Interesting things began to happen in the Florida Keys on Saturday afternoon, 25 October, when Bill and Nancy Framboise reported a Bahama Swallow at Long Key State Park. Birders in the area were soon put on the alert, and the next day hawkwatchers at Curry Hammock State Park, 11 miles southwest of Long Key, were also rewarded. At least three Bahama Swallows were observed from the hawkwatch deck that afternoon, where the birds were seen accompanying other swallow species, including Barn, Northern Rough-winged, and Cliff Swallows. The Bahama Swallows foraged in the vicinity of the hawkwatch site for at least two hours. On the same day, still another Bahama Swallow was observed and photographed at Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne, near Miami.
The Bahama Swallow is endemic to the Bahamas, especially on Andros, Abaco, and Grand Bahama. (Some Bahama Swallows may also winter in eastern Cuba.) The species is considered a very rare visitor to South Florida, with less than 10 documented records prior to these observations last month. All previous records occurred before 1993. The experience last month may have been associated with a tropical depression brewing in the Gulf of Mexico from 20-24 October.
No more South Florida Bahama Swallows were observed on subsequent days. While we usually don't include rarities that fail to appear multiple days at the same location, this month's "Rarity Focus" is an exception, if only because multiple birds of the same species occurred on two consecutive days in situations where many birders in the region were checking flocks of swallows.
Besides, all the hawkwatchers, a number of visitors (including a group from University of Miami) got excellent looks at Bahama Swallows foraging over the platform at Curry Hammock on 26 October.
You can access a fine report on the swallows by Rafael Galvez, including excellent photos taken by others at the hawkwatch, at:
http://floridakeyshawkwatch.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/bahama-swallows-over-the-hawkwatch/
and read the Birding Community e-Bulletin at: http://refugeassociation.org/news/birding-bulletin
