Miami Beach
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago which begin about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami in Biscayne National park, and extend in a gentle arc south and then westward to Key West, which is just 90 miles (140 km) from Cuba.
Magnificent Frigate Bird female - fregata magnificens
The Keys are rich in marine bird life, perhaps the most iconic of which is the Magnificent Frigate Bird. These can be seen from the Keys foraging high in the air watching for fish, or chasing other seabirds carrying fish which it will steal after an aerial dogfight. They are extremely buoyant in flight and can soar and glide effortlessly for hours.
Females are mostly brown with a white throat and breast, males are mostly all black but they have a curious and conspicuous red throat pouch which they can inflate into a large red balloon to attract females. The characteristic split tail easily distinguishes the Frigate from any other seabird. Tthere is another species called the Great Frigate bird which forages far out to sea and is much less likely to be seen from land as their Magnificent cousins.
Females are mostly brown with a white throat and breast, males are mostly all black but they have a curious and conspicuous red throat pouch which they can inflate into a large red balloon to attract females. The characteristic split tail easily distinguishes the Frigate from any other seabird. Tthere is another species called the Great Frigate bird which forages far out to sea and is much less likely to be seen from land as their Magnificent cousins.
Male Frigate Bird - fregata magnificens
While the Frigate may be the most iconic bird of the Keys it is closely followed by the Brown Pelican. These are now very common all along the Florida coastline, but in the 1970's they were on the endangered species list after suffering a dramatic decline due to eggshell thinning. In fact it was only Florida that maintained a viable poulation until DDT and other insecticides were banned. Since then the species has made a dramatic recovery and they are once again prolific all round the Southern coasts of the USA.
Brown Pelican - pelecanus accidentalis
Brown Pelican - pelecanus accidentalis
Laughing Gull - larus atricilla
Many New World birds have a European counterpart. The Laughing Gull is similar to our Mediterranean Gull and adults have a full black hood in the summer months. A diagnostic feature of this species is its conspicuous white eye ring.
Ring-billed Gull - larus delawarensis
Florida's most prolific seabird is the Ring Billed Gull. While this species something of a rarity in Spain it is the common gull of garbage dumps and parking lots in the USA. Not a rarity here.
Black-bellied Plover - pluvialis squatarola
The Black-Bellied Plover is very similar to our Grey Plover. It is fun watching them dart suddenly across the sand to grab an insect or crustacian and run with it.
Gray Catbird - dumetella carolinensis
The Keys are not just about pelagics and seabirds, there are numerous hammocks and mangrove swamps along the route South. I captured this Gray Catbird in a hammock near Key West. This secretive bird is more often heard than seen and is named after its cat-like meeowing call.
The abundance of fish in the shallow waters around the Keys make easy pickings for the numerous Ospreys that hunt here and nest in the oak and gumbo-limbo trees on the larger islands. I like this photo as it captures the grace and power of a magnificent raptor.
Osprey -
White Ibis juvenile -
White Ibis are extremely common all over the State and there is no shortage of these attractive birds in the Keys. They are not concerned about the presence of people and are just as likely to be seen in a garden or an urban environment as out in the wilder habitat of the Keys and Everglades. This one was contentedly perched on the roof of a beach hut surrounded by tourists enjoying the sun and sand.
Although the Pied-Billed Grebe is a less conspicuous bird than the Ibis I like the light in the photo below, taken on the moat around Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. The late afternoon sun through the surrounding trees gave the water a lovely iridescent green glow that frames the bird nicely. This bird is the equivalent of our European Little Grebe, but of course everything in America is bigger.
Although the Pied-Billed Grebe is a less conspicuous bird than the Ibis I like the light in the photo below, taken on the moat around Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. The late afternoon sun through the surrounding trees gave the water a lovely iridescent green glow that frames the bird nicely. This bird is the equivalent of our European Little Grebe, but of course everything in America is bigger.
Pied-billed Grebe - podilymbus podiceps
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird - archilochus colubris
Talking of iridescent greens, this Ruby-Throated Hummingbird had plenty on display as the bright sunlight reflected off its upperside plumage. They are attracted to the numerous flowering shrubs of the parks and gardens of Key West. These tiny birds are about 9 cms long with a wingspan of 11.5 cms, but they weigh just 3 grams! How such a tiny body can generate enough power to flap such relatively long wings at up to 80 beats per second is one of the wonders of nature.
The Little Blue Heron (Below) is a small, elegant heron equally at home in the glades or on the brackish shoreline of Florida Bay. Interesting to note that first year birds are pure white, while adults are blue with a maroon tinted neck.
The Little Blue Heron (Below) is a small, elegant heron equally at home in the glades or on the brackish shoreline of Florida Bay. Interesting to note that first year birds are pure white, while adults are blue with a maroon tinted neck.
Little Blue Heron - egretta caerulea
The Little Blue heron has no direct counterpart in Europe, unlike the following two species. The Great Blue Heron is very much like our Grey Heron, and the Ring-Necked Duck is a "dead ringer" for our Tufted Duck.
 Great Blue Heron - ardea herodias |  Ring-Necked Duck - aythea collaris |
A drive down US Highway No.1 from Miami to Key West is a rewarding journey with all manner of interesting sights and possibilities along the way. The warm clear water provides superb opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling, sport fishing, sailing and kayaking. At the end of the road is the most Southerly point of the USA in Key West, former home of Ernest Hemmingway and Tenessee Williams and in my opinion one of the best holiday resorts in the World. Its tropical location, laid back atmosphere, cultural and historical significance and the simple feel-good factor of the "Carribean" lifestyle are hard to beat. And for dedicated birders the prospect of a boat trip out to the nearby Dry Tortugas is a mouth-watering possibility that I hope to try sometime in the future.
