Today was one of the best days of birding I have ever experienced. A large line of thunderstorms moved through the Dry Tortugas starting just before sunrise and continuing through mid morning. This created a massive fallout where hundreds of birds took shelter on the small islands of the Dry Tortugas. We spent the entire day birding in and around Fort Jefferson where we found numerous warblers, cuckoos, catbirds, tanagers, grosebeaks and much more. There were birds everywhere we looked. Individual numbers were extremely high as well as the diversity of species. It was a once in a lifetime experience. By the end of the morning the rain let up and I was able to get my camera out. This is my favorite warbler image from the trip thus far.
My trip into the Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy colony was cancelled due to the morning storms but I was able to walk through the colony in the afternoon with Sonny Bass guiding me. It was a very different experience than the wading bird colony at Alley North. Birds were not leaving their nests but would just sit there as we approched within a foot or two. The Brown Noddies were in every stage of nesting while the Sooty Terns were raising chicks that were mostly fledged but not flying yet. I will post images tomorrow if I don't get anything else with which I am happy.
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