The Skies are Filled at Fort Jefferson
This week at Fort Jefferson, Florida, the skies are filled with clouds of birds. The weather has been picture perfect and shaping up for a great week of birdwatching. Observing the skies over this tiny island, inundated with birds, one is reminded of the presence of so many amazing travelers.
Our birders are fortunate this week in the Dry Tortugas with the many sightings of adult and juvenile Sooty Terns, or "wide-awake" birds as they are also referred to. When the juvenile tern leaves its breeding grounds, it does not return for a few years. The tern does not relax on the water and only occasionally lands on floating objects. They do not appear to need deep sleep, hence the term, "wide-awake" bird. These Sooty Terns basically live in the sky for several years at a time, only returning to earth to nest. They even feed while in flight, catching fish and squid from the ocean's surface, unlike other birds that dive in the water for their food.
Each summer, around 50,000 Sooty Terns arrive on Bush Key in the Dry Tortugas Islands to breed. These elegant black and white terns nurture their single egg in a narrow scrape on the sand. When the egg hatches, the older terns bring fish and squid from offshore to feed their young. The juvenile terns soon leave, not to return for a few years. Sooty Terns are notorious for wandering. When they are not nesting, they travel far and wide over the seas. Quite often, they are blown inland, many times by tropical storms and hurricanes, sometimes as far away as hundred of miles. Their travels take place over the Atlantic and Caribbean, some of them traveling to waters as far as West Africa before coming home.
Of all the seabirds in the Tropics, Sooty Terns are the most plentiful, usually numbering around 60 to 80 million. These graceful birds weigh only about seven ounces and have an average body length of 16 inches and wingspan of 34 inches. Their light weight and proficient aerodynamics account for a very low consumption of energy. With the lack of sleep requirement, it is no wonder these terns are able to live in the skies for such long periods.
During the week, our birdwatchers came upon a raucous colony of Sooty Terns perched on top of a coral reef out on a sandbar. The birds' harsh squeaky croaks and notes kept the birders attentive and entertained. This was definitely a sight for sore eyes.
These wonderful birds nest between March and September in the Dry Tortugas, making viewing easy. To see these beautiful creatures, come to the very accommodating and lovely Dry Tortugas for a most enjoyable stay.