Florida: Southern Specialties & Dry Tortugas

Upon your arrival at Miami International Airport, you take the airport shuttle to the hotel, checking in any time after 2pm.

We begin in the south eastern part of the state looking for any Caribbean stray that may have turned up along with a species that has declined dramatically this decade, the Smooth-billed Ani. We’ll get close up views of Burrowing Owl as they keep watch besides their burrows and visit a wetland where a rapidly expanding population of Grey-headed Swamphens exists.

We’ll finish the day at a couple of wonderful man made water treatment facilities, Wakodahatchee Wetland and Green Cay. While walking the 1/2mile and 1 mile boardwalks respectively, we will encounter Mottled Ducks, Coots, Green Herons and an astonishing number of Least Bitterns, all feeding young. Least Terns are pairing up, Purple Martins are nesting, Limpkins walk the dikes and Purple Gallinules can be seen balancing precariously on the stems of fireflag.

We head north into the dry prairie, oak-scrub and pinelands of south central Florida, where we’ll look for Sandhill Crane and Crested Caracara. In the Slash and Long-leaf Pines our target species are Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman’s Sparrow but we will also see the southern race of Eastern Towhee, Pine Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Great-crested Flycatcher as well as the stunning Zebra Swallowtail butterfly. At Jonathan Dickinson SP we look for Florida Scrub-Jay, which are found in small family groups amongst the scrub oak and likely encounter the graceful Swallow-tailed Kite.

There are numerous patches of hardwood hammocks that yield migrants and often a Caribbean stray that can be visited as we work our way back south.

Should any rare species be reported within the area, we’ll make an effort to locate it, otherwise we visit the Everglades National Park where we’ll explore a variety of habitats, including the ‘River of Grass’ where the endangered ‘Cape Sable’ Seaside Sparrow breeds. We’ll scan the sawgrass for Snail Kite’s as they hunt for apple snail; Bald Eagles are likely; a lingering Greater Flamingo would be a bonus and a plethora of shorebirds, waders, terns and pelicans can be seen, including American White Pelican, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Caspian and Gull-billed Tern. The endangered American Crocodile can often be found by the marina; Alligators are common inland and butterflies are plentiful, including Zebra Longwing, Gulf Fritillary, White Peacock and Ruddy Daggerwings.

As we work our way down the Keys we’ll come across Gray Kingbirds and search the West Indian hardwoods and mangroves for Black-whiskered Vireo, Mangrove Cuckoo, Mangrove Yellow Warbler and White-crowned Pigeon amongst the numerous White-eyed Vireos. Various mudflats and beaches will hold Black-bellied Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Willet, Wilson’s Plover, Reddish Egret, ’Great White’ Heron, while Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gulls will be common over the turquoise shallow waters as we cross the many channels between Keys. On our way to Key West we keep an eye out for a late lingering Short-tailed Hawk, look for Shiny Cowbird, and any reported rarity. We board our boat by 7pm for the journey to the Dry Tortugas.

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!) 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.

Garden Key will be explored for additional passerines that may have dropped in. The campground often holds Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Common Nighthawk and Black-and-White Warbler. The Caribbean race of Short-eared Owl known as the “Arawak Owl” can sometimes be found hidden amongst the buttonwoods.   Common Yellowthroats, Bobolinks, Painted and Indigo Buntings can often be found in sections of taller grasses. Merlins and Peregrine often patrol the parade grounds looking for any unsuspecting migrants. 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 at Fort Jefferson, after dark, to view some of the marine life that can been seen in these tropical waters.

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 3-4pm and then head back up the Keys, stopping at dusk for Antillean Nighthawk if we don’t see it on the Tortugas.

We begin our final morning by visiting a nesting colony of the Caribbean race of Cave Swallows, before spending the remainder of our time in the Miami area looking for all the exotics that make this part of North America unique. Red-whiskered Bulbul, Spot-breasted Oriole, Yellow-chevroned & White-winged Parakeet, Hill & Common Myna will all be encountered. The tour concludes at Miami airport at 12 noon. You may depart anytime after 1:30pm on the final day.