Map and
Chronology of John Audubon's
Visit to the Florida Keys
MAP
This very
simple map provides a basic illustration of the places
Audubon visited during his observations in the Florida
Keys. Audubon visited Indian Key, Sandy Key, the Vaca
Keys, Cape Sable, the Duck Keys, Bahia-honda, Key West,
the Tortugas, and numerous unnamed mangrove islands
during his visitation. He made the trip to Sandy Key
several times.
CONTENTS
This
website provides a summary of John James Audubon's
visitation to the Florida Keys. A brief biography of
Audubon's early life together with Audubon's descriptions
and paintings of the Florida Keys' birds observed are
provided. You will also find descriptions of several
places Audubon stopped at during his journey, a map, and
an chronology of dates and places visited.
NAVIGATION
The
navigation bar on the left of this page provides all the
links that you will need to navigate this website. The
links to birds and places visited are organized from top
to bottom in the general order of Audubon's observations
and manner of travel, but the exact order for all of of
Audubon sketches is unknown.
CHRONOLOGY
OF DATES, PLACES, AND BIRDS
Most
dates and places below utilize Audubon's
Ornithological Biography. Other dates utilize the
Log Book of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Marion. Some
confusion occurs when using Log records from the period
as the Captain' s log book reflects the custom at the
time of making each days entry extend from 12 noon
(Meridian) to 12 noon. Certain maritime dates have been
converted to be consistent with today's conventional
means of recording events.
Indian
Key , Sandy Key, Cape Sable and other mangrove islands
nearby
April 24,
1832 - Audubon arrives at Cape Florida, Key
Biscayne
April 25,
1832 - Arrives Indian Key 5 PM
April 26
to 29, 1832 - Uses Indian Key as base and visits Sandy
Key, Cape Sable and mangrove islands nearby Indian
Key.
April
26, 1832 - Cormorant
drawn - observed at islands nearby Indian Key
April
28, 1832 - Roseate
Terns
drawn while at Indian Key
April
or May - Grey
Kingbird
was painted - also known as Pipery Flycatcher and the
Gray Tyrant
April
- Reddish
Egret or
Purple Heron
April
29, 1832 - Louisiana
Heron
White
Ibis
- Sandy Key
Trip
to Key West and stops along the
way
April 30
to May 4, 1832 - Sails for Key West - Journey normally
would take a day and a half in length. Audubon trip takes
longer because he makes a number of stops along the
way.
April
30, 1832 - Zenaida
Dove
April
30 - Observed White
Crowned Pigeon / White-headed
pigeon
- Bahia-honda Duck Key - painted later in Key West
after May 17 upon return from Tortugas
April
30, 1832 - off Key Vacas 11 AM, anchors Key Vaca
1:30PM
May 1,
1832 - explored Duck Keys - Semi
palmated Snipe or
Willet;
explores Key Vacas
May 4,
1832 - Stops at Looe Key Beacon
Key
West
May 4,
1832 to May 21st - Arrives Key West at 6 PM, spends the
next 17 days in Key West and surrounding waters with trip
to the Dry Tortugas
May
4, 1832 - Great
White Heron
- first observed at Indian Key on April 24 and later
during trip to Key West. Believed drawn on May 26 by
Audubon. Print shows background of the city of Key
West.
May 6,
1832 - Key
West Dove or Key West Quail Dove (also known as Key
West Pigeon]
painted around May 6, 1832 at Key West.
May 7,
1832 - Audubon first saw Flamingos
while at Indian Key; painted in England in 1838 from
specimens
May -
Blue-Headed
Quail Doves
not seen in the Keys since Audubon's time - (Placed on
Hypothetical List)
May -
Frigatebird
- painted in Key West
May -
Brown
Pelican
, probably painted in Key West.
May -
Mangrove
Cuckoo
painted in Key West
Tortuga
Islands - May 10 - 16
May
10 - leaves Key West for Tortugas
May 10
- Sooty
Tern
drawn
May
10 - Black
headed Gull or Laughing Gull
May 11
- Brown
Noddy or Noddy tern
on Noddy Key drawn
May 11
- Cayenne
Terns
found breeding on one of the Tortugas
May 14
- Brown
Booby
drawn at Booby Island in the Dry Tortugas
May 16
- Leaves Tortugas
Key
West - May 17 - 22
Pictured
above is a portion of an 1852 U.S Coast Guard survey map
show ing the Marquesa Islands to the left and island of
Key West on the margin on the right. Audubon visited a
number of these Keys in addition to the Tortugas which
are not represented in this portion and are located
further to the west. Some islands identified by name are
Sand Key, Mule Key, Mullet Key, Man Key, Crawfish Key,
and Boca Grande.
Travels
from Key West to Indian Key with stops along the way
-
May
22 - 29
May
23 - New Found Harbor
May 25
- Bahia Honda - anchored for evening
May 26
- Sandwich
Tern
May 27
- Prickly Pear Key - passes at 12 noon
May
28 - off Duck Key at noon
May 28
- Saw 3 Greenshanks
at Sandy Key - (Placed on Hypothetical List) - Painted
in Scotland 1835
May 29
- Arrives Indian Key
May 31 -
Great
Marbled Godwit
drawn on Sandy Key
May 31
- Leaves Indian Key
July 1832
- Mangrove
Hummingbird
(Black-throated
Mango)
- After leaving the Keys, Audubon painted the Mangrove
Humming Bird sometime after July of 1832. Placed on
Hypothetical List as not seen in the Keys since Audubon's
time
Summer
1832 - Tropic
Bird or White-tailed Tropic
Bird
- drawn sometime after sent specimens in
summer
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