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Posted by Larry Manfredi on 08:13:58 05/28/12
In Reply to: Black Noddy: a cautionary tale posted by Jacob Socolar
Below are details that I have sent out to birders who want to look for a Black Noddy. I have also include a link to photos on my website. You will have to scroll down about three quarters of way down the page to see the images. I have a pretty good shot of a Black Noddy sitting next to a Brown Noddy.
Larry Manfredi
Look from on top of the fort next to the light house, looking out to Bush Key where all of the terns and noddies nest. You will see a big sign saying "Island Closed", look along the small green bushes that run to the right of this sign. You will easily see a demarcation line between the green bushes and the larger area of brown weeds behind. This line of green bushes parallels the beach area of Bush Key. Look on the top of these bushes for the Black Noddy along with Brown Noddies (to the right of the sign). The Black Noddy has a very white cap towards the forward part of the head. On a Brown Noddy the white cap fades down into the back of the neck. You will not see this on a Black Noddy, at least not on the birds at the fort because they are immature birds. The Black Noddy is smaller and darker as well, this can be a little tricky to see at first, once you have them side by side it is pretty apparent the size difference.
Key Black Noddy features:
Very bright white cap that is towards the forward part of the head, the cap DOES NOT FADE INTO THE NECK!
Smaller than a Brown Noddy
Darker than a Brown Noddy
The bill is longer and thinner
The legs are shorter and thinner
All of those features may be hard to see if the bird is far. The best feature at a distance, is the WHITE CAP.
If you don't see one on your first scan, keep trying and scan again and again if necessary. If you don't see one on the green bushes, try looking at the north coaling dock pilings that will be towards your left when you are on top. Carefully scan the birds on these pilings, often they are on the two wooden beams that are still there. There used to be a few more of these wooden beams but the hurricanes have taken them out.
On my last trip there were two Black Noddies on top of the green bushes about 150-200 feet to the right of the "Island Closed" sign. Also a single bird on the north coaling docks.
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