St. Lucie Audubon Society

NOV. 12, 2011, SLAS FIELD TRIP REPORT
INDIAN RIVER BOAT TRIP WITH CAPT. CHOP LEGE

     24 SLAS members participated on this boat trip along the Indian River in Fort Pierce.  The highlight of the trip was a duck that Capt Chop had 1st spotted about 10 days ago and was still there the day of our trip….a Common Eider ( which is a duck which favors the North and had never been seen by any of our participants before in Florida). Thanks to multiple photos take by member Richard Lynch and Luke N, our expert birders Dan Walma and Hart Rufe were able to confirm this RARE sighting of a Common Eider in Florida!! 

    A total of 24 bird species were seen. Also seen were manatee and dolphins. And we were treated to a perfect view of the sky-divers participating in events at the Navy SEAL museum that day!  Thanks to Capt Chop for a great day on the river! If you would like to schedule a trip with Capt Chop call him at 772-464-4445

-- Submitted by Dorothy Schultz

24  species seen: 

Common Eider
Wood Stork
Double-crested Cormorant
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull
Forster’s Tern
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Mockingbird
Palm Warbler
Boat-tailed Grackle                            
Eider phtos by Richard Lynch