![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3SiQCt5nQg/WFpTKltUEhI/AAAAAAABKqg/Q38MRIly8os13F67C6EpsJL9NScEq103wCPcB/s640/2016-12-21.jpg) |
Western Spindalis |
Earlier this month a friend and I chased a Thick-billed Vireo in South Florida at Bill Baggs State Park in Miami. We were enticed by the possibility of both seeing that bird and seeing a Western Spindalis as well. Both birds had been seen within 50 feet or so of each other. So we made the four-hour trek down to Miami and staked out both birds. The Western Spindalis was the first to show herself. The Thick-billed Vireo showed up around 11am. We all had some pretty good looks at it, even though it was only for a few seconds, before it took off into the woods again. Unfortunately, it appears that sighting was the last time anyone saw it there. It seems to have moved on.
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uujefCM7cT0/WFs7JJOIbvI/AAAAAAABKrg/VsIYd5zQVIE6HszXd4JzgstyUn4vAaCbwCLcB/s640/2016-12-03%252C%2B_MG_6252.jpg) |
Thick-billed Vireo |
From there we decided to check out a few other rarities. We chased a Western Tanager at Miami-Dade College. We missed that bird, but we had a flyover Cave Swallow, which was a lifer for me. We then headed down to Castello Hammock Park to look for a Buff-bellied Hummingbird. There were two of them there hanging out with both Rufous and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. We missed the Rufous, but we had really good looks at the Buff-bellied. It even posed for photos.
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C6P84_hYBwo/WFpTeZwBW3I/AAAAAAABKq8/LMVQkSmGVp4_v8f_7T6lH768SHFpNuFyQCPcB/s640/2016-12-21.jpg) |
Buff-bellied Hummingbird |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-um-IcCY87_U/WFpTdApB6UI/AAAAAAABKq8/mFEX1ekP8YscABFLPPi46V0pd-M9TWnlACPcB/s640/2016-12-21.jpg) |
Buff-bellied Hummingbird |
As a bonus, I was also able to photograph a young iguana and my first ever Great Pondhawk.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ldMjFtft5dM/WFpTJqPMw2I/AAAAAAABKqg/3KujPl3OmvcqtNSQddDVbVuIfi-TcKa3gCPcB/s640/2016-12-21.jpg) |
Iguana |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VGdxh47fCo/WFpTH_19jwI/AAAAAAABKqg/W0oMd0yqtjopG8Pb_JQwUzXTzBpnUDjkwCPcB/s640/2016-12-21.jpg) |
Great Pondhawk |
All in all, it was a great day. We got home before midnight and I added 4 year birds, three of which were lifers--Thick-billed Vireo, Cave Swallow and Buff-bellied Hummingbird. Not a bad way to spend the day.
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