Birds Browse the Parade Grounds at Fort Jefferson
Key West, the Dry Tortugas, and Fort Jefferson have been expanding in beauty this April. All three have been sliding into Spring with the comfort of warmth with ease, and in addition to doing so, has attracted hundreds of different types of wildlife that are migrating, or just using the area to play.
We’ve seen plenty of marine life come out to play in the coral reef ecosystem surrounding the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson from the amazing snorkeling we’ve had lately, but it’s the birds that we are really impressed with. Avid birdwatchers should definitely make it a point to come to the Dry Tortugas this spring for their next Key West vacation. We have been seeing tons of sightings of some beautiful and brightly colored birds and a lot of them have been hanging around Fort Jefferson.
Our favorite that we’ve been seeing over the last week is the male Scarlet Tanager (pictured). These medium-sized songbirds have thick and rounded bills that are built best for catching insects and eating fruit. The Scarlet Tanager pictured is a male because of the blood red feathers for the spring, in which they molt into a yellow-greenish in the fall with black wings and tail. The Scarlet Tanager tend to hang out in shrubby areas and forests during the migration period, thus making Fort Jefferson and the islands of the Dry Tortugas the perfect resting area on their migrating journey.
The female Scarlet Tanager will not have any red plumage; yet rather have a greenish-yellow with bright yellow on her face and neck area. There haven’t been many sightings of these in the past week, but we are expecting to see some in the near future.
If your passion is bird watching, and want to try somewhere new, than we suggest you book one of the two ways of getting to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, by seaplane or ferry service , by calling us at 877-243-2378, or book with us online.