Tropical Audubon Society

South Florida’s Voice of Conservation

Just got home from my second unsuccessful attempt for the wintering Short-eared Owl near the Nike Missile Base (Everglades National Park) but did get a great consolation prize of Black Rail!

I parked at the locked bar gate at 5:50pm and walked to the base before turning back. Around 6:35pm I heard a single Ki-Ki-Koo call from the west side of the road. I actually went to go answer my phone before realizing my ringer was no longer BLRA call (had that default ringtone from 2013 until last month when I got the iPhone X). Unfortunately it did not call again so I was unable to document the encounter.

It was just north of the curve for the base, across from where the vegetation becomes much thicker on the east side of the road. I did not hang around long since I was alone and lost sunlight. I’ve photographed a Black Bear along the road last summer and there is a lot of scat in the area. Good luck to anyone chasing!