Field Trip Wrap-Up: Matheson Hammock Park, Fall 2021
Photos Courtesy of Ana Lima & Kirsten Hines • Sunday, November 14, 2021 • Matheson Hammock Park
Twenty women gathered for the November 2021 Phoebes Bird Walk at Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables. Enjoying temperatures in the low 70s, we kicked off the walk with a Black-throated Green warbler and capped the adventure 2.5 hours later with a Great Horned Owl. Other highlights of the trip included the local exotic Common Hill Myna, which can only be viewed in this area, American Kestrel and dark and light morphs of Short-tailed Hawks! In total we saw 299 birds of 34 taxa.
As most Phoebes walks start off, we enjoyed seeing a nice variety of species from our gathering spot in the parking lot. Often it pays to just stand still for a while! The Blue Jays and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were actively moving about in the early morning while nearby a raucous company of Orange-winged Parrots chased European Starlings off their perch.
As we strolled the nearby hammock, we spotted the Black-throated Green Warbler, a treat this time of year as this migrant is most likely spending the winter here. We also saw Blue-headed and White-eyed vireos, Prairie Warbler and our namesake bird, Eastern Phoebe. A Cooper’s Hawk swooped low to the ground just feet from our group and perched nearby, offering a nice opportunity to take close-up photos.
We were especially excited to see the two morphs of the Short-tailed Hawk interacting with each other amidst a kettle of vultures. A sole Wood Stork gracefully soared overhead, its white wings framed by a cerulean sky.
For the second half of the walk, we crossed Old Cutler Road and explored the western side of the park. In the open area we were greeted by an American Kestrel and a Red-Shouldered Hawk, both perched on a powerline quietly looking for their morning meal. The distinctive call of a House Wren caught our attention as we strolled past tall grass. We patiently waited to see if he would satisfy our curiosity and he did not disappoint. After a while he popped up and gave us some good views.
On our way back we were overjoyed to find a Great Horned Owl perched, apparently snoozing, in a towering Australian Pine tree where the trail meets the meadow in the western end of the park. For several years a Great Horned Owl has been seen in this spot. Perhaps this is an adult that has nested here for some time or an offspring of the resident Great Horned in this area.
After birding we picnicked under the shady Oaks, sharing homemade delicacies, and had a lively discussion about the joys of birding and being together.
Phoebes gather for bird walk at Matheson Hammock Park.
Birds We Saw
White-crowned Pigeon 3
Wood Stork 1
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 1
Black Vulture 30
Turkey Vulture 120
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Short-tailed Hawk 3
hawk sp. 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 14
American Kestrel 1
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet 12
Orange-winged Parrot 4
Mitred/Red-masked Parakeet 20
Eastern Phoebe 2
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 18
Fish Crow 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (caerulea) 20
House Wren 2
Common Hill Myna 2
European Starling 6
Gray Catbird 12
Northern Mockingbird 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Parula 2
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 6