Two Florida Rarities, Five Aves Lifers

Audubon's Guide to North American Birds notes that a Variegated Flycatcher has been observed at least four times in North America (among six billion plus acres of land).

The Magnolia Warbler above (image 1) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The American Birding Association blog notes more specifically that the Variegated Flycatcher had been documented in Maine in 1997, Tennessee in 1984, Ontario in 1993, Washington in 2008, and Florida in 2013. The range of the Variegated Flycatcher is predominantly in the continent of South America excluding the western and southern regions.

The Variegated Flycatcher above (image 2) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Variegated Flycatcher above (image 3) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Cape May Warbler above (image 4) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

So with high expectations I traveled with Tom Obrock to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 27 October to observe the sixth North American record of this extreme vagrant rarity. Treading with respect at every step at the Evergreen Cemetery we observed the Variegated Flycatcher with a handful of other birders.

The Black-and-white Warbler above (image 5) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Black-and-white Warbler above (image 6) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Palm Warbler above (image 7) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

At the Evergreen Cemetery we additionally found very good warbler activity. Tom pointed out a Blue-crowned Parakeet to me which would be my second life bird of the morning. If we were not pressed for time, I think there might have been a chance to pick up a warbler species that I had not seen before as well.

The Blue-crowned Parakeet above (image 8) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Palm Warbler above (image 9) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 10) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

While the opportunity to observe the Variegated Flycatcher (VAFL) in Jacksonville was reported to last for less than an hour, the Fort Lauderdale bird was much more cooperative. Initially observed by Russ Titus on 24 October 2015, the VAFL was last reported at eBird by Edward and Ian Van Norman on 31 October. Predators were reported from the cemetery daily.

The Osprey above (image 11) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 12) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Variegated Flycatcher above (image 13) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

Traveling home from Fort Lauderdale after scoring the mega rare flycatcher, Tom and I were discussing Noah Striker reaching his goal of observing 5000 birds this year. Unaware of another stunning "local" development at the time, a second Florida rarity was discovered in the Florida Keys this day.

The Variegated Flycatcher above (image 14) was photographed at Evergreen Cemetery in October 2015.

The Belted Kingfisher above (image 15) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Belted Kingfisher above (image 16) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

With the Northern Wheatear lingering, I couldn't resist traveling the four hours (one way) on 2 November to see the bird. A sunrise arrival at Lower Matecumbe Key where the wheatear had been reported revealed one car I learned belonged to avid Florida birder Thomas Smith.

The Green Iguana above (image 17) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Northern Mockingbird above (image 18) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Green Iguana above (image 19) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

Thomas advised me that he had seen the Northern Wheatear almost immediately upon his arrival. He pointed out the wheatear to me about 45 minutes after sunrise when it reappeared. We had very good views of the bird periodically for the next couple of hours.

The Palm Warbler above (image 20) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Palm Warbler above (image 21) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Carolina Saddlebags Dragonfly above (image 22) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The migratory routes of the Northern Wheatear certainly puts it extremely out of place in Florida, but has been documented well throughout the United States as indicated by my Sibley Guide to Birds.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 23) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 24) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 25) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

At one point while observing the Northern Wheatear it was extraordinary to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk make a very low pass that scattered a pair of Rock Doves that were foraging near the wheatear. With the wheatear my first lifer of the morning, the Sharp-shinned Hawk became the second, and it wouldn't be long before a third would arrive.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 26) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Broad-winged Hawk above (image 27) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

With thanks to Thomas he was immediately able to advise me of the second hawk observed that I had not seen before, a Broad-winged Hawk that we were fortunate to observe on the bay side. Traffic was too heavy this day to do hawk watching on the Overseas Highway.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 28) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 29) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

The Northern Wheatear adjacent to Anne's Beach-- Lower Matecumbe Key was last reported to eBird as occurring on 6 November 2015. I have regrets that I was unable to photograph the Sharp-shinned Hawk, and also didn't photograph the back of the Variegated Flycatcher.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 30) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

These three lifers at Lower Matecumbe added to the earlier observed Variegated Flycatcher and Blue-crowned Parakeet in Fort Lauderdale made for an exhilarating week.

The Northern Wheatear above (image 31) was photographed at Lower Matecumbe Key in November 2015.

A. D. Barnes Park, Kendall Indian Hammocks, And More

When looking for warblers during the migration periods in south Florida, the diminutive birds can more reliably be found on the east coast.

The White-crowned Pigeon above (image 1) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

With great enjoyment I traveled with Fort Myers Birding Commandos, Vince McGrath and Stan Damon, on 12 October from Fort Myers to Miami. Our first stop was A. D. Barnes Park. This was actually immediately after observing Red-masked Parakeets, a lifer for Stan, just west of Barnes.

The Gray Catbird above (image 2) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The American Redstart above (image 3) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Hill Myna above (image 4) was photographed at A.D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

Warblers were prolific with a few other subjects capturing my attention. An effort was made to re-find the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher reported at A. D. Barnes Park the day before, but the specialty remained elusive. This bird would have been a lifer for me.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 5) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The American Redstart above (image 6) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Tennessee Warbler above (image 7) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

With Vince leading the way, no part of the park remained unexplored. I was particularly pleased with the elevated boardwalk on the west side of the park that Stan had mentioned earlier. It is here that eye level views of warblers could be readily appreciated.

The Tennessee Warbler above (image 8) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Eastern Wood-Pewee above (image 9) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Worm-eating Warbler above (image 10) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

After more than three hours of observations at A. D. Barnes we made our way to try to find some Red-whiskered Bulbuls. As I've found typical when looking for them, they were elsewhere. Native to Asia, the Red-whiskered Bulbul is otherwise found in California and Hawaii in the United States.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 11) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Prairie Warbler above (image 12) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above (image 13) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

We also visited the Baptist Hospital of Miami looking for parakeets and Egyptian Geese which were unseen with a quick drive through. This was the first time that I have not seen parakeets at this "venue."

The Black-throated Blue Warbler above (image 14) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Scarlet Tanager above (image 15) was photographed at A. D. Barnes Park in October 2015.

The Black-and-white Warbler above (image 16) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

Our next stop was Kendall Indian Hammocks Park with a particular interest in finding a Bell's Vireo that had been reported by Brian Rapoza the day before our arrival. While there were again a very good number and variety of warblers observed at this park, the Bell's Vireo wasn't seen.

The Black-and-white Warbler with prey above (image 17) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above (image 18) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

The Chestnut-sided Warbler above (image 19) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

After otherwise rewarding observations at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park we were again on the road approaching mid afternoon. We made a stop at the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk. Stan told me of the Black Bear that had climbed dozens of feet up a tree to get to a cache of honey from a bee's nest (see image 23). The bees were observed to be feverishly rebuilding the nest on our visit.

The Northern Parula above (image 20) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

The Northern Parula above (image 21) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

The American Redstart above (image 22) was photographed at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in October 2015.

The birds were seemingly taking a siesta along the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. A Pileated Woodpecker, however, flew very low over the boardwalk directly in front of us. A Northern Flicker was also observed at this amazing place.

The scene above (image 23) was photographed at the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in October 2015.

The Anhinga above (image 24) was photographed at JB Ranch in October 2015.

The Glossy Ibis above (image 25) was photographed at JB Ranch in October 2015.

A flooded field at the JB Ranch south of Immokalee offered a view of a large quantity of Lesser Yellowlegs. Apple Snail egg casings were observed adjacent to the drainage canal, so it was not surprising to see Limpkins in very good numbers along this stretch of road. Glossy Ibis, Common Grackle, and White Ibis were observed in large flocks traveling south.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 26) was photographed at JB Ranch in October 2015.

The Common Grackle above (image 27) was photographed at JB Ranch in October 2015.

Our last primary stops were along rural roads still south of Immokalee. With the sun setting we were able to observe large numbers of waders that were already at, and flying toward, their roost. Crested Caracara, Indigo Buntings and Painted Bunting were unexpectedly observed by me. The last observation of the day was of a family of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

The Limpkin above (image 28) was photographed at JB Ranch in October 2015.

The Crested Caracara above (image 29) was photographed at rural Immokalee in October 2015.

With Stan navigating, and Vince offering his birding expertise, this trip became one of my favorite wildlife adventures of the year.

The Painted Bunting above (image 30) was photographed at rural Immokalee in October 2015.