This 3-day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and historic Fort Jefferson, located 70 miles west of Key West, Florida at the height of spring migration. These 7 tropical islands are home to a seabird colony of thousands of Sooty Tern and Brown Noddies, and lesser numbers of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Masked Boobies and Brown Pelicans.
Highlights of the trip include possible large numbers of passerines and other migrants that use these islands as a stopover point on their journey to the mainland as well as the possibility of a visitor from the Caribbean. Close-up views of warblers, tanagers, vireos, nightjars, shorebirds and other passerines make for an exciting three days of birding. Snorkeling and sightseeing of historic Fort Jefferson add to the many activities that make up a Dry Tortugas experience.
We will travel and sleep (3 nights) aboard the 65-foot Tiburon, a US Coast Guard inspected vessel with accommodations for 14 people. The Tiburon has two large bunk beds in each room, air-conditioning, shared showers and upper observation deck. All meals (which are excellent) will be provided while aboard the boat. We also use a zodiac for wet landings on Garden Key and Loggerhead Key.
Check out our South Florida & Dry Tortugas trip!
Itinerary
Day 1 ~ Meet on Stock Island Meet on Stock Island, next to Key West, at 7:15PM to look for Antillean Nighthawk at dusk and then board the “Tiburon”.
Day 2 ~ The Gulf Stream; 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, Brown Boobies and northbound Pomarine Jaegers. Nearing the Dry Tortugas, Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies and Magnificent Frigatebirds will become a common sight. Once we reach the 15-acre Garden Key, 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 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 colony; take a zodiac ride to see Magnificent Frigatebirds nesting up close; view nesting Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies on 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.
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 Bottle-nosed Dolphins and Loggerhead Turtles and Royal, Sandwich and Roseate Terns, as we get closer to our destination.
