On Apr 21 Larry Manfredi reported that he observed a RED-FOOTED BOOBY at the Dry Tortugas National Park. This photo was taken on the day that he found it. The bird is an immature dark morph, and was seen in the Magnificent Frigatebird roost on Long Key. In his remarks he said to note the pinkish feet almost orange, the slim bill, the bluish around the eye and in good light, pinkish on the bill.
Find more rarity images on Larry's website, South Florida Birding.
Field Report by Dotty Robbins
Short version: got the Black Noddy and Red-footed Booby.
Is there a story? Yes, of course, there always is.
I could have ignored the Black Noddy, they are there every year, but then the Red-footed Booby was refound. Two compelling birds. Disgraceful to be a Floridian for 32 years and not have Black Noddy!
Had to go.
I drove down on Tuesday, picking up Wes Biggs on the way. 580 miles. Stayed over in Key West and took the Yankee Freedom over on Wednesday morning. Got the Black Noddy pretty easily, another birder had it staked out.
Both of the tour groups that had been there had left early that morning, so we were on our own, save for a few other birders. Word had it that the RF Booby had been seen the last few days, but didn't come in to its roost spot until 4pm at the earliest. Since the YF leaves at 3pm, that meant we had to camp overnight. I hadn't done that in years, but have all the stuff.
We had been told exactly where the Booby had been roosting. Looking all the way across to Long Key required the full 60X of the scope, and details were still difficult to ascertain, but the late afternoon lighting helped considerably. We could see that the designated spot was taken by a half dozen loafing Frigatebirds. At 4pm, no booby. 4:30, no, 5 nope. Finally, after 6pm, with failure looming, I grabbed the scope and walked about 25 yards closer, right to the water's edge, and started some serious, desperate scanning. Frigatebirds in all assorted stages of plumage. I came upon a gray-brown bird body, a bit smaller, but couldn't make out the shape of the head. Was this just a pelican? I was ready to pass over it (I was expecting a softer, warmer brown color), when I noticed an orangey-pink color where its feet should be. Gee, I thought, and hollered for Wes. After a few minutes of studying it, Wes was ready to conclude that it was the RF Booby when Steve from Wisconsin came over, had a look, and said yes, for sure, it was the same bird he had seen the previous evening. Later, I could see its Booby head and beak clearly.
Oh joy! And whew! Could have easily been a dip.
Unfortunately there were no other birders around to share the sighting with--they had all left on the the YF at 3pm.
After trying to sleep with 25 mph (our estimate) winds buffeting the tents, we were pretty worn down the next day. We did some leisurely birding. A few days earlier, someone (Murray Gardler, I think) had set out a styro plate with fresh water in a cluster of small trees in the camping area. This proved very effective, and we had 17 species of warbler, including a drop dead gorgeous alternate male Bay-breasted Warbler. I'm not sure I'd ever seen this species in that garb before.
We returned to Key West around 5:30 and spent the night at Florida City. Up early next morning to do some county birding in Glades, where I started with a total of 6 (yes, that's six) species and wound up with 62. Tough county. Inland, no migrants, of course. Best were a Least Bittern, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, Bobwhites, Sapsucker, and BH Nuthatch.
Got home, almost midnight, on Friday. Total miles (I drove 'em all) 1236.
Gee, again.
