Tortugas Report: Red-footed Boobies, etc.

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: I made a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park on Saturday the 24th, but turned it into an overnight trip when the Red-footed Booby hadn't arrived by the ferry departure time. Larry Manfredi spotted the booby in the mangroves on Long Key just before 6PM. Decent scope views were obtained from the dock at Garden Key, but much better looks at not one but two Red-footed Boobies were obtained from the skiff of Larry's Tortugas tour boat, the Playmate. A single Brown Booby was also roosting in the mangroves, for comparative purposes. : Larry has been seeing at least one Red-footed Booby consistantly for several weeks, but its arrival time at its roost on Long Key seems to be late afternoon. Thus, if you want to see this bird (or birds), you'll have to stay in the Tortugas overnight. Space is still available on Larry's remaining trips there, including the TAS-sponsored trip on May 6-9. Call 305-258-9607 for reservations or further information. : In other Tortugas sightings from the weekend, a Roseate Tern was spotted on Sunday on the south coaling dock. Black Noddies were not seen on the north coaling dock, but the Brown Noddies are returning there in good numbers for the first time in several days, according to Larry, which is a hopeful sign. A Great Black-backed Gull was also on the north coal dock on Sunday. An Antillean Nighthawk was roosting inside Fort Jefferson both days, and was seen flying and calling at sunset on Saturday. : My trip list, including a few minutes in Key West: : Masked Booby : Brown Booby : Red-footed Booby : Brown Pelican : Double-crested Cormorant : Magnificent Frigatebird : Great Egret : Cattle Egret : Green Heron : Turkey Vulture (unusual for the Tortugas, six were seen) : Osprey : Sharp-shinned Hawk : American Kestrel : Purple Gallinule (in a sea grape tree at the dock) : Black-bellied Plover : Semipalmated Plover : Lesser Yellowlegs : Willet : Spotted Sandpiper : Whimbrel : Ruddy Turnstone : Short-billed Dowitcher : Laughing Gull : Ring-billed Gull : Herring Gull : Great Black-backed Gull : Royal Tern : Sandwich Tern : Roseate Tern : Least Tern (Key West) : Sooty Tern : Brown Noddy : Rock Dove (Key West) : White-crowned Pigeon (Key West) : Eurasian Collared Dove : Mourning Dove : Common Ground Dove (Key West) : Yellow-billed Cuckoo : Antillean Nighthawk : Eastern Kingbird : Gray Kingbird (Key West, seen at Ft. Jefferson by others : Northern Rough-winged Swallow : Barn Swallow : Gray Catbird : Nothern Mockingbird (Key West) : Red-eyed Vireo : Northern Parula : Yellow Warbler : Magnolia Warbler : Cape May Warbler : Black-throated Blue Warbler : Prairie Warbler : Palm Warbler : Blackpoll Warbler : Black-and-white Warbler : American Redstart : Ovenbird : Northern Waterthrush : Common Yellowthroat : Hooded Warbler : Summer Tanager : Rose-breasted Grosbeak : Blue Grosbeak : Indigo Bunting : Bobolink : Red-winged Blackbird (Key West) : Boat-tailed Grackle (Key West) : Shiny Cowbird (Key West) : Orchard Oriole :

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