www.thefilemyrs.com > Birding > South Florida - Dry Tortugas

South Florida - Dry Tortugas
April 26 - May 4, 2003

Trip Report by Bert Filemyr

Saturday April 26, 2003
I caught a 6:00 am flight out of Philadelphia for Miami. I had to change planes in Raleigh-Durham. There I met Anna Marie and Manfred Gotz, two other people on the South Florida Extension. We all took the same flight to Miami. We were about 30 minutes late landing because of weather around the Miami Airport. Once on the ground we met Adrian, our fearless leader, and Schwinne, the fifth participant on the extension. After claiming our baggage, we took off for the Baptist Hospital area. The Red-whiskered Bulbul was easy to find and the Monk Parakeets made themselves known. We found the Spotted Oriole but it was only a fly away look. We did see an unusual parrot but a quick look in the book told us it was a Senegal Parrot.
Heading north, we stopped at a wetlands beside the Southwest Regional Library to see the recently introduced Purple Swamphens. Brian Picolo Park was a fantastic place to see Burrowing Owls. Many of them were soaked by the rain showers we had been having during the day. Our last stop was the Loxahatchee NWR. We saw many of the expected water bird species of South Florida. Our brief try for Smooth-billed Ani was unsuccessful. Then we had dinner and went to a motel in Boynton Beach.

Sunday April 27, 2003
Breakfast at 6:30 am and in the van at 7:00 am. We arrived at the Wakodahatchee Wetlands at about 8:00. This is a special place and it was as fantastic as usual. Least Bitterns were all over the place. Purple Gallinules sat right in front of us. However, the topper was an Eastern Screech Owl peering from a Wood Duck box. As we watched, the adult owl made room for a young owl to look out. Then the adult flew and a second young owl stuck its head out. After enjoying the wetlands, we traveled north to Kissimmee Prairie State Park where a very cooperative Grasshopper Sparrow allowed great views at close range. Along the way, we drove through a cloud of bugs that stuck to the front of the car for the rest of the trip. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows were out target birds at Three Lakes NWR. A family group of four Red-cockaded Woodpeckers gave us a show and the Bachman's Sparrow would not stop singing once he got going. Since we had taken care of our target birds for the day Adrian suggested we take a crack at what would be our first target bird the next morning. Therefore, we went to Walk-In-The-Water Road for a Short-tailed Hawk watch. After about 20 minutes of waiting the hawk came into view and put on a show in perfect light over our heads. We headed for dinner in Avon Park and arrived at the motel at 8:20 pm.

Monday April 28, 2003
Breakfast at 6:30 am and in the van at 7:00 am. Since our first target bird was seen the day before we headed south to find some Florida Scrub Jays. We found several family groups but none of them would take peanuts from Adrian's hand. Stopping near Shark Valley, we had great views of Snail Kites. Then it was back into Miami for parrots. After driving through a heavy thunderstorm, we worked the Baptist Hospital area vicinity. This included several neighborhood feeders and the area around the Royal Palm Tennis club. We were quite successful. We had great views of several species of exotic parrots plus the Spotted Oriole. It was on to a Cuban restaurant for dinner. Our after dinner entertainment was a fly in at a local parrot roast. Unfortunately, the parrots had other plans for the evening and it was disappointing. We were in our rooms at the Comfort Inn in Florida City at 8:45 pm. Adrian and I checked current reports on-line and found that there was a report of a La Sagras Flycatcher in Miami - a good chase bird.

Tuesday April 29, 2003
A very busy day!
We were all in the van at 6:00 am for the La Sagras Flycatcher chase. Harold and Diane Bond who were scheduled to join us later that day in Key West joined us in the van. At A.D. Barnes Park in Miami we quickly found the location where the flycatcher had been reported. A complete search by our group and several local birders failed to see or hear the flycatcher. I did stumble across a Striped Skunk in the dawn light. Back to the motel by 8:15, a quick breakfast and we were back on the road by 8:45. The Bonds followed us in their van. We had two target birds that morning, Mangrove Cuckoo and Black-whiskered Vireo. Adrian had a couple of spots on Key Largo to be checked. The first stop yielded nothing so it was on to the second stop. We walked several hundred yards down the paved trail. We heard a distant cuckoo calling but we also heard at person calling us from the trail head. He was in uniform and was focused on us. We had to leave the calling cuckoo and deal with this issue. He was a biologist from the Florida Parks and made it very, very clear we were illegally trespassing. The only way we could get access to that area was with a special backcountry permit. A long pleasant discussion was held in which he gave us lots of local information. However, at the same time he was clear we would have to leave because we did not have a permit. He did call down to John Pennycamp State Park for us and authorized the issuance of a permit for our use. We drove down to the park to pick up our permit. At the park office, we got a quick glance of a calling Black-whiskered Vireo. After getting the permit, we drove back to the trailhead and went back in. We refound the calling cuckoo but were unable to call it in. We attempted to locate a Thick-billed Vireo that the biologist told us had been reported in the area. On the way out, we ran into another police officer on a bicycle. He had seen our cars at the trailhead, saw our permit properly displayed on the dash and decided to ride his bike into see if we were all right. We assured him we were and we walked out of the trail. At the trail head he was waiting for us and offered us chilled bottled water. He also gave us his business card and told us to contact him if we needed anything. Very strange.
Our next stop was the Botanical Garden where we found both the cuckoo and the vireo without incident. The rest of the day was spent working our way down the Keys. We were running behind schedule but we did manage to make several stops for various species. The weather was quite hot. The previous days were relatively pleasant but this was a real steamer. We tried for the Slaty-backed Gull being seen in a Publix Supermarket parking lot in Key West but we had no luck.
Before dinner, we made a brief trip to Fort Zackery to see what was around. There were several warbler and tern species there but we did not have time to do the area justice. At 6:30 pm we met the rest of the Dry Tortugas group at a local restaurant. It was a pleasant meal but the restaurant came up real short in customer relations. We then headed to a field for Antillean Nighthawk. One was heard calling but no one ever got a look at it. I saw a couple of nighthawks flying at a great distance but identification was not possible. We tried a couple of other spots but darkness closed in and we gave up.
Therefore, it was on to our boat - the Tiburon. By 10:00 pm , we were organized and just about everyone were asleep in their cabins. Adrian and I spent some time on deck watching Navy SEALS train in the harbor while a distant Antillean Night Hawk called. Adrian checked and no one else was awake to hear it.

Wednesday April 30, 2003
At about 3:30 am I heard the engines start and we were on our way to the Dry Tortugas. By 7:30 am everyone was up and on deck doing pelagic birding. The boat captain took advantage of the smooth ride to swing out into deeper water for true pelagic birds. We were rewarded with Audubon's Shearwater, Brown Booby, Northern Gannet, Pomarine Jaeger, and Bridled Tern. The "best bird" was an immature Red-footed Booby sitting on a tower at Trails End. It was a great spot and identification by Adrian. Shortly after that, Adrian spoke with a birder on Garden Key by radio. He was happy to report that the Black Noddy was being seen, an Elegant Tern was being seen on Loggerhead Key, and there was a report of a possible La Sagra's Flycatcher heard. But as good as all that news was, the best news was the fact that there was a Red-footed Honeycreeper on Garden Key. This was only the second ABA record for that species. Lunch was served as we approached Garden Key. We quickly anchored and started to transfer people to the island in the skiff. Adrian and I were in the first skiff off to Garden Key. The plan was for him to check the north coaling docks for the Black Noddy and I would work on locating the honeycreeper. It would have been nice if we had quickly found the birds but luck was not with us. The noddy was not there and I was finding many birds in the sea grapes but I could not locate the honeycreeper. So the group headed off with Adrian to "bird the fort" while I continued to look for the honeycreeper. After about 2 hours of looking I found the bird, an absolute stunning species. Using the power of the personal radios, the group quickly assembled and everyone got on the bird. I then went to the coaling dock to scan for the Black Noddy. This was a personal target bird for me. I spent about two and a half hours at the dock but there were few if any noddys there. At about 5:00 we beat a retreat to the Tiburon before a squall line came ashore. The rain and drizzle continued into the evening and there was no chance to do a moat walk that night. We all went to bed early after at long, exciting day.

Thursday May 1, 2003
At 3:15 am, the engines started up and there was action on the boat. There were noises on the deck for the next hour and it was obvious there was something very wrong. Everyone stayed in their cabins because this was obviously time to leave the problem to the professional boatmen. I turned on my GPS in my cabin and quickly realized that even through the engines were making lots of noise, we were not going any place. Finally, after great effort the boat started moving. We drove outside the inside anchorage and anchored off shore. This anchoring should have been a simple activity but there was another 45 minutes of noise on deck. Finally, things settled down about 5:00 am. In the morning, the crew was not saying much but over the next two days we were able to find out what happened. Sometime in the night, the wind shifted 180 degrees. The anchor slipped and the boat ran aground on Bush Key. It took lots of effort to get it off. That explained the engines running and the boat not moving. When the boat was finally off, the crew decided to anchor offshore. In the process of anchoring in the dark, the anchor line got wrapped around the propeller and the anchor was lost. In addition, a propeller was damaged. This had the potential for requiring the boat to limp back to Key West very, very slowly. By 7:45 am, the boad had pulled anchor and we were on the dock at Garden Key ready to bird. The captain called Key West and arranged for a spare propeller to be flown out on the seaplane.
The birding plan that day was simple - get the Black Noddy. Therefore, I did a noddy watch. I set my scope up at the north coaling docks and waited. And waited. And waited. As the other people birded the fort and the campground I stayed at the docks. Lunch was served at 12:15 and I grabbed some quick food and returned to the docks. It was hot and sunny. At about 1:20 Adrian and some of the other birders came by to see how I was doing. Five minutes after they showed up, the Black Noddy showed up. We all had great scope views of this elusive bird.
I spent time after this birding around the fort but at 2:30 pm we needed to head to Loggerhead Key. The propeller had been replaced and the boat was back in business. We did not locate the reported Elegant Tern at Loggerhead Key but we did enjoy a brilliant Scarlet Tanager and three Peregrine Falcons sitting in a tree. There were rainsqualls around the area but it was hot on Loggerhead Key. At 5:00, the boat pulled the anchor and we headed to Hospital Key to see the Masked Boobies. We anchored off shore and had Champagne/Sparking Wine and cheese as we observed these birds. The anchor was pulled at 6:15 and we returned to the offshore anchorage at Garden Key. After dinner, we were shuttled onto Garden Key for a moat walk. I was on the first skiff and upon landing went directly to the north coaling docks to check on the Black Noddy. It was still there. This proves that once you see a life bird they become like chickens, easy to be seen. Adrian did a fantastic job on the moat walk, which was enjoyed by all those who chose to come ashore. Adrian and I were on the last skiff back to the boat and found everyone down for the night. We toasted a great day with a couple of beers. Because the crew had had an "interesting night" the night before, Adrian was pressed into the 10:00 to 1:00 am anchor watch. I stayed up with him for part of the time but eventually turned in. Fortunately John, one of the crew members relieved Adrian early and he got some much appreciated rest.

Friday May 2, 2003
Unlike the previous night, things were quiet and we all got a good nights sleep. By 7:15 am, we were deposited on the dock and used the next hour and 45 minutes to do our final birding on the Dry Tortugas. There had been a flight of Yellow-billed Cuckoos overnight and they were everywhere on the island. The Black Noddy was not there but the honeycreeper continued. By 9:30, we were on the boat and starting our return to Key West. It was a choppy ride back but very doable. One of our target birds when we hit land in Key West was Shiny Cowbird. Sometimes it pays to be lucky. About two-thirds of the way back, a nice male Shiny Cowbird landed on the boat. We got great views as it joined us for about 45 minutes. When we came close to land, it took off and appeared to make it all the way to land.
We were docked at 4:45 and by 5:15 pm we had unloaded, packed up and were on our way. The Dry Tortugas participants took off on their own agendas and the group of us in the full trip started land birding again. We made another effort for the Slaty-backed Gull but only succeeded in feeding bread to Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls. We stopped for dinner in Marathon at a pleasant little restaurant. After dinner, we made a last effort for the Antillean Nighthawk at the Marathon Airport. We were surprised at the number of nighthawks flying but they all were Common Nighthawks. As darkness settled in, we headed north arriving at the Comfort Inn in Florida City by 10:00 pm.

Saturday May 3, 2003
This was our "Everglades Day." Breakfast at 6:30 am and in the van at 7:00. This was the only day of the trip that we did not have to pack and carry our luggage with us. A quick stop in Homestead yielded a single Smooth-billed Ani. We made a couple of stops in the Everglades on the way to Flamingo. One of the stops was for the "Cape Sable" race of Seaside Sparrow. An individual cooperated with us and we had it in the scope at 10 yards.
Once we got to the Flamingo area we planned on spending considerable time searching for flamingos. Since Snake Bight trail is closed for renovation we figured we would scan from the marina area and then walk down the Christian Point Trail. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes and green head flies had other plans. Their plan centered on us making blood donations. Trying to scan was a real test. We did get several new species, including Marbled Godwit but it was a real effort to see anything while being bitten. Bug spray worked for about 20 seconds after each application. We all agreed that walking trail was out of the question. We did find a temporary pond created by recent rainfalls near the lodge. These ponds yielded several species of shorebirds.
We started working our way north after lunch and spend time at the visitor center learning more about the Everglades. We were back at the motel by 5:00 pm for a shower and some rest. Mexican food was the order of day for dinner; we all enjoyed the meal, and beers at 7:00 pm. 8:30 pm found us heading back into the Everglades for Barred Owl and Chuck-wills-widow. Down by the research station we heard but did not see the chucks. Nevertheless, we were treated to a spotlighted Barred Owl in a tree by the road. The mosquitoes were brutal and we retreated. Back to the motel at 9:45 pm.

Sunday May 4, 2003
Started the day with our usual routine, Breakfast at 6:30 am and in the van and moving at 7:00 am. We had three target birds today. We quickly saw the Cave Swallows under a Florida Turnpike overpass. It was then on to Baptist Hospital for White-winged Parakeets and Hill Myna. Everything fell into place and we had views of the parakeets and the myna by 8:30 am. The rest of the day was checking locations looking for anything that might be special. We went to Matheson Hammock Nature Trail and Bill Baggs State Park. Unfortunately, there had been no migration over night and the weather was oppressively hot. At 1:30 pm we dropped Anna Marie and Manfred at the airport while Adrian, Schwinne, and I checked a few more locations. We found a couple of warblers but that was it. Schwinne was dropped off at her hotel at 4:00 and Adrian and I headed to the airport. Adrian was staying in Miami for another day so I said good by to him at the baggage check in. Right as my flight was ready to leave, I took advantage of an attractive offer by the airline to give up my seat. I stayed overnight in Miami.

Monday May 5, 2003
The flight home was uneventful. My luggage had flown in the night before and was waiting for me. I was back home by 12 noon.