Eric Gofreed
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone! I’m back from a fantastic trip to Florida and the Dry Tortugas. It was an amazing experience! A big thank you to Doug Sherman for covering Winged Wednesday while I was away. I really appreciate it, Doug. Kudos to all of you who shared your photos during those two weeks. Great work all around!
This week’s Winged Wednesday is all about your favorite winged creatures. There’s no set theme, whether it’s birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, or anything else that flutters, soars, or zips by in the breeze, I want to see it! Recent shots or timeless favorites are all welcome. I’m sharing five bird photos from my trip to the Dry Tortugas. I took thousands of photos, so you’ll see more in future posts! I’m looking forward to seeing what you all share this week. Next Wednesday will be another open theme, and I’m thinking about focusing on swamp hens—but we’ll see where the wind (or wings) takes us!
Female Magnificent Frigatebird: Gliding at eye level above the old walls of Fort Jefferson, the Dry Tortuga National Park, this female soared past on wings nearly eight feet wide. Standing near the cannons, I was able to catch her in flight—a rare chance to see one of the most impressive seabirds up close. Magnificent Frigatebirds can sleep while flying by resting one half of their brain at a time. This allows them to keep one eye open to steer, stay alert, and watch for danger—even while asleep.
Male Magnificent Frigatebird: The bright red pouch you see on the male Magnificent Frigatebird is called a gular sac. It plays a key role in attracting a mate. During the breeding season, males inflate this balloon-like sac with air. They perch and display the pouch while clattering their bills and vibrating their wings to catch the attention of passing females. I couldn’t get close to the frigatebird breeding areas because hurricanes had destroyed their nesting trees on this island. Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Ian in 2022 hit Dry Tortugas hard, wiping out about half the mangroves and other plants the birds depend on.
Brown Noddy:
Brown Noddies are seabirds closely related to terns, though they are not terns. They belong to the family Laridae, which includes gulls, terns, skimmers, and other noddies. Within this family, noddies are placed in their own genus, Anous, and are considered a distinct group from true terns.
Brown Noddy is looking for nesting material on the beach
The Sooty Tern has a wingspan of about 35 inches and is an extraordinary long-distance traveler, migrating across vast oceans from the Caribbean to Africa and Southeast Asia. The Dry Tortugas, especially during nesting season, offer one of the best opportunities in North America to see these remarkable seabirds up close.
This week’s Winged Wednesday is all about your favorite winged creatures. There’s no set theme, whether it’s birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, or anything else that flutters, soars, or zips by in the breeze, I want to see it! Recent shots or timeless favorites are all welcome. I’m sharing five bird photos from my trip to the Dry Tortugas. I took thousands of photos, so you’ll see more in future posts! I’m looking forward to seeing what you all share this week. Next Wednesday will be another open theme, and I’m thinking about focusing on swamp hens—but we’ll see where the wind (or wings) takes us!
Female Magnificent Frigatebird: Gliding at eye level above the old walls of Fort Jefferson, the Dry Tortuga National Park, this female soared past on wings nearly eight feet wide. Standing near the cannons, I was able to catch her in flight—a rare chance to see one of the most impressive seabirds up close. Magnificent Frigatebirds can sleep while flying by resting one half of their brain at a time. This allows them to keep one eye open to steer, stay alert, and watch for danger—even while asleep.
Male Magnificent Frigatebird: The bright red pouch you see on the male Magnificent Frigatebird is called a gular sac. It plays a key role in attracting a mate. During the breeding season, males inflate this balloon-like sac with air. They perch and display the pouch while clattering their bills and vibrating their wings to catch the attention of passing females. I couldn’t get close to the frigatebird breeding areas because hurricanes had destroyed their nesting trees on this island. Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Ian in 2022 hit Dry Tortugas hard, wiping out about half the mangroves and other plants the birds depend on.
Brown Noddy:
Brown Noddies are seabirds closely related to terns, though they are not terns. They belong to the family Laridae, which includes gulls, terns, skimmers, and other noddies. Within this family, noddies are placed in their own genus, Anous, and are considered a distinct group from true terns.
Brown Noddy is looking for nesting material on the beach
The Sooty Tern has a wingspan of about 35 inches and is an extraordinary long-distance traveler, migrating across vast oceans from the Caribbean to Africa and Southeast Asia. The Dry Tortugas, especially during nesting season, offer one of the best opportunities in North America to see these remarkable seabirds up close.
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Nice shots.