Feature ArticleMay 13, 2004-
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Back to the Dry TortugasLast week I wrote about the many migrants we saw on the Dry Tortugas - some of which may arrive in our area. But there are other birds on these small islands that we do not get up this way - that make these islands their breeding places.
One of the most striking of these birds is the Magnificent Frigatebird, a splendid flier with 7 to 8 foot long, pointed wings, and deeply forked tails. Dozens nest in mangroves on a small island on which we were not permitted to land - we could only observe from over 300 feet away, so that the breeding birds would not be disturbed. The male is jet black with a red throat sac which he inflates when he wants to impress the female. These birds are pirates. Because of wettable feathers they would have extreme difficulty taking off from water, so they use their long, hooked beaks and flying skills to force other birds to drop their catch or fish, and then with amazing agility catch the booty in midair. The breeding colony was a constant cacophony of sound as well as motion as the birds hovered, quarrelled, and showed off their magnificent flying skills.
Another small island was also always noisy and active and also off limits as it is a breeding location for both Sooty Terns and Brown Noddys. On this tiny key thousands of both birds come to nest - the Brown Noddys in the low bushes or low trees or on the ground, sharing the island with the Sooty Terns. The Noddys spend their lives at sea, coming to land only to breed. Each pair has a single chick, and once it has attained flying capability it will leave the island and not return to breed for between 3 to 6 years. While we were observing these birds, several of the pirate Frigatebirds raided, and we saw a chick seized and carried away. However, the numbers of the Noddys and Terns were such that breeding success was assured in spite of individual losses.
Still another even smaller island, in fact nothing more than a spit of sand barely two to three feet above the water was the location for a breeding colony of Masked Boobies, which also comes to land only to breed. Nests were simply a shallow depression in the sand. Only about 30 birds were present, including adults and a few chicks. The Boobies are close relatives of the Northern Gannet seen off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and like them, feed by plunge diving into the water after fish. We also had the opportunity to see two other Boobies, but only one of each species - the Brown Booby, and the Red-footed Booby. Both of these birds we saw were immatures which had ventured to land in the frigatebird colony, far from where they had been raised further south in the Caribbean.
Besides birds, we had the opportunity to see a pair of Loggerhead Turtles mating near our boat. These large turtles are a threatened species, so let us hope this mating produces many young who will survive the many hurdles they face as they grow to adulthood.
Observations: Many warblers are back on their breeding grounds, while others are migrating through. Whip-poor-wills, Gray Catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds have been observed, and I have had one report of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. So get your hummingbird feeders out - remember 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water, brought to a brief boil to destroy any bacteria, then cooled and kept in the fridge until needed. I had a call about Killdeer not being seen - I have seen them in some places, but are others noticing a lack of them? Call Jean at 268-2518 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
