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 7 Feb (R. Featherly, T. Henderson) & 14 Feb (J. Boyd); 1 in song at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 27 Feb (S. Le- mieux); 1 in song at Merritt Island 28 Feb (D. Freeland). Buff-bellied Hummingbird: singles banded at Pensacola 16 Dec, Tallahassee 20 Dec, and Niceville {Okaloosa) 14 Feb {fide F. Bassett). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 20 in one yard at Valrico {Hillsborough), with 12 banded 7 Jan, 6 banded 4 Feb, and 2 others remaining unbanded (S. Backes et al.); 67 banded statewide, including 14 at Tallahassee, and 11 at Lakeland {fide F. Bassett); 6 win- tered in Hernando, with 3 of these banded {fide B. Hansen). Black-chinned Hummingbird: 1 immature male at Manatee Cove Park, Merritt Island 31 Dec (M. Harris); 7 banded statewide: 4 at Tallahassee {Leon), 2 at Niceville, and 1 at Pensacola {fide F, Bassett). *Broad-tailed Hummingbird: 1 at Fort Walton Beach 19 Dec-23 Mar (B. Bochansky, banded by F. Bassett). Rufous Hummingbird: 1 male at Homestead {Miami-Dade) 9 Jan (J. Boyd); 1 at Palm Harbor 2 Feb (G. Deterra); 25 banded statewide included 8 at Tallahassee, 1 at Brooksville {Hernando) 7 Feb, and 2 at Lakeland 6 Feb {fide F. Bassett). Selasphorus SPECIES: 2 at Cedar Key 9 Feb-EOS (D. Henderson). Red-bellied Woodpecker; 1 leucistic female at Leesburg {Lake) 24 Feb (L. Streeper, photo to FOC). Hairy Woodpecker: 2 at Wright Lake Road {Franklin) 6 Dec (J. Murphy); 1 at Niceville 14 Dec (G. Estes); 1 pair at Port Charlotte 17 Jan (S. Daughtrey); 1 at Santa Fe Swamp {Bradford) 23 Jan (J. Swarr). Least Flycatcher: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 16 Dec and 21 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 20 Dec (S. Collins, M. Hafner); 8 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 23 Jan-EOS (M. Berney, J. Boyd et al.). *Say’S Phoebe: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 4 Jan-23 Mar (C. Costers et al.); 1 at Astat- ula {Lake) to 20 Feb (G. Quigley et al.). Vermilion Flycatcher: 1 adult male at Fort Walton Beach STF to 4 Mar (B. Duncan, D. Ware). Field Observations 127 Ash-throated Flycatcher: 1 at Gulf Breeze 13-15 Dec (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Ferndale Preserve {Lake) 13 Dec (G. Quigley, photo to FOG by L. Streeper); as many as 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 3 Jan-EOS (A. Kent); 1 at River Lakes Conservation Area 29 Jan (D. Freeland, C. Goodrich); 1 at Alligator Lake {Columbia) 21 Feb (R Burns); 1 at West Delray Park, Delray Beach {Palm Beach) 26 Feb (B. Hope); as many as 4 (27 Jan) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Brown-crested Flycatcher: 2 at Matheson Hammock Park 6-8 Jan, with at least 1 to EOS (C. Sanchez, R. Diaz et ah); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 13 Jan (R, Diaz, C. Sanchez); 1 wintered west of Boca Raton {Palm Beach) and 2 wintered west of Delray Beach (B. Hope). La Sagra’S Flycatcher: 1 near Hidden Lake, Everglades NP {Miami-Dade) 17 Dec- EOS (R. Diaz, J. Boyd et ah, photos to FOG); 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 14 Jan- EOS (R. Diaz et ah, photos to FOG by J. Boyd). *Tropical Kingbird: 1 at STA-5, 15 Feb (B. & E. Marr, video to FOG). Western Kingbird: 1 at Gulf Breeze 1-11 Dec (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Fort De Soto Park to 30 Jan (J. Mangold, R. Smith et aL); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 4-14 Dec (L. Dun- can et aL); 2 at Alligator Point 25 Dec (J. Murphy); 1 at Gainesville 27-28 Feb (M. Manetz et aL); as many as 27 wintered at The Villages {Marion; J. Dinsmore); as many as 16 wintered in Lake (G. Quigley); 5 wintered at South County Regional Park, Boca Raton (B. Hope). Scissor-TAILED Flycatcher: 1 male at Seven Springs {Pasco) 2 Jan (S. Crawford); 1 at San Antonio {Pasco) 6-17 Jan (M. White). Bell’s VireO: 1 at Woodmont Park {Broward) 17 Dec-EOS (J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 20 Dec (H. Robinson); 1 at Wellington {Palm Beach) 5 Jan ff (B. Hope). Yellow-throated VireO: 1 at West Kendall {Miami-Dade) to 7 Jan (J. Boyd); 1 at Sem- inole {Pinellas) 29 Dec (Judy Fisher); 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 31 Dec- 19 Jan (R. Diaz); 2 together at Matheson Hammock Park 8 Jan (R. Diaz); 1 at Charles Deer- ing Estate {Miami-Dade) 11 Jan (R. Diaz). Fish Crow: 5,000 at Tarpon Springs 4 Jan (R. Smith). Horned Lark: 10 at Greenwood {Jackson) 3 Jan (B. Anderson). Purple Martin: 1 male at Bonita Springs {Lee) 1 Jan (L. Burgess, photo to FOC); 1 at Vi- era Wetlands 19 Jan (M. Gardler); 1 at Gainesville 20 Jan (C. Lanciani); 3 at St. Pe- tersburg 24 Jan (D. Margeson). Tree Swallow: 1,000,000 estimated in a roost among cattails at Sarasota 2-14 Jan (J. Dubi, D. Irizarry et aL). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 2 at Fort Walton Beach STF 7 Dec (B. & L. Dun- can). Cave Swallow: 1 at Gulf Breeze 13 Dec (B. Duncan); 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 20 Dec (M. Hafner et aL); 1 at Alligator Point 29 Dec (J. Murphy); 2 at Lake Piney Z {Leon) 6 Jan (J. Simpson); 1 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) 6 Feb (S. Thompson et aL). Barn Swallow: 1 or 2 at Frog Pond WMA 4 Dec (B. Pranty), and 1 there 13 Jan (C. Sanchez); 2 at South Bay {Palm Beach) 6 Dec (G. Schrott); 2 at Old Ingraham High- way, Everglades NP {Miami-Dade) 21 Dec (R. Diaz); 1 at Gainesville 27 Feb (M. Manetz); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Feb (H. Robinson). Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1 at St. Marks NWR 19 Dec (R. Lengacher); 1 at Fort Gads- den State Historic Site {Franklin) 14 Feb (J. Murphy), Brown Creeper: 1 at Wright Lake 6 Dec (J. Murphy); 2 heard on the Choctawhatchee Bay CBC {Okaloosa) 14 Dec (L. Duncan). Carolina Wren: 37 at J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park {Pasco) 15 Jan (D. Gagne). Winter Wren: 1 at O’Leno SP {Alachua) 1-7 Dec (P. Burns). 128 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 at Brooker Creek Preserve (Pinellas) 27 Dec (R. Smith); as many as 3 at Gainesville 6-13 Feb (R Burns, J. Martin et aL); 1 at North Merritt Is- land (Brevard) 18 Feb (D. Freeland). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 30 at Inglis Dam 10 Dec (M. Gardler). SWAINSON’S Thrush: 1 at Royal Palm, Everglades NP 15 Feb (C. Sanchez, photo to FOC) furnished the first verifiable wintering record. Gray Catbird: 95 at Honeymoon Island SP 14 Jan (D. Gagne). American Pipit: 50 at St. Johns Landfill 5 Dec (D. Reed); 120 at Okaloosa Holding Ponds 18 Jan (E. Kwater). Sprague’s Pipit: 2 at Apalachicola Airport (Franklin) 26 Dec (J. Murphy). Cedar Waxwing: 500 at Holiday 8 Jan (D. Gagne); 85 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 3 Feb (R. Diaz). Blue-winged Warbler: 1 at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale 25 Jan- 12 Feb (B. Roberts, M, Berney et aL). Nashville Warbler: 1 at Kendale Lakes Park (Miami-Dade) 22 Dec (C. Sanchez); 1 at West Kendall 3-9 Dec (J. Boyd); 1 at Ormond Beach (Volusia) fed at a hummingbird feeder 22 Jan ff (M. Wilson). Northern Parula: 4 at John Chesnut Park 27 Jan (B. & D. Lane); 14 migrants at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 31 Jan (R. Diaz). Yellow Warbler: 1 along the main road, Everglades NP (Monroe) 2 Jan (J. Boyd); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 11 Jan (B. Duncan); 1 at Dump Marsh (Miami-Dade) 20 Feb (R. Torres). Magnolia Warbler: 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 16 Jan-EOS had been banded there months earlier (R. Diaz); 1 immature male banded at Tallahassee 11 Feb (P. Homann, photo to FOC). Cape May Warbler: 1 adult male at St. Augustine 16-17 Feb (M. Hafner). Yellow-RUMPED Warbler: 538 at Honeymoon Island SP 14 Jan (D. Gagne); 1 juvenile male “Audubon’s” race at Miami Metrozoo (Miami-Dade) 7 Feb had a “bright yellow throat” and “fine streaking on the underparts” (B. Rapoza). Black-throated Gray Warbler: 1 at Green Cay Wetlands (Palm Beach) 11 Jan-20 Feb (B. Kjellem3rr et al., photo to FOC). Townsend’s Warbler: 1 immature male at Fort Lauderdale 31 Jan-3 Feb (T. Center, photo to FOC). Pine Warbler: 21 at Lake Apopka NSRA 1 Dec (H. Robinson). Prairie Warbler: 1 at Bottoms Road 19 Dec (J. Simpson). American Redstart: 1 at Sarasota 2 Jan (E. Richardson); 1 at St. Petersburg 4-7 Jan (D. & L. Margeson); 1 at Gainesville 5-6 Jan (L. Levin); 1 at Holiday 13-19 Feb (D. Gagne). Northern Waterthrush: as many as 8 wintered at Gainesville (M. Hafner, S. Collins, L. Davis et al.); as many as 11 (20 Dec) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robin- son). Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 at Brooker Creek Preserve 19 Feb (D. Gagne); 1 at Lake Ap- opka NSRA 21-24 Feb (H. Robinson). Hooded Warbler: 1 near Hidden Lake, Everglades NP 21 Dec (R. Diaz); 1 male at Fort Drum WMA (Indian River) 16 Jan (T. Towles). Wilson’s Warbler: 1 at Clam Pass, Naples 5 Jan (M. Higgins); 1 at Matheson Hammock 15 Jan (C. Sanchez). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 on the Pensacola CBC (Santa Rosa) 19 Dec (J. Pfeiffer, P. James); 1 at Apalachicola (Franklin) 26 Dec (J. Murphy et al.); 1 at Frog Pond WMA 22 Jan (C. Sanchez); 1 at Southern Glades WEA 23 Jan (M. Berney); 1 at Oakland Na- ture Preserve (Orange) 6-23 Feb (T. Rodriguez). *Green-TAILED Towhee: 1 at Fort Pickens to 12 Mar (B. & L. Duncan et al., photo to FOC). Field Observations 129 Clay-colored Sparrow: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 4 Dec (M. Harris); 1 at Valrico in Dec (S. Backes); as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 22-24 Jan (H. Robinson); 1 at Markham Park (Broward) 30 Jan-EOS (D, MacKrell, M. Berney et ak); 1 at Hague (Alachua) 31 Jan-7 Feb (R. Rowan, B. Wallace et al.); 1 at Okaloosa Holding Ponds 5 Feb (E. Kwater). Vesper Sparrow: 29 at Lake Apopka NSRA 14 Feb (H= Robinson). Lark Sparrow: 1 at Fort Pickens 11 Dec-26 Feb (B. & L. Duncan); 1 at Pensacola 18 Feb (J. Pfeiffer). Savannah Sparrow: 415 at Lake Apopka NSRA 17 Feb (H. Robinson). Grasshopper Sparrow: 15 in one group at Odessa (Pasco) 5 Dec (K. Tracey); trios cap- tured at Weekiwachee Preserve 23 Jan and 20 Feb (M. Korosy et al.). Henslow’S Sparrow: 1 at Cedar Key (Levy) 30 Dec (J. Murphy, R. Christen); 2 captured at Weekiwachee Preserve 23 Jan included 1 banded there in 2008 (M. Korosy et al.). Le Conte’S Sparrow: 3 captured at Weekiwachee Preserve 23 Jan, and 1 captured there 20 Feb (M. Korosy et al.). Nelson’s Sparrow: 2 color-banded at Shell Key Preserve 28 Feb (R. Smith, L. Deaner et al.). Saltmarsh Sparrow: 3 at Shell Key Preserve 6 Dec-EOS, with 2 color-banded there 28 Feb (R. Smith, L. Deaner et al.); 4 at Hone3mioon Island SP 18 Jan (D. Gagne). Seaside Sparrow: 7 at Garcon Point (Santa Rosa) 19 Dec (J. Pfeiffer). Fox Sparrow: as many as 3 at Gainesville 7 Feb-EOS (B. Carroll, A. Kratter et al.). Song Sparrow: 1 along Old Ingraham Highway, Everglades NP 21 Dec (R. Torres); 1 at Caladesi Island SP (Pinellas) 27 Dec (B. Ahern). Lincoln’s Sparrow: 1 at West Delray Park, Delray Beach 14 Feb ff (B. Hope); 3 at Alli- gator Lake 21 Feb (P. Burns); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 Feb (H. Robinson). White-throated Sparrow: 1 at Merritt Island 3 Dec (D. Freeland). White-crowned Sparrow: 1 along Old Ingraham Highway, Everglades NP 21 Dec (fide R. Diaz). Dark-eyed JuncO: 1 at St. Marks NWR 17 Jan (J. Simpson). Summer TANAGER: 1 at Altamonte Springs (Seminole) 5 Dec-13 Jan fed on sunflower seeds and suet (P. Hueber); 3 at Gainesville 6 Dec-11 Feb (A. Kent, J. Hintermister, C. Gordon et al.); 1 at Dunedin Hammock 6 Dec (M. Korosy et al.); 1 at Niceville 14 Dec (G. Estes); 1 at Woodmill Park (Broward) 17 Dec-EOS (J. Hutchison); 1 at Joe’s Creek Greenway Park, St. Petersburg 26 Dec (J. Mangold); 1 at Tallahassee 2 Jan-EOS (J. Cavanagh); 1 at Pensacola 1-18 Jan (M. Clark); 1 at Milton (Santa Rosa) 9 Jan (M. Scheller); 1 at Melrose (Bradford) 25 Jan (J. Swarr); 1 at Winter Park (Orange) fed on honeybees at a hive 21 Feb (W Taylor). Western TanageR: 1 in female plumage at Fort Walton Beach STF 21 Dec (L. & B. Dun- can et al.); 1 adult male at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 14 Jan-EOS (R. Diaz); 1 in fe- male plumage at Fort Walton Beach 17 Jan (K. Jones); 1 first-year male at Gulf Breeze 25-28 Jan (B. & G. Bremser); 1 adult male at Brandon 9 Feb (E. Variz, photo to FOC); 1 adult male at Pensacola 10-15 Feb (A. Forster et al.); 1 female at Lakeland 13 Feb (B. Snow, photo to FOC by R. Morris). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 at Gainesville 7-9 Dec (P. Colverson); 1 at Naples 9 Jan (T. & V. Below); 1 at Kendall Indian Hammocks (Miami-Dade) 7 Feb (J. Patterson). Blue Grosbeak: 1 at Alachua (Alachua) 18 Jan (B. Wallace); 1 adult male at Honeymoon Island SP 19-24 Jan (B. & D. Lane et al., photo to FOC); as many as 17 (7 Feb) win- tered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson, photo of 1 to FOC by J. Mangold). *Lazuli Bunting: 1 at Oviedo (Seminole) 12 Nov-27 Apr (M. Acken); 1 male at Thono- tosassa (Hillsborough) 5-21 Feb (G. & R. Kruetzman et al., photos to FOC by B. Pranty). Indigo Bunting: 1 at Destin 14 Dec (B. & L. Duncan); 1 on the Pensacola CBC 19 Dec (L. Duncan); 2 at Alachua 21 Jan (J. Hintermister); 1 male at Gulf Breeze 28 Jan (B. & G. Bremser); as many as 107 (29 Jan) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). 130 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Painted Bunting: 7 at Palm Harbor 25 Dec (J. Wells); as many as 9 at Oakland Nature Preserve to 23 Feb (T. Rodriguez); 1 at Weekiwachee 10 Jan-EOS (M. Gardler); 5 (4 fe- males & 1 male) at Naples all Feb (T. & V. Below); 19 wintered variously in Alachua {fide E. Scales); 4 in female plumage wintered at Cedar Key, with 1 adult male there 30 Dec (D. Henderson). Dickcissel: 1 at Gulf Breeze 11 Dec-9 Mar (B. & G. Bremser); 1 female at Alligator Point 13 Dec (J. Murphy); 1 at Myakka River SP 14 Dec (T. Elliott et aL); 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 31 Dec (R. Diaz); 1 male at Winter Park 6 Feb-EOS (B. Anderson); as many as 9 (27-29 Jan) wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA (H. Robinson). Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1 adult male wintered at Lake Apopka NSRA, with 1 fe- male there 5 Feb (H. Robinson). Rusty Blackbird: 4 at Blackwater River SF (Santa Rosa) 1 Dec (P. Baker et al.); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 26 Dec (G. Stephens); 10 at Howard Creek (Gulf) 17 Jan (J. Murphy); 6 (3 females, 3 males) in N Escambia 8 Feb (B. & L. Duncan); 4 at Gainesville 21 Feb (C. Gordon). Brewer’s Blackbird: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 7 Dec (B. & L. Duncan); 143 in N Es- cambia 14 Jan (B. Duncan). Boat-tailed Grackle: as many as 24 yellow-eyed males at Floridatown (Santa Rosa) 19 Jan-25 Feb (B. & L. Duncan, L. Goodman). Bronzed Cowbird: as many as 5 remained at Clewiston (Hendry) to 12 Dec (E. Kwater, C. Fredricks et al.). Shiny Cowbird: 1 adult male at the entrance to Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) 20 Dec (R. Featherly); 2 males at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Collier) 13-21 Feb (G. Schrott et al.). *Bullock’s Oriole: 1 female at Tallahassee 3 Jan (F. Rutkovsky et al., photo to FOC). Baltimore Oriole: 1 male at Pensacola 7 Dec-14 Feb (B. Tetlow); 7 at Lake Apopka NSRA 11 Dec only (H. Robinson); 1 at Tiger Point (Santa Rosa) 2 Jan (B. Bremser). Blue-capped Cordonbleu: 1 at Cortez (Manatee) 28 Dec (photo to FOC). Purple Finch: 3 at Alachua 13 Feb (L. Chapaprieta). House Finch: 7 at Fort De Soto Park 6 Dec (R. Smith); 27 at Naples 13 Dec (T. Below). Pine Siskin: 1 at Sarasota 20 Dec- 15 Jan (B. & S. Herring); 1 at Titusville 1 Jan (M. Har- ris); 1 at Oakland Nature Preserve 7-20 Jan (T. Rodriguez); 2 at North Merritt Island 10 Jan (D. Freeland); 1 at Altamonte Springs 16 Jan-4 Feb (G. Bretz); 1 at Gainesville 6-13 Feb (J. Martin); 1 at Cedsir Key 8-20 Feb (D. Henderson); 1 at Mead Garden, Winter Park 22 Feb (E. Kwater). Nutmeg Mannikin: “continued proliferation” in the Pensacola area, with reports now at Gulf Breeze (fide B. Duncan). Contributors; Mary Acken, Brian Ahern, Elsa Alvear, Bruce Anderson, Carol Ascherfeld, Kris Ashley, Steve Backes, Peggy Baker, Danny Bales, Andy Bankert, Tom Barbig, Fred Bassett, Ted & Virginia Below, Zach Bentley, Mark Berney, Paul Bithorn, Beau Bochansky, John Boyd, Paul Bremer, Bill & Greta Bremser, Greg Bretz, Rick Brigham, Michael Brothers, Leslie Burgess, Patricia Burns, Bob Carroll, Laura Catter- ton, Jim Cavanagh, Ted Center, Susan Cerulean, Lynda Chapaprieta, Stan Chapman, Ron Christen, Carolyn Cimino, Morris Clark, Steve Collins, Pete Colverson, Chris Costers, Cameron Cox, Sid Crawford, Kevin Dailey, Keitha Datillo-Bain, Susan Daugh- trey, Lloyd Davis, Lauren Deaner, Gail Deterra, Robin Diaz, James Dinsmore, Wil Domke, Jeanne Dubi, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Tommy Elliott, Gene Estes, Charlie Ewell, Donna Faylo, Roxanne Featherly, Linda Felker, Phillip Fell, Jeff Fisher, Judy Fisher, Teresa Fiorillo, Ann Forster, Cole Fredricks, David Freeland, Dave Gagne, Murray Gardler, Reinhard Geisler, Larry Goodman, Carl Goodrich, Caleb Gor- don, Rick Greenspun, Max Griggs, John Grossa, Jason Guerard, Matt Hafner, Jack & Liz Hailman, Al & Bev Hansen, Bob Hargrave, Mitchell Harris, David Hartgrove, Bob Field Observations 131 Henderson, Dale Henderson, Troy Henderson, Irene Hernandez, Bill & Sue Herring, Monica Higgins, John Hintermister, Peter Homann, Brian Hope, Paul Hueber, John Hutchison, Dan Irizarry, Frank Jackalone, Patrick James, Saskia Janes, Kelly Jones, Adam Kent, Bjorn Kjellemyr, Brad Kolhoff, Marianne Korosy, Andy Kratter, Gail & Russ Kruetzman, Ed Kwater, Alex Lamoreaux, Carmine Lanciani, Bob & Denise Lane, Patrick Leary, Syd Lemieux, Rob Lengacher, Jody Levin, Laura Levin, Paul Lewis, Chuck Littlewood, Fred Lohrer, Michelle Machovina, Don MacKrell, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, John Mangold, Tim Mann, Phyllis Mansfield, Thor Manson, Don & Lor- raine Margeson, Bill & Eleanor Marr, John Martin, Sean McCool, Powers McLeod, Roy Morris, John Murphy, Gretchen Nareff, Bob North, Matt O’Sullivan, John Ogden, Rhett Oren, Jeff Palmer, Geoff Parks, Steve Pasteur, Judd Patterson, Scott Patterson, James Pfeiffer, Winona & Emery Pierce, Eric Plage, Bill Pranty, John Puschock, Gallus Quig- ley, Brian Rapoza, Diane Reed, Ellen Richardson, Bob Richter, Tom Rodriguez, T. Roht- salu, Rex Rowan, Lesley Royce, Fran Rutkovsky, Carlos Sanchez, Earl Scales, Marina Scarr, Mike Scheller, Steve Schlabach, Greg Schrott, Bob Sicolo, Brad Simonds, Jean Simpson, Ray Smart, Ron Smith, Bob Snow, Walt Spina, Greg Stephens, Wes Stine- helfer, Leann Streeper, Jim Swarr, Chuck Tague, Walter Taylor, Betsy Tetlow, Simon Thompson, Russ Titus, Roberto Torres, Tim Towles, Ken Tracey, Paul Trunk, Maria Valentine, Ellen Variz, Billi Wagner, Barb Walker, Bob Wallace, Don Ware, Chuck Weber, Jim Wells, James Wheat, Dennis Wheeler, Michelle White, Meret Wilson, and Kathryn Young, Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662, ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ), Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ), Andy Bankert (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ), John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ). Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ), John Mur- phy (766 Alligator Drive, Alligator Point, Florida 23246, ), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ). FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. TREASURER’S REPORT - 2009 Account balances as of 31 December 2009: Account Balance Fidelity Account $125,631.88 PayPal Account $24.15 Total Assets $125,656.03 Fund balances as of 31 December 2009: Fund Balance General Operating Fund $27,148.94 Special Publications Fund $26,017.96 Cruickshank Fund $35,452.86 Robertson Fund $10,219.53 Endowment Fund $19,058.08 Friends of FFN $1,187.18 Life Membership Fund $5,517.96 Deferred Items (2010 Dues) $1,053.52 Total Assets $125,656.03 2009 Income and Expensesi Income Amount Expenses Amount Annual Membership Dues $9,807.39 FFN Printing $7,365.85 Life Membership Dues $1,200.00 Newsletter Printing $131.61 Interest/Asset Appreciation $20,767.23 Postage and Shipping $853.60 Page Charges $1,600.95 Operating Expenses $646.77 Meeting Income $6,608.00 Meeting Expenses $5,419.89 Special Publication Sales $20.50 Records Committee $1,412.07 Gifts General Fund $1,130.00 Web Hosting $122.75 Gifts Cruickshank Fund $165.00 Sales Tax (for previous year) $46.03 Gifts Robertson Fund $75.00 Cruickshank Award $1,405.00 Gifts Endowment Fund $60.00 Robertson Award $1,000.00 Gifts Friends of FFN $445.00 Education Award $500.00 Total $41,879.07 Student Awards $140.00 Total $19,043.57 Change in Total Assets: Totals Balance Total Assets 31 December 2008 $102,820.53 Total Income 2009 $41,879.07 Total Expenses 2009 -$19,043.57 Total Assets 31 December 2009 $125,656.03 Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Hobe Sound, Florida 33455 132 BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Kobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger William Post David Hartgrove 2010 Brian Ahern 133 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and Ameriean Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989); Species Index and County Gazetteer. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. EOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Hobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 134 '• • *r T't '■ '. i ,^i »«• ■''• .ii^V• 'i.'.fiu »,t. • f ', / . • ’ ■ -■ '•■ V ■ v*. ■<. ' ■ > , , . i"' *■>''' If W4JCC B*'-'- ■ VsaC-;*, ■.-JV p t ~ t 5.^ »■ ♦ 'll'' .i ■ ’ ■?3I?W ■-./ *•■ ■ '■ ' ‘ iV.sj<» 'll wu't'* < \*Vi' ; 41.1' >* < . ■4.- “ ■ •■^- M.i "=t; E*U ■ ' 'V ' ''' ' ’ -J" 'r^ ^* ■' ■ *{'•■»* . '■ .if*' ’ L-V ■ fOnimiiAtjii^ isfT(!iL-‘F*!--T?^ iw - • •-' -» 8m‘55 n^-Of«1|»iOi> .■_.:lui»«. V.3JJ. ’ A.' m d-i sv'i’**' ■' UUir, n W,G R'^i' Blri < t9lf4^)i ifpwniwi ^ _ .^'- 1'#^ 1*1*. “f, Mfi wp.liH- . • ■ ' ♦ -i , . f .• • . s n ti\ { Uj, Ij r ■; ^ ■ ' ■_' ^ 1^ , i w mi l{o<-;rti..D, %lt , JR ft»di a R Wy,}p n*to. I H■ *3;:. f ^ ’••'•■ • ,,, ■ *lb'«>r1 " »»'* '. - i. ;),».Kii^^ft| \m- ’■ .y bui,4M- , ■J. ■• Mt fTftl»*-'aii^ ■ ^.K- ■•••':;t. v Jftc*! thivyj^ • I. 4^'.f Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: ScOTT Robinson, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Managing/Copy Editor: TOM WEBBER, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: twebber@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aol.com Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: TOM PALMER, 1805 26th Street, N.W, Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. Rodgers, Jr, Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E-mail: j ames.rodgers@m3dwc. com Web Page Editor: STEPHEN BANKERT, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological fleld studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/ FFN/FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and flgure captions; (2) include the scientiflc name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/ RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 3 September 2010 Pages 93-134 CONTENTS ARTICLES Third record of the Neotropic Cormorant {Phalacrocorax hrasilianus) in Florida, with comments on other recent records Bill Pranty, Bruce H. Anderson, and Harry P Robinson.................................. 93-98 Use of supplemental Northern Bobwhite {Colinus virginianus) food by non-target species Gail Morris, L. Mike Conner, and Madan K. Oli 99-105 First record of Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) for Florida Andrew W. Kratter and Michael Brothers.. 106-109 NOTES Seabirds of Great Isaac Cay, The Bahamas James A. Kushlan 110-112 Winter nesting attempt by a House Finch {Carpodacus mexicanus) at Cedar Key, Florida David W. Johnston 113-114 A record of Red Bishop {Euplectes franciscanus) from Miami-Dade County, Florida Johanset Orihuela....... 115-116 REVIEWS Birds of Eastern North America. A Photographic Guide, by Paul Sterry and Brian F. Small James Dinsmore 117-118 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Winter report: December 2009-February 2010 Bill P^a7^^y ...................................................................................................... 119-131 TREASURER’S REPORT Peter G. .............................................................................................. 132 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends of FFN................... .................................................................................... 133 FOS Special Publications ......................................................................................134 QL .F(. ^rr^Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 38, No. 4 November 2010 Pages 135-189 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 OFFICERS President: Adam Kent, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Rd., Gainesville, FL 32601. E-mail: adam.kent@myfwc.com Vice President: Elena SACHS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1239 SW 10th St., Ocala, FL 34471. E-mail: elena.sachs@myfwc.com Secretary: JAMES Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Talla- hassee, FL 32312. E-mail: jim@ttrs.org Treasurer: PETER G. MERRITT, 8558 SE Sharon St., Kobe Sound, FL 33455. E-mail: pmerritt@hspi.us Editor, Florida Field Naturalist: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural His- tory, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2011 Dave Goodwin, 807 Woodcarver Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. E-mail: dgood389@aol.com Erik Haney, 1015 14th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. E-mail: efalconh@netscape.net Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2012 Paul Miller, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, 33104 NW 192nd Ave., Okeechobee, FL 34972. E-mail: Paul.Miller@dep.state.fl.us Caroline Stahala, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahas- see, FL 32306-4295. E-mail: cstahala@gmail.com Directors, Terms Expiring Spring 2013 Marianne KOROSY, 2021 Oak View Lane, Palm Harbor, FL 34683. E-mail: mkorosy@gmail.com Jon Greenlaw, 10503 Mistflower Lane, Tampa, FL 33647-3544. E-mail: jgreenlaw@earth- link.net Honorary IVIembers Samuel A. Grimes 1979; Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden 1994; Ted Below 1999; Fred E. Lohrer 2009 All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, especially its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing to the Treasurer. Annual membership dues are $25 for individual members, $30 for a family membership, $15 for students, $45 for contributing members, and $40 for institutional membership; add $5 for overseas delivery. One-time contributions for life membership are $400 for individuals and $500 for families. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is published quarterly (March, May, September, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Orni- thological Society is Division of Birds, Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum Road at Newell Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Florida Ornithological Society web site is at www.fosbirds.org THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER JAN'l4?ni1 i!BRAR\& Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 4 November 2010 Pages 135-189 Florida Field Naturalist 38(4):135-145, 2010. WHY HAS AN URBAN ADAPTER, THE NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos), DECLINED IN FLORIDA? Rachel E. Hanauer^^ Christine M. Stracey^^ AND Scott K. Robinson^ ^Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum Road at Newell Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7800 "^Current address: Department of Biology, Indiana University, Jordan Hall 142, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 E-mail: rhanauer@indiana.edu ^Current address: Westminster College, Meldrum 214, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 Abstract.— Many species of common birds, including some known to adapt to urban habitats, have declined in North America. The Northern Mockingbird {Mimus polyglot- tos) is an urban adapter that has declined in Florida by 1.7% per year since 1966. We used mockingbirds in Florida as a case study to determine possible reasons for the para- doxical decline of an urban adapter. We compared mockingbird abundance (measured by the Breeding Bird Survey) to land use, and found that mockingbirds are positively asso- ciated with urban and agricultural land uses, but the association with agriculture has weakened over time. The increase in urban habitat is relatively small compared to the decline in agricultural areas, which may explain why this species has declined even in the face of increasing urbanization in Florida, Other factors, such as agricultural inten- sification and a decline in pastures, may account for the weakening of the association be- tween mockingbirds and agriculture over time. As human populations continue to grow, it is increasingly impor- tant to understand how wildlife responds to human-altered land- scapes. Wildlife can be classified as urban avoiders, urban adapters, or urban exploiters depending on whether a particular species avoids, is special Editor for this article: James Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Tal- lahassee, Florida 32312. 135 136 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST common in, or depends on areas of human habitation (Blair 1996). Conservationists have generally focused their research effort on urban avoiders because their habitats and populations are presumably in the greatest danger. Butcher and Niven (2007), however, showed that many species of birds that were historically quite common have de- clined, including species that seemingly adapt to human-altered land- scapes (e.g. Common Nighthawk {Chordeiles minor), Common Crackle {Quiscalus quiscula), and Eastern Meadowlark {Sturnella magna)). This is an especially troubling trend for conservation. If we use bird populations as a proxy measure of ecosystem health (NABCI 2009), then the decline of common, widespread species could indicate that ec- osystem health has declined on a larger scale than currently recog- nized. In addition, the decline of common birds indicates that conservationists cannot assume that abundant species are immune to declines and suggests that conservation measures may be necessary for a much larger suite of species than previously imagined (Butcher and Niven 2007). Numerous hypotheses have been advanced to explain declines of previously abundant species (NABCI 2009). Urban sprawl, agricul- tural intensification, and natural-resource extraction (e.g. mining and forestry) could all lead to habitat loss and population declines. Alterna- tively, reductions in habitat quality due to intensification of agricul- ture, pollution, and climate change could adversely affect wildlife populations directly or indirectly due to changes in predator and prey communities. Finally, urban areas may act as ecological traps that at- tract birds but fail to provide the conditions necessary for successful breeding or survival (Mannan et al. 2008). While researchers have identified these potential causes, few studies have evaluated them with respect to declining urban adapters. The Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is one of the most common and conspicuous urban birds in the southeastern United States (Derrickson and Breitwisch 1992). The mockingbird is a native species that also occurs in open areas outside of cities. Its nesting den- sities in north-central Florida are much higher in urban areas than in non-urban areas (Stracey 2010), and it is therefore considered an ur- ban adapter. Florida’s human population has more than tripled since 1960 (US. Census Bureau 1995, 2009), so it is reasonable to expect that urban areas, and therefore mockingbird numbers, would also be increasing. However, between 1966 and 2007 mockingbirds have de- clined in Florida by 1.7% annually (Sauer et al. 2008). A decrease in abundance of this urban adapter in the face of in- creasing urbanization presents a paradox that we address through an analysis of trends in mockingbird numbers and changes in land use. We first test whether the area occupied by urban land use in Florida is Hanauer etal, — ^Mochngbird Decline in Florida 137 increasing. If we find that urban land use is increasing then we are left with a number of possible explanations for the decline of mockingbirds. Previous data (Stracey 2010, Stracey and Robinson, in press) from north-central Florida demonstrated a positive relationship between urban habitats and mockingbird numbers, but it is possible that mock- ingbirds are not positively associated with urban land use on a state- wide scale. Alternatively, mockingbirds may be associated with urban areas, but may depend on additional habitats, which may be in decline. We hypothesized that mockingbird abundance was associated with land use and that at least one land-use type that is positively corre- lated with mockingbirds is in decline. Methods We used mockingbird abundance data collected by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which has been conducted annually since 1966. Each year, at the height of the breeding season, each BBS observer conducts 50 point-counts along one or more 24.5-mile (39.4 km) routes. We sought to determine the relationship between mockingbirds and land use along a sample of these routes. Land-use data for the state of Florida were available for 1973, 1993, and 2003; National High-Altitude Photography (NHAP) photographs were the source data for the 1973 survey, and remotely-sensed satellite images (Landsat TM) were the source data for the 1993 and 2003 surveys (USGS and FDEP 1974, FCF- WRU 2000, FFWCC 2004, respectively). In this study we used all 24 BBS routes that were surveyed in all three of these years (Fig. 1). Land use was classified differently by the land-use surveyors in each of the three years. Therefore, as the first step in defining land-use categories for analysis, we col- lapsed the original classifications into the following categories to allow comparisons across years: Urban, Agriculture, Rangeland, Forest, and Wetland. We used ArcGIS 9.1 (Esri, Inc., Redlands, California) to define a 1000-m-wide tract centered on each route and extending its entire length, and to calculate the area of each land-use category within each tract. Each route was analyzed as one unit, with land use calculated and mockingbirds counted for the entire route. We then further refined our categories by including in the model only land-use types that had a correlation with one another of < 0.30. Urban and Forest were correlated (Ta- ble 1); we included Urban in the model instead of Forest because previous studies have shown mockingbirds to be positively correlated with urban habitat (Stracey and Robin- son, in press). Rangeland met the 0.30 criterion but was removed because of uncertainty about whether rangeland could reliably be distinguished from other habitats such as pastures, and if this distinction was made in the same way by the surveyors in the three study years. Wetland met the 0.30 criterion but was excluded because mockingbirds are not known to use wetland habitats. SPSS (version 12.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois) was used for all statistical analyses. In order to minimize between-year variation in mockingbird census data, we calcu- lated the average number of mockingbirds per route across three years (the year for which we had land-use data and one year preceding and following that year). To meet assump- tions of normality, we square-root transformed the mockingbird abundance data. We conducted an ANCOVA to describe mockingbird abundance as a function of land use, year, and interactions between land use and year. Because there was a significant interaction (Table 2) between agriculture and year, we analyzed the effect of agriculture on mockingbird abundance for each year separately. 138 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. BBS routes surveyed in 1973, 1993, and 2003 in Florida that were in- cluded in the study. We were interested in the possible effects that changes in land use over time could have on mockingbird abundance. Therefore, we ran a multiple regression expressing the change in the square root of average mockingbird abundance on each route since the previous study year as a function of the change in land use along that route since the previous study year. We also sought to determine changes in types of agriculture. Because the spatial res- olution of the remotely sensed data did not allow us to distinguish between types of ag- riculture, we used data from the Census of Agriculture to divide agricultural land use into more precise categories of cropland (land in which crops are regularly planted and harvested; Cutter and Renwick 2003), woodland (land on farms which is wooded and used for pasture or wood products; USDA-NASS 2009), and pasture (land used for graz- ing animals; USDA-NASS 2009). We calculated the change in area of each type of agri- culture across the years of our study. We used these trends to generate hypotheses about the relationship between mockingbirds and different types of agriculture that can be tested in the future. Hanauer etal. — ^Mockingbird Decline in Florida 139 Table 1. Correlations between land-use categories within 500 m of study routes. Urban Agriculture Rangeland Wetland Agriculture -0.162 Rangeland -0.070 0.303 Wetland -0.164 -0.103 0.019 Forest -0.382 -0.596 -0.396 -0.197 Results Average mockingbird abundance was positively associated with ur- ban land use (Table 2). Mockingbird abundance was highly correlated with agriculture in 1973, but this effect weakened over time and in 2003 the relationship between agriculture and mockingbird abundance was not significant (Fig. 2). Change in mockingbird abundance since the previous study year was not correlated with change in urban or ag- ricultural land use since the previous study year (all Fs > 0.39). Along our study routes, agriculture decreased and urban areas in- creased (Fig. 3). Similar patterns were seen in statewide data from the three study years, although wetlands made up a larger proportion of the state as a whole than of our study routes. Data from the USDA Census of Agriculture showed that total land in farms has declined by half since 1954 (Fig. 4). Total cropland increased until 1978, but has de- clined by one third since then (Fig. 4). Cropland has become a larger proportion of total land in farms (Fig. 4). Woodlots, pastures, and rangelands have decreased in area (Fig. 4). Discussion According to our model, agriculture was highly favorable mocking- bird habitat in 1973. By 2003, however, the effect had weakened to the point of non-significance, suggesting that agriculture in Florida has changed in some way that makes it lower-quality mockingbird habitat. Additionally, the amount of land in agriculture has decreased in Flor- ida, both along our study routes (Fig. 3) and in the state as a whole. We propose that this combined deterioration of agriculture as mockingbird Table 2. Results of ANCOVA describing mockingbird abundance as a function of land use, year, and interactions between land use and year. Effect df F P Year 2 4.055 0.022 Urban 1 21.995 <0.001 Agriculture 1 62.229 <0.001 Year* Agriculture 2 6.606 0.002 Year*Urban 2 2.514 0.089 140 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Agriculture (km^) Figure 2. Square root of number of mockingbirds (averaged over three years: study year, previous year, and following year) recorded on each BBS route in- cluded in this study as a function of agricultural land use on the route, a) 1973 (R^ = 0.763, p < 0.001, F,,, = 70.888). b) 1993 (R^ ^ 0.330, p = 0.003, F,^^ = 10.857). c) 2003 (R2 s 0.140, p = 0.072, F,^^ = 3.582). Han AUER ST AL.— Mockingbird Decline in Florida 141 Figure 3. Total area (km^) of land-use categories within 500 m of study routes. habitat and decrease in the amount of agriculture could be driving the decline in mockingbirds. Stracey (2010) found that mockingbirds can successfully breed in cattle pastures, likely because the cropped grass provides good forag- ing, and vegetation along fences provides nesting habitat. Outright (1981) found that in west-central Florida, mockingbirds were most abundant in pastures and small patches of woodlands growing in drainages, and were less abundant in wet meadows and cropland. A de- crease in pastured land could have a significant negative impact on ru- ral mockingbird populations, and the Census of Agriculture has recorded such a decrease statewide (Fig. 4). However, the Census of Ag- riculture simply summarizes the total extent of each land use without showing how it is distributed, so we cannot compare mockingbird abundance on an individual route to the types of agriculture along that route. Another agricultural trend that is potentially detrimental to many birds is an increase in the size of fields (NABCI 2009). Tractors, com- bines, and other farming implements have become larger and com- moner, and fields have increased in size to take advantage of the efficiency of this mechanization. The increase in field size leads to a de- crease in fencerow and edge habitat (Robinson and Sutherland 2002). In pastures, and likely in cropland, mockingbirds nest in trees along 142 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 4. Total area (km^) in Florida in various agricultural land uses (USDA- NASS 2009). “Total pasture” includes subsets of “cropland” and “woodlots” used as pasture. the edges of fields, or in vines and shrubs growing along fences (per- sonal observation), so loss of fencerows and edges likely equates with a decline in nesting habitat for mockingbirds. Thus land that is classified as cropland today may support fewer mockingbirds than land with the same classification thirty years ago because of this loss of nesting hab- itat. Alternatively, use of pesticides could reduce the invertebrate prey available to mockingbirds or cause direct toxicity to mockingbirds (Gibbs et al. 2009). Bellar and Maccarone (2002) found that pesticide use in Kansas had a significant negative correlation with populations of Log- gerhead Shrikes, a species whose habitat requirements overlap with those of mockingbirds (Yosef 1996). The combination of larger field sizes and pesticide use could significantly diminish the habitat quality of ag- ricultural areas for mockingbirds. Because of the coarse nature of our land-cover data, we cannot distinguish between these various hypothe- ses. Therefore, future studies should incorporate point counts in differ- ent types of agricultural areas to determine whether mockingbirds are responding to different types of agricultural land use (for example, if they are strongly correlated with pastured land), or if they are respond- ing to changes in agricultural intensity (for example, field size). Hanauer fiTAL.— Mockingbird Decline in Florida 143 While the analysis comparing mockingbird abundance to land use supports the idea that the change in mockingbird abundance is related to the change in land use^ our analysis of change since the previous year in mockingbird abundance and land use was not significant. This lack of a relationship could be explained as a result of our method of av- eraging data across a 24.5-mile-long study route. Because we averaged land use and mockingbirds over the whole route instead of matching each individual point along a route to the land use immediately sur- rounding that point, the effects of one land use could potentially ob- scure the effects of another. The test of change since the previous study year could be particularly vulnerable to this limitation; for example, if agriculture decreased between study years while urban increased, the effects of each change on mockingbird abundance could cancel each other out when averaged across the whole route. Presumably, averag- ing the effects of all land uses across the route gives a conservative es- timate of the effects of each, meaning that this method could give us negative results even if a land use actually has a significant effect, but is unlikely to give us false positive results. Therefore, this limitation does not invalidate the correlations we found between land use and mockingbird abundance, but could be affecting our analysis of change since the previous study year. Because there was much less agriculture in 2003 than in previous years, the loss of data points with high values for agriculture could reduce the statistical power of our test of the rela- tionship between mockingbird abundance and agriculture, contribut- ing to non-significant results. Despite these limitations, it is still possible that mockingbirds are responding more strongly to other changes in the environment than they are to land use. It is therefore important that future studies assess the effect of changes in land use on mockingbirds at a finer scale. Urban had a small correlation with mockingbird abundance in our overall model, and the change in urban had no relationship with the change in mockingbird abundance since the previous study year. It is possible that mockingbirds are not more abundant in urban areas than rural areas, contrary to Stracey and Robinson (in press). Alternatively, these results could be explained by our method of averaging mocking- bird abundance over the entire route. The increase in urban habitat is relatively small compared to the decline in agricultural areas, which may explain why this species has declined even in the face of increas- ingly intensive human land use in Florida. Uncertainties about how urban areas and various types of agricul- ture interact with mockingbird numbers highlight the complexity of human-dominated landscapes. Some human activities may benefit bird populations, while others cause harm. Despite being urban adapt- ers, mockingbirds use agricultural areas extensively. This suggests 144 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST that at least some urban adapters use many different habitats, and that urban areas may not be sufficient to maintain their populations. Conser¥ationists must consider that even urban adapters may be vul- nerable to changes in the ways that humans manage the landscape. Acknowledgments We thank the Department of Geography at the University of Florida for use of their GIS facilities, Erin Bunting for assistance with ArcGIS, Michelle Rensel for assistance with statistical analyses, and Jim Cox and Tom Webber for comments on earlier drafts. Literature Cited Bellar, C. a., and A, D. Maccarone. 2002. The effects of prairie habitat loss and land- use changes on Loggerhead Shrike populations in Kansas. Transactions of the Kan- sas Academy of Science 105:51-65, Blair, R. B. 1996. Land use and avian species diversity along an urban gradient. Ecolog- ical Applications 6:506-519. Butcher, G. S., and D. K. Niven. 2007. Combining Data from the Christmas Bird Count and the Breeding Bird Survey to Determine the Continental Status and Trends of North American Birds. National Audubon Society, New York. Cutright, N. J. 1981. Bird populations in five major west-central Florida vegetation types. Florida Scientist 44:1-13. Cutter, S. L., and W. H. Renwick. 2003. Exploitation, Conservation, Preservation: A Geographic Perspective on Natural Resource Use, 4th ed. Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey. Derrickson, K. C., and R. Breitwisch. 1992. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglot- tos), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online: FCFWRU [Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit]. 2000. Florida Land Cover. Published by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. ; file name gapjcov. Downloaded 8 October 2008. FFWCC [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission]. 2004. Habitat and Landcover. Published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. ; file name gfchab_03. Downloaded 8 October 2008. Gibbs, K. E., R. L. Mackey, and D. J. Currie. 2009. Human land use, agriculture, pes- ticides and losses of imperiled species. Diversity and Distribution 15:242-253. Mannan, R. W., R. J. Steidl, and C. W. Boal. 2008. Identif5dng habitat sinks: a case study of Cooper’s hawks in an urban environment. Urban Ecosystems 11:141-148. NABCI [North American Bird Conservation Initiative], US. Committee. 2009. The State of the Birds, United States of America. U.S. Department of Interior: Washing- ton, D.C. Robinson, R. A., and W. J. Sutherland. 2002. Post-war changes in arable farming and biodiversity in Great Britain, Journal of Applied Ecology 39:157-176. Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2008. The North American Breeding Bird Sur- vey, Results and Analysis 1966-2007, Version 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Re- search Center, Laurel, Maryland, Stracey, C. M. 2010. Pattern and Process in Urban Bird Communities: What Makes the Northern Mockingbird an Urban Winner? Ph.D. dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville. Hanauer etal. — Mockingbird Decline in Florida 145 Stracey, C. M., and S. K. Robinson. In press. Does nest predation shape urban bird communities? Studies in Avian Biology. U.S. Census Bureau. 1995. Florida: Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 [data for 1990]. U.S. Census Bureau. 2009. State and County QuickFacts: Florida [data for 2007]. USDA-NASS [United States Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service]. 2009. 2007 Census of Agriculture. . Accessed 13 March 2009. uses and FDEP [U.S. Geological Survey and Florida Department of Environ- mental Protection]. 1974. USGS 1:250,000 Land Use Land Cover - 1970’s. Pub- lished by U.S. Geological Survey, ; file name usgslu_1974. Down- loaded 8 October 2008. Yosef, R. 1996. Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna,birds.cornelLedu/bna/species/231. Florida Field Naturalist 38(4):146-149, 2010. STATUS AND CURRENT RANGE OF RED-WHISKERED BULBULS (Pycnonotus jocosus) IN FLORIDA Bill Pranty 8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: billpranty@hotmaiLcom The Red“ whiskered Bulbul {Pycnonotus jocosus) is a small passe^ rine native to eastern India. Imported from Calcutta, some bulbuls of the subspecies P j. ermeria (Banks and Laybourne 1968) escaped while being transferred from one aviary to another at the Rare Bird Farm in Kendall, Miami-Dade County, Florida, in late July or early August 1960 (Stimson 1962, Fisk 1966, contra Ryan 1979). The size of the founding population was small: “a few” birds (Fisk 1966, Rand 1980), “between 5 and 10 breeding pairs” (Carleton and Owre 1975), or “five to ten” birds (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992). Carleton and Owre (1975) monitored the four known communal roosts of bulbuls during the win- ter of 1969-1970 to estimate the size of the total population. Maximum numbers at each roost varied from 10 to 91 individuals, and the total population was estimated as 250 bulbuls. Carleton and Owre (1975) mapped the bulbul’s primary range during 1969-1970 as encompassing 3.2 mP(8.3 km^) with “irregular sightings” of bulbuls “up to several miles” from the core area. Rand (1980) stated that the bulbul population had increased to 500 individuals by 1973, but provided no supporting data. Likewise, Lane (1981, 1984), Toops and Dilley (1986), and Holt (1989) claimed that the bulbul population had increased to 700 or more individuals by the early 1980s. But again, without supporting data, the accuracy of these estimates is equivocal. Robertson and Woolfenden (1992) stated with- out any details or explanation that bulbuls occupied “no more than 25 square miles (few recent data) in the southern suburbs of Miami.” James (1997) predicted that the bulbul population in Florida would eventually die out. To evaluate the current status and distribution of Red-whiskered Bulbuls in Florida, I sought information from local birders familiar with the species. Methods I reviewed all postings to the Miami Bird Board (Tropical Audubon Society 2010) for Red-whiskered Bulbul locations since 2000, and I followed up this review vdth a request in May 2009 for additional information on bulbul range. All locations were placed into Google Earth and Geographic Information System (GIS) files. To determine the recent range of bul- buls, I used only the subset of locations active from January 2005 through September 2009. 146 Pi?AivrY— Red-whiskered Bulbuls in Florida 147 Results I received bulbul locations from 14 birders and retrieved additional locations from the Miami Bird Board. These sightings added up to 25 precise locations {i.e., street addresses or road intersections), one other location that could be mapped, and several vague locations that could not be mapped. Of the 26 locations that could be mapped, 20 repre- sented recent (2005-2009) sightings, four were sightings before 2005, and two were unspecified as to year. Based on the 20 mapped locations from 2005-2009, the recently occupied range of Red- whiskered Bulbuls in Florida is approximately 41.7 km^ (15.9 mF) of urbanized land in Kendall and Pinecrest (Fig. 1). This range can be defined as a polygon bounded by SW 61st Avenue and US-1 to the north, SW 54th Court and SW 85th Street to the northeast, SW 157th Terrace and Old Cutler Road to the southeast, SW 140th Street and SW 107th Avenue to the southwest, and SW 86th Street and SW 87th Court to the northwest. Figure 1. Range of the Red- whiskered Bulbul in Miami-Dade County, Florida, January 2005-Septeinber 2009. Each symbol within the polygon represents a specific bulbul sighting. Based on a minimum convex polygon, the currently occupied range of the Red-whiskered Bulbul is estimated as 41.7 km^ (15.9 mP). 148 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Because bulbuls formerly were found as far south as SW 186th Street (L. Manfredi in litt.), some range contraction is evident. De- struction of vegetation by Hurricane A/idren; in August 1992 may have been a factor in this contraction (M. Wheeler in litt., L. Manfredi in lift.). Bulbuls may be returning to this vacated area (L. Manfredi in lift.), but no recent locations were provided. Curiously no roost of Red- whiskered Bulbuls has been reported in Florida since the four that were monitored during 1969-1970 by Carle- ton and Owre (1975). A flock of 38 bulbuls at Pinecrest during fall 2008 (L. Manfredi in lift.) represented the largest single count since 1970. Because of their very limited range in Florida, Red-whiskered Bulbuls occur within only one Christmas Bird Count (CBC) circle, the Kendall Area CBC, which was established in December 2002. (Data were not submitted for the 2005 CBC, even though the CBC was conducted). Numbers of bulbuls on the first eight Kendall Area CBCs are as fol- lows: 13 (2002), 3 (2003), 0 (2004), no count (2005), 7 (2006), 9 (2007), 4 (2008), and 9 (2009; National Audubon Society 2010). Consequently, no estimate is available for the current size of the Red-whiskered Bulbul population in Florida. However, two birders who live within the buh buFs range consider the estimate of 700 or more birds (Lane 1981, 1984; Toops and Dilley 1986; Holt 1989) to be exaggerated, perhaps greatly so (B. Boeringer in litt., R. Galvez in litt.). Red-whiskered Bulbuls have maintained a small- to moderate- sized population in east-central Miami-Dade County for 50 years, and have shown resilience in the face of direct- or near-direct-hits by sev- eral hurricanes. However, range expansion during this time has oc- curred very slowly, and is estimated to currently encompass 41.7 km^ (15.9 miO. As a result, Red- whiskered Bulbuls are among the most range-restricted breeding birds in Florida, and are by far the most range-restricted exotic bird considered established in the state. Moni- toring should continue to track any changes in the size, extent, and persistence of the population. Acknowledgments I thank Bill Boeringer, John Boyd, Robin Diaz, Rafael Galvez, Marc Kramer, Larry Manfredi, Don Morris, Brennan Mulrooney, Ed O'Connor, Stephen Paez, Brian Rapoza, Becky Smith, Roberto Torres, and Mary “Mickey” Wheeler for providing information on bulbul observations. Michael P. Moulton, Jon S. Greenlaw, and Gian Basili improved drafts of the manuscript. Literature Cited Banks, R. C., and R. C. Laybourne. 1968. The Red-whiskered Bulbul in Florida. Auk 85:141. Carleton, a. R., and O. T. Owre. 1975. The Red-whiskered Bulbul in Florida: 1960-71. Auk 92:40-57. PjeAATTT— Red-whiskered Bulbuls in Florida 149 Fisk, E. J. 1966. A happy newcomer in a fruitful land. Florida Naturalist 39:10-11. Holt, H. R, 1989. A Birder’s Guide to Florida [3rd edition]. ABA Sales, Colorado Springs, Colorado. James, F. C. 1997. Nonindigenous birds. Pages 139-156 in Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida (D. Simberloff, D. C. Schmitz, and T. C. Brown, Eds.). Island Press, Washington, D.C. Lane, J. A. 1981. A Birder’s Guide to Florida. L&P Press, Denver, Colorado. Lane, J. A. 1984. A Birder’s Guide to Florida, revised [2nd] edition. L&P Press, Denver, Colorado. National Audubon Society. 2010. Christmas Bird Count database Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Special Publication No. 6, Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville. Ryan, R. 1979. Established exotics in the ABA Area. Birding 11:116-121. Stimson, L. a. 1962. Escaped Red-whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus) increasing in Dade County. Florida Naturalist 35:93. TOOPS, C., AND W. E. Dilley. 1986. Birds of South Florida: An Interpretive Guide. River Road Press, Conway, Arkansas. Tropical Audubon Society. 2010. Miami Bird Board . Accessed 7 May 2009. Florida Field Naturalist 38(4): 150-174, 2010. NINETEENTH REPORT OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2009 Andrew W. Kratter Florida Museum of Natural History, PO Box 117800, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 3261 1 E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu Abstract,-— In 2009, the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee as- sessed 81 submissions, including 75 that were new, two that were unresolved in the previous year, and four older submissions that were reopened because new in- formation became available. Fifty-six of the submissions were accepted, seven- teen were not accepted, and eight were tabled pending further consideration or resolution of requests for more information. The submissions assessed covered 47 species, one genus, one species triad, one species pair, and three distinctive sub- species. The occurrence history of the rare species represented by accepted re- ports is reviewed in the species accounts. New to Florida are records of Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), supported by photographs; White- throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis), supported by photographs; Common Greenshank {Tringa nebularia), supported by a specimen; and White-eared Hum- mingbird (Hylocharis leucotis) supported by photographs. In addition, the genus Elaenia was added to the State List. These five additions bring the Official Flor- ida State Bird List to 508 species. This 19th report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) summarizes decisions made by members of the Committee in 2009, The FOSRC criti- cally reviews submitted reports of rare or unusual birds in Florida, as well as potential new records for the state, including whether exotic species meet criteria to be considered established. Submissions are requested for species or distinctive subspecies that are be- lieved to be first-time vagrants in Florida or that are listed as review species or subspe- cies on the Official Florida State Bird List (= Official List), published on-line in the Florida Ornithological Society’s (FOS) website (http://www.fosbirds.org/RecordsCommit" tee/OfficialStateList.aspx). Review species or subspecies (= Review List) are mostly those taxa on the Official List for which the FOSRC has previously reviewed and ac- cepted 10 or fewer reports (but see below). In a few cases, species or distinctive subspe- cies are included in the Review List when Committee members seek further information on their status in the state. The FOSRC web pages (see above) also include the Records Committee Rules and Procedures that govern the activities of the committee, a report- ing form for the direct on-line submission of reports to the FOSRC, the names and ad- dresses of current committee members, reports to the FOS Board on the proceedings of all recent FOSRC meeting, and a growing gallery of photographs of rare birds in Florida processed by the FOSRC. This report details the evaluations of 81 submissions, involving one genus, 47 species, one species pair, one species triad, and three subspecies. Of the 75 new reports, received from September 2007 through July 2008, 55 were reviewed and accepted, 14 were not ac- cepted, and six were tabled pending farther consideration of available evidence and speci- men examination. Of the 14 submissions not accepted, two were not accepted because the populations did not meet the establishment criteria for established avian exotics (Purple 150 Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 151 Swamphen, Porphyria porphrio, for populations in Florida, and Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, for a presumed stray from introduced populations in the Great Lakes region), and twelve submissions were not accepted because the identification had not been firmly established. In addition, the committee resolved two reports that had been tabled pending further information or were otherwise previously unresolved: Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis, FOSRC #08-673, not accepted), and Iceland Gull {Larus glaucoides, FOSRC #07-695, accepted). Four older FOSRC decisions were reopened because we had received new information. The Bachman’s Warbler (Vermivora hachmanii, FOSRC #85-075) record from a bird photographed in 1977, originally accepted by the FOSRC in 1985, was re- opened in 2008 because some authors had doubted this identification. The matter went unresolved until 2009, when the original decision was overturned. The Northern Wheatear {Oenanthe oenanthe, FOSRC #82-020) submission, a sight report, was not ac- cepted originally; a specimen for this submission was located recently and the record was accepted. A sight report of a Broad-billed Hummingbird in 2004 {Cynanthus latirostris, FOSRC #05-536) was originally not accepted; photographs were recently submitted and we agreed to reopen the submission, but the new vote was unresolved. The Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica, FOSRC #84-063) photographed in 1984, originally accepted by the FOSRC in 1986, was the only record of this difficult genus for mainland North America, It was later removed from the Official List because the identification, based on vocalizations, could not be verified (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992). However, a recent record of Elaenia albiceps in Texas (Reid and Jones 2009) called into question the validity of the Florida E. martinica record, and the FOSRC moved to reopen the record. We voted to accept this record only to the genus Elaenia. The current acceptance rate (57/81: 70%) is close to the rate of 71%in the period from 2001-2007 (169 of 237 submissions accepted), but below the 76% recorded in 2008 (Krat- ter 2010). The percentage of new submissions that included a specimen or photographic/ video/audio evidence supporting the submission (81%) continued to be high, as men- tioned in previous reports (Greenlaw and Kratter 2007; Kratter 2008, 2010). For the 55 new submissions that were accepted, all but five (91%) had specimen or photographic/ video/audio evidence. Of the 14 submissions not accepted, eight (57%) had specimen or photographic/video/audio evidence. The Committee believes that more sight reports would be accepted if descriptions were more complete, and if submitters presented more thorough analyses of how species were separated from similar species. The Committee feels strongly that well documented sight reports are an important part of documenting rare birds in Florida, Bowman and Greenlaw (2006) reviewed the history of the Official List and provided an updated list (their Appendix 1) for the period ending 31 December 2005, This list comprised a total of 495 species, all of which are based on independently verifiable evi- dence (specimens, photographs or videotapes, and audio recordings). Two species were added to this list in the 16th Report (Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), four species were added in the 17th report (Kratter 2008), and two species were added in the 18th report (Kratter 2010) to bring the State total to 503 species. For 2009, we added one genus {Elaenia, based on a photograph) and four species: Greater Sand-Plover {Charadrius le~ schenaultii, FOSRC #09-738), White-throated Swift {Aeronautes saxatalis, FOSRC #09- 729), and White-eared Hummingbird {Hylocharis leucotis, FOSRC #09-731) were based on photographs; Common Greenshank {Tringa nebularia, FOSRC #09-768) was sup- ported by a specimen. These additions bring the total number of species on the State List to 508. In addition, a new subspecies, Vega (Herring) Gull {Larus argentatus vegae, FOSRC #09-761) was the first accepted record for Florida. The new genus, four new spe- cies, and the new subspecies now appear on the Review List. The Committee also voted to add a subspecies, Common (Green-winged) Teal {Anas crecca crecca) to the Review List. The committee voted to remove Iceland Gull from the Review List, because of the recent surge in accepted reports (six in 2009). It is the view of some current Committee 152 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST members, however, that we should increase the number of accepted records before re- moving a species from the review list; Florida has a low threshold for removal relative to other states with large or even moderate numbers of active birders (e.g., California, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana). All documentation reviewed by the FOSRC, including descriptions, photographs, vid- eotapes, audio recordings, and committee comments is archived in the Ornithology De- partment at the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and is available for public access. All observers are encouraged to submit reports on review-listed species, and on species potentially new to the Official List. Ideally, observers should record details of plumage, shape, size, behavior, and other pertinent information, in a timely fashion in the field. Reports to the Committee should provide all pertinent forms of documentation, including a written description of obser- vations, in the original submission. All observations should be submitted on the stan- dard report form available from the Secretary or on-line in the FOSRC web-pages (see link above). In addition to uniformity, the report form provides the Committee and the observer with guidelines to those criteria used by the FOSRC for its evaluation. Com- pleted forms should be submitted to the Secretary of the FOSRC, Andrew W. Kratter (address above), email at kratter@flmnh,ufl.edu. This report was prepared on behalf of all members of the FOSRC serving during 2009 when the reports discussed here were evaluated. The members serving during these reviews and their last year of tenure were Bill Pranty (2009), Sally Jue (2010), An- drew W. Kratter (2011), Bruce Anderson (2012), Mark Berney (2013), John Murphy (2014), and Jon Greenlaw (2015). See the FOS website (above) for a list of the current members on the FOSRC and their addresses. Contributors to this report (all submitters are acknowledged below, but only those reports that are accepted include initials of the submitter): Angel and Mariel Abreu (AMA), Mary Acken (MA), Carole Adams (CA), Bruce Anderson (BA), Lyn Atherton (LA), Tricia Auffhammer, Barry Ault (BAu), Danny Bales (DB), Andy Bankert (AB), Fred Bassett (FB), Pat Bazany (PBz), Anne Bellenger, Mark Berney (MBe), Paul Bithorn (PB), Greg Bossart (GB), John Boyd, III (JB), Michael Brothers (MBr), Pat Burns (PB), Jim Cavanagh (JC), Brian Cole, Linda and Buck Cooper (LBC), Cameron Cox, Rich Dernier (RD), Robin Diaz (RD), Stephen Dinsmore, Bob Duncan (BD), Lucy Duncan (LD), Pierre DuCharme (PD), Tom Dunkerton (TD), Jim Eager (JE), Carl Ed- wards (CEd), Charlie Ewell, Linda Felker (LF), Dan Forster, David Freeland, Robert Fortin (RF), Lindsay Galland, Murray Gardler (MG), Barbara Gay (BG), Reinhard Gei- sler (RG), Carl Goodrich (CG), David Goodwin (DG), Mitchell Harris (MH), Linda Hens- ley, John Hintermister, Bruce Horn (BH), Alvaro Jaramillo (AJ), Laura Johannsen (LJ), Paul Johnson (PJ), David Johnston (DJ), Dean Jue (DJu), Dorothy Kaufmann (DK), Ken and Barbara Keskinen (KBK), Andrew W. Kratter (AWK), Robert Landry (RL), Doris Leary (DL), Patrick Leary (PL), Karin Lebo, Garrett Legates (GL), Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi (LMa), Linda Melching (LMe), Janet Millard, Trey Mitchell (TM), John Mur- phy (JM), Laure Neish (LN), Chris Newton (CN), Robert Norton (RN), Earl Orf (EO), Jan Osborn (JO), Judd Patterson (JP), Bonnie Ponwith, Bill Pranty (BP), Tom Riggs (TR), Dotty Robbins (DR), Alexa Roche (AlR), Kerry Ross (KR), Lesley Royce (LR), Fran Rutkovsky (FR), Jim Shea, Dale Taylor, Ralph Todd, Roberto Torres (RT), Ken Tracy (KT), Doug Wassmer, Bob Wallace (BW), Leo Weigant (LW), Mickey Wheeler (MW), Arthur Wilson (AW), Andy Wraithmell (AWr), and Casper Zuyderduyn (CZ). Committee News, Formats, and Terminology Committee news. — During 2009, the FOSRC met twice, on 7 February at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, and on 15 August at Archbold Biological Sta- Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 153 tion, Lake Placid. At the August meeting, FOSRC member Bill Pranty reached the end of his shortened term on the committee. Because of other obligations he opted not to pursue a full term, which our by-laws allow following a term of less than four years. Bill’s vacancy was filled by Ed Kwater, who is new to the FOSRC. Formats and terminology. — The following accounts report on all actions undertaken by the Committee during 2009, and provide information on the history of the rare spe- cies in Florida covered in the accepted reports. We follow current nomenclature and sequence in the species accounts that follow (AOU 1998 and subsequent supplements). Within accounts, reports on more than one submission on a species are introduced sequentially by the date of receipt. The code (in parentheses) associated with each submitted report to the committee (e.g., 06-601) is the catalog number for the sighting or specimen report that is logged into an electronic catalog as it is received, and refers to year received (06-) followed by sequential number (-601), beginning with the first entry in the catalog. The initials following the catalog number refer to one or more contributors who supplied information to the Committee for accepted reports, only (see list above). Our terminology for age largely follows the calendar-based system outlined in Pyle (1997, 2008); however we use '‘cycles” for gulls, as found in Olsen and Larsson (2004). We may use terms such as “first fall” or “first win- ter”, but we substitute the ambiguous term “first summer” (= second calendar summer, including the hatching summer) with “first year.” We normally do not review subspecies, but on occasion we accept submissions on distinctive, field-identifiable subspecies whose taxonomic rank may be revisited by the American Ornithologists’ Union. Our use of the words “report” and “record” to describe occurrences of species in Florida follows Robert- son and Woolfenden (1992) and the Field Observation Committee reports. For each spe- cies, the number of records and reports previously accepted by the FOSRC is detailed. In addition, records with specimens or photographic evidence prior to establishment of the FOSRC (1983) are also included. For species with five or fewer acceptable records or FOSRC accepted reports, we provide details of previous occurrences in Florida. Abbreviations used in this report are: FLMNH, Florida Museum of Natural History; NWR, National Wildlife Refuge; UF, University of Florida (used as a prefix to catalog numbers of specimens in the FLMNH collection); UCF, University of Central Florida, Orlando; and subsp. and sspp., singular and plural for subspecies. Accepted Submissions Common (Green- winged) Teal, crecca crecca. 09-739 (RL). The brief description of this male, found 15 February 2009 at St. Marks NWR, Wakulla Co., included the horizontal white stripe above the wing at rest and the lack of the vertical white stripe at the sides of the breast. A dissenting member felt that further details, especially the white outlines to the face pattern and the dif- ferently patterned flanks, were needed to ensure that the bird was not a hybrid Com- mon X American Green-winged Teal (A. c. carolinensis). The FOSRC had previously accepted one record (05-564, 2 March 2005 at Gaines- ville, Alachua Co.), although several earlier records (see Stevenson and Anderson 1994) have not been assessed by the FOSRC. Common Merganser, Mergus merganser. 09-727 (KT, BP, JG). This female, found by Ken Tracey in a group of several Red- breasted Mergansers (M. serrator) at Gulf Harbors and Beacon Square develop- ments, New Port Richey (Pasco Co.), was present 3 April and 6 May 2009. Photo- graphs of both species together showed the slightly larger size, more massive bill with the more distally positioned nares, rich-brown head, distinct contrast between 154 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST head and gray breast, and distinct white throat that are diagnostic for Common Mer- ganser. Previously, there were only three verified records from Florida (Stevenson and Anderson 1994): one specimen (TTRS 3216: Leon Co,, December 1953), and photo- graphs from Wakulla Co. (1975), and Hillsborough Co. (1980). Masked Duck, Nomonyx dominicus. 09-712 (PB, BW, DR, AW). This hen-plumaged bird was found by Pat Burns at Alliga- tor Lake County Park (Columbia Co.) and seen and photographed subsequently by many observers from 15 January-8 February 2009. It was either a female or a hatch- year/second year male. The bird lacks rufous feathering in the dorsal plumage or black in the face shown by older hatch-year/second year males (Pyle 2008). However, the photographs show a pale greenish base to the bill; females of all ages show a dusky bill, whereas most males show at least some blue tones to the bill (Pyle 2008). This is only the second verified Florida record north of central peninsular Florida (Lake Co.); a bird was shot and photographed in Leon Co. in December 1962 (Steven- son and Anderson 1994). However, Masked Duck has been recorded accidentally north to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Caro- lina, Georgia, and Tennessee (AOU 1998). The FOSRC has accepted five previous submissions (4 photographs, 1 sight report); in addition, Stevenson and Anderson (1994) listed 11 documented records (7 photographs, 4 specimens, including the one in Leon Co. above) that have not been evaluated by the FOSRC. Least Grebe, Tachyhaptus dominicus. 08-699 (LH, DH, BW). On 21 September 2008, Lee and David Hasse found two adults at the Yamato Scrub Natural Area in Boca Raton (Palm Beach Co.). A few days later Andy Bankert found and photographed the birds incubating two eggs, the first instance of breeding in Florida (Hasse and Hasse 2010). Two young fledged and the adults later dispersed. One young bird was still present until 17 February 2009. Compared to photos of birds from Texas {T. d. brachypterus, supplied by Bob Wallace) the birds in Florida showed a much larger bill, typical of the nominate West Indian subspecies, particularly populations in Cuba, which have the largest bills (Storer and Getty 1985). There are three previously verified records or accepted sight reports for Florida: one in Miami-Dade Co. 27 November 1970 was photographed, one in Monroe Co. 3- 23 October 1988 was photographed, and a sight report from Collier Co. 3 March 1999 was accepted by the FOSRC (Baker 1991, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis. 08-700 (AWK). This pale morph was found alive at 4731 Dixie Highway, Boca Raton (Palm Beach Co.), on 6 October 2008 and brought to the Wildlife Care Center, a wild- life rehabilitation clinic in Ft Lauderdale, where it died. The specimen (UF 46998) is deposited at the Florida Museum of Natural History. 08- 701 (BA). Mitchell Harris found this dark morph dead on Playalinda Beach (Brevard Co.) on 16 October 2008, A study skin was salvaged from the torn carcass (UCF 2429). 09- 740 (AWK). 22 March-24 May 2009. Ormond-By-The-Sea, Volusia Co. This bird was one of three light-morph Northern Fulmars that were found beached in Volusia Co. from 22-24 March (see 09-741 and 09-744 below). The birds were brought to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet for rehabilitation, but only this individual sur- vived. It was released on a pelagic trip out of Ponce de Leon Inlet on 24 May. 09-741 (AWK). This specimen (UF 47000) was found alive 24 March 2009 on New Smyrna Beach (Volusia Co.) See 09-740. Nineteenth Report — FOS Records Committee 155 09-744 (BA). This specimen (UCF 2438) was found alive 22 March 2009 on New Smyrna Beach; it died 24 March 2009. See 09-740. Prior to these five records, there was a single record in Florida: a specimen (UF 44664) of an intermediate morph from Brevard Co. in April 2006 (Kratter and Small 2007) . Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus. 09-720 (AWK). This bird was found alive on a beach in northeast Broward Co. on 9 September 2008, but was dead on arrival at the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauder- dale. The specimen was given to the FLMNH and prepared as a study skin, with a partial skeleton and spread wing (UF 46744). There are 15 previously accepted records for Florida (10 specimens, 2 photos, three sight reports). Red-billed Tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus. 09-743 (LMa, RT). This subadult or adult was photographed offshore (in 120 m wa- ter) on 23 May 2009 about 4.3 nm off Elliot Key (Miami-Dade Co.). There were 11 previously accepted reports (four specimens, six photos, one sight report) for this species in Florida. Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax hrasilianus. 09-714 (CG, LW). This adult, present 12 January-17 February 2009, was photo- graphed on the same rocks on Boca Chica Key (Monroe Co.) and by the same person (Carl Goodrich) as Florida’s first record 13 April 2007 (FOSRC #07-637; Kratter 2008) ; presumably it is the same bird, although the 2007 bird was never relocated despite extensive searches. 09-745 (RD, BH). This bird was found in weakened condition at mile marker 100 on Key Largo (Monroe Co.) on 5 June 2008 and brought for rehabilitation to the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center at Tavernier, Plantation Key. A photograph of the bird ap- peared in the Winter 2008 edition of Footprints, the newsletter of the Center. The bird regained its strength and was released there 12 June. 09-747 (BP, BA;). \ This bird was found by Harry Robinson perched among Double- crested Cormorants (P. auritus) on 5 June 2009 on a dike along Lake Apopka, south of Hooper Farms Road, Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area (Orange Co.). It was present until 12 June (Pranty et al. 2010). These three records represent the second, third, and fourth records for Florida, although 09-714 may represent the same individual as Florida’s first record (see above). Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus. 09-716 (MB, AWK). On 6 December 2008 this bird was found battling a Red-tailed Hawk (B. jamaicensis) in the yard of a residence in Edgewater (Volusia Co.). The owner separated the birds by spraying them with a hose, and then brought the two weak birds to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet. Michael Brothers identified one of the birds as a dark morph, juvenile Rough-legged Hawk. It was taken to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland for rehabilitation, but subsequently died. The bird was given to the FLMNH where a study skin, partial skeleton, and spread wing were prepared (UF 46780). This is the first specimen for Florida. The only other verified records for Florida are three birds photographed in Orange Co. February-April 2000 (Pranty et al. 2007); in addition, a sight report from Orange Co. 21 December 2005 was accepted by the FOSRC (Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). 156 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Greater Sand-Plover, CharadHus leschenaultii. 09-738 (CA, LR, DL, BW, JB, AMA). This bird, a first state record and only the sec- ond ever in the western hemisphere, was found by Carole Adams, Lesley Royce, and Doris Leary on 14 May 2009 at Huguenot Memorial Park (Duval Co.), and was seen by hundreds of observers through 19 May (C. Adams et ah in prep). This after-sec- ond-year male was in near full alternate plumage. The excellent photographs show the long legs and long bill that are useful for differentiating Greater Sand-Plover from the similar Lesser Sand-Plover (C. mongolus). In addition, the white wing stripe extends farther into the primaries in Greater, and the feet project beyond the tail in flight. The only previous record in North America was a basic-plumage bird February 2001 in California (Abbott et al. 2001). The species breeds in central Asia and win- ters broadly across the Old World from Australia west to southern Africa. Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia. 09-768 (AWK). This bird was collected and prepared by an unknown person, and then sent in the 1880s to Theodore Jasper in Ohio, who was accumulating specimens to illustrate a book on North American birds. The oldest tag on the specimen is Jas- per’s (#553), who identified the bird correctly, and gave a collection date of 23 May 1882 and a locality of Tampa, Hillsborough Co. Jasper’s collection includes a number of birds collected in Tampa in the 1870s and 80s. At some late point, the Jasper col- lection was given to the Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity, where the identification was changed to Greater Yellowlegs (71 melanoleuca). Bill Whan, who is researching Jasper, thought Jasper’s identification was correct. He forwarded photographs of the specimen to the FOSRC. The Committee then borrowed the spec- imen for examination. The bird is an obvious Tringa sandpiper, as indicated by the long, rather straight, and needle-like bill, the long legs, and the gray-and-white plumage. The only Tringa sandpipers as large are the Willet (71 semipalmata) and the Greater Yellowlegs. Spotted or Nordmann’s Greenshank (T. guttifer), a poorly known shorebird of eastern Asia, is somewhat smaller, has proportionately shorter legs, and unpatterned under- wing coverts. Compared to Greater Yellowlegs, the back and wing coverts of the greenshank are quite plain and almost completely lack white; the bird thus lacks the checkered appearance of the yellowlegs. The most noticeable difference is the white rump that extends up the back in the Common Greenshank. The largely white outer three pairs of rectrices of the specimen are quite different than Greater Yellowlegs, which has barring on both webs of on all rectrices. The flanks of the specimen have a few dark sparse spots. The throat and chin of the specimen have fine dark streaks, whereas this area is unstreaked white on the Greater Yellowlegs. The length of the tarsometatarsus of Common Greenshank averages somewhat shorter than Greater Yellowlegs with a wide range of overlap; the tarsus of the specimen however, is below the range given for Greater Yellowlegs in Pyle (2008). This is the first record for Florida and one of very few in the Western Hemisphere outside Alaska and the Pacific Coast. In eastern North America it is known only from a few records from Atlantic Canada (AOU 1998). A sight report from New York in August 1962 is considered hypothetical (Bull 1985). In addition, one was photo- graphed in May 2009 in Barbados (Norton et al. 2010). Audubon purportedly col- lected three Common Greenshanks at Key West in May 1832. The specimens, illustrated by Audubon, have not been located, and the species was considered not documented for Florida by Robertson and Woolfenden (1992). For the specimen from Tampa, in a dissenting vote, a FOSRC member felt that there was no direct evidence linking the specimen to the Tampa collecting locale, and that trade and some cases of fraud of specimens at that time cast doubt on the authenticity of the label data. Nineteenth Report — FOS Records Committee 157 Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus Hdihundus. 09-722 (LMe). This adult was described from an observation at Ponte Vedra Beach, ca. 1.6 km south of the northern boundary of Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (St. Johns Co.) on 11 February 2009, The one dissenting member felt the description did not exclude all other “black-headed” gulls or ones with aberrant soft-part coloring. 09-734 (LMa, CEd, TM, PB). This adult was present and photographed 7-12 Febru- ary 2009 at Cutler Wetlands at the corner of SW 223rd St. and SW 97th Ave. in Cut- ler Bay, (Miami-Dade Co,). There were seven previously documented records and one accepted sight report for Florida: one in Brevard Co. in 1972 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992) and an- other there April-May 2008, and singles in Leon Co. (August 1982), Collier Co. (No- vember 1990), Duval Co. (December 1998), Alachua Co. (January 2000), Indian River Co. (February 2002), and Miami-Dade Co. (October 2005). California Gull, Larus californica. 09-725 (MBr, AWK). This individual first-cycle gull, first found and photographed by Michael Brothers on 20 February at Daytona Beach Shores, (Volusia Co.), was easily distinguished as it had a deformed maxilla. It was last seen 2 March 2009. It was with the immense gull flock (>10,000 birds) that roosts in late afternoon at Daytona Beach Shores. 09-756 (MH). This basic adult was found and photographed 27 March 2009 at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa (Brevard Co.). 09-770 (MBr). This first-cycle gull was found and photographed 25 March 2009 at Daytona Beach Shores. It lacked the aberrant bill tip of FOSRC #09-725. A first-cycle California Gull observed but not photographed in December 2008 at the same locale may have been the same individual (see account below). The FOSRC has previously accepted four submissions: a sight report from Pinel- las Co. in 1983 (FOSRC #83-040), one photographed in Franklin Co. in 1998 (FOSRC #99-392), one photographed in April 2006 in Levy Co. (FOSRC #07-646), and one photographed in Volusia Co. in January-February 2008 (FOSRC #08-669). The state’s first record, photographed in Pinellas Co. in April 1978, has not been assessed by the FOSRC. Vega (Herring) Gull, Larus argentatus vegae. 09-761 (MBr, AJ). This basic-plumaged adult was found by Michael Brothers on 12 January 2009 at Daytona Beach Shores. Present through 25 February 2009, it was extensively photographed, and written analyses from several gull experts were submitted as well. This is the first verified record for Florida and eastern North America for this somewhat distinctive subspecies from the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Another Vega Gull, reported from Maryland in February 2009, has yet to be evaluated by the Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee (P. Davis in litt.). The gull in Daytona had a dark iris and, in comparison to nearby American Herring Gulls (L. a. smithsonianus) , a noticeably darker gray back and wings, a broader white secondary “skirt,” and a different pattern to the wing tips. All of the above differences closely match the characters of the vegae subspecies of Herring Gull, which is found in eastern Asia and occasionally western Alaska and the Pacific Coast of North America. Many authorities consider it to be dis- tinct at the species level, although the American Ornithologists’ Union has not split vegae from argentatus (Banks et al. 2008). The identification was supported by analyses from several gull experts, including a Korean very familiar with ve- gae. 158 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Thayer’S Gull, Larus thayeri. 09-726 (MBr, AWK). This first-cycle gull was found and photographed 2 March 2009 at Daytona Beach Shores, The one dissenting member was concerned about possible intergradation with Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, especially the overly pink base to the bill, the pale and unpatterned scapulars, the white edges to the tertials (not just the tips), and the lack of dark “hook-backs” on the tips of the primaries. There are 11 previous documented or accepted reports of Thayer’s Gull in Florida: one specimen and six records with photographs from before 1984 (and not reviewed by the FOSRC; Stevenson and Anderson 1994), but only four birds accepted by the FOSRC since: a bird photographed in March 1985 in Broward Co. (FOSRC #86-091, Dowling 1989), a sight report from Broward Co, in January 1999 (FOSRC #99-389, Bowman 2004), a bird photographed in November 2001 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #02- 460, Bowman 2004), and a bird photographed in March 2008 in Brevard Co. (FOSRC #08-678, Kratter 2010). Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides. 08- 708 (RS, BP), This first-cycle gull, found by Ron Smith and observed and photo- graphed by several others, was present 30 November 2008-18 April 2009 at Fort Is- land Gulf Beach (Citrus Co,). 09- 721 (MBe, AWK, MBr). This first-cycle gull was photographed by Mark Berney at Da3dona Beach Shores on 8 February 2009. At our meeting we were unable to deter- mine if one (FOSRC 09-766) of three Iceland Gulls submitted by Andrew Kratter and Michael Brothers from the same location on 2 March 2009 was a different bird, so it was lumped under this submission. 09-755 (MH). This pale first-cycle gull was found and photographed at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa (Brevard Co.) on 3 February 2009. 09-771 (MBr). This first-cycle gull was found and photographed at Da5rtona Beach Shores on 21 January 2009. It was more distinctly patterned than the other three Kumlien’s Iceland Gulls at this locale this winter (FOSRC # 09-721, 764, 765) and had a larger bill. 09-757 (MH). This pale first-cycle gull, found and photographed at the Central Dis- posal Facility in Cocoa on 13 March 2009. was slightly larger and longer winged, with a somewhat blockier head and slightly thicker and longer bill than the Iceland Gull seen earlier at the same locale (09-755). 09-764 (MBr, AWK), This first-cycle gull was found and photographed at Daytona Beach Shores on 2 March 2009, The dark markings on the scapulars and tertials on this otherwise pale gull are more distinct than those shown by the other Iceland Gulls at this locale in this year (FOSRC #09-721). 09-765 (MBr, AWK). This first-cycle ^11 was found and photographed at Daytona Beach Shores on 2 March 2009. This gull had generally darker plumage than 09-721 and 09-764, There were 17 previously accepted records for Florida (one supported by a speci- men, 16 supported by photographs). South Polae/Great/Brown Skua, Stercorarius maccormicki / skua / antarcticus. 09-742 (AWK, RN, TR), This bird was seen near first light on a pelagic trip on 24 May 2009, ca. 25 mi. southeast of Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia Co,). The observers re- marked on the large size, extensive white wing patches, short tail and wide wings that separate skuas from jaegers (in the American sense), especially from dark morph Pomarine Jaeger {S. pomarinus). The comments varied somewhat on plumage color, which is important for separating South Polar Skua from Great Skua, and may have resulted from different lighting conditions as the bird moved across the observ- ers’ views. Brown Skuas are thought to occur in the North Atlantic (see Hess 2004) Nineteenth Report — FOS Records Committee 159 but there they would be difficult to differentiate from South Polar Skua. The initial FOSRC vote to species (South Polar Skua) was unresolved. With that vote, the as- senting members agreed to vote on the submission as a skua species (South Polar, Great, or Brown) and accepted it as such. The FOSRC has previously accepted six records of South Polar Skua, four with photographs (31 October 1993 in Brevard Co., 9 November 1998 in Volusia Co., 10 October 1998 in Nassau Co., and 12 December 2000 in Palm Beach Co.) and two sight reports (5 September 1982 and 28 October 1994, both in Brevard Co.). Thick-billed Murre, Uria lomvia. 08- 706 (AWK). Brevard Co. This bird was found in a weakened condition on the beach on 16 November 2008 at Sebastian Inlet State Park (Brevard Co.), by Terese Harber, It subsequently died and the specimen was given to the FLMNH, where a study skin, partial skeleton, and spread wing were prepared (UF 46715). This win- ter-plumaged male shows the following characters distinctive for Thick-billed Murre: the short culmen (32 mm) is rather evenly curved through its length, the bill was deep, and the white edged inner secondaries are gray rather than black at the base. 09- 719 (BP). This specimen, found by Jack Hailman on 29 January 1999 on Jupiter Island, 5 mi. north of Jupiter Inlet (Palm Beach Co.), was given to the Archbold Bio- logical Station and prepared as a study skin (ABS 1388). It is previously unpub- lished and was “discovered” by Bill Pranty while photographing specimens at ABS in 2008. This immature shows a longer bill than the murre specimen from Brevard Co. (FOSRC #08-706, above), but the bill is deep with the same gradual curvature to the culmen. There is only one previously verified record for Florida, a specimen from Martin Co., 6 December 1992 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992; Bowman 2000). Zenaida Dove, Zenaida aurita. 09-746 (LMa). This bird was found and photographed 4 June 2009 by Larry Manfredi on Marseilles St., Upper Key Largo, two miles northeast of US Route 1 along C-905 (Monroe Co.); it was present until 7 June 2009. There are five substantiated records for Florida (two specimens before 1900, and three photographed, 1962-63, 1988, 2002, all from the Keys. In addition, three sight reports have been accepted by the FOSRC (1997, 2001, 2004), two from Monroe Co., and one from Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade Co. Stevenson and Anderson (1994) list three older sight reports that have not been reviewed by the FOSRC. White-throated Swift, Aeronautes saxatalis. 09-729 (LD, DK,). This bird hit a window on a beachside condominium on 9 April 2009 at Navarre Beach (Escambia Co.) and was brought alive to the Wildlife Sanctu- ary of Northwest Florida (Kratter and Kaufmann 2010). The bird was photographed and regained health at the facility, and was released 26 May at Perdido Key (Escam- bia Co.) by Dorothy Kaufmann. The bird rose and circled three times before disap- pearing from sight. The black and white patterned plumage is unique among the swifts north of Mexico. White-tipped Swift (A. montivagus) of the Andes is somewhat similar, but lacks the intrusion of white down the central underparts and males have white tail tips. This is the first state record. White-eared Hummingbird, Hylocharis leucotis. 09-731 (CS). In August 2004, Cecilia Strickland took photographs of a hummingbird at her residence in Panama City (Bay Co.). The bird remained unidentified for sev- eral years, until the photographs were shown to hummingbird bander Fred Bassett, 160 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST who tentatively identified it as a female White-eared Hummingbird and urged the observers to submit the photographs to the FOSRC. The photographs show a bright- green-backed hummingbird with white underparts at a feeder. A very bright white post-ocular stripe curved around the black auriculars. The sides of the throat and up- per flanks are spotted with green. The bill is not visible in either photograph. No other hummingbird combines these characteristics. The closest candidate is Speck- led Hummingbird {Adelomia melanogenys) of the eastern Andes (a most unlikely va- grant to Florida), which has more evenly distributed and smaller spots below and is duller green above. This is the first state record. Allen’s Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin. 09-715 (PD, LBC). This second-calendar-year male {fide R Bassett) was present and photographed from 25 January-25 February 2009 at 114 Shadow Lane, Lakeland (Polk Co.). This is the southernmost record in Florida. The FOSRC has accepted seven other in-hand identifications, all from north Florida (Escambia Co. east to Alachua Co.). An adult male photographed at a feeder on Cedar Key, Levy Co., 28 February 1988, regarded as “almost surely this species,” was treated properly as unverified at that time (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992). Tropical Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus. 08-704 (RT, LMa, MBe, DB, JB, JP). This yellow-bellied kingbird was found by Rob- erto Torres on 2 November 2008 at “Dump Marsh,” SW 248th St. & 97th Ave., Home- stead (Miami-Dade Co.) and subsequently seen, photographed, and audio recorded. It was present until 10 April 2009. On 8 November, two Tropical Kingbirds were found at the site by Mark Berney and both were heard vocalizing. Photographs were obtained of both birds together and show that one bird (08-705) had less wear in the wings and tail. 08- 705 (RT, LMa, MBe). This bird was present 8-15 November 2008 at the same lo- cale as FOSRC #08-704 (above). See preceding account. 09- 763 (TM, RT). This bird, in mostly worn plumage, was found and photographed 18 July 2009 at the corner of SW 316th St. and SW 112th Ave., Homestead (Miami- Dade Co.), about 8 km from where two Tropical Kingbirds wintered in 2008-2009 (FOSRC #08-704 and 705, above). The calls were described as twittering. It would be very difficult to determine if the bird under review here is one of these same individ- uals. It is likely that the kingbird could have returned to breed in Mexico and re- turned by July to Florida. These three records are the eighth through tenth accepted records of Tropical Kingbird in Florida; eight of these are supported by photographs and recordings and/ or descriptions of vocalizations, the other is an accepted sight report; In addition, four accepted records (three photos and one sight report, see FOSRC #09-760 below) exist of birds that were either Tropical Kingbird or Couch’s Kingbird {T. couchii). Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus I couchii. 09-760 (JM). This bird was found and photographed 14 June 2009 at Hickory Mound Wildlife Management Area (Taylor Co.) The bird did not vocalize, thus it could not be identified beyond the species pair Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird, although bill length would indicate Tropical Kingbird. There are ten accepted records of Tropical Kingbird in Florida (see above). In 1986, the FOSRC accepted two Couch’s Kingbird reports (86-092, 24 March 1986 at Loxahatchee NWR, Palm Beach Co., and 86-206, 20 November at St. Marks NWR, Wakulla Co.), but the species was removed from the Official State List in 1999 (Bow- Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 161 man 2000) because no records had documentation of vocalizations. This is the fourth accepted record of birds that were either Tropical Kingbird or Couch’s Kingbird {T. couchii). Cassin’S Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans. 08- 702 (CEd). This bird, found 18 October 2008 and present to 3 January 2009 at Stormwater Treatment Area 5 (Hendry Co.), was discovered in the same general vi- cinity as birds recorded in two previous winters (2007-2008, FOSRC #07-657; 2006- 2007, FOSRC #06-598), and all probably were the same individual. 09- 730 (LJ). This bird was found and photographed 10 October 2008 at the Pine Lakes Golf Community, Jacksonville (Duval Co.). The FOSRC had previously accepted eleven submissions (7 photographs, 4 sight reports), but three of these may represent the same individual returning over three winters to Orange Co., and this submission may represent the third record of this in- dividual. Loggerhead Kingbird, Tyrannus caudifasciatus. 09-736 (CG, LMa). Carl Goodrich found and photographed this bird on 12 April 2009 at Fort Zachary Taylor on Key West (Monroe Co.); it was present until 20 April. The bird has patches of leucistic (white) feathers in the crown, secondaries, and rectrices. This record quickly followed the first and second records from Florida: the first, also at Fort Zachary Taylor, in March 2007 (FOSRC 07-632; Kratter 2008) and the second in March 2008 at the Dry Tortugas National Park (Monroe Co). This species has had a convoluted history on the Official List. Birds photographed in the 1970s were accepted by Robertson and Woolfenden (1992), but Smith et al. (2000) reviewed these records and concluded that none established the species for the state. The FOSRC subsequently voted to remove the species from the list in 2003 (Bowman and Greenlaw 2006), and it was not reinstated until the appearance of the Key West bird in 2007. Varied Thrush, Ixoreus naevius. 09-767 (BP). Woolfenden and Banks (2004) provide details and photographs of this specimen (GEW 5950 at Archbold Biological Station), which was found dead 17 No- vember 2002 in Panama City (Bay Co.). Previous accepted Florida reports include two sight reports, one from Escambia Co. in November 1984 (FOSRC #85-076, and the other January 1988 from Bay Co. (FOSRC #88-132), and one photographed in Pinellas Co. in November 1996 (FOSRC #96-371). White Wagtail, Motacilla alba. 08-703 (JE, KR, LM). This winter-plumaged bird was found by Jim Eager on 30 Octo- ber 2008 at the south end of the Florida Keys Marathon Airport (Monroe Co). He alerted a few other birders who were able to see and photograph the bird that day; it was not seen thereafter. This is the second Florida record. The first, in March 2007 in Pasco Co. (Pranty 2007), was of the nominate subspecies from Greenland, Iceland, and western Europe. The bird in Marathon had a narrow dark streak behind the eye and a gray rump, indicative of the subspecies in eastern Russia and Alaska (M. a. ocularis', Alstrbm and Mild 2003). Thus, the two Florida records represent races from opposite ends of the species’ broad east-west distribution across the Palearc- tic. 162 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST KirTLAND’S Warbler, Dendroica kirtlandii. 09-737 (KBK). This color-banded bird was found and photographed 24 April 2009 at Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa (Brevard Co.). It was not seen thereafter. This male was banded on the breeding grounds in Oscoda County, Michigan, in summer 2008. Six previous reports have been accepted for Florida (one specimen, three photos, and two accepted sight reports). Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys. 08-698 (JM). This bird was found and photographed 13 September 2008 at Alligator Point (Franklin Co.). Previously verified records or accepted reports in Florida of this species include one specimen (Miami-Dade Co., 30 September 1968), three that were photographed (Okaloosa Co., 31 August-30 September 1967; Orange Co., 18 April-6 May 1977; Franklin Co., 1 February- 15 March 1985), and one sight report (Wakulla Co., 9 Sep- tember 1990) accepted by the FOSRC (Baker 1991, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Harris’s Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula. 08- 709 (BW). This adult was found by Ginny Rose and identified by Rex Rowan dur- ing an outing of a local bird group on 6 December 2008 on the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (Alachua Co.). It was present and widely photo- graphed until 22 February 2009. This is the ninth record or accepted report for Flor- ida. 09- 752 (MBe, AW). This bird was present and photographed 24 January- 13 February 2004 on Wainwright Drive, east of Sunnyland Station (Hendry Co.). Six previous records in Florida are supported by photographs (from Orange, Brevard, Alachua, Okaloosa, Seminole, and Volusia cos.), and two sight reports have been accepted by the FOSRC (from Escambia and Okaloosa cos.). Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena. 09-724 (MA). This second-year male was found and photographed 14 February 2009 on Mead Drive in Oviedo (Seminole Co.). 09-733 (RF). A male and female were described from an observation on 28 March 2009 at Kirby Storter Roadside Park, Big Cypress National Preserve (Collier Co.). We decided to assess the male and female separately because females are much more difficult to separate from Indigo Bunting (P. cyanea). The male was accepted; the one dissenting member felt that the bird was too distant to rule out other passerines. The female was not accepted. The very brief description men- tions that the bird was brownish with bars on the wings, the back was a little darker, and it was same size as the male. Male Lazuli Buntings often associate with Indigo Buntings in Florida, and the brief description does not provide enough detail to differentiate the two, especially the color and extent of the wing- bars and the shape of the bill. Nine records and reports have been accepted previously by the FOSRC. Bullock’s Oriole, Icterus bullockii. 09-717 (FR, EO). This adult female, present and photographed 11 January-March 2009, is undoubtedly the same individual returning to feeders for the fourth straight winter (2007-2008, FOSRC #08-665; 2006-2007, FOSRC#07-628; 2005-2006, FOSRC#06-607) at 3210 Brookforest Drive, Tallahassee (Leon Co.). 09-718 (AW). This first-winter male visited feeders and was photographed on 23 Jan- uary 2009 at 131 Willaura Circle, Tallahassee (Leon Co.). 09-723 (PBz). This first-winter male was observed 15 December 2008 near a golf course on Plantation Lane in Crystal River (Citrus Co.). Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 163 There were eight previously confirmed records of Bullock’s Oriole for Florida (Pranty et al. 2005, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), although four of these likely refer to the same individual. Submissions Not Accepted Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator. 08- 707. This adult was photographed 29 April 2007 along CR 724 near Basinger (Okeechobee Co.) and showed distinct features of Trumpeter Swan, including the rusty stained head plumage, the long, all black, bill with a straight culmen, the straight angular border to the base of the upper mandible (as opposed to the vertical or convex border of the Tundra Swan, C. columbianus), and the entire inclusion of the eye within the facial skin (Pyle 2008). The status of Trumpeter Swans in eastern North America is not settled, however; in the past few decades, birds have been in- troduced mainly into the Great Lakes region, with breeding in that area. Vagrant birds, presumably from these reintroduced populations, have shown up in several states along the east coast, but not all records committees (e.g., New York, Massa- chusetts, South Carolina) have considered the populations sufficiently established to add the species to their official state lists. Other records committees (e.g., North Carolina) have apparently regarded them as vagrants from established populations. The Maryland Records Committee considered a pre-1950 record to represent a wild vagrant, but recent birds are not from established populations. The FOSRC accepted the identification of the Okeechobee Co. bird as a Trumpeter Swan, but did not ac- cept that it was from an established population. The Committee would like to see more widespread acceptance that populations in the northeast are established before admitting the species to the Official List. Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus. 09- 749. A group of visiting birders reported three review species (09-748,-749,-750) on 22 January 2009 from their trip around Pinellas Co. The descriptions in all three submissions were cursory and did not definitely exclude far more common species. The brief description in this sight report from St. Petersburg mentioned a smaller bill and grayer plumage than Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), but Pied- billed Grebes vary in these characters with age, season, molt, and wear of plumage. The observer admitted that eye-color and bill shape were not noted. In addition, Eared Grebe {Podiceps nigricollis) was not considered. Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus. 09-750. In the submission, a sight report from Lake Maggiore Park (Pinellas Co.) on 22 January 2009, the observer admits that he was “not real good with hawks.” The observer states “plain face, size [about size of Red-shouldered or Swainson’s Hawk], and combination of black belly with light breast only fit Rough-legged Hawk;” how- ever, this could describe a small Red-tailed Hawk {B. jamaicensis) with a well-formed belly band as well. Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio. 09-728. Pranty et al. (2000) documented the initial population growth of this exotic species in Florida. It is native to much of the tropical and subtropical Old World, out- side of Africa. In Florida, some pairs originating from an aviculturist’s yard near Pembroke Pines (Broward Co.) began breeding and spreading in the mid 1990s. By 1998, Bill Pranty documented nesting and a minimal population of 84 individuals. In interviews with local residents, Pranty determined that the population was founded ca. December 1996. By 2007, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 164 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST (FWC) had determined that the population had grown so large that it could present threats to native wildlife and plant communities. The FWC and the South Florida Water Management District began a program to eradicate the swamphen by tar- geted hunting, mostly in Water Conservation Areas of south Florida. By March 2009 they had shot over 3,100 swamphens, but there appeared to be little impact on the population, which was estimated to be 2,000-3,000 extant birds. In 2009 the FF- WCC considered the eradication effort a failure and terminated the program. Swamphens have been noted north to Lake and Brevard cos., along with one photo- graphed at Glennville, Georgia, 21 Nov 2009 that probably had dispersed from Flor- ida. Appendix A of the FOSRC’s Rules and Procedures delimits criteria that a population must meet for an exotic species to be considered established in Florida, and thus added to the Official State List. The population must meet 1) the Persistence Criterion, which states that a stable or increasing population of that species has persisted continuously in one or more areas for at least 15 years, and 2) at least one or both of these additional criteria: a. An exotic species that has exhibited rapid population growth by widely evident natural reproduction, accompanied by evidence of extensive range expansion within (and perhaps beyond) Florida, may be deemed “established.” The ex- ample of the Eurasian Collared-Dove in Florida during the late 20th century provides a model application of this rule (Population Growth and Range Ex- pansion criteria), even though the origin of this species in the state may be in doubt. See 3b for publication requirement. b. An exotic species for which there is acceptable evidence that successful nesting (fledged young) is a characteristic of one or more local populations of several hundred individuals, that this nesting activity is recruiting young adults into the population(s), that (if applicable) the population(s) have exhibited resilience in the face of major perturbations such as hurricanes or habitat disruptions, and that there is little or no evidence that ongoing releases play a significant role in population maintenance, may be deemed “established,” but only after such evidence as is available has been published in at least one scientific source (e.g., peer-reviewed journal, technical book), or after this evidence has been amassed by a Committee member or some other in- terested individual and reviewed by the Committee. In the last instance, a detailed analysis of the issue must be published in a suitable scientific source if a judgment of Establishment is rendered by the Committee. Fur- thermore, by extension, the requirement for publication applies to species considered “established” under section 3a as well. The Committee felt that the population of Purple Swamphens in Florida probably met both criteria 2a and 2b, but did not meet the Persistence Criterion, because an in- creasing population had only been present since 1996 (13 years). We felt that there was little doubt that the population would meet the Persistence Criterion in the next few years. Lesser Sand-Plover, Charadrius mongolus. 09-748. This sight report documented two individuals on 22 January 2009 at Honey- moon Island State Park (Pinellas Co.). The Committee felt that the birds observed were almost certainly Wilson’s Plover (C. wilsonia); winter plumages illustrated in many field guides do not show the range of variation in that species, and many do not show that the breast band may be broken. This was the character that led the ob- server to conclude that they were not Wilson’s Plovers. The only Florida record is a bird photographed in Wakulla Co. in September 2005 (Curtis 2007, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 165 California Gull, Lams californicus. 09-769. This first- winter bird, found 5 December 2008 at Daytona Beach Shores (Vo- lusia Co.), was not photographed. The description fit California Gull, and indicated that it was in largely juvenal plumage, as expected of a California Gull at this sea- son. It did not have an aberrant bill like the California Gull photographed at the same locale in February and March (FOSRC #09-725). However, another first-cycle California Gull was discovered (and photographed) at the same locale in March (FOSRC #09-770). It was further along in molt than the bird seen in December, as would be expected. The Conimittee felt that the December bird could well have been the same individual as the one in March, so this submission was subsumed under FOSRC #09-770. Yellow-legged Gull, Lams michahellis. 08-673. This first-cycle gull was present and photographed 27 January-10 February 2008 at the Tomoka Landfill, Daytona Beach, (Volusia Co.). The committee received opinions from a variety of gull experts. Among them were several Eurpopeans, in- cluding ornithologists who have published papers on the geographic variation and taxonomic status of Yellow-legged Gull; researchers who are studying the molt, age- ing, and identification criteria of Yellow-legged Gull; and birders who have extensive experience with the different populations of Yellow-legged Gull. The photos showed a large gull (about the size of a Herring Gull), with a large, mostly dark bill, white head and breast streaked lightly with brown, rather long wings, mostly dark prima- ries with only a suggestion of a pale window in the inner primaries, mostly new scap- ulars with distinct dark anchor pattern, pale wing coverts with indistinct brown bars, and a white tail with broad dark subterminal band and no dark barring in the outer rectrices. This first-cycle gull generated some debate among the European gull experts. Prior to the August 2008 FOSRC meeting, eight of nine experts thought it was a Yellow-legged Gull, probably from one of the Atlantic populations in France, Spain, or Portugal. One of these experts, however, did not feel that the bird was typi- cal. Another expert was not sure what it was, but did not think it was a Yellow-legged Gull. The vote at the August meeting left the issue unresolved (5 votes to accept, and 2 not to accept). Following the August meeting, commentary on the gull’s identification continued from three of the European experts. Two characters were considered atypical for a first-cycle Yellow-legged Gull. First, the outer webs of the inner primaries (pp 1- at least 4 in both wings), showed a blaze of paleness; these are typically all dark. Sec- ond, the molt was more retarded than expected, as the bird retained several juvenal scapulars and had not yet initiated wing covert replacement; by January first-cycle Yellow-legged Gulls have typically completed scapular molt and have started molt in the wing coverts. One expert maintained that by a process of elimination. Yellow- legged Gull appeared to be the only option, but had earlier declared . . as a first for Florida, you may wish to wait for a more typical individual.” Another expert, for- merly supportive, recommended leaving it as an unidentified Lams species, given the two atypical characters previously mentioned and the relative freshness of the plumage compared to European birds of the same age. The third expert did not ex- press an opinion on the specific identity, but was “puzzled” by the bird and ques- tioned whether it was safe to identify such birds away from their normal range, especially those showing atypical characters. 09-753. This first-cycle gull was found and photographed 20 February 2009 at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa. The five photographs show a rather dark gull, in an advanced state of molt. All scapular and back feathers, as well as many wing co- verts have been replaced with first-basic plumage. The bird is perched among Laugh- ing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) and Ring-billed Gulls {Lams delaw arensis), and 166 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST appears larger, but not as large as a Herring Gull would appear. The major diffi- culty is separating Yellow-legged from Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus). Al- though the advanced molt points toward Yellow-legged, some Lesser Black- backed Gulls can be this advanced in molt in late February (Olson and Larsson 2004). A Yellow-legged Gull should appear at least as large as a Herring Gull, and many show a much thicker bill than the bird described. Although structur- ally this bird lacks the characteristic elongated shape of Lesser Black-backed, shape is quite variable in both species. A good view of the tail would help im- mensely, but no shots of a spread tail were submitted, and the view of the closed tail appears to show that the outer rectrices are mainly black; the observer, how- ever, described that the black subterminal bar was widest centrally, fitting Yel- low-legged Gull. Overall, the Committee felt that the bird could not be conclusively differentiated from a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Thayer’S Gull, Larus thayeri. 09-758. The one submitted photograph, taken 6 March 2009 at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa, shows a first-cycle gull standing among Laughing and Ring-billed gulls. This bird is slightly larger than those species, with long wings, a somewhat rounded head, and a small black bill, tinged pinkish basally. The visible primaries are brown, with pale areas on some of the outer webs. The inner webs of the prima- ries, most of the tertials, and tail cannot be seen. The coverts, scapulars and back are pale brown mottled white. Many in the Committee thought that the size and pale plumage were more similar to a Kumlien’s Iceland Gull than to Thayer’s, or possibly represented a hybrid between the two. Iceland Gull, Lams glaucoides. 08-695. This first-cycle gull was observed 29 January 2008 at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa. The rather brief description included several characters that are indicative of Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, such as the moderate size, between that of Her- ring and Ring-billed gulls, short dark bill, rounded head, and white primaries with few brown bars. However, the description did not include the length of the primaries and details of the tail and tertials, which are important criteria for differentiating an Iceland Gull from a small, bleached or leucistic Herring Gull, a pale Thayer’s Gull, or a hybrid combination. The vote at the August 2008 meeting was not resolved (5 votes to accept and 2 not to accept). No new material was presented at the February meet- ing. One member was of the opinion that the spate of recent, well documented Ice- land Gull records in Florida (see above and Kratter 2008) and the occurrence of some problematic individuals have established a higher standard for acceptance. The other votes of the Committee mirrored this sentiment. White-winged Tern, Chlidonias leucopterus. 08-697. This bird, photographed in the company of Black Terns (C niger) on August 2008 in Pensacola Bay from 447 Creary St., Pensacola (Escambia Co.), was not no- ticed until the photographs were examined later. The photograph is overexposed and some parts of the image are washed out. The bird was an adult molting into basic plumage. Much of the body was still black, but the head was largely white, a plum- age variant seen in molting White-winged Terns during August (Olsen and Larsson 1995). Although Olsen and Larsson stated that most adult Black Terns have largely molted into basic plumage by mid-August, this may be true only in the Old World subspecies; North American Black Terns can still show lots of black body plumage even into September (A. Kratter pers. obs.). The primaries of the subject were white, as are the primary coverts on both upper and under wing. The lesser coverts were white, but the median coverts appeared dark. The underwing coverts looked dark, Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 167 but were in heavy shadow. The bird appeared smaller than a nearby Black Tern, but the bill looked proportionally similar. Although the dark underwing coverts indicated White-winged Tern, the primary coverts were white, as in Black Terns but not in White-winged Terns. The upper median coverts appeared dark, as in Black Terns; these should be white in White-winged Terns. The Committee felt that this was a somewhat late-molting adult Black Tern. A sight report of White-winged Tern in April 2007 from Santa Rosa Co. was also not accepted by the FOSRC (Kratter 2008). Northern Shrike, Lanius excubitor. 09-732. This adult shrike, found and photographed 27 December 2007 at Merritt Is- land NWR (Brevard Co.), had a large bill with a prominent hook. Although the bill hook is more pronounced in Northern Shrike than in the common Loggerhead Shrike (L. ludovicianus), all other features of this bird fit the latter. In particular, the bill is not long enough, the black of the lores is too extensive and continues onto the fore- head, and the outer rectrices show no black basally. In addition, almost all Northern Shrike records from south of their usual wintering distribution are of hatch-year/sec- ond-year birds,. There are no previous records of Northern Shrike for Florida. Thick-billed Vireo, Vireo crassimstris. 09-759. This bird was observed 9 April 2009 at Everglades City (Collier Co.). The de- scription in this sight report mentioned yellow lores, solid yellow underparts, and a distinctive song, less wheezy song than that of the White-eyed Vireo (V. griseus). However, the description lacked mention of a key character to separate Thick-billed Vireo from White-eyed Vireo, namely the broken white eye-ring, which contrasts markedly with the yellow lores. The dark iris was also not mentioned. The under- parts of most Thick-billed Vireos from Florida are not as solidly yellow as shown in some field guides. The description did not exclude Yucatan Vireo (V magister). The FOSRC has accepted nine previous reports (3 photos, 2 audio recordings, 4 sight reports). Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina. 08-710. Five observers saw this bird during the Merritt Island NWR Christmas Bird Count on 20 December 2008. Two observers submitted FOSRC forms. It was seen twice over the course of the day, both times fl5dng wdth a group of about ten Tree Swallows (T. bicolor). The birds were seen fairly well, but the observers were not able to obtain photographs. Although the details point to Violet-green Swallow (small size, white face, white patches on sides of rump), the Committee felt that verifiable evidence would be necessary to add this species to the Official List. There is no accepted report of this species in Florida. The FOSRC previously did not accept a sight report from Monroe Co, in February 1988 (FOSRC #89-162, Baker 1991). Stevenson and Anderson (1994) list three other sight reports, all considered “very questionable.” Submissions Not Resolved Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena. 09-711. This bird was found and photographed 7 January 2009 at Bunche Beach (Lee Co.). This submission was withdrawn by the observer (visiting from overseas) after photographs of what was thought to be the same bird were posted on the Internet, which definitely showed a Horned Grebe (P. auritus). However, on his return home, the original observer looked more carefully at his photographs and thought that his 168 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST depicted a different bird. He submitted these to the Committee and asked to reopen the submission (vote 7 to 0 to reopen). The original observer’s three photographs are all rather distant and show a grebe swimming alone. The photographs show a mostly dark gray grebe with a white cheek patch, a flat head, and a rather long bill; in one photo the bill looks vaguely tinged yellowish. The forehead is quite sloping and the head flat and squared off toward the back. The bill length and head shape vary among the photographs, perhaps because of diving behavior. The vote was not re- solved (2 to accept, 5 not to accept). There are only three previously accepted reports of Red-necked Grebe for Florida, all from the western Panhandle: one photographed in Santa Rosa Co. in December 2000 (FOSRC #01-437, Bowman 2004); a sight report from Santa Rosa Co. in Janu- ary 2001 (FOSRC #01-442, Bowman 2004); and a sight report from February 2008 in Escambia Co. (FOSRC #08-675, Kratter 2010). Razorbill, A/ca torda. 09-713. On 12 December 2008 this bird was found on a beach at Sebastian Inlet State Park (Indian River Co.); it then walked into the water and swam off. The sub- mission included a very brief description of the bird, mentioning size (two feet in length), a penguin-like black bill with a white circle around it, black upperparts and white underparts. The February 2009 vote was not resolved (2 to accept, 5 not to ac- cept). Votes not to accept were based on the too brief description and on size, which as reported was too large; members voting to accept mentioned that the bill pattern is unique to Razorbill. No new information was available for the August meeting. At this meeting, the justiflcations for votes to accept and not accept were similar to those in February, and, not surprisingly, the submission remained unresolved (3 to accept, 4 not to accept). This rare winter visitor was previously known from Florida on the basis of one photographed in Brevard Co. in 1967 (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992), 12 speci- mens (Stevenson and Anderson 1994; Pranty 1993, 1996;Greenlaw and Kratter 2007), and one sight report from Volusia Co. (Kratter 2010). White-tipped Dovs.^Leptotila verreauxi. 09-751. On 3 May 2009, this bird was flushed from the ground and seen in flight across a pond by two observers at Indigenous Park on Key West (Monroe Co.). The observer mentioned shape (chunkier and shorter-winged than our typical doves”), a squared tail “like a Zenaida Dove,” the white-tipped outer two or three rectrices, and that it was “all brown, darker than Mourning, White-winged, or [Eurasian] Collared- Doves.” It was submitted as a “probable White-tipped Dove” so we assessed it both as a White-tipped and as Leptotila sp. The Committee voted not to accept to species; we felt that there was not enough detail to preclude Caribbean Dove (L. jamaicensis), which has an introduced popula- tion on New Providence in the Bahamas. Caribbean Dove has not been recorded in Florida, although the proximity of New Providence makes it a possible stray. The vote on whether to accept as Leptotila sp. was not resolved. Those voting against accepting to genus felt that not enough detail was provided. Both White- tipped Dove and Caribbean Dove show a paler forehead that should contrast mark- edly with the rest of the plumage. The bright cinnamon underwing coverts of both species were not mentioned. There are two previous Florida records, both from the Dry Tortugas: one (FOSRC #99-357) was photographed 6-7 April 1995; the other (FOSRC #03-504) was photo- graphed 19 April 2003. The closest resident population is on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 169 “Audubon’s” Yellow-RUMPED Warbler, Dendroica coronata [audubonii group]. 09-754. This bird was seen by two observers on 13 December 2008 at the Southwest Regional Library Wetlands in Pembroke Pines (Broward Co.). The brief description did not include characters other than those that could differentiate “Audubon’s” from Myrtle Warbler. These include a yellow throat, yellow crown, broad white wing patch, uniformly colored cheeks, and lack of a white supercilium. The vote was not resolved; the two members voting not to accept thought that an Audubon’s Warbler should not show a broad white wing patch in basic plumage, and that it seemed that an alternate-plumaged male had been described. The three reports previously accepted by the FOSRC include a sight report in April 1988 from the Dry Tortugas National Park (FOSRC #88-143, Dowling 1989), a photographic record in April 2008 from same locale (FOSRC #08-687, Kratter 2010), and a fall migrant photographed 28 September 2006 in Pinellas Co. (FOSRC #06- 592, Greenlaw and Kratter 2007). Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivacea. 09-735. This male was present and photographed 20-26 April 2009 at Fort Zachary Taylor on Key West (Monroe Co.). The photographs show a Yellow-faced Grassquit of the nominate West Indian subspecies. It is believed that the Mexican and northern Central American subspecies are far more common in captivity than the West Indian subspecies (Smith et al. 1991), which has previously led the FOSRC to accept indi- viduals of the latter. It was recently brought to the Committee’s attention that sev- eral shipments of Yellow-faced Grassquits (subspecies not listed) have been confiscated by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Miami, with an origin listed as Cuba, whereas no confiscated birds are listed as originating in Mex- ico or Central America. In one instance, nominate Yellow-faced Grassquits were con- fiscated by the USFWS in the Bahamas from a passenger fi5dng from Cuba and attempting to bring the birds into the United States (Norton and White 2001). Also, a free-flying Yellow-faced Grassquit was reported from Miami recently; however, af- ter the meeting it was revealed that it was of the subspecies pusilla from Mexico, which is less likely to occur as a vagrant in Florida. The dissenting four votes felt that a captive provenance of this bird could not be ruled out. The two previous records for Florida, both of the nominate West Indian subspe- cies, were in areas that are far from sources of presumed captive escapes: the first (FOSRC #94-305) was in the Dry Tortugas in April 1994, and the second (FOSRC #01-440) was in Everglades National Park in February 2001. Tricolored Munia, Lonchura malacca. 09-762. Two adults were photographed on 7 July 2009 on Garden Key in the Dry Tor- tugas National Park. This species, native to southeast Asia, has established exotic populations on Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (AOU 1998) and Cuba (Raffaelle et al. 1998, Garrido and Kirkconnell 2000), The identification of the two birds on the Dry Tortugas was not disputed. The species’ populations on Cuba and Jamaica may have been established by birds colonizing from Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, and thus is known to be capable of overwater flights. The bird appears to be popular in the pet- bird trade in the United States. The four dissenting votes felt that the birds may have escaped from captivity and flown to the Dry Tortugas. Also plausible is that birds may have been smuggled from Cuba and set free at sea or near the Dry Tortugas. If accepted, this would be the first accepted record for Florida and the American Birding Association (ABA) area. Robertson and Woolfenden (1992) considered the Tricolored Munia a non-established exotic in Florida. A previous Florida record (FOSRC #99-398) was not accepted by the FOSRC (Bowman and Greenlaw 2000) be- cause of provenance. 170 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Old Files Reopened Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris. 04-536. This female, found on 20 December 2003 in Gainesville (Alachua Co.), was originally submitted as a sight report in 2005, but was not accepted. At the time, it would have been a first for Florida, and the FOSRC felt that better documentation was required. In February 2009, two photographs of a female hummingbird taken the following day were submitted to the FOSRC. The vote to reopen was five to reopen, and two not to reopen, which allowed for re- consideration. The dissenting members felt that the new photographs were not of high enough quality to overturn the previous decision. Because the FOSRC has ac- cepted three Broad-billed Hummingbirds since this sight report (FOSRC #04-549, 08-660, 08-664), we could also relax the criterion, held by all current members, that only records with irrefutable evidence (e.g., photographs, specimens, diagnostic sound recordings) could be used to add a species to the Official List. The new photographs are quite distant and not very sharp. FOSRC members Kratter and Murphy were present on day after the bird was found. Kratter reported that there was much confusion regarding the sighting of hummingbirds that day. A female Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) was known to have been present for a few days; further, not known at the time was that a female Calliope Humming- bird (Stellula calliope) was also present, and this bird was photographed by Kratter and probably others thinking that it could be the Broad-billed Hummingbird. The Calliope Hummingbird was later banded by Fred Bassett. Murphy was certain he saw a Broad-billed Hummingbird. The vote was not resolved. The five dissenting votes felt that the new photographs were not diagnostic. In addition, the three FOSRC forms submitted originally differ on some characters, including presence or absence of white in the tail and in color of the underparts. Caribbean Elaenia, Elaenia martinica. 84-063. This bird, found and photographed on 28 April 1984 at Fort Pickens (Escam- bia Co.), provides the only record of the species for the United States and the ABA area. The ABA Checklist Committee (ABA-CLC) accepted it in 1984-5 and the FOSRC also accepted it in May 1986 in the second round of review. The American Ornithologists’ Union Check-List Committee did not accept it, and this decision was followed by Robertson and Woolfenden (1992). Thus, when the FOSRC made Robert- son and Woolfenden its baseline list, the species was removed without comment from the Official State List. FOSRC member Jon Greenlaw moved to reopen the file, and at least five of us voted to pursue this action. Contents of the file include the sole, rather distant photo, detailed descriptions of plumage and vocalizations by the dis- coverer (Evelyn Barbig) and by Bob Duncan and Mike Magley, a shorter description by Fred Griffin, and a copy of the ABA-CLC report in Birding (1985, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. 261-266). This article includes a letter from John Fitzpatrick supporting the identification, a long synopsis by ABA-CLC member Kenn Kaufman supporting the identification, a short dissenting opinion by ABA-CLC member Dan Gibson, and a brief note by Bob Ridgely in reply to Fitzpatrick’s observation that the voice of the White-crested Elaenia {E. albiceps) is quite different from that described for the indi- vidual at Fort Pickens. With most tyrannid species’ voices now available online (www.xenocanto.com), the Committee had a wider range of vocalizations for refer- ence than the previous committees that deliberated on this record. Bill Pranty also made the contents of the ABA-CLC file available to Committee members. The photo shows a rather elongated tyrannid flycatcher with a small head and short bill. The bird is conspicuously crested, with white visible at the rear of the crest (also noted in the written description). The only t3rrannids likely in North America Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 171 with white in the crest are the diverse assemblage of species in the genus Elaenia. Species in the genus Myiopagis, also known as elaenias, are smaller and have yellow in the crests. The underparts of the bird in the photo were hidden by a leaf, but were described as white. The bird showed rather conspicuous white wingbars. The calls were described as pleasant whistles in complex phrases, rather unlike any tyrannid, but perhaps closest to E. martinica among the elaenias. The calls of E. albiceps are quite different, with hoarse notes in simple two-note phrases. The Committee felt that the photos unambiguously showed an elaenia in the ge- nus Elaenia, most likely either E, martinica or E. albiceps. In E. martinica, the crest is usually not as conspicuous as that of the bird in the photo, although the bird was reported to be singing, and elaenias may erect the crest when singing. The described voice is more similar to that of martinica, but the description did not closely match recorded vocalizations of martinica that we heard, or transliterated descriptions pro- vided in field guides. Because the bird cannot be safely identified to species from the material (photograph) available to the Committee, no verifiable evidence exists that establishes the bird as E. martinica. The vote to species {E. martinica) was not ac- cepted. However, the photo does establish that an Elaenia sp. occurred in Florida, and because no other species in the genus has been recorded here, we voted to add Elaenia sp. to the Official List. Northern Wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe. 82-020. This record, which Smith and Woolfenden (1995) proclaimed was ‘l3eset with irregularities,” was originally submitted as a sight report and not accepted by the FOSRC. It was found 21 September 1982 at St. George Island (Franklin Co.). At the time, however, it was not revealed that the bird was collected (LSI! 136610; photo- graphs added to FOSRC #82-020 file). Smith and Woolfenden (1995) concluded that it was likely collected in Florida. The photographs of the mummified specimen show the bird next to a Northern Wheatear collected in Louisiana. The St. George Island speci- men is a close match, showing similar size and structure (long wings, short tail), with buff underparts, black wings with buff edges to the coverts and remiges, white rump, and black tail with white bases to the outer rectrices. The vote to reopen was unani- mous. The submission was accepted. One dissenting member felt that the many irreg- ularities in the specimen's history rendered the locality and date data suspect. Bachman’s Warbler, Vermivora bachmanii. 85-075. This controversial bird was found and photographed 30 March 1977 at Lake Washington, west of Melbourne (Brevard Co.). The record, described in Barber (1985), was accepted by the FOSRC in 1985 the same year. Five photographs and a written analysis, which included transcribed opinions of S. D. Ripley and R. F. Pasquier from the National Museum of Natural History, H. M. Stevenson from Florida, and N. K. Johnson and S. F. Bailey from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of Califor- nia, Berkeley, were originally submitted to the FOSRC. The original correspondence from the experts, however, is not in the FOSRC file. In addition, R. Barber and Dan Heathcote, who also saw the Brevard Co. bird, visited the Academy of Natural Sci- ences, Philadelphia (ANSP), to study warbler specimens. The identification as a Bach- man’s Warbler is particularly intriguing, because the last accepted record of this probably extinct species was in 1962 in South Carolina. In their warbler monograph, Dunn and Garrett (1997) questioned the identification as a Bachman’s Warbler (as had others in Internet posts). Dunn and Garrett (1997) concluded that this was likely a fe- male ''Golden” Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia in the petechia group), which is res- ident in mangroves in southernmost Florida (subsp. gundlachii) and throughout most of the Caribbean. However, they did not provide reasons for their conclusion. Interest- ingly, Yellow Warbler was never considered by either the original observers or the con- 172 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST suited experts. With the recent question of the identity of this bird, the FOSRC decided to re-assess the submission. At the August 2008 meeting, the Committee had digital copies of the original photos, a digital photograph posted to the Internet of three Bach- man’s Warbler specimens from VIREO (Visual Resources for Ornithology), and speci- mens of Golden Yellow Warblers and North American (aestiva group) Yellow Warblers from the FLMNH and Archbold Biological Station. The photographs of the 1977 bird, none of which was very sharp, show a very drab, pale brownish warbler, whitish below with a band of pale yellow across the chest, no wingbars, indistinct yellow edges on the remiges and perhaps on some coverts. The primary extension appears short. The bill seems to have a slightly curved maxilla. The plumage matches that of some Bachman’s Warblers, but may also approach that of some female Golden Warblers, although none of the specimens or photographs we examined shows such drab plumage in a spring fe- male. The primary extension of Bachman’s Warbler appears long in the VIREO photo- graphs, but the angle of the photographs does not permit an accurate assessment of this character. Unlike Yellow Warblers of the aestiva group, Golden Yellow Warblers have a short primary extension (FLMNH specimens). The bill of the Brevard Co. bird does not appear to be as decurved as that of typical Bachman’s Warblers, but the ob- servers thought it matched a female specimen at the ANSR The Committee felt that it needed more comparative material to overturn a prior FOSRC decision and voted to table the vote at the August 2008 meeting. At the February 2009 meeting, comparative photographs taken from several an- gles were available of Bachman’s Warblers in the National Museum of Natural His- tory collection, as well as comments from Jon Dunn and Kimball Garrett stating their reasons for considering the bird in the photographs to be a Golden Yellow War- bler. Discussion at our meeting focused on the plumage and structural characters (all noted above), the migratory habits of both Golden Yellow and Bachman’s warblers, the higher standards for both discounting a previous decision of the Committee, and for establishing the presence of a bird thought to be extinct earlier. The vote was un- resolved (3 votes to accept as Bachman’s Warbler, 4 votes not to accept). For the August 2009 meeting FOSRC member Mark Berney compiled additional photographs of hand-held and wild gundlachii Yellow Warblers. We first voted to re- open this submission, because we were unclear how the rules operated at our previ- ous meeting; the vote to reopen passed six to one. Five or more votes to reopen puts the submission back into consideration and nullifies the previous decision. The photographs of gundlachii Yellow Warblers show an individual from the same season (21 February) with plumage nearly identical to the bird in this submis- sion, as well as handheld shots of another drab bird in fall (5 October 2003). Both gundlachii individuals are pale gray overall, with the primaries, tertials, and wing coverts edged paler. Bachman’s Warblers show plainer wings, especially on the ter- tials (Pyle 1997). The 21 February bird has spots of yellow in the face, on the sides of the upper breast and rump, very close to the pattern on the Lake Washington bird. The Lake Washington bird appears to be molting some wing coverts; second-year Yel- low Warblers replace 3-10 wing coverts in their pre-alternate molt, whereas Bach- man’s Warblers do not replace wing coverts during their limited pre-alternate molt (Pyle 1997). The dorsal view of the rectrices of the Lake Washington bird shows pale edges to the outer webs; the ventral view of the rectrices is not very sharp, and does not show any pattern. Yellow Warblers have pale edges to the outer webs, and largely yellow inner webs; Bachman’s Warblers lack pale edging to the outer webs and have white spots on the inner webs of rectrices 5-6 (females). The FOSRC voted to over- turn the previous decision and did not accept that the photographs represented a Bachman’s Warbler. The one dissenting member felt that we should view all the evi- dence available at the time of the original FOSRC decision (we did not have access to the specimens in the ANSP). Nineteenth Report— FOS Records Committee 173 Remoated From the Review List Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides. With the six submissions accepted at this meeting, the Committee accepted seven records in 2009 and four records in 2008, with 25 overall documented occurrences in Florida (one specimen, 24 photographed individuals). Al- though we have been reluctant to remove species from the review list (because the pre- vious threshold of ten accepted records is far lower than many other states), the number of recent records indicates that this species occurs annually in small numbers. Corrigendum In the 18th report of the FOSRC (Kratter 2010), the final sentence of the account for the Great Black-Hawk (FOSRC #08-689) was unclear, and needs to be clarified as follows; “We thus accepted the identification of the Great Black-Hawk of the nominate race, but, like Diaz, concluded that the black-hawks at Virginia Key are unlikely to be natural vagrants to Florida.” Literature Cited Abbott, S., S. N. G. Howell, and P. Pyle. 2001. First North American record of Greater Sandplover. North American Birds 55:252-257. Alstrom, P., and K. Mild. 2003. Pipits and Wagtails. Princeton University Press, Prin- ceton, New Jersey. AOU [American Ornithologists’ Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Baker, J. L. 1991. FOS Records Committee Report. Florida Field Naturalist 19:56-57. Banks, R. C., R. T. Chesser, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovett, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., J. A. Rising, D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2008. Forty-ninth supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 125:758-768. Barber, R. D. 1985. A recent record of Bachman’s Warbler from Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 13:64-66. Bowman, R. 2000. Thirteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Florida Field Naturalist 28:138-160. Bowman, R. 2004. Fourteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Com- mittee: 2001-2002. Florida Field Naturalist 32:7-33. Bowman, R., and J. Greenlaw. 2006. Fifteenth report of the Florida Ornithological So- ciety Records Committee: 2004-2005. Florida Field Naturalist 34:103-112. Bull, J. 1985. Birds of New York State. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York. Curtis, J. T. 2007. First record of Lesser Sand-Plover {Charadrius mongolius) in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 37:26-29. Dowling, H. P. 1989. FOS Records Committee Report. Florida Field Naturalist 17:51-52. Dunn, J. L., and K. L. Garrett. 1997. A Field Guide to the Warblers of North America. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts. Garrido, O. H., and a. Kirkconnell. 2000. Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. Greenlaw, J. S., and A. W. Kratter. 2007. Sixteenth report of the Florida Ornitholog- ical Society Records Committee: 2006. Florida Field Naturalist 35:49-59. Hasse, L. M., and O. D. Hasse. 2010. First record of Least Grebes (Tachybaptus domini- cus) breeding in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 37:115-120. Hess, P. 2004. News and notes. Birding 36:574-477. Kratter, A. W 2008. Seventeenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2007. Florida Field Naturalist 36:103-112. 174 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Krattee, a. W. 2010. Eighteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2008. Florida Field Naturalist 38:15-31. Kratter, a. W., and D. Kaufmann. 2010. First record of White-throated Swift (Aero- nautes saxatalis) for Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 38:63-67. Kratter, a. W., and S. Small. 2007. First record of Northern Fulmar {Fulmarus glacia- lis) for Florida, and notes on other North Atlantic seabird specimen records in 2004- 2005. Florida Field Naturalist 35:22-25. Norton, R. L., and A. White. 2001. West Indies Region. American Birds 54: 493-494. Norton, R. L., A. White, A. Dobson, and E. Massiah. 2010. West Indies & Bermuda re- gional report. North American Birds 63:663-665. Olsen, K. M., and H. LARSSON. 2004. Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Prince- ton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Pranty, B. 1993. Florida Ornithological Society Field Observations Committee Winter Report: December 1992 - February 1993. Florida Field Naturalist 21:92-100. Pranty, B. 1996. Florida Ornithological Society Field Observations Committee Spring Report: March-May 1996. Florida Field Naturalist 24:114-121. Pranty, B., K. Schnitzius, K. Schnitzius, and H. W. Lovell. 2000. Discovery, origin, and current distribution of the Purple Swamphen {Porphyrio porphyria) in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 28:1-11. Pranty, B. 2007. First record of the White Wagtail in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 35:119-123. Pranty, B., K. Radamaker, H. Weatherman, and H. P. Robinson. 2007. First verifiable records of Rough-legged Hawk in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 35:43-35. Pranty, B., A. W. Kratter, and R. Bowman. 2005. Records of the Bullock’s Oriole in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 33:41-46. Pranty, B., B. H. Anderson, and H. P. Robinson. 2010. Third record of the Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) in Florida, with comments on other recent records. Florida Field Naturalist 38:93-98. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I. Columbidae to Plo- ceidae. Slate Creek Press, Point Reyes Station, California. Pyle, P. 2008. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part 11. Anatidae to Alcidae. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California. Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Reid, M., and D. Jones. 2009. First North American record of White-crested Elaenia (Elae- nia albiceps chilensis) at South Padre Island, Texas. North American Birds 63:10-14. Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Species: An Anno- tated List. Special Publication No. 6. Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville. Smith, P. W., S. A. Smith, and W. Hoffmann. 1991. A Yellow-face Grassquit in Florida, with comment on importation of this and related species. Florida Filed Naturalist 19: 21-24. Smith, P. W., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1995. The status of the Northern Wheatear in Florida. Florida Field Naturalist 23:93-96. Smith, P. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and A. Sprunt IV. 2000. The Loggerhead Kingbird in Florida: The evidence revisited. North American Birds 54:235-240. Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Stoker, R. W., and T. Getty. 1986. Geographic Variation in the Least Grebe {Tachybap- tus dominicus). Ornithological Monographs No. 36. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. Woolfenden, G. E., and R. C. Banks. 2004. A specimen of the Varied Thrush from Flor- ida. Florida Field Naturalist 32:48-50. Florida Field Naturalist 38(4):175-187, 2010. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Spring Report: March-May 2010.— This report consists of significant bird obser- vations compiled by the Field Observations Committee (FOC). Electronic submissions to the FOC should be in the following format: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and significance. Seasons are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), sum- mer (June-July), and fall (Aiigust-November). Submit observations to regional compil- ers within two weeks after the close of each season, or to the state compiler within one month. Addresses of the compilers follow this report. Sight-only observations ai e considered “reports” while only those supported by verifi- able evidence (photographs, video or audio recordings, or specimens) are called “records.” Species for which documentation is required by the FOC and by the FOS Records Committee (FOSRC; ) are marked here with an asterisk (*). A county designation (in italics) ac- companies the first- time listing of each site in this report. Abbreviations in this report are: AFB = Air Force Base, CWA = Critical Wildlife Area, EOS - end of season, NERR = National Estuarine Research Reserve, nm = nautical miles, NP = National Park, NS = National Seashore, NSRA - North Shore Restoration Area, NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, SF = State Forest, SP = State Park, STA - Stormwater Treatment Area, STF = sewage treatment facility, WMA = Wildlife Management Area, and N, S, E, W etc., for compass directions. Bold-faced entries denote birds newly reported or verified in Flor- ida, or record numbers. Summary of the Spring Season Weather this season was fairly t5rpical, with high temperatures and sporadic rainfall. Notable fallouts were reported along the Gulf coast, 22 April, 3-4 May, and 5-6 May. A flight of Dickcissels was noted, mainly 26-28 April. Strong east winds brought more than 1000 wood- warblers to Green Key, Pasco County, on 20 April and 11 May. FOSRC rarities reported this season were the Neotropic Cormorant that lingered at St. Marks NWR, Bar-tailed Godwit at Everglades NP, Surfbird at Cedar Key, Thayer’s Gulls at Daytona Beach and Cocoa, Slaty-backed Gull at Daytona Beach, Alder Flycatcher at Gainesville, Tropical Kingbird in Hendry County, Bullock’s Oriole at Tallahassee, and, of special interest. North America’s first Red-legged Thrush in coastal Brevard County. An Aplomado Falcon in Baker County furnished a new exotic for Florida. Species Accounts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 1,250 at Lake Apopka NSRA {Orange) 17 Mar (H. Robinson); 250 at the Sarasota Celery Fields 10 Apr (K. Young); 5 at Bystre Lake {Hernando) 20 May (A. & B. Hansen); 1 at Crescent Lake Park, St. Petersburg {Pinel- las) 26 May (L. Snyder). Fulvous Whistling-Duck: as many as 50 (31 Mar) at Lake Apopka NSRA all season (H. Robinson); 5 at the Sarasota Celery Fields 10 Apr (K. Young). Greater White-fronted Goose: 2 adults at N Jacksonville {Duval) 6-16 Mar (K. Dai- ley). Egyptian Goose: 10 at Plantation Preserve {Broward) 1 May (R. Titus). Swan Goose: 3 at Plantation {Broward) 23 May (R. Titus). 175 176 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Snow Goose: 1 adult white morph at Lake Apopka NSRA 31 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 adult blue morph at Vilano Beach (St. Johns) 26 May (D. Cole, photo to FOC). Canada Goose: 3 at Suntree (Brevard) 27 Mar (D. Freeland); 2 at Eagle Lake Park (Pinellas) 2 Apr (D. & L. Margeson); “several” in N Marion 16 May (M. Machovina); 2 at Largo (Pinellas) 21 May (A. Wallace). Mute Swan: 9 (2 adults & 7 chicks) at Viera (Brevard) 4 Apr-EOS (D. Freeland et aL); 1 pair and an active nest at Royal Palm Park (Broward) 5 May (R. Titus). Swan species: 3 adults in flight at St. Marks NWR (Wakulla) 16 Apr (M. Hill, photo to FOC). American Wigeon: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 14 May (H. Robinson); 1 at Merritt Island NWR (Brevard) 24 May (J. Stefancic et ah). Blue-winged Teal: 1 pair with 1 downy fledgling in a canal along the Little Econ Green- way, Orlando (Orange) 3 Apr (S. Kelly, photos to FOC). Cinnamon Teal: 1 male at Eagle Lake Park 23 Mar-2 Apr (Judy Fisher, R. Smith et al., photo to FOC). Redhead: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Mar (H. Robinson); 110 at Lake Jackson (Leon) 11 Mar (R. Cassidy); 1 male at Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area (Lake) 8 May (J. Stenberg). Greater Scaup: 17 at Fort Island Gulf Beach Park (Citrus) 11 Mar (M. Gardler); 2 along Courtney Campbell Causeway (Hillsborough) 7 Apr (C. Gjervold). Lesser Scaup: 75,000 at Melbourne (Brevard) 12 Mar (D. Freeland). Common Eider: 1 male at Port Canaveral (Brevard) to 22 Mar (J. Eager); 1 female at Washington Oaks Gardens SP (Flagler) 1 May (M. Wilson); 1 immature male at Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas NERR (St. Johns) 4 May (L. Melching). Harlequin Duck: 1 female at Sebastian Inlet (Brevard & Indian River) to 8 Mar (T. Brock). Surf Scoter: 3 at Manatee Hammock Park, Titusville (Brevard) 8 Mar (J. Eager); 2 at Canaveral NS (Volusia) 10 May (M. Brothers). White-winged Scoter: 1 at S Titusville 9 Mar (M. Harris). Bufflehead: 7 at Palm Harbor STF (Pinellas) 7 Mar (J. Wells). Ruddy Duck: 6,000 at Lake Apopka NSRA 8 Mar (H. Robinson); 6 at N St. Petersburg 9 Mar (R. Smith); 2 at Tierra Verde (Pinellas) 6-16 Apr (M. Gardler et al.). Wild Turkey: 1 adult with 2 chicks at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 May (H. Robinson). Red-throated Loon: 1 in alternate plumage at Cedar Key (Levy) 15 Apr (M. Gardler); 1 at Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa) 18 Apr (J. Pfeiffer). Pacific Loon: 1 in basic plumage (chin-strap noted) at Gulf Breeze 3 May (B. & L. Dun- can). Common Loon: 1 at Alligator Lake, Lake City (Columbia) 5 Mar (B. Richter); 7 at Cedar Key 15 Apr (M. Gardler); 1 at Little Talbot Island SP (Duval) 12 May (P. Sykes). Black-capped Petrel: 8 birds 30-86 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia) 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Cory’S Shearwater: 2 birds 78-86 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.); 1 at Patrick AFB (Brevard) 21 May (D. Freeland); 1 off Miami (Miami-Dade) 22 May (R. Torres). Great Shearwater: 6 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). Audubon’s Shearwater: 1 off Okaloosa Island (Okaloosa) 1 Mar (E. Kwater); 1 salvaged in Walton 24 Apr (fide D. Ware); 7 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 17 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.); 20 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). Leach’S Storm-Petrel: 3 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.); 9 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). Band-rumped Storm-Petrel: 4 salvaged in Walton 24 Apr (D. Ware); 4 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Field Observations 177 Storm-petrel species: 40 at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). White-tailed Tropicbird: 3 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et aL). Masked Booby: 31 at Dry Tortugas NP (Monroe) 30 Apr (G. Quigley); 1 immature at Patrick AFB 21 May (D. Freeland). Brown Booby: 2 at Patrick AJ'B 21 May (D. Freeland). Northern Gannet: 5 immatures at Naples Beach (Collier) 13 May (T. Below); 13 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et aL). American White Pelican: 4.0 at Tallahassee (Leon) 1 Apr (R. Cassidy); 7 at Cape Ro- mano (Collier) 30 Apr (T. Below); and 4 at Caxambas Pass 17 May (T. Below). Brown Pelican: 1 at Lake Jessup (Seminole) 5 Mar (P. Simmons); as many as 8 at Or- lando 6 Mar-EOS (C. Catron, J. Thornton, D. Freeman); 3 at Lake George (Lake) 27 Mar (G. Quigley); 2 juveniles at Lake Apopka NSRA 30 Apr (H. Robinson); 5 in Ala- chua variously 6-22 May, included 3 at Gainesville 10 May (S. McKeon); 1 at Alta- monte Springs (Seminole) all season (P. Hueber). *Neotropic Cormorant: 1 at St. Marks NWR to 21 Mar (J. Simpson). Magnificent FrigatebirD: 2 at Bald Point SP (Franklin) 4 May (S. McCool); 75 at Tierra Verde 16 May (B. Snow). American Bittern: 6 at Lake Jackson 29 Apr (M. Hill). Great Blue Heron: 1 adult white morph at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Mar-28 Apr, and 1 immature white morph there 12-23 May (H. Robinson); 1 white morph at Merritt Is- land NWR 16 Apr (D. Freeland). Scarlet-type Ibis: 1 pale-reddish adult at N St. Petersburg 12 Apr (G. Muehlick, photo to FOC). White-faced Ibis: 3(1 adult & 2 juveniles) at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Mar, with the adult remaining to 14 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 at N Jacksonville 7 Mar- 18 Apr (M. Hafner et aL, photos to FOC by B. Pranty); 1 at Orlando Wetlands Park to 11 Mar (A. Lamor- eaux); 1 at Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area 2 Apr (G. Cudworth, photos to FOC); as many as 3 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP (Alachua) 19 Apr- 11 May (L. Davis et aL). Roseate Spoonbill: 3 at Orlando Wetlands Park 4 Apr (C. Pierce); as many as 2 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 21 Apr-EOS (B. Mollison et aL); 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 May (H. Robinson). Black Vulture: 1 at No Name Key (Monroe) 24 Apr (C. Goodrich). Swallow-tailed Kite: 15 at Milton (Santa Rosa) 11 Mar (M. Rose); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 13 Apr (T. Mossbarger et aL), Mississippi Kite: 1 at Cedar Key 16 Mar (G. Davis); 1 at Gainesville 29 Mar (J. & J. Ka- nipe); 10 at Ocala 14 May (R. Rowan). Great Black-Hawk: 1 B. a. uruhitinga still at Virginia Key (Miami-Dade) 5 May (R. Diaz). Red-shouldered Hawk: 1 active nest at Sawgrass Lake Park (Pinellas) 6 Mar (J. Green- law). Broad-winged Hawk: 1 adult at Eagle Lake Park 2 Apr (D. & L. Margeson, photo to FOC); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 16 Apr (D. Gagne). Short-tailed Hawk: 1 light morph at Altamonte Springs 4 Mar (P. Hueber); 1 light morph at Lettuce Lake Park (Hillsborough) 6 Mar (B. Ahern); 2 (light morph and dark morph) courting at J. B, Starkey Wilderness Park (Pasco) 15 Mar (D. Gagne); 1 at Hol- iday (Pasco) 25 Mar (D. Gagne); 2 dark morphs at Lake Panasoffkee WMA (Sumter) 1 Apr (B. Sanders et aL); 1 dark morph at Lake Apopka NSRA 7 Apr (H. Robinson); 1 dark morph at S Merritt Island (Brevard) 7 Apr (D. Freeland); 1 dark morph over Scottsmoor (Brevard) 13 Apr (T. Dunkerton); 2 dark morphs over St. Petersburg 22 Apr (E. Haney); 1 light morph captured a Cedar Waxwing at Winter Park (Orange) 23 Apr (B. Anderson); 3 dark morphs at Ocala National Forest: 2 at State Road 19 and Juniper Creek (Marion), and 1 at Astor (Lake) 24 Apr (M. Hafner et aL); 1 dark morph at Kapok Park, Clearwater (Pinellas) 7 May (S. Mann); 1 at Ridge Manor (Hernando) 178 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST 22 May (M. Gardler); 1 light morph at Lake Norris Conservation Area {Lake) 28 May (G. Quigley). Crested CaracarA: 1 juvenile found injured at Ruskin (Hillsborough) 23 Apr (fide B. Walker). American Kestrel: 1 male at Davie (Broward) 9 May (R. Titus). Merlin: 4 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater). Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis) : 1 at Baxter (Baker) 8 May with jesses on both legs (J. Hintermister, R. Rowan, L. Davis, photo to FOC) provided the first Florida record. Black Rail: 1 heard calling at Bethea SF (Baker) 21 Mar (B. Richter). SORA: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater). American Coot: 1 bird 40 nm off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et ah). Limpkin: 1 at Jacksonville 11 Apr (K. Dailey); 1 at Key West Botanical Garden, Stock Is- land (Monroe) 20-21 Apr (M. Gardler). Sandhill Crane: 2 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Mar (D. Gagne); 1 at Niceville (Oka- loosa) 24 Apr (G. Baker). Whooping Crane: 1 nest at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 12 Apr Alachua's first, and produced 2 colts by 18 May (M, Folk). Black-bellied Plover: 60 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP (Pasco) 19 May (K. Tracey). American Golden-plover: 1 at Okaloosa holding ponds/Fort Walton Beach STF (Oka- loosa) 3-4 Mar (E. Kwater, B. Duncan et ah); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 3 Mar, and 2 there 14 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Hagens Cove (Taylor) 4 Mar (A. Kent, photo to FOC); as many as 2 at Circle B Bar Reserve (Polk) 5-9 Mar (C. Fredricks, T. Riggs et al.); 8 at N Jacksonville 15 Mar (R. Clark); 1 at Bald Point SP 20 Mar (J. Murphy); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 20 Mar (L. Atherton); 1 at Baxter 24 Mar (B. Richter); 1 at The Villages (Sumter) 25-30 Mar (J. Affleck, A. Horst); 2 at Dry Tortugas NP (Monroe) 29-30 Mar (M. Harris); 2 at St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport (Pinellas) 30 Mar (R. Smith); 1 at Progress Village (Hillsborough) 30 Mar-1 Apr (E. Kwater et al.); 2 at St. Marks NWR 12 Apr (S. McCool); 2 at Hagens Cove (Taylor) 22 Apr (J. Simpson). Snowy Plover: 9 at S Anclote Key (Pinellas) 20 Mar (K. Tracey). Wilson’s Plover: 13 pairs were nesting at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 19 May (K. Tracey). Semipalmated Plover: 300 at Fort De Soto Park 18 Apr (C. Cox); as many as 5 at Lake Apopka NSRA 12-14 May (H. Robinson); as many as 6 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14-17 May (R. Rowan et al.). Piping Plover: 16 at S Anclote Key 20 Mar (K. Tracey); 13 at Fort De Soto Park 18 Apr (C. Cox). Killdeer: a pair nested on a rooftop in Pinellas 30 May (fide R. Smith), American Oystercatcher: 88 along the S Amelia River (Nassau) 1 Mar (P. Leary); 5 at Cape Romano 30 Apr and 17 May (T. & V Below); 13 at Little Estero Island CWA (Lee) 15 May included one immature banded in New Jersey (C. Ewell). Black-necked Stilt: 38 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 7 May (R. Rowan). American Avocet: 100 at Cedar Key 24 Mar (M. Gardler); 16 at Fort De Soto Park 21 Apr (G. Deterra); 1 at Huguenot Memorial Park 22 Apr (K. Dailey); 3 at St. Marks NWR 31 May (J. Simpson). Spotted Sandpiper: 30 at Munson Slough (Leon) 30 Apr (R. Cassidy); 7 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 May (H. Robinson); 7 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 19 May (K. Tracey). Solitary Sandpiper: 1 at Charles “Sonny” McCoy Indigenous Park, Key West (Monroe) 24 Mar (C. Goodrich); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 4 Apr, and 6 there 23 Apr and 5 May (H. Robinson); 28 (22 at Gulf Harbors and 6 at New Port Richey) 18 Apr, and 10 at three sites at New Port Richey 9 May (K. Tracey); 12 at Virginia Key STF 26 Apr (R. Diaz); 21 in a flock at Matheson Hammock Park (Miami-Dade) 28 Apr (J. Boyd, B. Rapoza). Field Observations 179 WiLLET: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 23 Apr (H. Robinson). Lesser Yellowlegs: 125 at Progress Village 26 Apr (C. Cox). Upland Sandpiper: 1 at Cedar Key 24 Mar (M. Gardler); 1 at St. Petersburg 24 Mar (S. Janes, photo to FOC); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Mar (H. Robinson); 2 at Dry Tortu- gas NP 29 Mar (M. Harris); duos 5 km apart at Carrabelle {Franklin) 3 Apr (J. Mur- phy); 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP, Key West 5 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 along Joe Overstreet Road {Osceola) 7 Apr (K. LaBorde); 1 at Jacksonville 10 Apr (K. Dailey); 1 at downtown Pensacola {Escambia) 4 May (J. Pfeiffer). Whimbrel: 1 at Flamingo, Everglades NP {Monroe) 30 Mar (J. Boyd); 1 at Cape Romano 1 Apr (T. & V. Below); 2 at Goodland {Collier) 1 Apr (T. & V. Below); 1 radio-tagged fe- male left coastal Brazil on 16 Apr and after stopping twice in the Lesser Antilles and once in the Bahamas, spent 10 days in the Everglades Agricultural Area {Palm Beach) 19-29 Apr before refueling along Chesapeake Bay, Virginia and finally reaching her breeding site in E Nunavut on 3 or 4 Jun {fide L. Mojica, F. Smith); 20 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 25 Apr (C. Goodrich); 4 at St. Marks NWR 1 May (R. Bowman); 1 at Merritt Island NWR 5 May (D. Freeland). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 26 Mar-21 Apr (T. Bell et aL); 1 at Bald Point SP 22 May (J. Murphy). *Bar-TAILED Godwit: 1 at Flamingo, Everglades NP 28 Mar-2 Apr (D. Gochfeld et aL, photos to FOC by L. Manfredi). Marbled Godwit: 78 at Fort De Soto Park 26 Mar (T. Bell). *SURFBIRD: 1 at Cedar Key 14 Mar (B. Wallace, photos to FOC). Red Knot: 65 at Fort McRae, Gulf Islands NS {Escambia) 25 Mar (J. Gore et al.); 350 at Fort De Soto Park 12 Apr (D. Irizarry); 8 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Apr (H. Robinson); 600 at Fort De Soto Park 3 May (M. Gardler); 132 at Huguenot Memorial Park 15 May (P. Leary); 100, mostly in alternate plumage, at Little Estero Island CWA 15 May (C. Ewell). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 2 at Gulf Harbors 28 Mar (K. Tracey); 100 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 16 May (A. Kent, C. Gordon). White-RUMPED Sandpiper: 1 at Virginia Key STF 23 Apr (R. Diaz); 1 at Pasco Palms Park, Holiday 29 Apr-3 May (K. Tracey, M. Gardler); 1 at Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas NERR 2 May (D. Reed); 3 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 7 May (R. Rowan); 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 May, and 3 there 21 May (H. Robinson); 6 at Merritt Island NWR 23 May (T. Dunkerton); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 31 May (C. Cox). Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 at Hickory Mound Impoundment {Taylor) 3 Mar (A. Kent, photo to FOC); as many as 170 (3 Mar) at Lake Apopka NSRA 3-17 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Gulf Harbors 12 Mar (K. Tracey); 1 at Cedar Key 24 Mar (M. Gardler); 10 at Progress Village 30 Mar (E, Kwater). Purple Sandpiper: 1 at Sebastian Inlet SP {Brevard & Indian River) to 8 Mar (T. Brock). Dunlin: 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 May (H. Robinson). Stilt Sandpiper: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Mar, and 17 there 9 May (H. Robinson); 32 at Gulf Harbors 21 Mar (K. Tracey); as many as 4 at N St. Petersburg 28-30 Mar (R. Smith); 40 at Progress Village 30 Mar (E. Kwater), and 25 there 26 Apr (C, Cox). Short-billed Dowitcher: 250 along Dunedin Causeway {Pinellas) 1 Apr (M. Gardler). Long-billed Dowitcher: 2 at NE Jacksonville 20 Apr (B. Pranty); 40 at Progress Vil- lage 26 Apr (C. Cox). Wilson’s Phalarope: 1 at Pasco Palms Park 29 Apr-2 May (K. Tracey et al.); 1 at Santa Rosa Island {Escambia) 10 May (B. Duncan); 1 at St. Marks NWR 16 May (J. Simp- son). Red-necked Phalarope: 1 female at Port Canaveral 11 Mar (D. Freeland); 10 off Miami 22 May (R. Torres). Bonaparte’s Gull: 1,000 at Ponce de Leon Inlet 6 Mar (M. Brothers); 200 at St. George Island {Franklin) 30 Mar (J. Cavanagh). 180 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Herring x Glaucous Gull: 1 first-winter “Nelson’s Gull” at Tomoka Landfill, Daytona Beach {Volusia) 22 Mar (M. Brothers). Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult of this presumed parentage at Central Disposal Facility {Brevard) 10 Mar (M. Harris). Herring Gull x Glaucous Gull: 1 adult at Tomoka Landfill 15 Mar, and 3 first- winters there 22 Mar (M. Brothers). Thayer’s Gull: 1 first-winter at Central Disposal Facility 5 Mar (M. Harris, submitted to FOSRC); 1 adult at Tomoka Landfill 15 & 19 Mar (M. Brothers, M. Harris, submit- ted to FOSRC), and 1 first-winter there 19 & 22 Mar (M. Brothers, M. Harris, ac- cepted by FOSRC). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 19 Mar (S. Patterson); 1 first-winter at Gulf Harbors 22 Mar (D. Gagne); 23 (17 adults) at Crandon Beach, Key Biscayne {Miami-Dade) 13 Apr, and 47 (9 adults) there 14 Apr (R. Diaz). *Slaty-BACKED Gull: 1 first-winter at Tomoka Landfill 15 Mar and Daytona Beach Shores {Volusia) 18 Mar (M. Brothers, submitted to FOSRC). Glaucous Gull: 1 first-winter at Port Canaveral 3-9 Mar (J. Eager) and 14 May (E. Horn); 1 first-winter at Ponce de Leon Inlet and 4 Mar-2 Apr (M. Brothers); 1 first- winter at Tomoka Landfill 22 Mar (M. Brothers et al.). Sooty Tern: 4 at Fort McRae, Gulf Islands NS 22 Mar (J. Gore et ak); 115 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Bridled Tern: 3 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Least Tern: 1 at Viera Wetlands 24 Mar (D. Freeland); 4 at Fort De Soto Park 27 Mar (R. Milburn). Gull-BILLED Tern : 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 2 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Green Key 13-14 Apr (K. Tracey); 1 or singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 14 Apr-16 May (H. Robinson); 1 at Rookery Bay NERR {Collier) 15 Apr (T. & V. Below); 2 at Progress Village 26 Apr (C. Cox); 1 at the Sarasota Celery Fields 9 May (R. Greenspun); 8 nests at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands NS {Escambia) 24 May represents the highest local count (B. Dimcan). Caspian Tern: 65 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25 Apr (H. Robinson). Black Tern: as many as 2 at Lake Apopka NSRA 25-28 Apr (H. Robinson); 4 at S Anclote Key SP 9 May (W. Spina). Roseate Tern: 40 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 18-28 Apr (C. Goodrich); 21 at Dry Tortugas NP 30 Apr (G. Quigley). Common Tern: 1 at Gulf Harbors 15-22 Mar (K. Tracey, M. Gardler et al.); 37 at Cape Ro- mano 1 Apr (T. & V. Below); as many as 1500 at Fort De Soto Park 12-16 Apr (D. Irizarry et al.). Arctic Tern: 1 off Miami 4 May (R. Torres, photo to FOC); 64 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al., photos to FOC). Forster’s Tern: 41 at Cape Romano 1 Apr (T. & V Below); 165 at Lake Apopka NSRA 11 Apr (H. Robinson). Royal Tern: 1 at Lake George 27 Mar (G. Quigley); 1,000 at Cape Romano 1 Apr (T. &. V. Below); 1 at Indian Shores Beach {Pinellas) 19 May was banded in North Carolina 25 June 1989 (S. Patterson). Sandwich Tern: 156 at Cape Romano 1 Apr (T. & V. Below). Black Skimmer: 21 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Edgefield Conser- vation Area {Putnam) 11 Mar (A. Thornton, photo to FOC); 200 at Cedar Key 24 Mar and 15 Apr (M. Gardler); as many as 2 at Lake Berry, Winter Park 4-10 Apr (A. Boyle, P. Hueber). Pomarine Jaeger: as many as 4 harassed gulls just off Daytona Beach Shores at sunset 15 Jan-20 Mar (M. Brothers); 6 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et aL). Parasitic Jaeger: as many as 15 harassed gulls just off Daytona Beach Shores at sunset Jan-22 Mar (M. Brothers); 1 off Miami 25 Mar (R. Torres); 3 off Ponce de Leon Inlet 15 May (M. Brothers et al.). Field Observations 181 White-crowned Pigeon: 1 at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale (Broward) 27 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Titus). White-winged Dove: 20 at Green Key 20 Mar (K. Tracey); 1 at Cedar Key 24 Mar (M. Gardler); 1 near Lake City {Columbia) 20 May (B. Bergstrom). COCKATIEL: 1 at Fort Lauderdale 2 Mar, and 2 there 26 May (R. Titus); 2 at Oakland Park (Broward) 6 Mar (R. Titus); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 May (H. Robinson). Black-hooded Parakeet: 1 with a deformed bill at Archbold Biological Station, Venus (Highlands) 13 Apr (T. Lethbridge, photo to FOC). Blue-crowned Parakeet: 25 at Satellite Beach (Brevard) 8 Apr (D. Freeland); 2 pairs were nesting in live-oak snags at Crescent Lake Park 13 Apr (L. Snyder); as many as 10 at Fort Lauderdale all season (R. Titus). Red-masked Parakeet: as many as 8 at Fort Lauderdale all season (R. Titus). Red-crowned Parrot: 5 at Fort Lauderdale 21 May-EOS (R. Titus). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 16 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater); 100 at Dry Tortugas NP 29 Apr (C. Goodrich); 62 heard over Gainesville in nocturnal migration 30 Apr (C. Gordon). Mangrove Cuckoo: 1 at Big Hickory Island, Bonita Springs (Lee) 18 Mar (B. Sandstrom et al., photos to FOC); 1 at Key West 12 Apr (M. Gardler). Black-billed Cuckoo: an “unprecedented” 11 reports in the extreme W Panhandle: sin- gles at Gulf Breeze 21, 25, & 28 Apr and 7 May (B. & L. Duncan), singles at Live Oak section, Gulf Islands NS (Santa Rosa) 22, 24, and 26 Apr (R James, A. Sheppard, W. Tallyn), and singles at Fort Pickens 24, 25, & 26 Apr, and 2 there 4 May (L. Duncan et aL); 2 at St. George Island SP (Franklin) 25 Apr (J. Murphy); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater); 1 heard over Gainesville in nocturnal migration 30 Apr (C. Gordon); 1 at Black Point Marina (Miami-Dade) 8 May (R. Torres). Smooth-billed AnI: 1 at Royal Palm Hammock, Everglades NP (Miami-Dade) all sea- son (J. Boyd et al.); 1 at Old Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale to 24 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Titus et al.). Barn Owl: 1 at the Sarasota Celery Fields 1 Mar (Jeff Fisher); 1 at Clermont (Lake) 20 Apr (M. Gardler); 1 at Green Key 10 May (M. Gardler). Short-eared Owl: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 Antillean race landed aboard a boat 30 nm off Pinellas 11 Apr (R. Palmer, photos to FOG). Antillean Nighthawk: 4 called at Little Hamaca Park, Key West 26 Apr (C. Goodrich). Eastern Whip-poor-will: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 19 Mar (D. Gagne). Chimney Swift: 1 at Lettuce Lake Park 20 Mar (C. Cox). Buff-bellied Hummingbird: 1 at Trenton (Gilchrist) 2-3 Apr (R Morse, photo to FOC). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 20 at Fort De Soto Rark 10 Apr (D. Irizarry). Rufous Hummingbird: 1 adult male at Daytona Beach 23 Mar (M. Brothers). Selasphorus SPECIES: 2 females at Cedar Key to 30 Mar (D. Henderson). Belted Kingfisher: 1 at Fort De Soto Dark 15 May (R. Smith). Red-headed Woodpecker: 1 adult at Cedar Key 21 Apr (D. Henderson); 1 at Sebastian Inlet SR (Indian River) 2 May (A. Bankert). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 7 at Honeymoon Island SP 31 Mar (D. Gagne). Eastern Wood-Pewee: 7 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Pickens 4 May (B. & L. Duncan). *Alder Flycatcher: 1 in song at Gainesville 24 Apr (M. Manetz, accepted by FOSRC). Least Flycatcher: 1 at Lake Lafayette (Leon) 31 Mar (R. Cassidy); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 2 Apr (H. Robinson); 2 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP, Key Biscayne to 10 Apr (R. Diaz). Ash-throated Flycatcher: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 6 Mar (B. Carroll et al.); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA to 2 May (H. Robinson). Great Crested Flycatcher: 1 at Leesburg (Lake) 1 Mar (L. Streeper); 17 at Honey- moon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater). 182 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Brown-crested Flycatcher: 1 at Matheson Hammock Park (Miami-Dade) 5 Mar (R. Diaz); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 17 Mar-20 Apr (R. Smith et al., photos to FOG); 2 at Sweetwater Strand, Big Cypress National Preserve (Monroe) 25 Mar (J. Hutchison). La Sagra’s Flycatcher: 1 at No Name Key 24 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP to 1 May (R. Diaz, photo to FOC). Tropical Kingbird: 1 at STA-5 (Hendry) 6 Mar (B. & E Marr, video to FOC). Western Kingbird: 1 at Gainesville to 7 Mar (C. Lockwood et al.); 1 at Jacksonville 14 Mar (K. Dailey); as many as 6 at Minneola (Lake) to 3 Apr (G. Quigley); 1 at Tallahas- see 7 Apr (J. Simpson); 1 at Fort Pickens 26 Apr (B. & L. Duncan); 5 at Gulf Breeze 27 Apr, 1 there 2 May, 3 on 4 May, and 1 there 15 May (B. Duncan et al.); 1 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). Eastern Kingbird: 1 at Ormond Beach (Volusia) 14 Mar (M. Wilson); 1 at Orlando Wet- lands Park 4 Apr (C. Pierce); 15 at Hone5rmoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Gray Kingbird: 1 at Charles “Sonny” McCoy Indigenous Park, Key West 21 Mar (C. Goo- drich); 6 at Green Key 15 Apr (K. Tracey); 9 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwa- ter); 1 inland at John Stretch Park (Palm Beach) 23 May (B. & L. Cooper, photos to FOC). SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: 1 at Pensacola 24-31 Mar (J. Pfeiffer); 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 26-27 Mar (L, Fenimore); as many as 2 at Minneola to 3 Apr (G. Quigley et al.); 1 at Tierra Verde 6 Apr (M. Gardler); 1 at Gulf Breeze 1 May (B. & L. Duncan). White-eyed VireO: 57 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Mar (D. Gagne); IV. g. maynardii at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 21 Apr (C. Goodrich, photo to FOC). Yellow-throated VireO: 1 at Mead Garden, Winter Park 17 Mar (J. Thornton); 1 at Or- lando 31 Mar (D. Freeman); 1 in partial song at Highlands Hammock SP (Highlands) 3 Apr (G. Schrott). Blue-headed Vireo: 2 at Fort De Soto Park 16 Apr (D. Gagne), and 1 there 27 Apr (D. Irizarry); 1 at Indigenous Park 23 Apr (C. Goodrich). Warbling Vireo: singles at Dry Tortugas NP 30 Mar (M. Harris, details to FOC) and 30 Apr (G. Quigley et al., photos to FOC); 1 at Fort Pickens 28 Apr (B. & L. Duncan). Philadelphia Vireo: 1 at St. George Island SP 27 Apr (J. Cavanagh); 1 at Dry Tortugas NP 30 Apr (G. Quigley). Red-eyed Vireo: 2 at Indigenous Park 22 Mar (C. Goodrich). Black-whiskered Vireo: 1 at Indigenous Park 28 Mar (C. Goodrich); 1 at Sawgrass Lake Park 20 Apr (C. Gjervold); 1 at Fort Pickens 4-9 May was identified as V altilo- quus altiloquus (B. Duncan et al.), while 1 there 8 May was identified as V a. harbat- ulus (P James); singles at Gulf Breeze 5 May and (altiloquus) 21 May-EOS (B. & L. Duncan). Florida Scrub- Jay: singles 11 streets apart at Flagler Beach (Flagler) 4 Apr (J. Mon- aghan). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 27 at St. Petersburg 22 Apr (E. Haney); 1 pair that nested in an exhaust pipe of a boat at Tarpon Springs (Pinellas) 5 May was carrying fecal sacs (T. Dunkerton, photos to FOC). Bank Swallow: 70 at Viera Wetlands 6 Mar (D. Freeland); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Mar, and 14 there 9 May (H. Robinson); 4 at St. Petersburg 22 Apr (E. Haney); 1 at Gainesville 28 Apr (R. Rowan). Cliff Swallow: 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 14 Mar (A. & G. Kent); 2 at Fort De Soto Park 30 Mar (R. Smith); singles at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 & 25 May (H. Robin- son). Cave Swallow: 1 at Cockroach Bay 13 Mar (C. Cox); 4:Pf. fulva at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 16 Apr, and 5 there 28 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 20 Apr (E. Kwater); IP f. pelodoma at Lake Apopka NSRA 9 May (H. Robinson). Barn Swallow: 26 at Honeymoon Island SP 31 Mar (D. Gagne); 300 at St. Petersburg 22 Apr (E. Haney); 56 at Green Key 29 Apr (K. Tracey). Field Observations 183 Red=breasted Nuthatch: 1 at St. Marks NWR 28 Mar (J. Simpson). Brown Creeper: 1 at Tallahassee 14 Mar (G. Menk, M. Collins); 1 in S Santa Rosa 11 Apr (T. Barbig). Winter Wren: 2 along Bloody Bluff Road {Franklin) 6 Mar (J. Murphy). Sedge Wren: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 15 May (R. Smith). Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 along Bloody Bluff Road 6 Mar (J. Murphy). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 17 Apr (B. Ahern, R. Smith). VeerY: 1 at Indigenous Park 27 Mar (C. Goodrich); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 1 Apr (R. Smith); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 27 Apr (L. Davis); 2 at Gainesville 30 Apr (C. Gordon). Gray-cheeked Thrush: 1 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP {Pasco) 27 Apr (R. Smart); 9 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater); 75 at Dry Tortugas NP 29 Apr (C. Goo- drich); 1 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). SWAINSON’S Thrush: 40 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney); 11 heard over Gainesville in nocturnal migration 30 Apr (C. Gordon). Wood Thrush: 2 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 27 Mar (C. Goodrich); 6 at Honey- moon Island SP 3 Apr, and 11 there 29 Apr (E. Kwater). American Robin: 2 at Tallahassee 11 May were thought to be breeding (R. Cassidy); 1 at Titusville 31 May (M. Harris). *Red»LEGGED Thrush (Turdus plumbeus) : 1 of the Bahamian race T. p. plumbeus at Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, Melbourne Shores {Brevard) 31 May (M. Ponce, pho- tos to FOC) was accepted by the FOSRC as representing the first North American record. Gray Catbird: 104 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Mar (D. Gagne), and 103 there 29 Apr (E. Kwater); 2 at Tallahassee 16 Apr were thought to be breeding (G. Menk). Bahama Mockingbird: 1 at Fort De Soto Park 13-17 May (C. Rasmussen et al., photos to FOC). Sprague’s Pipit: 4 at Site B-70, Eglin AFB {Okaloosa) 14 Mar (L. Fenimore); 1 at Apalachicola Airport {Franklin) to 4 Apr (J. Murphy). Cedar Waxwing: 250 at West Kendall {Miami-Dade) 12 Mar (J. Boyd); 500 near Ellen- ton {Manatee) 26 Mar (W. Stinehelfer); 188 at Fort Lauderdale 24 Apr (R. Titus). Blue-winged Warbler: singles at Fort De Soto Park 1-3 Apr (R. Smith) and 26 Apr (E. Haney et al.); singles at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 13-20 & 30 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Woodmont Park {Broward) 14 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 2 at Evergreen Cem- etery 20 Apr, and 1 there 28 Apr (J. Hutchison); 1 at A. D. Barnes Park {Miami-Dade) 21 Apr (R. Torres). Golden-winged Warbler: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 12-22 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 adult male at Cedar Key 22 Apr (D, Henderson); 1 at St. George Island SP 25 Apr (J. Murphy); 1 at Lido Key {Sarasota) 26 Apr (K. Young et aL); 1 at Eagle Lake Park 28 Apr (Judy Fisher). Tennessee Warbler: 6 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 3 Apr (E. Kwater); 1 at Fort Za- chary Taylor Historic SP 23 Apr (C. Goodrich). Nashville Warbler: 1 at Ormond Beach to 3 Apr (M. Wilson); 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 21 Apr (C. Goodrich). Northern ParulA: 500 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Mar (R, Diaz); 27 at John Chesnut Park, Palm Harbor {Pinellas) 29 Mar (G, Deterra); perhaps 100 in song at Highlands Hammock SP 3 Apr (G. Schrott); 15 at J. W. Corbett WMA {Palm Beach) 22 Apr (M. Baranski). Yellow Warbler: 7 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1 at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs SP 27 Apr (S. Tracey, B. Pranty); 3 at Fort De Soto Park 28 Apr (B. Pranty et al.); 3 at Dry Tortugas NP 30 Apr (G. Quigley); 1 at Cedar Key 5 May (G. Rose). 184 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Magnolia Warbler: 8 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). Cape May Warbler: 35 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 19 Apr (R. Diaz); 1 at Newberry {Alachua) 17 May (L. Holt). Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1 male in song at Tallahassee 22 Apr (J. Cavanagh); 42 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz); 32 at Green Key 10 May (K. Tracey). Yellow-RUMPED Warbler: 1 in song at Gainesville 16-18 May (C. Gordon, R. Rowan et al). Black-throated Gray Warbler: 1 at Green Key 12 Apr (K. Tracey). Black-throated Green Warbler: 2 at PEAR Park, Leesburg 5 Mar (G. Quigley); duos at Fort De Soto Park 20 Apr (J. Hopkins) and 26 Apr (E. Haney et al.). Townsend’s Warbler: 1 female at Bill Sadowski Park (Miami-Dade) 27 Mar (R. Torres, T. Mitchell, photo to FOC). Blackburnian Warbler; 1 male at Fort De Soto Park 26-28 Apr (E. Haney, B. Pranty et al.); 2 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). Yellow-throated Warbler: 8 at Honeymoon Island SP 31 Mar (D. Gagne). Prairie Warbler: 52 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Mar (R. Diaz); 100 at Fort Za- chary Taylor Historic SP 13 Apr (C. Goodrich); 47 at Green Key 15 Apr (K. Tracey). Palm Warbler: 80 D. p. palmarum at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Mar (R. Diaz); 250 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 13 Apr (C. Goodrich); 167 at Green Key 20 Apr (K. Tracey). Bay-breasted Warbler: 1 male at Fort De Soto Park 26-27 Apr (E. Haney et al.); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney); 1 at Eagle Lake Park 28 Apr (Judy Fisher); 2 at Cedar Key 5 May (L. Davis). Blackpoll Warbler: 130 at Evergreen Cemetery 27 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 80 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz); 166 at Green Key 10 May (K. Tracey). Cerulean Warbler: singles at Fort De Soto Park 13 Apr (J. Turner) and 26 Apr (E, Haney et al.); 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 27 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Indige- nous Park 27-28 Apr (C. Goodrich), Black-and-white Warbler: 12 at Fort De Soto Park 9 Apr (D. Irizarry), and 1 melanis- tic male there 24 Apr (G. Price, photo to FOC); 25 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 16 Apr (C. Goodrich); 28 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 19 Apr (R. Diaz); 12 at J. W Corbett WMA 22 Apr (M. Baranski). American Redstart: 30 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz); 172 at Green Key 11 May (K. Tracey). Prothonotary Warbler: 1 at Lake George 27 Mar (G. Quigley); 4 at Honeymoon Island SP 31 Mar (D. Gagne). Worm-eating Warbler: 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 26 Mar (D. Gagne), and 2 there 27 Mar (E. Kwater); 1 at Highlands Hammock SP 3 Apr (G. Schrott); 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 18-20 Apr (H. Robinson); 3 at J. W. Corbett WMA 22 Apr (M. Baranski); 30, with 22 of these banded, at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Apr (R. Diaz). Swainson’S Warbler: 1 at Pinecraft Park 22 Mar (R. Greenspun); singles at Fort Za- chary Taylor Historic SP 28 Mar and 13 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Evergreen Cemetery 27 Apr (J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 3 banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz); 1 at Cedar Key 28 Apr (B. Enneis, L. Holt); 1 in song at Hugh Taylor Birch SP, Fort Lauderdale 29 Apr (R. Titus); 1 at Deerfield Island (Broward) 1 May (J. Hutchi- son). OVENBIRD: 100 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 27 Apr (R. Diaz). Northern Waterthrush: 17 at Green Key 20 Apr (K. Tracey); 40 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Apr (R. Diaz); 17 at Hone5nnoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater). Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 at Taylor Park (Pinellas) 4 Mar (fide R. Smith); 3 at Lake Apopka NSRA 5 Mar, 11 there 19 Mar, and 2 there 23 Apr (H. Robinson); 7 at Honey- Field Observations 185 moon Island SP 3 Apr (E. Kwater); 1 along Concord Road {Gadsden) 20 May was thought to be breeding (R. Cassidy). Connecticut Warbler: 1 male banded at Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach 30 Apr (M. Wil- son); 1 at San Felasco Hammock Preserve SP 11 May (J. Hintermister). Mourning Warbler: 1 at Fort Pickens 9 Apr (T. Barbig); 1 female at Leffis Key {Mana- tee) IZ May (J. Ginaven). Common Yellowthroat: 170 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 22 Mar (R. Diaz). Hooded Warbler: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 18 Mar (D. Freeland); 16 at Honeymoon Is- land SP 26 Mar (D. Gagne); 100 at Fort De Soto Park 29 Mar (R. Smith). Wilson’s Warbler: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 1 Mar-14 Apr (C. Goodrich). Yellow-breasted Chat: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 6 Apr (C. Goodrich). Western Spindalis: 1 female at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP 6-9 Apr (R. Diaz). Chipping Sparrow: 1 partially leucistic at Old Town {Dixie) 28 Mar (S. Fronk, photo to FOC); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 18 Apr (J. Boyd). Clay-colored Sparrow: 1 at Lake Apopka NSRA 10 Mar (H. Robinson); 1 at Markham Park {Broward) 27 Mar (J, Hutchison). Field Sparrow: 4 at Lake Apopka NSRA 24 Mar (H. Robinson). Lark Sparrow: 3 at Fort Pickens 1-10 Mar (B. & L. Duncan); 2 at Perdido Key {Escam- bia) 28 Mar (L. Davis); 1 at Pensacola 16 Apr (J. Pfeiffer); 1 at Cedar Key 21 Apr (D. Henderson). Savannah Sparrow: 1 in song at Odessa {Hillsborough) 21 Mar (K. Tracey); 1 with fun- gal (?) growth on its left leg at Kingsley Plantation, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve {Duval) 14 Apr (B. Pranty); 1 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Henslow’S Sparrow: 1 at Lake Jackson 9 Apr (R. Cassidy). Fox Sparrow: 1 at Gainesville to 4 Mar (G. Rose). Lincoln’s Sparrow: 1 at Gulf Breeze 26-28 Apr (B. & L. Duncan). Swamp Sparrow: 1 at Pasco Palms Park 29 Apr (B. Pranty, photo to FOC); 1 at Werner- Boyce Salt Springs SP 15 May (K. Tracey). Dark-eyed JuncO: 1 at Tallahassee 5 Mar (G. Menk). Summer TANAGER: 1 at Violet Curry Preserve {Hillsborough) 9 Mar (J. Guerard). Scarlet Tanager: 15 at Fort De Soto Park 26 Apr (E. Haney et ah); 54 at St. George Is- land SP 27 Apr (L. Felker); 25 at Moccasin Lake Nature Park, Clearwater 27 Apr (S. Fuller); 20 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Western Tanager: 1 at Gainesville 17-29 Mar (C. Willis); 1 at Gainesville 27 Mar (J. Martin); 1 at Keystone Heights {Bradford) 28 Mar (C. Gordon); 1 at Tallahassee 7 Apr (F. Rutkovsky). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 62 at St. George Island SP 27 Apr (L. Felker); 20 at Honey- moon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney); 24 at New Port Richey and Port Richey 28 Apr (K. Tracey); 35 at Fort De Soto Park 28 Apr (B. Pranty), Black-headed Grosbeak: 1 male at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park {Miami-Dade) 29 Apr-2 May (B. Rapoza et al., photo to FOC by J. Boyd). *Lazuli Bunting: 1 adult male at Oviedo {Seminole) 23-27 Apr (M. Acken et al., photo- graph to FOSRC). Indigo Bunting: 30 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney). Painted Bunting: 1 male at Jacksonville 8 Mar (A. Turner); 1 at Fort De Soto Park 18- 20 Apr (C. Fisher); several remained at Cedar Key to 15 Apr (D. Henderson); 1 at Hon- eymoon Island SP 20 Apr (E. Kwater); 1 female at Spring Hill {Hernando) 24 Apr (N. LaFramboise); 1 at Altamonte Springs to 29 Apr (P. Hueber). DickcisseL: 1 at Winter Park to 11 Apr (B. Anderson); 5 at St. George Island SP 25 Apr (J. Murphy); 1 at Paynes Prairie Preserve SP 26 Apr (M. Bristol); as many as 62 at Fort De Soto Park 26-28 Apr (L. Atherton, R. Smith et al.), and 1 there 3 May (M. Gardler); 2 at Lido Key 26 Apr (K. Young); 4 at Eagle Point Park, Holiday 27 Apr (J. McKay, B. Pranty et al.); 12 at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney); 5 at Cedar 186 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Key 28 Apr (B. Enneis et al.); 2 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 28 Apr (C. Goo- drich); 2 at Elliott Key Biscayne NP (Miami-Dade) 30 Apr (R. Diaz). Bobolink: 800 at Clermont 24 Apr (G. Quigley); 125 in Broward 24 Apr ( J. Hutchison, R. Titus); 965 at Lake Apopka NSRA 28 Apr (H. Robinson); 90 at Southwood {Leon) 29 Apr (R. Lengacher); 1,140 at Green Key 29 Apr (K. Tracey); 70 at Crews Lake Park {Pasco) 8 May (B. Pranty et al.). Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1 adult male at East Lake Park {Hillsborough) 10 Mar-5 Apr (D. Wassmer, L. Saul); 2 (female and male) at W Cocoa {Brevard) 18 Mar-23 Apr (D, Sphar, D. Freeland et al.). Shiny Cowbird: 1 at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic SP 12 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 at Key West Botanical Garden, Stock Island 26 Apr (C. Goodrich); 1 female at Fort De Soto Park 28 Apr (M. Gardler), and 1 male there 14-15 May (S. Patterson et al.); 1 male at Fort Pickens 4 May (B. & L. Duncan et al.); 2 at St. Andrew SP {Bay) 18 May (T. Striker); 2 males at Alligator Point {Franklin) 23 May (J. Murphy). Brown-headed Cowbird: much more numerous in mid-May at Painted Bunting study sites in Duval than in previous years (P. Sykes). Orchard Oriole: 5 at Honeymoon Island SP 29 Apr (E. Kwater); 15 males in song at Lake Apopka NSRA 21 May (H. Robinson). *BulL0CK’S Oriole: 1 adult female at Tallahassee to 4 Apr (F. Rutkovsky). Baltimore Oriole: 10 at New Port Richey and Port Richey 28 Apr (K. Tracey). House Finch: 1 in song near Naples Pier {Collier) 13 May (T. Below). Zebra Finch: 1 at Sawgrass Lake Park 4 Apr (J. Mangold, photos to FOC). Pine Siskin: 1 at Titusville 7 Mar (M. Harris); 1 at Lutz {Pasco) 18 Mar (D. Bowman). American Goldfinch: 1 male at Oakland Park 26 Mar (R. Titus); 2 at Clermont {Lake) 27 Apr (J. Stefancic); 1 at Gainesville 15 May (T. Hoctor). Pin-tailed WhydaH: 1 male in alternate plumage at Port Richey 11 Apr {fide K. Tracey); 1 male in alternate plumage at Honeymoon Island SP 27 Apr (E. Haney, photos to FOC by S. Mann). Contributors^ Mary Acken, Brian Ahern, John Affleck, Bruce Anderson, Lyn Ather- ton, Gail Baker, Andy Bankert, Mike Baranski, Thomas Barbig, Tom Bell, Ted & Vir- ginia Below, Brad Bergstrom, David Bowman, Robert Bowman, Andrew Boyle, John Boyd, Matt Bristol, Tom Brock, Michael Brothers, Winifred Burkett, Bob Carroll, Rod- ney Cassidy, Cecie Catron, Jim Cavanagh, Roger Clark, David Cole, Marvin Collins, Buck & Linda Cooper, Cameron Cox, Greg Cudworth, Kevin Dailey, Gary Davis, Lloyd Davis, Gail Deterra, Robin Diaz, Bob & Lucy Duncan, Tom Dunkerton, Jim Eager, Becky Enneis, Charlie Ewell, Linda Felker, Lenny Fenimore, Charlie Fisher, Jeff Fisher, Judy Fisher, Marty Folk, Cole Fredricks, David Freeland, Dot Freeman, Sharon Fronk, S. Fuller, David Gagne, Murray Gardler, John Ginaven, Colin Gjervold, Doug Gochfeld, Carl Goodrich, Caleb Gordon, Jeff Gore, Jon Greenlaw, Rick Greenspun, Jason Guerard, Matt Hafner, Erik Haney, Al & Bev Hansen, Mitchell Harris, Dale Henderson, Michael Hill, John Hintermister, Tom Hoctor, Linda Holt, Judi Hopkins, Earl Horn, Alice Horst, Paul Hueber, John Hutchison, Dan Irizarry, Patrick James, Saskia Janes, Jaysa & Jeff Kanipe, Shawn Kelly, Adam & Gina Kent, Ed Kwater, Ken LaBorde, Nancy LaFram- boise, Alex Lamoreaux, Patrick Leary, Robert Lengacher, Tom Lethbridge, Cecelia Lock- wood, Michelle Machovina, Mike Manetz, Larry Manfredi, John Mangold, Steve Mann, Don & Lorraine Margeson, Bill & Eleanor Marr, John Martin, Sean McCool, Sea McKeon, Linda Melching, Gail Menk, Rocky Milburn, Trey Mitchell, Libby Mojica, Bar- bara Mollison, Jane Monaghan, Pamela Morse, Gino Muehlick, John Murphy, Ryan Palmer, Scott Patterson, James Pfeiffer, Cheri Pierce, Marcus Ponce, Bill Pranty, Glenn Price, Gallus Quigley, Brian Rapoza, Chris Rasmussen, Diane Reed, Bob Richter, Tom Riggs, Harry Robinson, Ginny Rose, Merilu Rose, Rex Rowan, Fran Rutkovsky, Bob Sanders, Betsy Sandstrom, Lillian Saul, Greg Schrott, Alan Sheppard, Phillip Simmons, Field Observations 187 Jean Simpson, Ray Smart, Fletcher Smith, Ron Smith, Bob Snow, Lee Snyder, Doug Sphar, Walt Spina, Joyce Stefancic, John Stenberg, Wes Stinehelfer, Leann Streeper, Tom Striker, Paul Sykes, Wes Tallyn, Jon Thornton, Andrew Thornton, Russ Titus, Rob- erto Torres, Ken Tracey, Steve Tracey, Anne Turner, Jean Turner, Barbara Walker, A1 Wallace, Bob Wallace, Don Ware, Doug Wassmer, Jim Weils, Carol Willis, Meret Wilson, and Kathryn Young. Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662, ). Regional compilers are Brian Ahern (629 Gail Avenue, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617, ), Bruce H. Anderson (2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792, ), Andy Bankert (365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, ravenboy@cfl.rr.com>), John H. Boyd III (15291 SW 108th Terrace, Miami, Florida 33196, ), Bob and Lucy Duncan (614 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, ), Charlie Ewell (115 SW 51st Terrace, Cape Coral, Florida 33991, ), Bev Hansen (6573 Pine Meadows Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34606, ), John Mur- phy (766 Alligator Drive, Alligator Point, Florida 23246, ), and Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257, ). BE A FRIEND OF FFN Florida Field Naturalist is the journal of FOS, an important com- munication vehicle for the Florida scientific and birding community. Increasing costs need to be offset with a combination of member dues and contributions. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $200 or more to FRIENDS OF FFN. Your gift will allow FFN to improve its artwork, including four-color photographs of rarities similar to the one of the state’s first Varied Bunting, published in the February 2006 issue, and other im- provements in the content and appearance of our journal. Contributions to FRIENDS OF FFN will be added to a special en- dowment of FOS, the interest of which will be used to improve the jour- nal. Please write a check payable to the Florida Ornithological Society and specify that the gift is for FOS Friends of FFN. Send the check to: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer, Florida Ornithological Society, 8558 SE Sharon Street, Hobe Sound, FL 33455. We thank the following individuals for donating to FRIENDS OF FFN: 2006 Murray Gardler 2007 David B. Freeland 2008 Jack P. Hailman Billi Wagner Charles Ewell & Arlyne B. Salcedo Robert & Lucy Duncan John M. Murphy Richard L. West 2009 Judith C. Bryan Peggy Powell Peter & Victoria Merritt Jim Cox & Katy NeSmith Robert Budliger William Post David Hartgrove 2010 Brian Ahern 188 SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Bowman, M. C. 1978. Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and American Birds, volumes 1-30, 1947- 1967. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special PuhL no. 1: xii + 43 pp. $4. Cox, J. A. 1987. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 3: vii + 110 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W., G. E. Woolfenden, and J. A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1989): Species Index and County Gazetteer. F/a. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 4: xiv + 99 pp. $8. Loftin, R. W. 1991. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 5: ix + 90 pp. $8. Robertson, W. B., Jr. and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Bird Spe- cies: an Annotated List. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 6: ix + 260 pp. FOS members: $15 soft cover, $20 hard cover; Non-members: $18 soft cover, $23 hard cover. Woolfenden, G. E., W. B. Robertson, Jr., and J. Cox. 2006. The Breed- ing Birds of Florida. Fla. Ornithol. Soc. Special Puhl. no. 7: ii + 142 pp. $12. To order Special Publications: Please send a check made out to the Florida Ornithological Society to the Treasurer: Peter G. Merritt, Treasurer 8558 SE Sharon Street Hobe Sound, FL 33455 The amount of the check should include the price of the publica- tion(s) plus shipping and sales tax. Shipping: Add $2 shipping for 1-5 copies; $4 for 6-10 copies. Sales Tax: Florida residents add the sales tax for the county in which the special publications are delivered. Calculate the sales tax based on the total cost of the special publications plus shipping. 189 «'W"/ -•■ 4^ " ,/. R'K:4j„;‘5 f-^hr-i-n PU-ilhyV'ld N> - - _ jK-Sttsi^QW ' ,fe^r-- 't.V- WWiAittiifAH >m.k • '^ «► Jix ; 1 4SB WuMlaiSH* .j|^a .dJi smi i';,.T..itf- -.i.oijtawiA 4QTi..«tioi(i*f|l!i0tS'*(K}>.''-' .,, tu;.: niH-Oifi? 4xnn$h : >]iLi./';ilU4iey ! : • , I { i''r^t4m rt „ — . ISM'^MtalliirnO I . r 3tfttr|*hv 1Sftt]lii^4|(S|3idbi^ lry}*jH uetdoa -t jiidufi ^ piUr% j4uf(ftfffi ixiT 3 psiS ri4 < P^m vu^gj^ , mfm »dS iMimtjO . ■ . fD4Wj Jsjrtt cn* iK-^ud I , V , ' . ’. ‘ -■ L-, •■ ! -r ^ ‘ AS^-% t it .--ii ■' M: i -*r" .iLT-,;' Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999X PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: ScOTT ROBINSON, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: srobinson@flmnh.ufl.edu Managing/Copy Editor: TOM WEBBER, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, RO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800. E-mail: twebber@flmnh.ufl.edu Associate Editor (for bird distribution): Bruce Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Fark, FL 32792. E-mail: scizortail@aol.com Editor of the FOS newsletter, Snail Kite: TOM Ralmer, 1805 26th Street, N.W, Win- ter Haven, FL 33881. E-mail: tomp47@yahoo.com Editor of Special Publications: JAMES A. RODGERS, Jr, Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601-9044. E-mail: james.rodgers@myfwc.com Web Page Editor: STEPHEN Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951. E-mail: sbankert@cfl.rr.com INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in or near Florida and the nearby West Indies. We welcome submission of original manuscripts containing new information from these areas. We encourage electronic submission of manuscripts. Please consult recent issues of the journal and the FOS website (http://www.fosbirds.org/ FFN/FFN.aspx) for style, noting especially that manuscripts should: (1) be double-spaced throughout, including tables and figure captions; (2) include the scientific name at the first mention of each species; (3) include capitalized standard English names for all birds, but lower case for English names of other organisms; (4) use metric units for all measurements; (5) use the form “7 June 2003” for all dates; (6) use the 24-hour clock for all indications of time (e.g., 0800, 1400); (7) use the following abbreviations: s (second), min (minute), h (hour); (8) use active voice where at all possible. Submit manuscripts, and books for review, to the Editor, Scott Robinson. Monograph- length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to James A. Rodgers, Jr., Editor of Special Publications. Field observations should be sent to the Chair of the Field Obser- vations Committee, Bill Pranty (see Field Observations, this issue). Reports of birds for which the FOS Records Committee requires documentation (see http://www.fosbirds.org/ RecordsCommittee/ RecordsCommittee.aspx) should be sent to the Secretary of the Com- mittee, Andrew W. Kratter, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800; E-mail: kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu 3 9088 01567 6299 Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VoL. 38, No. 4 November 2010 Pages 135-189 CONTENTS ARTICLES Why has an urban adapter, the Northern Mockingbird {Mimus polyglottos), declined in Florida? Rachel E. Hanauer, Christine M. Stracey, and Scott K. Robinson 135-145 Status and current range of Red-whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus) in Florida Bill Pranty 146-149 NINETEENTH REPORT OF THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2009 Andrew W. Kratter 150-174 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Spring report: March-May 2010 Bill Pranty 175-187 ANNOUNCEMENTS Friends ofFFN 188 FOS Special Publications 189 ) :