Tweeters,
We (Kate Tillotson and I) took a quick trip to South Florida from July 26- August 3rd mostly to help out my elderly mom. We were able to get in some birding, with the highlight being a Fork-tailed Flycatcher seen in the St. Petersburg area on Saturday July 28th. We were able to steal away on three other days and spent a few hours each at Loxahatchie, Wakodahatchie, and the area to the east of Belle Glades. All these are within a short driving distance of where we staying in Boynton Beach. Aside from the flycatcher other birds of special interest were:
Least Bittern seen at Wakodahatchie
Black-bellied Whistling Duck seen at both Loxahatchie and Wakodahatchie
Snail Kite juvenile seen east of Belle Glades off of 880
Swallow-tailed Kite many seen kettling in the Belle Glades area
Northern Caracara area to the west of Belle Glades
Limpkin 2 adults with a juvenile seen in the Palm Chase complex in Boynton Bch
Pectoral Sandpiper flooded area along state route 80 east of Belle Glades
Stilt Sandpiper same as above
Smooth-billed Ani seen at the south end of the Fort Lauderdale airport

Other highlights included: a Snowy Egret male with crest erected doing a mating dance for a female and
Moorhen, Purple Gallinule,Anhinga chicks, and a mud turtle laying her eggs at Wakodahatchie
Barn Owl at night on a road sign along hwy 80
Eastern Screech Owl along the trail at the visitor centor at Loxahatchie
Large profusions of Lepiota naucima mushrooms
Giant and Zebra Swallowtail and many other species of butterflies
Brilliantly colored dragonflies
If I can be of help to anyone who wants more information about this report/area, free to e-mail me.

Barry Levine
Seattle
Levineb at bsd405.org