January 5th-7th
Rangel Diaz, a naturalist at the Deering Estate first sighted the Key West Quail-Dove (KWQD) and was taking groups to view it in a restricted access area of the estate. We joined the January 5th group in the parking lot at 7:15 am. Approximately 35 birders from Florida to Michigan and beyond were here to see this ‘life bird’. We stayed until Noon but NO KWQD; rudely the bird did not provide Rangel adequate notification of his change in plans. Although, we did get some great advice for birding Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona and other western States from Carl Edwards.
Since we were in this area anyway, and knew that the KWQD had recently been sighted at the Long Key State Park, we felt compelled to head that way and make a stab at seeing it on Tuesday. Of course, winter camp site availability at the state park was impossible, so we stayed at the Fiesta Key Campground- YUK- triple the price for ¼ of the quality of anyplace that we have stayed so far.
By 8 am Tuesday, we were waiting at the Long Key State Park gate, along with Susan Cark, who also missed the bird at Deering Estate on Monday. Susan flew from Michigan to see this bird! We were later joined by Robert Epstein from Parrish Florida, plus two other groups of searchers. We are finding that birders are quite willing to speak with strangers- strange people with binoculars that is. Susan and Robert shared great advice on when and where to catch birds in Florida, the Midwest, Texas and Arizona. Around and around the park we went, all looking for this one bird. We stayed on our leg powered merry-go-round until 2 pm… No Quail KWQD.
Two days spent in search of one bird… do we call it, or behave like we should join a birders anonymous group, and raise the stakes by one more day. Feeling compelled like addicts we head back up to Rangel’s Wednesday excursion.
Bright and early we joined a group of 40-ish birders. Some repeats like us, but others from different parts of the country. Again, the bird pulled a no show. Now three days spent in search of one bird.
I have to admit that chasing a rarity like this was not part of our original plan. We intended to focus on American Birding Association (ABA) Code 2 & 3 birds which are rare but rely on ABA area environments which may be under threat as opposed to rare vagrants (code 4 & 5) who do not. Yet look how quickly we were lured by hope of a big kitty- a code 4 life list bird! Never again…unless we just can’t control the impulse to try to beat those odds.