Brief Itinerary:
Day 1: Board the Playmate in the evening in Key West
Day 2: Set sail pre-dawn; AM pelagic birding; PM Dry Tortugas
Day 3: Dry Tortugas
Day 4: Dry Tortugas; AM journey back to Key West, arriving late afternoon
Itinerary:
Day 1 ~ Meet in Key West, Florida
Meet in Key West, early evening to look for Antillean Nighthawk at dusk and then board the “Playmate” for the first of 3 nights.
Day 2 ~ The Gulf Stream; The Dry Tortugas
We will set sail before dawn. Daybreak will find us out in the Gulf Stream (weather permitting), where pelagic birding should reward us with Bridled Tern, Audubon Shearwater, northbound Pomarine Jaegers and there is always the chance of a White-tailed Tropicbird (don’t count on it, though we did see it in 2004) Roseate Terns often are seen on the buoys, as are Brown Boobies. Nearing the Dry Tortugas, Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies and Magnificent Frigatebirds will become a common sight. This is the only place in North America where these 3 species nest along with Masked Boobies. Once we reach the 15-acre Garden Key, the second largest of the 7 islands that make up the Dry Tortugas, most of our birding will be done within the remains of the impressive 19-century brick Fort Jefferson. Here amongst the sea grapes, cottonwoods and Geiger trees we should encounter a wide variety of migrants, including Eastern Kingbirds, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Red-eyed Vireo, and numerous warblers including Blackpoll, Cape May, Black-throated Green, Palm and Magnolia. For those who are patient enough to sit by the water fountain, the only source of freshwater on the island, the rewards should be great, as all passerines will eventually make their way down for a drink or to bathe.
Day 3 ~ The Dry Tortugas
Garden Key will be explored for additional passerines that may have dropped in – Gray Kingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-whiskered Vireo….. The campground often holds Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Common Nighthawk and Black-and-White Warbler. We’ll visit the largest of the islands, Loggerhead Key where the Caribbean race of Short-eared Owl known as the “Arawak Owl” can sometimes be found. The vegetation here is different, and Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Common Yellowthroats and Bobolinks can often be found hiding amongst the low scrub trying to avoid one of the many raptors such as Merlin or Peregrine that can be seen perched on one of the few trees. During our stay we will visit Hospital Key to see the Masked Boobies as they return to this small sand key from fishing forays; take a skiff ride to see Magnificent Frigatebirds nesting up close; view nesting Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies from the spit adjoining Garden and Bush Key; check the coaling docks for Black Noddy and go for a moat walk around Fort Jefferson, after dark, to view some of the fascinating marine life that can been seen lurking amongst the sea coral in these tropical waters. Green Moray Eels, Lobsters, jellyfish, starfish, octopus, tropical fish and Nurse and Hammerhead Sharks have all been seen.
Day 4 ~ The Dry Tortugas; Return to Key West
After breakfast, we’ll make a short visit to Garden Key to check for any overnight migrants before heading back to Key West. Along the way we should encounter Brown Boobies perched on buoys along the park perimeter boundary; Bottle-nosed Dolphins; Loggerhead Turtles and Gannets, Royal, Sandwich and Roseate Terns, as we get closer to our destination. We expect to return to Key West approximately 5-6PM.
Note: The daily itinerary may change but we hope to be able to get to visit all of these places during the course of our trip. The weather conditions will dictate when and or if we are able to go into the Gulf Stream for the pelagic. Should the weather be good when we set sail, we will go to the Gulf Stream prior to arriving around lunchtime at Garden Key.
We’ll visit the Dry Tortugas National Park and historic Fort Jefferson, located 70 miles west of Key West, Florida at the height of spring migration. These seven tropical islands are home to a seabird colony of thousands of Sooty Tern and Brown Noddies, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Masked Boobies and Brown Pelicans.
