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Posted by Larry Manfredi on 12:22:12 09/28/13
I went out by boat to Adam's Key just south of Elliott Key a week ago. I was hoping for some migrants or perhaps a rarity. I did not see many migrants but did find a rare butterfly. I found 2-Bahamaian Swallowtail Butterflies! I had heard there were some being seen on Elliott Key but the docks on Elliott Key were badly damaged from Hurricane Sandy. There is no public access to that part of Elliott Key. Even if there was access, there is a very long walk through a mosquito infested hardwood hammock to get to where the butterflies were being seen. I would have loved to have tried for them there, but the mosquitoes are as bad as Snake Bight Trail in Everglades National park! It is a beautiful hammock that has had many rare birds in the past.
I had never set foot on Adam's Key so it was a good excuse to go and see what was there. There is a half mile long nature trail through hardwood hammock. The mosquitoes were present put not too bad. I found 2-Bahamaian Swallowtail Butterflies only a 100 yards in the on the nature trail. This was exiting for me as I had never seen one before despite numerous trips to the Bahamas! I am not sure if they have been seen on Adam's Key in the past. It was a surprise for me to see them there, it was nice not having to walk for miles on Elliott Key to search for them. From the boat dock to where the butterflies were seen, is perhaps a quarter mile or less!
I had my camera present last week but ran out of time to go back and get photos of the butterflies. Since the life span of most butterflies is very short, I figured I better get back over there with time to take photos. I went out there yesterday and found perhaps the same 2-Bahamian Swallowtail Butterflies and photographed both of them!
I also had 7-species of warbler and a Peregrine Falcon but not too much else. In the past I have had large numbers of migrants on Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key. I also went out to Pacific Light offshore and had 33-Brown Boobies. I hope to get out there some more to see what comes through before migration is over.
Larry Manfredi
Homestead, Fl
E-mail: birderlm@bellsouth.net
http://www.southfloridabirding.com
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