SPRING MIGRATION IN THE DRY TORTUGAS

DATES

APRIL 15 - 20, 2008

COST (PER PERSON)

DOUBLE: $1600 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $500 for entire trip but may not be available on boat. $100 for night if only Key West

DEPOSIT: $500

INCLUDES

From Key West, five nights lodging (1st 4 on boat, last in Key West); all meals, entry fees, guides, taxes, tips to boat crew.

PARTICIPANTS

Limited to 10 on the 14 passenger Tiburon.

OVERVIEW

We'll be taking the very comfortable yacht, the R.V. Tiburon, to the Dry Tortugas, one of the premier sites in North America for spring migration.   We will limit the number of participants on the boat to ten, ensuring more comfort and space for all.   Besides the numerous migrating passerines, we expect to see see Magnificant Frigatebird, Brown Noddy, Masked Booby & Brown Booby, Sooty Tern.  Black Noddy, Red-footed Booby, & White-tailed Tropicbird are possible as well. On our final day, we will leave the  boat early and spend the day in Key West. We expect to find Mangrove Cuckoo & Antillean Nighthawk.  WeÕll also be looking for some of the vagrants & specialties that can often be found in the Key West area, such as, Shiny Cowbird, Western Spindalis, La Sagra's Flycatcher, & Gray Kingbird.  The last night will be in Key West.

ITINERARY    

DAY ONE: After arriving at the Key West Airport, you can take a short cab ride to Safety Harbor on Stock Island where you'll find the Tiburon docked. We will officially meet at 5:00 PM for orientation, cocktail hour, etc. Dinner at 6:45 at Hogfish Bar & Grill. 

DAY TWO: Awaken at sea on the Gulf Stream South of Key West.  The morning will find us in the Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve. We may see some pelagic species on the way out. We will venture out into the Gulf Stream either coming on going. We usually do so returning from the islands. Lunch, then all ashore to Garden Key and Fort Jefferson.  We typically get at least one good fallout following a rain squall. We usually find in excess of 20 warbler species as well as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl, Black-Whiskered Vireo and numerous other passerines. Merlin & Peregrine Falcon are very common and can be seen hunting inside the fort throughout the day. Various migrating shorebirds are found along the sand beaches. WeÕll look along the old pier pilings for the very rare Black Noddy.  Sunset finds us at Hospital Key where you will get a close up look at the only Masked Booby rookery in North America. Our anchorage this evening is in front of Fort Jefferson.

DAY THREE: Awake for an early breakfast and get underway for a day of birding in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.  This is the largest protected area in the US territorial waters and includes Loggerhead key where our first excursion takes you. Commonly seen there are an abundance of raptors. A guided snorkeling tour of the reef known as Little Africa is available for whoever wishes to join in. After lunch we'll travel by tender to observe by the Magnificent Frigatebird nursery at Long Key.  Dinner, is followed by an evening moat walk filled with dazzling fish, coral gardens and fascinating marine invertebrates

DAY FOUR:  Awake to an early morning landing at Fort Jefferson to see if the evening's weather has blown in a few new species. The Tiburon will spend two hours at the dock and board at 9:30 AM. We'll do some pelagic birding on the way back to Key West. If weather permits, we'll return via the Gulf Stream where we hope to see Cory's & Audubon's Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Roseate, Royal, & Bridled Tern.  We'll arrive back in Key West about dinner time. Dinner & overnight on the Tiburon.

DAY FIVE:

We'll depart the Tiburon about 6:30 AM following breakfast. We will spend part of the morning searching for the elusive Mangrove Cuckoo. Afterwards, we'll have lunch in Key West, then spend the rest of the day looking for Key West specialties. Dinner will be in one of Key West's fine restaurants. Overnight in Key West.

DAY SIX:

Trips ends after breakfast.

CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT

Casual, informal attire is acceptable for all restaurants.  The following items are important to have for you comfort and safety.  Tempatures will range from the  60's early in the morning, into the 90\'s in the afternoon.  The boat ride can be chilly, especially if it's very windy and/or rainy.

 

v             Hat with brim/visor

v             Sunglasses

v             Sunscreen

v             Water bottle (we will carry extra water for refills)

v             Small day pack/fanny pack

v             Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes

v             Long-sleeve shirts

v             Walking shorts

v             Long pants

v             Light weight jacket or light sweater for evenings and early mornings

v             Wind-breaker /rain jacket

v             Binoculars (scope is optional;  we will have one or two scopes)

Recommended Books:

The Sibley Guide to Birds.  David Sibley

Florida's Birds. Kale & Maeher. 2003..

Field Guide to Birds of North America. National Geographic, 4th Edition.

All books can be obtained from Madison Audubon Shoppe (888) 505-9056 at a 10% discount for High Lonesome BirdTours trip participants. 

FOR RESERVATIONS & REGISTRATION INFO

HIGH LONESOME BIRDTOURS

570 S. Little Bear Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

Phone (520) 458-9446 or 1-800-743-2668

Email:  hilone@hilonesome.com

Website:  www.hilonesome.com