I went out once again to search for my Bird-A-Day. I headed east from
Naples out CR846 (Immokalee Rd.) to CR858 (Oil Well Rd.). I didn't see
anything of interest save for four or so Crested Caracaras on those
routes so when I got to SR29 at Sunniland, I turned south and went to
Oil Well Park. Oil Well Park is a small public park in Sunniland,
which has Florida's first commercial oil derrick. Oil was discovered
in 1943, and although oil did not pump from this exact location, the
equipment was moved here as a public display. The coolest sighting
there were 3-4 tom turkeys displaying for a half-dozen hens. I thought
it was Thanksgiving and I nearly got out my brown and orange crayons
and traced my spread fingers on some paper to make a turkey like we
used to do back in first or second grade! From Oil Well Park, I went
back up to CR858 and headed east of SR29. I stopped where I usually
find Grasshopper Sparrows but they weren't home. As a consolation
prize, I saw a few Painted Buntings, a House Wren, a Gray Catbird and
a male Northern Cardinal. At the twin bridges on Oil Well Rd., I saw
several Limpkins, a Black-crowned Night-Heron, a few Mottled Ducks
plus all of the other usual waders. I was really trying for a Scissor-
tailed Flycatcher that can reliably be found on County Line Rd. (north-
south leg of CR858) but with the darkening skies, it didn't look
promising. After several attempts, I found the bird on the wires at
the M.E.D. Farms where it had just flown in from feeding in the nearby
fields. Also seen were some Loggerhead Shrike, Red-shouldered Hawks,
Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Northern Harriers. I made the loop back up
to Immokalee Rd. but try as I might, i could not find a Wilson's Snipe
in any of the "appropriate" habitat. Where are these birds this
winter? Even out at STA-5, they are not common this winter. I could
not find the female Snail Kite that has been present in a small
wetland west of the Immokalee Ranch either. This is the first time
I've missed her since December. This was the only Snail Kite for which
I am aware in Collier County. From there, I paid a visit to my
friend's feeders in Immokalee. Despite the fact that the Midney's new
neighbors totally eradicated all of the "cover" for these feeder birds
i.e. Painted & Indigo Buntings, Chipping Sparrows, White-winged Doves
and last year Pine Siskins & American Goldfinch, these birds are still
coming to the feeders which have been moved closer to existing trees
and bushes. However, when I was there this morning, at least three
stray(?) cats were hiding under the Night-blooming Jasmine bush where
the bunting feeders generally hang out. That is not good either! An
abused emaciated chihuahua by evidence of marks on its face and torso
also was in the area where I parked. This tore my heart out having had
two chihuahuas myself. I gave it some water, which is all I had, and
won it's trust to some extent. It clearly was afraid of humans and
rightfully so. I can't imagine how some heartless bastard could abuse
such a loving little creature. I hope what goes around comes around as
the saying goes. After leaving the Midneys. I went up to lake Trafford
Rd. where the Red-headed Woodpecker was in its "usual" spot. On a
whim, I went over to the Calvin L. Sirmans Memorial Effluent Reuse
Facility. To my surprise, the gate was open and there was a worker
nearby. I asked permission to go in to look at birds on the holding
ponds and was told it was OK. Yipee! At the ponds, I found the usual
waders, coots and moorhens plus 6 Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Eastern
Meadowlarks, 3 Savannah Sparrows, 2 Purple Gallinules, 2 Soras (one
heard and one seen), 25+ Pied-billed Grebes and one American Bittern
which was my bird-a-day. No ducks or terns of any kind! After leaving
this area, I headed back down Immokalee Rd. toward home. Over 125
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks plus about 20 or so Blue-winged Teal and
other expected species were at the farm pond 1/2 mile east of Oil Well
Grade Rd., their usual location. My final stop was at Gulf Coast H.S.
where the two mated Monk Parakeets were together in their stick nest.
Can't wait to see the youngin's!

Good birding!

Vince

Vincent P. Lucas
Naples, FL
vplucas@...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/