The Everglades

 In January and February, I racked my brain about my birding direction this year. I hadn't seen my friend Homer since last year and thought, "You know what......"  And it was exactly what the doctor called for!  As I got off the plane, Homer whisked me off to the Everglades for a special bird, the Brown-headed Nuthatch. 

The Everglades was on top of my list to see.  I had always hoped to explore this area.  We easily located the nuthatches leaving us some time to walk the trails. 

Along the mile long Anhinga boardwalk, I spied at least 5 Swallow-tailed Kites!  But be careful!  There were alligators all along the path.  

It was refreshing to get out into a new area and bird.  It was also nice having a friend there to chit chat with along the way.  One of the things I learned from Homer was that you couldn't park your cars in the parking lot and leave them exposed.  Apparently, the vultures attack the vehicles and pull the rubber off!  I thought it was a joke until I saw the tarps.  Then I researched once I got home!  Use the tarps that the visitor center provides:)  Check out this video below before you go!

Along the way, I enjoyed excellent views of birds I rarely get to see in Arizona.  The Tricolored Herons were a treat and very actively hunting along the Anhinga trail. 

Again, keep your eyes open for alligators! But then again, maybe you'll look for them:)

There was a lot of water.  And a lot of green.  There was a breeze.  And the day was perfect! This is the ebird checklist from our journey.  Click here for the full report. 

This lifer, the Brown-headed Nuthatch, ends my nuthatch search in North America. They are not widespread like other nuthatches and often birders have to make a special trek to see them.  They are similar to Arizona's Pygmy Nuthatches in that they have a limited range. This bird sounds like a squeaky dog toy. 

Everglades National Park is a must see location even if you're not a birder!  I only saw a small portion of the park, but I'll be back!  A special "thank you" to friend Homer Gardin for hosting this desert rat. 

The search for 10,000 birds begins again this year with some very specific searches.  Over the next few weeks, I'll take you all to some very special places where we searched for some lovely birds in the Miami area. And all on a full tank of gas in a compact car!  This month will feature Florida.  Next month, we'll explore more of Oregon and Washington for some amazing grouse.  And during the "in-between", we'll be checking out some of my favorite Arizona birds like the Crested Caracara. Plus, we have some very special treks to Mexico and beyond.  Stay tuned for more....