South Florida & Dry Tortugas!

July 11th

Despite half a dozen birding trips to Florida, I'd never been there in anything but the dead of winter. Florida birding for me was historically a way to escape the Wisconsin or New Jersey cold for a bit. So, for that reason, in addition to my general distaste for introduced species, I had a lot of life birds that were possible for me on this trip! 

Being the middle of summer, it's the "slow time" for big year birding. My Florida planning revolved around my ferry ticket to the Dry Tortugas, off of Key West, on July 16th. Since I  was driving, I didn't have a specific deadline upon which I needed to see the birds, so I leisurely made my way to south Florida over two and a half days. 

On my way to Houston to camp at Brazos Bend State Park, I stopped in Corpus Christi for an hour or so to pay another visit to the Green-breasted Mango. My goal was better digiscoped photos, and I  did vastly better than before but I'm still not winning any photo contests. 

July 12

Again being on a leisurely pace, I paid a visit to the Limpkin that's now been long-staying just outside of Brazos Bend State Park. Even stranger than seeing this bird in Texas was hearing it calling. I  spent a few minutes with the bird, and then made my way to Falling Waters State Park in Florida. By the time I made it to the Louisiana border, I was traveling east in an eastbound front, with rain the whole way. I  made it just ahead of the front by the time I was in south-central Louisiana, but got caught in traffic and the main part of the storm passed over me again. This continued again, mostly traveling just behind the front, until I    got ahead of it at the Florida border. I got to my campsite in the dry weather, with about 30 minutes to put up my tent and heat up some canned soup on my cook stove, when the storm hit me once again. I  finished the remains of my soup under an umbrella, sitting on the picnic table, and by the time I  finished, it was absolutely pouring. The lightning was so bad that a few times I questioned whether I should be sitting in my car rather than my tent. For some reason, despite trying over and over, and a decent amount of cell reception, I couldn't get the radar to load on my phone. Oh well, I figured not knowing how long the storm would last, I needed to not lose sleep, so I stayed put in my tent and managed to not be struck by lightning.  

July 13

I'd left my soup pot out overnight, and estimate we'd gotten just under two inches of rain. My tent thankfully kept me perfectly dry! I packed up as the sun was rising - trying to make my way to meet my friend Christian, who was on his last day of vacationing in Venice, Florida. He'd been there several days already, and had Gray Kingbirds and Nanday Parakeets already nailed down for me. I drove through lots more patches of rain on the way, and met up with Christian in a parking lot with four Gray Kingbirds in the surrounding area! Lifer! We then walked a few blocks to a nearby park where he'd been hearing Nanday Parakeets for the last few days. Several were hanging out in a tree just over a small gazebo. 

We hung out in the shade, caught up with one another for a bit, and then Christian had to leave. I searched for shark teeth on the beach for a bit before it was time to head south to look for roosting Rose-ringed Parakeets in Naples. 

In Fort Meyers, I met up with Tammy, and we made our way down to Naples to look for Rose-ringed Parakeets coming in to roost in a neighborhood. We arrived around 5:30, and waited until after 8:00, but unfortunately, there was no sign of these noisy birds. I'd have to try again in the morning. Back to Fort Meyers we went, and I was incredibly thankful for Tammy and David's hospitality - especially a shower and a bed. David reviewed my plans for the next several days and offered lots of helpful pointers for my target species and locations. 

Year List: 647

July 14 

I possibly should have gotten up a bit earlier, but I slept eight hours. After enjoying a relaxing morning with amazing coffee, I headed over to look for Rose-ringed Parakeet again, at the same neighborhood as the night before, and then waited in the Naples Zoo parking lot, a suggestion from a local birder who has had them fly over before. I set up under the solar panel/shaded parking and waited, and waited, and finally gave up after three hours. 

I drove to the Naples Botanical Garden, where they'd been reported a few times in recent months. After an hour in that parking lot, I gave up entirely and made my way over to the Miami area to look for Spot-breasted Oriole and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet. It would be a long shot mid-afternoon, but I'd rather attempt to be productive with my time, and I had nothing else to do. No luck with either bird. I  had one more surefire target for the day - Common Myna. My traveling companion had stopped for thirty seconds for his lifer Common Myna in January, before I had decided to a Big Year, and I was so underwhelmed by it that I didn't even bother to look up and see it, so I  had to go again to see it for the year.  The first one I found was literally dumpster diving at Cracker Barrel, which perfectly aligns with how I feel about this species. 

I camped at a HipCamp site, basically the Air B&B of camping, in the middle of a small palm and fruit tree orchard just north of Homestead. 

I made friends with my camping neighbor, Jenny, a Miami native who had just finished four months traveling the US in her travel trailer. She is gearing up for yet another solo trip! I gifted her a Birdie personal safety alarm. 

Year List: 648

July 15 

Armed with instructions from local guide Angel, I set out to look for Spot-breasted Oriole in the Miami Springs area. It took a few hours, but eventually I found one pretty much right where he had said they'd be! I had an identifiable but fleeting look, before it flew what seemed to be a few blocks away. Despite trying to refind it for a photo, I did not succeed. 

Then I headed to the Biltmore Hotel, one of the most reliable spots for Yellow-chevroned Parakeet. There were several other species there including Red-masked and Red-crowned, and purportedly Lilac-crowned as well, but since these aren't countable, I didn't spend much time trying to sort it out. After more than an hour, a pair of Yellow-chevroned Parakeets flew by at fairly close range, but not until after I got pooped on by an Iguana from the tree above. Gross! I recall, having had pet corn snakes in college, reptile poo being some of the stinkiest around. And I was wearing the lightweight long sleeve that I'd planned to wear to the Tortugas. So much for that! 

I tried a few more spots in the Miami area, hoping to find Yellow-chevroned Parakeets that were more cooperative for a photo, but was unable to locate any more. In case you missed my prior notes of it, I  unfortunately sold my camera a few years ago, so all of my Big Year documentation is cell phone photos through my binoculars or spotting scope. Sometimes that presents a challenge! 

I needed Black-whiskered Vireo as both a year bird and a life bird, and one was apparently paired with a Yellow-green Vireo feeding nestlings at Biscayne National Park. I'd already seen Yellow-green Vireo in Florida, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the very first known hybridization of either of these species, even though the spot was not directly on my route to Key Largo. Angel happened to be working in the area, and met me at the site, where the birds were nesting above the parking lot. 

Early afternoon, I made my way to John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo, where I'd be camping for the night. It was the closest cheapish campsite I could find by Key West standards, $50, whereas the private campgrounds want upwards of $75 to simply pitch a tent. Planning to try for Antillean Nighthawk at dusk, I checked in and set up my tent and acquired the gate code I'd need to access the campground. After setting up camp, I drove to Grassy Key where Antillean Nighthawks were reported to be found nesting. 

It was hot and humid, with virtually no breeze. I realized I'd sunburnt the tops of my toes, having worn flip flops for the duration of the trip so far. I changed into hiking boots- that hurt, too, but was less painful than hot sun baking on my already burnt toes. I  searched and searched the areas where they'd been recently reported, straining my eyes so hard at distant spots of bare dirt and exposed whiteish rock that several times my brain tried making things into Antillean Nighthawk that certainly were not. Exhausted, I walked out onto a spit of dirt leading into wetland, and scoured the area. I  had almost covered the whole area, when I noticed a perfect nighthawk-shaped silhouette not far away. NO WAY! Antillean Nighthawk?!?! But wow, it was really pale, and I wasn't sure it wasn't a common. 

After videoing it a bit through my scope from a safe distance, I went to walk around to get another angle on it. 

(Pale ANNI photo) 

"MEEP MEEP MEEP MEEP" 

Whoops! There was a second bird nearby, which I had accidentally flushed walking around some brush while it was out of view. It had flown about four feet from its original location and landed again in the middle of the open dirt. Well, the ID on this one was confirmed by the vocalization. This individual was also brighter than the first and probably more easily identifiable visually, though still a challenge. 

I didn't notice eggs or chicks anywhere, but just to be sure, I left the area very shortly, just in case. In this late afternoon sun, eggs or chicks would very quickly bake in the sun if left unattended by the adults. Birding during breeding season always requires extra sensitivity. 

I ventured back to Key Largo, stopping for a celebratory coconut key lime beer along the way. I'm not supposed to be drinking at all, as I'm still undergoing treatment for Lyme's Disease, but it was such a phenomenal day of birding that I couldn't help myself. 

Tent camping was a little rough. The RVs surrounding me were surprisingly quiet, but the low was 81, "feels like 88". I slept in my swimsuit, atop my sleeping pad, and sweat all night long. The things we do to see birds! 

Tomorrow, my Big Year list will surpass my pre-2021 ABA Life List. As of December 31, 2020, I'd seen 653 countable species in the ABA Area. My current ABA Life List is now 733- I've seen 80 new ABA birds this year, most of them lifers! Tomorrow I'll pass 654 for the year. 

Year List: 652

July 16: 

My alarm went off at 4:00 am. It was a two hour and fifteen minute drive to the ferry dock at Key West. The drive went by very slowly, with changing speed limits, stop lights, and very low speeds, especially in endangered Key Deer habitat. I parked at the city garage and walked the two blocks to the ferry landing. I  was excited! I'd been to Key West in January, but had never been to the Dry Tortugas. After waiting what felt like eternity, we boarded the boat and were on our way. I figured I'd probably be fine, but after listening to the boat guide talk about seasickness twice over, I  decided last minute to take Bonine. I'd be tired later, but I decided it wasn't worth risking it.

Two and a half picturesque hours later, we arrived at the Dry Tortugas. Brown Noddies, along with Royal Terns, greeted us on the pilings at the south coaling dock as the boat was docking. I got off the boat and headed straight for the top of the fort overlooking the north coaling dock. Black Noddy would likely be the most difficult bird, and required first attention. Despite the namesakes, the easiest way to sort this bird out of the Brown Noddies is not by color, but by size and shape. It is only mildly shorter length, but is about half the weight! I was looking for a more slender bird, with a more slender, straighter bill. It was the very first bird I set my scope on, off to the left side of the pilings, just as previously reported. 

I took a short documentation video, and made my way down to the beach to see if it would be visible from that angle, and if I could get a better look. Down at the beach, the spot it had been sitting was visible but the bird was gone! Sooty Terns were feeding in the distance by the hundreds, down off the shoreline in a closed area. 

I went over to the south coaling dock to the helipad area, where Bridled Terns had been nesting. I found at least two pairs, maybe three. Their black and white was simply stunning against the glimmering aqua blue of the water behind them. 

Relieved to have achieved all my main targets, I looped the island, scoping all the channel markers for boobies, in hopes of a Red-footed Booby. I found one adult Brown Booby, but there were no others present. From there I  made my way to the beach to look again better looks at Black Noddy. I'd go back four more times over the course of the following three hours, but I was never able to relocate it after the first distant look I had. 

Four hours on the island was more than enough time, after getting all my targets in the first hour and a half, and I was relieved to be heading back. It was hot, and I'd sunburned the tops of my hands pretty badly. I'd washed my hands after applying sunscreen at the ferry dock, not considering the consequences. I'd reapplied midday on the island, but apparently that wasn't enough! We returned to Key West, I walked to my car, and started my drive back to the HipCamp site in Homestead I'd stayed at two nights prior. 

To my surprise, on my way, I received a note from local bird guide Larry, who told me he was able to get us in to Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo for the following morning! This has been the only reliable spot for White-winged Parakeet in 2021, and I had already given up on finding a way to get access to this very secure, high-class community. I was stoked! 

Year List: 656

July 17: 

I met Larry at his house at 6:30, and he drove us to Key Largo. Within fifteen minutes of entering Ocean Reef Club, we were on the White-winged Parakeets! I'd never met Larry before, but his goofy sense of humor quickly grew on me. He looked over at me, fairly straight-faced, and said, "sorry it took so long." Ha! What a great morning. I'm not sure how many times I'd repeated to Larry that I'd already given up on seeing these birds, making it that much more exciting to see them, even despite my distaste for introduced species. On a big year, every bird matters. 

He drove us back to his house, where I  picked up my car and headed to Naples. One more try for Rose-ringed Parakeet this evening. Despite investing several more hours, with a coffee shop break and an Olive Garden stop between tries, once again there was no sign of the birds. I'm not usually a supporter of chain restaurants, but the $10 unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks was a smart investment after not eating a real meal in multiple days. I headed up to Fort Meyers to stay once again with Tammy and David, eager for a night in a bed after three sweaty nights of camping. The following morning, I'd start my two day drive home to Texas. Or so I had thought. Stay tuned...

Year List: 657