Unlike the first two days, I only added one new bird for the trip (Great Blue Heron). There was also a decent sized flock of warblers this morning containing all 5 species I had seen previously. The real show was when I went to the Green Cay Wetlands. In the parking lot alone, I added Pine Warbler, Common Grackle, and Northern Cardinal (heard) to my trip list. At the wetlands, there were many herons, and surprisingly, the predominant species was Tricolored, and one even landed on the boardwalk and let me walk right by it. I saw many marsh species, but perhaps the most interesting were the Gray-Headed Swamphens. These gigantic rails are not native to Florida, and are escapees from collections that have since multiplied and spread around south Florida. I saw 5, and these birds are bad for the ecosystem because they like to eat the marsh grasses, but only the roots, and as a result they can clear a lot of grass in a short amount of time. Fortunately, they don't seem to have made much of an impact yet. Just as I was about to leave, I spotted a bird circling the marsh that looked a bit like a cormorant or Anhinga. When I put my binoculars on it, it was clear that it was a Wilson's Snipe. Why it was circling ID anyone's guess, but it was a great way to end the day.
Other species added:
Blue Jay (3 heard)
Painted Bunting (3 at feeder)
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Common Gallinule (about a dozen)
Green Heron
Red-Winged Blackbird (several)
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow (4)
Blue-Winged Teal (14)
Common Yellowthroat (3)
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