Natural History Wanderings

Wetland Birding in Southern Florida

While at home everyone was waiting for the first snow in the Bay Area (Feb. 5, 1976 was the last time snow stuck on the streets of San Francisco),  I was birding in 86 degree weather in Florida.  I was at the Green Cay Wetlands, which is in Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County in southern Florida.  Green Cay Wetlands  is the old Green Cay Farm that was owned by Ted and Trudy Winsberg.  When the farms around them were being converted into housing developments they preferred to restore their land to open prairie with wetland similar to how it had been previous to farming.

There is a 1.5-mile elevated boardwalk through the wetland and a nature center.  It is an excellent area to see birds, alligators, turtles, and rabbits.  Here is the visitor’s center  Bird Checklist and Bird Counts links (which include monthly and often weekly bird counts starting on April 2007 and going through 2010).

I saw  birds, turtles and  one alligator (who was not a cooperative photo subject) in the wetland.  Also  a small alligator (who was cooperative) and an injured Eastern Screech-owl in the visitors center.  Most plentiful were Common Moorhens, American Coots and Blue-winged Teal.  I also identified  Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Great White Egret, Green-backed Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Pied-billed Grebe, Green-winged Teal, Mottled Duck, Boat-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.  There were swallows and sparrows that I was unable to name and I am sure I missed others as well.

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