May 10, 2025

You can click here for more photos of the Frigatebird battle.

The Magnificent Frigatebird is also known as the Man-o-War bird because they harass other birds until they regurgitate recently captured food, which the Frigatebird steals in midair. So it is very appropriate that two Magnificent Frigatebirds recently had an epic fish battle near our boat anchored in Man of War Harbor.

I heard a loud ruckus and looked up to watch the drama unfold. For almost two minutes the birds chased each other. One bird dropped the fish, and then the other bird snatched it up. A couple of times they dropped the fish into the ocean, but managed to pick it back up. In the end, I don’t know who won because they eventually flew away, still battling each other. There were three other Magnificent Frigatebirds watching closely, but they never got involved in the fight.

I read that young frigatebirds learn how to steal food by holding sticks in their mouths and chasing each other. When one of them drops the stick, the other dives below to retrieve it.

While wandering around Key West, there’s all sorts of wildlife that you can see. They are “regulars” around town, and although some of them are considered to be nuisances, I think they add to the quirky atmosphere of Key West, and I enjoy having them around! Here are some of my favorites, covering everything from dogs to lizards.

This is Snoopy. He’s the dockmaster’s dog at Conch Harbor Marina where we get fuel for our dinghy and boat. I took this photo from our dinghy as we were getting some gas. He’s mainly interested in getting a good nap.

Snoopy

It wouldn’t be Key West without all the Red Junglefowl (aka chickens). My all-time favorite bird is RussellKrow. He was rescued as a juvenile by Rich and Amy, and he is their faithful companion. He lives with them, and you can often see him being walked around the park on his leash. He recognizes me and crows until I go over and pet him.

RussellKrow

It’s not unusual to have birds join us while we are eating dinner. Most of the restaurants have outdoor seating and the Red Junglefowl are always looking for handouts. In this short video, a Red-winged Blackbird jumped on our table at Dante’s. On another evening, we ate our dinner around Dante’s pool, and a hen and her chicks stopped by. The chicks took a short nap in our sandals.

https://youtube.com/shorts/wvJI0RG1Zl8

I’ve featured the White Ibis many times in my blog, but I never get tired of seeing them roam around town! This photo was taken at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens.

White Ibis

There are thousands of Laughing Gulls around here. They are especially active around our boat at sunset. Hundreds of them float in the water nearby, causing quite a loud ruckus!

Laughing Gulls in Man of War Harbor

Laughing Gulls in Man of War Harbor

Green Iguanas are not native to Florida and are considered an invasive species. They have a negative impact on the native wildlife, and can cause damage to property. There are lots of Iguanas in Key West, especially in Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, and the cemetery. Despite the damage they cause, I think their colors are beautiful and it’s interesting to see them around town.

Green Iguana

April 27 and April 30, 2025

I received a text on April 23^rd from my friend Amy about a rare bird alert. A Bahama Mockingbird was reported in Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in Key West, and Amy wanted to know if I had seen it. I had not seen the bird, and that started my next birding adventure. It took me four days to find it, and another three days to find it again and get a good photo. In the meantime, I met a lot of nice birders, and I always have fun trying to track down an elusive bird!

This bird was a long way from home. As the name suggests, Bahama Mockingbirds are common in the Bahamas, but can also be found on the Turks & Caicos Islands, a handful of small islets off the north coast of Cuba, and in a relatively small area of southern Jamaica. They do occasionally stray into south Florida, mainly in Key West, and have been known to stay in Key West and breed with the Northerns, creating a Bahama x Northern Mockingbird hybrid.

The Bahama Mockingbird is slightly larger than the Northern, and is brownish in color, has dark streaks on the flanks, a white chin, and a bit of white on the tip of the tail. This particular bird is hanging out with the Northerns, which helped me find the bird, but was also challenging telling the two species apart.

The first day that I saw the Bahama Mockingbird was on April 27^th. There were about 25 other birders that day trying to find him, and the crowd was causing him to fly to different locations to escape the disruption. He had flown to the north hammock in the park, and flew deep into it to get some peace. While the crowd was standing around waiting for him to come back out, I snuck around to a path that took me into the hammock, and there he was…singing away. He was too deep into the woods to get a photo, but I did get a recording of his song.

This is the recording that I sent to eBird:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/634558318

Finally on the morning of April 30^th, I got to the park early and amazingly enough, I was the only birder around. Finally some peace and quiet! I spotted several Northern Mockingbirds flying around the mangroves and sea grapes located along the moat (near the north hammock), and I watched them weave in and out of the trees. And there he was…sitting on branch, preening himself. I managed to snap a few photos before he flew away.

Bahama Mockingbird

Bahama Mockingbird

This map shows where I found him. I labeled the north hammock, and marked his locations with a red X.

Map of the park

For comparison, here is a Northern Mockingbird that was nearby…

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

This year marks my fourth spring migration in Key West, and it has been interesting to look at my records from the last four years. My friend Amy and I have both noticed that bird migration has gotten off to a slow start this year. Usually by now our favorite birding locations are teaming with all sorts of migrating birds.

The weather has been different this spring. In the past, we’ve had a lot of storms which forced the migrating birds to stopover in Key West for a break. Maybe the mild weather has encouraged them to bypass Key West? Or maybe they are just late in arriving? Birds are very sensitive to weather, air pressure, and the earth’s magnetic field. We are in the middle of Solar maximum. Could the influence of the active Sun on our magnetic field that have something to do with it?

I read on Cornell University’s BirdCast website that peak migration in our area is April 24- May 10, so it’s still a little early. In fact, I’ve noticed more birds around, so maybe they are finally arriving in Key West.

Last week I spent a couple of days the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens. The gardens showcase flora native to the Florida Keys, Cuba, and the Caribbean, and has two fresh water ponds, making this spot ideal for migrating birds. The 15 acres of the gardens make it an oasis in the middle of Stock Island, which has sadly lost a lot of it’s natural habitat to development.

Here are some photos from my recent visits:

American Redstart (female)

Prairie Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Coot

White Ibis (juvenile)

Black-throated Green Warbler

In 2023, ornithologists split Cattle Egret into two species: Western Cattle-Egret and Eastern Cattle-Egret. Western-Cattle Egret occurs in Africa, western Asia, southern Europe, and the Americas. The Eastern Cattle-Egret inhabits southern and eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Western Cattle-Egret spends most of its time foraging in fields. This one was roaming the large field in the park, and the buff-orange plumage in the head and neck regions of this bird means that it is in its breeding season.