Posted by Paul Bithorn on May 06, 2002 at 16:50:38:
Saturday the 4th I awakened to with the fervent hope that a Zenaida Dove would be in my future. After my 11-year old son Joshua's Little League baseball game (1 for 2, 1 run scored, 1 RBI and a sacrifice bunt) I ventured to Key Largo with pal Bruce Purdy. From 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. we observed and carefully studied a plethora of Mourning Doves in search of the Zenaida. Even the power of persuasion would not allow us to turn the many short-tailed, immature doves into our target bird.
On Sunday, the 5th I awakened at 4:00 a.m. to get an early start for the Miami Springs Optimist Club's Annual Dolphin Tournament, with eager anticipation, hoping to see a few pelagic yearbirds missed on TAS's recent Tortugas trip. I would not be disappointed. Heading out of Crandon Park Marina at 5:30 a.m. we immediately began seeing Bridled Terns at first light. An immature Northern Gannet was loafing in the water on the way out. Heading south to Fowey Light, we then trolled on an northerly heading, 15 miles offshore in the Gulfstream. Not long after hitting the color change I picked up a bird with long black pointed wings and a white belly about a mile away flying 20 feet off the water on a northerly heading. My fellow Mayor Richard Wheeler, from my sister city of Miami Springs (home of the Fair Havens Nursing Home Parrot roost), immediately throttled toward the bird. The bird crossed within 30 yards of us. I immediately saw the black cap and long, thin streamertail, which was invisible at long range. I yelled "Long-tailed Jaeger" scaring my son Joshua and Richard's son Matt half to death. The celebratory libation was a Corona Gold, in honor of Cinco de Mayo.
Later we saw a light morph Pomarine Jaeger and a single Audubon's Shearwater jetting low across the water. After losing about a 30 pound Dolphin, I caught a 15 pounder and Richard a 16.2 pounder, giving us 7th place out of 37 boats. A 50.6 pounder, caught by Christina Easterwick, was the biggest Dolphin caught. So there is no confusion the Dolphin of which I speak are a gamefish also known as "Dorado" and "Mahi Mahi," not Flipper the popoise of movie and TV fame. Matt caught a 16" Tripletail off of a floating 4 X 4. Every piece of wood had 1 to 3 Bridled Terns on them. They make a neat honking call when lighting from the flotsam and almost always return when you leave the area.
For now the Zenaida will have to wait. Life is good..................
As a footnote, please stay off of private property when looking for the Zenaida Dove. The woman at 133 Valois, that Matt Reid mentioned in a previous post, has a good sense of humor, but is not wild at losing her privacy, but still put out seed for us anyway. Matt's suggestion to bird from Marseille is good advice. You can stiil see the concrete slab where the seed is being sown. Remember the ABA "Code of Ethics" when birding this area. It only takes one birder to spoil it for all of us. Sorry for the editorialization.