The birds (Miami, Palmetto, Siesta Key: home, subdivision, live)

[1rainman]

One thing I can't stand about south Florida is the birds. Huge hoarded of them everywhere and they are super loud. So even if you escape into some woods you can't hear yourself think or even talk over the birds squawking.

This started in the 2000s. There weren't this many birds before that. But the bobcats and stuff that eats them are losing habitat and old people constantly feed them to the point it's over populated with birds around here. All the different kinds.

[tinytrump]

Maybe Fl is not for you. I love the birds. Yes they poop on my side mirror and fly into the carport. But they sing with my wind chimes. I have all kinds of birds visit my yard. Beautiful. Nothing more fun than to see your kid lose their French fry to a sea gull or toddlers chase the sanderlings on the shoreline as the waves come and go. We all re stuck to you-tube when our eagles have eggs. Don’t forget the flock of parrots that have multiplied since they got loose after hurricane Andrew. I worry when I don’t see or hear birds. I look for them.
Fl is all about nature. We have about 200 species of birds, and about 1800 that migrate. Hence the title snowbirds for the retirees. Would rather have the real birds- let the others stay home !

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by 1rainman

One thing I can't stand about south Florida is the birds. Huge hoarded of them everywhere and they are super loud. So even if you escape into some woods you can't hear yourself think or even talk over the birds squawking.

This started in the 2000s. There weren't this many birds before that. But the bobcats and stuff that eats them are losing habitat and old people constantly feed them to the point it's over populated with birds around here. All the different kinds.

To each his own I guess. One of my favorite things about Florida IS all the birds, in the trees, flying overhead, winging their way to the bird rookeries just west of us in the river, strolling along the waterways, finding little critters to eat in our backyard, building nests in our shrubs and trees. Makes my day to see all these birds, or even just some of them.

[1rainman]

I like the birds but just like the people they are getting over populated. I used to see signs that say don't shoot the birds or bird sanctuary in residential areas. I never understood what kind of psychopath would shoot birds. Now I get it. They can be annoying.

[Sunshine Rules]

My fav back yard birds are the song sparrows and mocking birds, love to hear them sing. We sometimes get visits from a flock of Ibis that travel around our community and there are a pair of Sandhill Cranes that nest in our area, I see them out with their newest baby every spring. (By the way, did you know the Sandhill Crane babies are yellow in color?) We see egrets now and then over by the lake.

Not such a fan of grackles or this one particular woodpecker who has taken a liking to one of the southern maple trees in my front yard.

There was a flock of wild parrots that were hanging around a wooded area next to our subdivision for awhile, but for whatever reason they've moved on. I've noticed flocks of parrots on St. Armand's Circle at times, they also nest in several spots on Siesta Key.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Sunshine Rules

My fav back yard birds are the song sparrows and mocking birds, love to hear them sing. We sometimes get visits from a flock of Ibis that travel around our community and there are a pair of Sandhill Cranes that nest in our area, I see them out with their newest baby every spring. (By the way, did you know the Sandhill Crane babies are yellow in color?) We see egrets now and then over by the lake.

Not such a fan of grackles or this one particular woodpecker who has taken a liking to one of the southern maple trees in my front yard.

There was a flock of wild parrots that were hanging around a wooded area next to our subdivision for awhile, but for whatever reason they've moved on. I've noticed flocks of parrots on St. Armand's Circle at times, they also nest in several spots on Siesta Key.

When we lived in Miami years ago ( Palmetto Bay) there were some wild blue and gold macaws that would frequent the area. I remember counting about 15 of them one in two mimosa trees, one in our yard and the other in our next door neighbor's yard. They sat in the trees, feasting on the seed pods hanging from the trees, making a racket as they squawked to each other and cracked those pods. Entertained and delighted us for several hours as we watched them, before they moved on. We saw some on later occasions over the years, but no more than two mated pairs at a time. We had coconut palms in our yard and those macaws loved the coconuts, but they really had to work with their powerful beaks to get them open.

We also saw a lot of wild quaker parrots, lots more of them than there were macaws. I know there are quakers on this side of the FL coast too, but I don't think I've seen more than one or two ( if that) in the 10 years we have been here full time.

[beach43ofus]

I saw a Roseated Spoonbill fly overhead this morning...their vivid Pink plummage against the clear Blue sky is something to behold.

Other favorites of mine are the White Pelicans, Wood Storks, the little Green flocks of Monk Parakeets, & of course Bald Eagles. Crested Caracara's are an unusual, but pleasant sighting too. I see them on fence posts when I cross FLA east-west.

I hear Owls early in the morning, but seldom see one.

My least favorite are Limpkins, because they are so loud.

[tinytrump]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

When we lived in Miami years ago ( Palmetto Bay) there were some wild blue and gold macaws that would frequent the area. I remember counting about 15 of them one in two mimosa trees, one in our yard and the other in our next door neighbor's yard. They sat in the trees, feasting on the seed pods hanging from the trees, making a racket as they squawked to each other and cracked those pods. Entertained and delighted us for several hours as we watched them, before they moved on. We saw some on later occasions over the years, but no more than two mated pairs at a time. We had coconut palms in our yard and those macaws loved the coconuts, but they really had to work with their powerful beaks to get them open.

We also saw a lot of wild quaker parrots, lots more of them than there were macaws. I know there are quakers on this side of the FL coast too, but I don't think I've seen more than one or two ( if that) in the 10 years we have been here full time.

The birds are beautiful. But the Monkeys lol.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

The birds are beautiful. But the Monkeys lol.

LOL, fortunately the only time I heard of monkeys getting loose was after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Apparently some monkeys escaped from the Monkey Jungle in southern Miami Dade county when the buildings were damaged. I remember there was a report of a child that was bitten by an escaped monkey and they must have thought she might get some sort of wierd disease from the bite. They took her to Miami Children's hospital for observation and treatment of the bites. I recall the news media made very brief mention of it, but not much, mostly because of HIPAA regulations, but also because the whole thing was just wierd. We were not even sure the monkey biting a kid was true- so many rumors swirl around after a hurricane. I worked at the hospital at the time, and struck up a conversation with a woman in the parking lot who turned out to be the mother of this child. So I guess it was true.


Never saw any loose monkeys after that.

[LKJ1988]

never see one in my hood.