Raptor |
noticed a large raptor like bird slowly flying away from me, about a mile or more away.
Marsh Harrier |
December 9th
The following day I took an early morning trip to the north.
Dr. Webster, who had informed me the day
before that he would go and look for this strange raptor, was also in the
north. As I was approaching the location
where the raptor was seen, Dr. Webster announced on the local bird alert forum,
that the mystery had been solved and the bird was a Marsh Harrier. I was happy to hear this as the bird had not been
seen in a while and I feared that I had missed the chance to see it. As I was hurrying to the location Dr. Webster
announced that the bird left the swamp and headed east along with a Grey Heron,
which was the direction I was coming from. I saw the Grey Heron, which flew almost over
my car and then I saw a large bird, which I believed was the Harrier, about a
quarter mile up the road still heading east. I tried to follow them but lost them. The next sighting of the Harrier was on the 13th
at the same location by Dr. Webster. I
am still hoping to be able to photograph this bird properly but it still became my
125th local lifer and my 102nd for the year
December 11th
Greater Scaup |
Greenland’s irrigation pond, in the parish of St. Andrew,
was the go to place for ducks this year. So far, seven species of ducks, including my
126th local lifer and
103 for the year
, was recorded there. I saw this bird while visiting the pond late
in the afternoon in failing light. I
noticed that two new Scaups had joined the single one that was there for about
a week. I took documentary photos of the
new arrivals and on examination at home I noticed that at least one of the two
may be a Greater Scaup. I used the
internet, Google, along with a number of field guides within my personal
library and when I was almost certain of identification I shared a few images
with the local birders by email.
Straight away Ed Massiah confirmed the identification as a Greater Scaup. Greater Scaups, unlike their lesser cousins,
are vagrants and rare to the island, with only three recorded dating from 1979
to 2008. (Birds of Barbados).
PS. December 22: After reviewing flight images of the bird which was thought to be a Greater Scaup we can now say without a dough that the bird was indeed a Lesser Scaup.
Lesser vs. Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaups |
Greater
Scaup
|
Lesser
Scaup
|
Rounded Head – peak above the eyes
|
Peak to the back of the head
|
Large black patch “nail” on edge of bill
|
Small black patch “nail” on edge of bill
|
Size: 18-20”
|
Size: 16-18”
|
White wing stripe extends strongly into the primaries
|
White wing stripe does not extend strongly into the primaries
|
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