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

Where Are the Birds?

 Friday, October 22nd

For whatever reason, the Fall Migration has been relatively weak in our corner of Florida this. There have been a few rarities spotted, like warbling vireo, Philadelphia vireo and Nashville warbler, but the number of birds has actually been low. Certainly no fallouts for us.

Not a bird, but there is lots of nature to observe while birding
Green Iguana at Sanibel Lighthouse

 So what's going on? I haven't seen anything yet for an explanation. Seems the winds were more in favor of the birds to fly past and not make a pit stop. Another thought going around is a lack of food. There are plenty of berries and seeds, but we may have a decrease in insects. Some believe that the ecosystem hasn't yet recovered from Hurricane Irma, 2017. Another thought is that cold weather has yet to push many of the neotropical birds to migrate, aka climate change. 

Did get a few photos recently 

Snail Kites at Harns Marsh.
Harns used to be very reliable for finding snail kites,
but they had become scarce here lately

Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Ding Darling NWR - Sanibel Island

Wood Duck at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Pileated Woodpecker at Rotary Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee at Rotary Park

Black-and-White Warbler at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve

Northern Parula

Northern Parula

The Gray Catbirds have arrived

Fall Migration

 Wednesday October 7th

Sighted this Whimbrel at Siesta Key 

Great Crested Flycatcher

So far Fall Migration, as we in beautiful SW Florida are experiencing it, has been a bit so.  No great fall outs, but there recently has been some fun birding at Rotary Park in Cape Coral.

Swainsons Thrush

Veery

Palm Warblers are just now showing up with American Redstarts being the most commonly encountered migrating warbler.  Ovenbirds, Yellow-throated Warblers, Black-and-White Warbles, Summer Tanagers and Swainsons Thrushes have been reliable. For me personally, I can add Scarlet Tanagers, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Baltimore Orioles, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Northern Waterthrush & Chestnut-sided Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Baltimore Oriole

 

Oh, and the Gray Catbirds have shown up.

Sanibel Lighthouse

Monday April 22nd

Cerulean Warblers are quite uncommon in our corner of Florida

Several Eastern Wood-Pewees were resting up before heading north
 on the next leg of their migration

Today marked the third day of outstanding birding at the Sanibel Lighthouse since a strong cold front followed by days unfavorable wind patterns brought in a bonanza.

I personally missed experiencing Saturday and Sunday due to work, but came straight out here following my overnight shift today. Had a great day birding with friends and spotting lots of interesting species. Added eleven new-for-the-years bird species and could have added many more if I could have hung out a few more hours. Highlights included Cerulean, Prothonotary, Yellow, Cape May, Hooded, American Redstarts and, Tennessee Warblers,  plus Scarlet Tanagers,, Eastern Kingbird,  tons of Red-eyed Videos, Yellow-throated Vireo, Gray-cheeked and Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Indigo Buntings.

Another look at the

 male Cerulean Warbler

Hungry birds, working to recharge their energy so to be able to complete their long trip north, are moving around everywhere. This kind of variety is not to be taken for granted. but for now we can have a bit of fun. All told, around 28 species of warbler have spotted these past three days.  Add to that are seven species of Vireos, six species of Flycatcher, five species of Swallows, four species of thrushes plus two species each of Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Cuckoos and Orioles. We can also add Dickcissels, Merlin, Least Terns and Northern Gannets. 

Scarlet Tanager feasting on Figs. 

Male Yellow Warbler also ding on figs

Lots of our friends were on hand here to enjoy this exceptional bounty. So many species that don't normally pass our way were visiting us  these past few days.  They wont be staying for very long, so we had to try our best to be on hand.  But it can get bit crowded at time, 

I was taking a sit down at the picnic tables near the lighthouse with master birder Vince 

McGrath and Walter Winton to get away from the crowds. Well, up popped the Cerulean Warbler in a nearby shrub and gave us a nice show for about 15 minutes. We had seen it earlier, but now it was showing well for the camera. A beautiful Yellow Warbler came in to join the show, As did a hawking Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a patrolling Prothonotary Warbler partnership with  a Cape May Warbler.  It was now time for me to go home, but I certainly will be back very soon.

This Yellow Warbler was putting on a show

Fall Migration

Saturday September 29th

Whimbrel seen on Ft Myers Beach

Spring Migration in our corner of Florida has been quite slow so far. The variety of species being observed is as expected, however, we are only experiencing very small samplings. No real big push has really passed through yet. My personal best for September was the Least Flycatcher at Hammock Swamp and the Acadian Flycatcher at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve.  Today I had my first look at a Summer Tanager for the Fall. But all of the local venues have been quite spotty so far.

This Fox Squirrel was keeping an eye on things

My first-of-the-year Eastern Wood-Pewee

Acadian Flycatcher seen at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserved

In August the expected shorebirds had arrived. Sandpipers, godwits, dowitchers, plovers and such   But know by the end of  September the neo-tropic birds have been very 

Red Knot seen on Ft Myers Beach

Piping Plover seen on Ft Myers Beach

slow. There had been concerned about lost opportunities with the Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk being closed for the first half of the month. But it turns out that this venue has been unexpecting so far, anyway. 

The season will last through the middle of October and hopefully we will be able to enjoy more bird activity.