The Florida Keys

 May 12th

On a recent trip down to The Keys. I had gone to the Dry Tortugas but did some birding around the Keys a bit in the Miami area.  Target birds that lures birders to the Keys included Roseate Terns, Antillian Nighthawks, White-crowned Pigeons, Gray Kingbirds and Black-whiskered Vireos.

Marathon can be a good location for the terns and nighthawks. Historically Roseate Terns nest on the roof of the Marathon Government Center. I dipped on the terns as had some of my friends. Not sure why we couldn't find them then, but they have been reported. Plenty of Least Terns nesting on the roof of the building. There are a number of locations around the Keys to find them. At Marathon, be at the Marathon Airport at sundown. This year we had a pair of Antillean Nighthawks flying over the airport with Common Nighthawks to give contrast to the sights and sounds of the two species.

Key Deer
a diminutive subspecies of white-tailed deer found mostly on Big Pine Key

At Fort Zachiary Taylor State Park on Key West is a place to look for migrating birds and Carribean vagrants. I lucked out with spotting a rare Fork-tailed Flycatcher. As I was walking the path along the moat, a black & white bird trailing a very long tail fly overhead. I immediately considered it to be a fork-tailed flycatcher and dismissed it because of its rarity and lack of any prior reporting from here. But other birders in the park were seeing and photographing the bird. Seems only a handful of folks who were already on site spotted the bird which quickly disappeared.

Other species seen here included several Black-throated Blue Warblers, American Redstarts, Bay breasted Warbler, Dickcissels, White-crowned Pigeons, Gray Kingbirds, Ovenbirds, Black-whiskered Vireo.

Egyptian Goose at Kendall Baptist Hospital

Egyptian Goose goslings at Kendall Baptist

On my final day on this trip I checked out what's happening at Pine Woods Park and Mathesson Hammock Park in Miami-Dade. At Pine Woods Park the Scaly-breasted Munies were easy to find and a Red-whiskered Bulbul was seen along with a pair of nesting Monk Parakeets. Mathesson was a bit quiet. Spotted a red-masked Parakeet pocking its head out of a nest hole and an Orange-winged Parrot doing the same. Its also a place to look for reptiles. Today we had lots of Green Iguanas, African Agamis and Curly tailed Lizards.

Common Yellowthroat up in an
Australian Pine at Ft Zachiary Taylor State Park in Key West

Fork-tailed Flycatcher
made a surprising and very brief visit to Fort Zachiary Talyor

White-crowned Pigeon
Fort Zachiary Taylor, Key West

Red-masked Parakeet at Matthesen Hammock Park in Coral Gables

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

Cuban Pewee

 Sunday November 22nd

White-crowned Pigeon seen on Key Largo

Today, I went on a twitch to see the Cuban Pewee on Big Pine Key.  This rare-to-Florida visitor, was located at Blue Hole in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Pine Key. 

Common Myna seen in Florida City

For me, its a five hour drive from Fort Myers down into the Florida Keys. Made the trip into a two day overnighter, because I also wanted to explorer some of the unique floral communities found nowhere in the US but in the Keys. 

Did make a stop on Key Largo to look for interesting birds, flora and the endangered Florida Tree Snails

Moved on to Big Pine Key, which is just south of the famous seven mile bridge. Much of this Key is  a part of the National Key Deer Refuge. Key Deer are a diminutive and endangered subspecies of White Tail Deer totally endemic to the Keys. Blue Hole is a former rock quarry used to provide material in the construction of Henry Flagler's Railroad through the Keys. Its now the only freshwater lake in the Keys

A Key Deer seen near Blue Hole

As for the Cuban Pewee, it was easily located from the Blue Hole overlook, were it is drawing many interested observers. It would pose nicely for photographs. 

Cuban Pewee seen at Blue Hole

Gallery of Scenes from Key Largo and Blue Hole

Poisonwood at Key Largo
Look but don't touch

Everglades Velvetseed at Key Largo

Lancewood at Key Largo

Florida Tree Snail at Key Largo

Bahama Strongbark

Blackbead at Blue Hole

Everglades Greenbriar at Blue Hole

Coker's Creeper at Blue Hole

Smooth Devil's Claws seen at Blue Hole

Mangrovevine at Blue Hole

Goatweed at Blue Hole

Rough Velvetseed seen at Blue Hole

Florida Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Key Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Chapman's Wild Sensitive Plant 

Kestrel at Big Pine Key

Locustberry at Blue Hole