Government Road, which is more appropriately named Snake Road due to its curvaceous design, can lead one north from Alligator Alley (I-75) at mile marker 49 and the Miccosukee Service Plaza. It is this road where the White-tailed Kite had been seen and reported to eBird by Steven Kaplan, Nick DeCesare, Mark Berney, Nancy Price and David Hall prior to my visit in early April. David Hall's photography of the White-tailed Kites from 3 April is nothing less than extraordinary.
Patches of fog burned off quickly after sunrise. My primary observation point (looking west) was at the tank structures on the east side of Snake Road less than a few miles from Alligator Alley. The facility handles petroleum crude oil as indicated by the Department of Transportation warning on the trucks that came and went from the site.
There had previously been speculation as to what the tanks contain. This landmark is on the opposite side of the road where the White-tailed Kites had most recently been reported. There was a significant amount of other traffic on the highway that made the environment less than ideal for observations. I was surprised by the number of vehicles passing at a much higher speed than the limit.
A pair of Swallow-tailed Kites made a flyover from west to east very late in the morning. Earlier a Northern Harrier was observed soaring at a great distance to the west. Its photograph is diagnostic. There were a number of bird calls heard that I could not identify which otherwise would have been helpful in creating a more accurate list for the morning beyond the 30 species seen.
It was rewarding to find that Eastern Meadowlark is dominant over Red-winged Blackbird. Image #2 reminds me why I will never use the lens extender again (last time, I promise). I drove as far as the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation before heading back home to yet again have White-tailed Kites elude me.
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