Key Largo
This morning we returned to the Everglades to look for the Cape Sable race of Seaside Sparrow again. We didn't see any sparrows but did find Eastern Towhee, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, five Eastern Meadowlarks, a Bobolink and our first Eastern Bluebird.
Now to the Key Largo and our first stop was at John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo. We picked up two important things here: migrants and ice cream! We started with two Palm Warblers in a low tree which led to the finding of a superb male Cape May Warbler. In some taller trees we had a very nice collection of warblers come to our pishing: Cape May, Worm-eating, Prairie (3), Black-throated Blue (3) and Blackpoll (3) Warblers and Northern Parula (2). Also here we had great views of a pair of White-eyed Vireos.
Nearby lies Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, another area of dry hardwood woodland. Here we admired three more male Cape May Warblers, Prairie Warbler, four White-eyed Vireos, a flypast White-crowned Pigeon and, on pilings in the river, 15 Spotted Sandpipers. The finding of a flock of six Indigo Buntings necessitated a stop at a likely-looking area of grassland and trees. In the few minutes we stayed here we added four Bobolinks, Prairie Warbler, Gray Kingbird and another male Painted Bunting.
Heading back to the motel we made one final stop when we saw a nighthawk on a telegraph wire. It turned out to be a Common Nighthawk and as we checked the immediate area we found another three roosting birds plus Eastern Meadowlark and a Red-shouldered Hawk.