CONGRATULATIONS to my eldest (Sarah) for recently becoming engaged to Ben Yudysky! She is the person responsible for the creation of this blog over ten years ago. A trip to Miami to celebrate them was in order. Bonus for me – a code 5 Cuban/Central American Red-legged Honeycreeper that eluded me (twice) in Texas last Autumn, had just appeared last week, twenty minutes from their Brickell apartment. Presumably the Fall tropical storms sent a few of these individuals north to our Gulf states and this particular female had remained undiscovered through the winter.
American Airlines has a 6am non-stop flight to Miami that enabled me to start looking for this diminutive member of the tanager family by 10am on Good Friday. I anticipated another needle-in-the-haystack search. However, within minutes of my arrival, two friendly gentlemen appeared on the scene. They had driven 17 hours from Harrisburg to chase their target!
After only 90 minutes of birding Brewer Park, one of the fellows located a quiet bird in a leafless tree, basically in the same spot this specialty had been reported previously. HONEYCREEPER! She briefly preened and then moved across the street to probe the pods of a fig tree with her oversized bill. For fifteen minutes we three fired off dozens of digital photos.
This morning Ben suggested we look for the LaSagra’s Flycatcher on Key Biscayne. A code 4 that I had seen ten years ago but eluded him earlier in the week. Oh, I forgot to mention that Ben DID see the Red-Legged Honeycreeper a few days before my arrival. Was Sarah marrying someone in her Dad’s image? Maybe Ben only birds for MEGA-rarities? I’m sure our Family will have fun with this:).
HAPPY PASSOVER/EASTER!
birdtalesblog 
Always fun to see and hear about your adventures – and extra fun to hear about your daughter’s engagement!!
Congrats on it all!!!!
Arlin
Thanks Arlin! We are pleased
Congrats to Sarah and Ben! And congrats to you, Woody! So fun – excited for your family to have another wedding. XO
Thanks so much KB!
The best of holidays to be sure, George!
You bet Professor!
Happy to be learning from the best!
Hah! Flattery will get you everywhere Ben:)
Wonderful family sharing. Go Sarah and we’ll played Ben!!
Thanks Puss!
Congratulations to Sarah & Ben!
And your honeycreeper sighting!
Thanks very much Anne. Exciting!
Congratulations to Sarah and Ben! Kudos GCW’75 for another great outing. Happy Passover/Easter!
Thanks Jeff!
Congrats ! very much appreciate you sharing this adventure!!
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William J. Watkinson
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Thanks so much Bill!
It’s a family affair. Love it! (And best wishes to Sarah and Ben, too.)
Thanks Jimbo!