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Posted by Scott Atkinson on 16:44:49 06/15/05
Tropical Audoboners:
Following notices on Miami Springs exotics, Orlando area birds and a strange yellowthroat, here is the concluding report for this year's Florida trip June 7-14.
Considering tropical storm Arlene, we felt lucky to make the trip on the Yankee Freedom II again this year, especially since the boat did not go at all June 10-11. The ride was bumpy in the channel section in the morning, but the ride back was smoother.
Although I had hopes of hot Carribean rarities inside the grounds of Fort Jefferson on the heels of the storm, the only passerine of apparently storm-related origin was a single N. PARULA in the shade trees. I also had a fleeting glimpse of a larger brown passerine (thrush-like), but it hid itself from view even when I stood right underneath the tree it had flown into. On the beach near the coaling docks, British birder Chris and I viewed a single BLACK NODDY through scopes among the many Brown Noddy. I also later had a nice view of a brown-morph adult RED-FOOTED BOOBY just outside the Masked Booby colony, and a possible second bird (imm.) was not seen well enough among the Maskeds for certainty. Then a single BROWN BOOBY aways out of Fort Jefferson on the return trip made for repeat of last year's 3-booby day. There were also two booby, sp. shortly thereafter.
The storm left lots of sargassum on the ocean's surface, but I could find no petrels, although 3 BRIDLED TERNS about half way across (seen both in the morning and on the afternoon return) were noted. Although the storm left snorkeling visibility somewhat limited, the family still managed to find a stunning range of fish species. Not so good news, one of our boys was stung by a torn-off tentacle of a PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR that in the storm had apparently attached itself to some sargassum. We were puzzled why the boy had a few rashes with white bumps, but the National Park rep took one look and immediately made the diagnosis. The effects did not last, however. Apparently after the storm a number of these jellyfish have washed ashore; we saw two leaving the key ourselves.
Key West yielded no surprises, though there were 3 BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS that seem to have bred at City Park. This species seemed more numerous (and cooperative) this year than last. At Miami Beach the final evening, I had 3 CHESTNUT-FRONTED MACAWS near 41st and Alton, but missed the Shiny Cowbirds at the Mowry Drive stake-out near Homestead on the way up. Mangrove Cuckoos also eluded me for the second year in a row, but all in all it was another thoroughly enjoyable trip.
--Scott
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