The Dry Tortugas -- a remote National Park

Most people don't know that the Dry Tortugas National Park exists -- full disclosure, if I wasn't a birder I probably wouldn't know either. It is a dream destination for most birders -- Cindy and I were among them.

Garden Key where Fort Jefferson was built and never finished is where the ferry lands and the only part of the park we had access to. It has several species rookeries and camp ground, beaches and several old coal delivery stations. The Fort started sinking shortly after it was somewhat completed, which made it unstable and never finished. Fun fact -- the bricks were from made and it was built by the Union during the Civil war to prevent deliveries of supplies to Florida. It also served as a prison where Samuel Mudd was kept (the Dr. who medically helped John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln). He also saved a number of people on the Key who suffered from Yellow Fever.

Fort Jefferson from the Ferry

Southern Coal Station (with Brown Noddy and Bridled Tern)

Beach Side

Fellow birders on the boat! Lots of fun with them!

Brown Pelican

Magnificent Frigatebird with Flying Fish Breakfast

Masked Booby (I saw it, but not my photo)

Sooty Tern

On Garden Key - Sooty Tern Rookery

Ruddy Turnstone

Brown Noddy

Rookery

Brown Pelican

Laughing Gull

Magnificent Frigatebird

South side of Garden Key

Palm Warbler

Cuban Pewee (Mega rare bird!)

Peregrine Falcon

Brown Noddy on one of the many pilings to perch on

Ruddy Turnstone

Brown Noddy, Willet & Black-bellied Plover

Palm Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Inside the fort

The famous "Fountain" a fabulous photo perch for me!

American Redstart

Blackpoll Warbler

Black-whiskered Vireo

Cape May Warbler

Cattle Egret

Green Heron (seemed an odd place for one...)

Northern Parula

Prairie Warbler

Summer Tanager

Yellow-throated Warbler

We did not see this bird, but its worth mentioning -- an Osprey but the Caribbean sub-species (note the primarily white head)

Black Noddy - I did see this species but lousy photos -- these are Other Birder's photos

Bridled Tern -- as we departed the Island from the boat

Long day in the sun, but wonderful almost magical. So glad we went!

Cindy had the energy to walk around a bit when we got back to the hotel (I did not). She got someone to take this photo