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

Fort Jefferson

Thursday May 2nd

Today had to be at the docks in Key West by 7:30 to board the Yankee Freedom for the 70 mile sail to Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson. On the long drive down the Keys in the pre-dawn, I was able find a calling Antillean Nighthawk in Tavernier.

A look at Fort Jefferson

Fort Jefferson

The waters were calm and the skies were clear as the Yankee Freedom approached the Tortugas. With a pass by Hospital Key we could see the only nesting colony of Masked Boobies within the United States. And as we came up the Garden Key and the huge Fort Jefferson structure, the skies were filled with Magnificent Frigatebirds, Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies. These four species use these isolated islands as their only nesting sites within the continental United States.

Thousands of Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies are currently nesting on nearby Bush Key. These birds, plus the expectation of finding birds in spring migration taking a rest at the fort are why birders from around the world visit these islands. They come on the ferry, on private tours and by seaplane.

In 2014 the Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish 

had collected Cuban 

refugees that had land in the Tortugas, 

Fort Jefferson or to just enjoy the beach. I set about looking for interesting birds.  There were a few migrating species om hand including Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Gray Kingbird, Cape May, Black-and-White, Black-throated Blue and American Redstart Warblers. A Purple Gallinule had also somehow managed to reach the Garden Key. Bridled Terns, Brown Noddies and Frigatebirds were relatively easy to photograph, but the Sooties tended to be more challenging.

I didn't snorkel, but the waters were tempting. By walking the moat, observations of various fishes are possible. Like tarpon, grunts, bluehead wrasses,  beaugregory damselfish, sergeant majors, rainbow parrotfish, purple sea fans and more reef life.

It got too hot for me so I escaped early to the air-conditioning aboard the boat. By 3:30 we were on the return leg back to Key West. A trio of juvenile Northern Gannets  flew with boat for a bit about an hour from reaching port.

Magnificent Frigatebird 

Bridled Terns

Brown Noddies

The water was so clear

Brown Noddy

Had a enough time left in the day, after returning to Key West, to check-out the birding at Fort Zachary Taylor SP. Lots of Cape May Warblers and American Redstarts, plus Black-and White, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia and Northern Parula, Got good looks at White-crowned Pigeon, Least tTrns, Frigatebirds, Gray Kingbird, Green Iguanas and Curly-tailed Lizards.

White-crowned Pigeon

Cape May Warbler

Northern Paula

On the Gulf of Mexico

Thursday, April 14th

Several Magnificent Frigatebirds were seen resting on the riggings of moored shrimp boats

Today, Dave and Tammy McQuade were kind enough to invite me along on their first pelagic birding trip out on the Gulf of Mexico for this year.  Very little pelagic birding gets reported from Southwest Florida, primarily because of low expectations of finding any serious activity. However, Dave and Tammy have been running off-shore pelagic birding trips with some very interesting results. In the past year they successfully found an unexpected Red-footed Booby, plus Audubon's Shearwater, all three Storm-Petrels, Masked and Brown Boobies, Red-necked Phalaropes, Sooty, Bridled and Rosette Terns, both Jaegers and migrating Neotropicals.

So today, our contingent consisting of hosts Dave and Tammy, plus Dave and Alicia Lusk, Dave Alpier and myself, set off at dawn from Punta Rassa, with high expectations. The weather was outstanding and the seas were very calm, but the birds seemed to be missing. Dave piloted his boat off-shore, visiting various wreck sites and was surprised at how empty of birds the Gulf seemed to be. They had never dipped on Sooty and Bridled Terns before. Even the communications tower off Marco Island was devoid of any bird activity. Not really sure why.

We did find some birds. Common Loons, Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls, a Common Tern, Magnificent Frigatebirds and several immature Northern Gannets. There were a couple of sightings of White-winged Scoters racing north and at least eighteen Great Egrets heading north, miles off-shore.  As for neo-tropicals in migration, we spotted a flock of Blue Grosbeaks and a couple of Barn Swallows. A Leach's Storm-Petrel, a Pomarine Jaeger and a Parasitic Jaeger were our only real pelagic sightings 

Bottlenose and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins were entertaining as they would swim along the boat.

I'd like to again thank Dave and Tammy for a most interesting day on the water.

A Visit to the Conch Republic and Vicinities - Part 3

Sunday May 24th

Ft Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park

Now Sunday was the cornerstone for this trip the sailing aboard the Yankee Freedom from Key West out to the Dry Tortugas National Park for a four hour visit.

Magnificent Frigatebird

As Bob Pelkey drove us southward through the Keys in the pre-dawn darkness back toward Key West, several Antillean Nighthawks could be heard. And as day broke, Gray Kingbirds, Eurasian Collard Doves, White-crowned Pigeons  and feral keys chickens were also greeting the day.

Arrived at the Key West terminal just as the crew were preparing to board today's passengers. The ride was a bit choppy and the sky was clear.  The Captain gave us a close pass by Hospital Key, were more than sixty Masked Boobies had a breeding colony.

A few minutes later we landed at Bush Key and historic Ft Jefferson. A flotilla of Magnificent Frigatebird sat hovering in the wind above the fort.  They, along with many hundreds of Brown Noddies and Sooty Terns nest on adjoining Garden Key. The Noddies, Terns and any (very late) spring migrants were the reason we traveled here.

There a few migrants to be seen. A lone Cliff Swallow and a lone Bank Swallow were hawking outside the fort.  While a lone Yellow-billed Cuckoo, several American Redstarts, a lone Common Yellowthroat and Bob had a female Blackpoll.

Interior of the Fort

The vast majority of the passengers took advantage of the wonderful snorkeling in the waters around the fort. Understood the one couple had a close encounter with an American Crocodile.  One of the mates on the boat confirmed that a crocodile named Cletus has been calling the Tortugas home for a for some time now.  He's seen it before himself.  A video found on youtube

Brown Noddy

Sooty Tern

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Back at Key West at bit after 5 PM, with that long drive to Florida City. But first we make a couple of stops. First were to find the accommodating and diminutive Keys Deer at the Florida Key Deer NWR on Big Pine Key.
This an endangered sub-species of White-tailed Deer seen only in the Keys.

A young American Redstart

Secondly was a stop at the Marathon Airport set before sundown to look for Antillean Nighthawks. We were joined by a couple of birders from Nashville, Tennessee. They had a lifer when the nighthawk made its appearance and shared with us a sighting of a Bobolink a couple a hundred yards down the airport fence line.  A nice ending for the day's birding.

Sunday's Bird List -- 

Bobolink at Marathon Airport

Magnificent Frigatebird

Masked Booby

Brown Booby

Double-crested Cormorant

Brown Pelican

Cattle Egret

Laughing Gull

Brown Noddy

Sooty Tern

Royal Tern

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Antillean Nighthawk

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Gray Kingbird

Bank Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Northern Mockingbird

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Bobolink

Key Deer buck in velvet

Bob concentrating on a great shot of the Key Deer. Note the small size of the deer to Bob's right