July in Review

July for me was a month of two halves.  The first half not too bad, but the latter half was close to horrible. So for that month I was only able to posted five (5) birds to the blog. I also added two (2) new species to my year and life count both of which now stands at 72 species.

 

The Month of Two Halves 

The Month started off promising but I knew with the hunting season due to start on July 15 it would mean a lack of access to a number of prime birding sights on the island. To emphasize the impact of the lost of these sights, on July 4 I visited a shooting swamp in the north of the island which was well advance in its preparation for the season. In less than one hour I had a checklist of eighteen (18) species which included a Striated Heron “Butorides striata”, a firster for island, a mottling Little Blue Heron ”Egretta caerulea” and a Southern Lapwing” Vanellus chilensis”. Now after July 15, the second half of the month and the beginning of the hunting season I visited a number of available birding spots, such as Chancery Lane, Long Pond and Oistins. Birds of note recorded were a couple of Terns, Black Bellied Whistling Ducks” Dendrocygna autumnalis” were all over the place and a male Masked Duck “Nomonyx dominicus” in breeding plumage at Greenland St Andrew on the East Cost of the island. The total species of birds for the latter half of the month is just a little over that of July 4^th.

Photograph from Birding in July

Southern Lapwing

Little Blue Heron

Green heron

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Bird of the Month

On July 4, while birding in the north of the island I was able to ID and photograph the first recorded Striated Heron “Butorides striata” on the island. My ID was later confirmed by Edward B. Massiah, co author of the book Birds of Barbados. On the Friday July 19 it was the feature bird on the program Breakfast with the Bird hosted by local Birder and Photographer Dr John Webster. So my Bird of the Month is the Striated Heron.

Striated Heron

Striated Heron

 On to July

The cupboard is bare, I have no birds to post, as yet for the month of August. I knew from the start that it would get harder the close we get to the 100 but I guess that’s why it’s called a challenge. In sayings that please forgive me, if in desperation, one or two photographs of below quality slips in LOL just letting you no. Migration will be in full swing by the end of August and I hope to be able to post no less than six birds to the blog, also keep on the lookout for new videos and slides on our YouTube Channel Barbados Birds. 

So on to August - enjoy your birding 

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