Trip to the Keys

 Sunday May 11th

Fort Jefferson and the Yankee Freedom in the Dry Tortugas

Florida Key Deer

Conducted my annual springtime trip to Florida Keys. Four days and three nights on the birding trail. Day one was spent checking out birding venue in the Miami - Everglades area. Missed a lot of the Miami specialties, but did add White-tailed Kite, Swallow-tailed Kite, Egyptian Goose, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Common Mynah, Scaly-breasted Munia, Brown-headed Cowbird, Peafowl and Gray Kingbird. Missed on any other parrots, bulbul and spot-breasted oriole. Will have to return soon.

Inside the fort

Day Two was spent investigating the Keys. Made stops on Key Largo, Marathon, Big Pine Key and on Key West. My attempts at locating a black-whiskered vireo this year have been futile so far t and that status continued this weekend.  Should have had several sightings. It goes that way sometimes. Did have several White-crowned Pigeons, Gray Kingbirds and pair of Rosette Terns, Least Terns, lots of White-eyed Vireos, American Redstart, Short-billed Dowitchers Biggest miss was not getting any Antillian Nighthawks. 

My eBird Trip Report

Mike Perrin's Dry Tortugas eBird Report

Mike Perrin's Whimbrel eBird Report

Mike Perrin's Flamingo eBird Report

Sooty Tern with chick

Day three featured a trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park, where an abundance of Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies, and Magnificent Frigatebirds provided excellent photo opportunities. Bush Key serves as the sole nesting location for these terns within the United States, hosting thousands of them. A Masked Booby and a few Bridled and Rosette Terns were also observed. The highlights for visiting birders included a pair of rare-to-the-U.S. Black Noddies and a Red-footed Booby, which was among the nesting frigatebirds on Long Key Without a scope, locating these were challenging. Another visiting birder from Boston, Mike Perrin, captured remarkable photographs of the Black Noddy and reported sighting a White-tailed Tropicbird. To my knowledge, no one had previously reported a tropicbird from the Fort Jefferson. Other sighting at the fort included Sharp-shin and Broad-winged Hawk, Cattle Egrets, Palm, Hooded, American Redstarts, Northern Parula, Blackpoll and Black-throated Blue Warblers, Barn Swallows.

Brown Noddy

Brown Noddy

Spent the ride out and back scanning the waters for any seabirds. Sargasso shearwaters were expected, but instead a flock of six Whimbrels flew past the boat as we were nearing the dock at Fort Jefferson. But even better was a large flock of American Flamingos that flew past by the boat near to the Marquesas Keys on the way back to Key West.  Way Cool...

Day Four made a few stops on my way home.  Went looking for Key Deer on Big Pine Key and checked out the Cave Swallow colony south of LaBelle. Added Crested Caracara today too.

Probably will return to Keys soon to find the elusive black-throated vireo and antillian nighthawk.

Bridled Terns

Palm Warbler

Agami Lizard in Coral Gables. 
Becoming very common across Florida

Northern Curly Tailed Lizard at Blue Hole - Big Pine Key

Florida Tree Snail on Key Largo
The shell coloration varies from Key to Key

Black-necked Stilt
near LaBelle

Marathon

Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park

 Thursday May 18th

Great White Egret

The fully booked Yankee Freedom left its mooring in Key West around 8am for the 70-mile sail to Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas. Today was Monday May 8th and like me there were several birders aboard heading to Fort Jefferson on Garden Key to enjoy some special birding opportunities.

eBird Checklist - 8 May 2023 - Dry Tortugas NP--Garden Key - 36 species

In April and May, the Tortugas can be a magnet for migrating birds seeking respite from the long flight across the Gulf of Mexico and nearby Keys are also hosting breeding colonies for Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies, Magnificent Frigatebirds and Masked Boobies. 

Brown Noddy

Sooty Tern

Other passengers are also finding the birdlife interesting, but we can add the fascinating history of the Civil War Era Fort Jefferson.  Then add the opportunities to do some snorkeling the waters around Garden Key. 

As the Yankee Freedom sailed west, we left Key West behind and would pass the Marquesa Islands and the waters were treasure hunter Mel Fisher had located the some of the wreak of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and her riches.

On the sail to the Tortugas, I and several birds scanned the waters for any pelagic species. Dipped on spotted any of the expected Shearwaters. Mostly seen were frigatebirds and an unidentified jaeger. By 10:30 we had entered the boundary waters of the Dry Tortugas National Park and the boat's captain made a slow pass near to Hospital Key for the birders to get a look at and try to get photographs of the Masked Boobies nesting colony on the small sandy key. This small bit of sand is the only nesting site within the United States for the Masked Boobies. There were a few dozen present as well as around a dozen Brown Boobies. From here the air was filled with birds. Hundreds of Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies and Magnificent Frigatebirds have arrived here to nest on Bush Key.

We docked and exited the Yankee freedom to start our search for interesting birds. Had made acquaintance with some birders from Colorado, who were led by Nick Komar. Nick, I learned later was working on a Big Year and seemed to be having a great start. An interesting coincidence was that on my last visit here, I had made the acquaintance for with another pair of master birders from Colorado - John Vanderpoel and William Kaempfer, who had helped me with getting on my lifer view of a Black Noddy. 

Black Noddy

First headed toward the north coaling pilings looking for good shots of the Brown Noddies and sooty terns, plus the rare Black Noddies that rest on those pilings.  Got my tern and noddy pics but would have to go up to the top of fort to get the view needed to spot the Black Noddies. Which I was later able to do.

Bridle Tern

A trio of Bridle Terns were found near a closed off area at the concrete pad by the south pilings.  

Other sea birds seen included Rosette Terns, Royal Terns, Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls.

Inside the fort we found some of those interesting migrant birds. Common Nighthawk, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Kingbird, Wood Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a Great White Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Ovenbird, Cattle Egrets, a Green Heron, Bay-breasted Warbler, Indigo Buntings, Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, American redstarts, Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Gray Catbirds. Had a few swallows too - Barn, Cliff and Bank were present.

We wrapped up our stay when the Yankee Freedom headed back to Key West around 3pm. Lots of tired folks after a day in the sun.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Indigo Bunting

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Common Nighthawk

Scarlet Tanager

American Redstart

Ovenbird

The Florida Keys

Saturday May 8th 

Last weekend made my annual trip to the Keys and the Dry Tortugas National Park in search of those special birds we only encounter in the Keys. Sunday was the trip out to Fort Jefferson.  

Had wanted to get out there a couple of weeks earlier, but reservations for the ferry was fully booked. May 2nd was the closest available date for a booking. Why go 70 miles due west of Key West to go birding? To experience the thousands of seabirds that nest on these tiny spots of sand. Brown Noddies in the hundreds, Sooty Terns in thousands, the only breeding sight for Masked Boobies within the United States and Magnificent Frigatebirds. Add the rare accordance of a Black Noddy, some Bridle Terns, possible Roseate Terns and the migration of Neotropic Birds passing through.

So Sunday, arrived at the Ferry in Key West in plenty of time for our launch at eight AM. Its a three plus hour trip aboard the Yankee Freedom. About a half hour out from the dock an Audubon's Shearwater was spotted cruising just atop the waves. Much nearer to our destination the captain slowed down the boat so the birders got a chance to observe and record the eighty or so Masked Boobies that nest on Hospital Key.

Masked Boobies photographed by
Dave McQuade in 2016.
I've yet to get a descent photograph myself
eBird Checklist - 20 May 2016 - Dry Tortugas NP--Hospital Key - 4 species

Brown Noddies

Arrived about 10:30 at Fort Jefferson on Garden Key with the visitors dividing up into three groups - the serious birders, snorkelers and the tourists. For most of the birders, the first objective was to locate the Black Noddy at the north coaling docks. Amongst the hundred of brown noddies, finding the similar looking black noddy was a task.  I lucked out as noted big year birder John Vanderpoel and master birder Bill Kaempher were kind enough to to put me on the bird with great looks at the Black Noddy through their scope.  A Lifer for three of us. 

Green Sea Turtle seen within the moat

Parrotfish

Over the next three hours lots of wildlife was observed included spotting sea life in the clear waters around the fort especially within the moat. Including a Green Sea Turtle, Parrotfish, Gray Snapper, Tarpon, a Barracuda ands of colorful reef fish

Within the fort a Broad-winged Hawk, a Merlin, Barn Swallows and a Coopers Hawk soared overhead with the Brown Pelicans and Magnificent Frigatebirds. Other migrants observed included Hooded Warblers, American redstarts, Blackpoll Warblers, Northern Waterthrush

Bridled Tern

Sooty Tern

Magnificent Frigatebird

Brown Noddy

Sooty Terns

Hooded Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

A bathing female Blackpoll Warbler

On the day before I explored the Keys for other interesting birds from Key Largo to Key West. Checked twice in the weekend at the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key for the black grassquit. Dipped on both visits. Did get a good look at a Key Deer here. It was far too comfortable around with people.

Actually not much activity here at all. Just the Key Deer and some green iguanas

Free Ranging chickens are everywhere in the Keys

White-crowned Pigeon at Key West

White-eyed Vireo at Key Largo

Gator at Blue Hole

Up at Key Largo heard Black-whiskered Vireos and several White-eyed Vireos  plus Cape May Warblers and Gray Kingbirds. At the Marathon Government Center lots of Least Terns were present as they nest on the roofs of the buildings. Did have very dissatisfying looks at a couple of Roseate terns, which also nest on the roof. Also visited Fort Zachary Taylor State Park on Key West with looks at White Crowned Pigeon, American Redstarts and Blackpolls. Stationed myself at the western end of the Marathon Airport to sunset to await the Antillean Nighthawks.  This has usually been a reliable spot, but the birds didn't show as expected. Ironically did heard one further east from my stakeout spot. Additionally heard more in the pre-dawn hours on my trek from Marathon to Key West on Sunday morning.

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard at Key Largo

Fort Zachary Taylor - Key West