Private Ponds in Barbados for Birding

The last area of wetlands where I will be looking to take photographs of birds will be in private ponds. These private ponds are used mainly in gardens or for irrigation.  As few as they maybe, these ponds play their part in the wetlands network.  Codrington College is a theological college in the parish of St. John to the east coast of the island.  At the front of the building and the center piece of their landscape is a lily pond which contains fish, two species of Cichlids, African Blockheads “Steatocranus casuarius “ , Tilapias and Kois.  This shallow pond provides feeding areas for Green Herons ” Butorides virescens”, Belted Kingfishers “Megaceryle alcyon”, Spotted Sandpipers “Actitis macularia “  also a number of common passerine birds such as Grackles, Bull finches and Doves can be found feeding on the grounds and in the trees on this property.  This is one of the tourist attractions on the island so it is open to visitors. 

Another pond which is a favorite with local and migrating birds is an irrigation pond found at Redland in the parish of St. George.  I gained permission from the owner to visit and photograph the birds found there.  I was able to photograph a family of Pied Billed Grebes “Podilymbus podiceps” , Common Gallinule/Moorhens “Gallinula galeata”, Blue Winged Teals  “Anas discors “ and Green Herons  “Butorides virescens”,  just to mention a few.  This is a deep pond with vegetation on the bank.

The Bayfield Pond is a pond found in the village of Bayfield in the Parish of St. Philip which is on the East Coast of the Island.  The Common Gallinule and Green Herons can be seen in abundance there.  This pond is close to Human inhabitance, therefore these birds are not very shy and are quite easy to observe and photograph.  Masked Ducks “Nomonyx dominica” has also been observed in this pond.

Below are photographs from the above locations

 

Common Moorhen @ Bayfield

Redland

Cattle Egrets @ Redland

Pied-Grebe @ Redland



Blue-Winged Teal @ Redland

Common Moorhen @ Redland



Codrington College

Black-Faced Grassquit

Green Heron @ Codrington



Eurasian Collar Dove @ Codrington

Spotted Sandpiper @ Codrington