2018 Checklist Update

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

I've just updated my 2018 checklist, which now tallies 108 species. This continues to be a bumper year for me and I am hoping to see at least two more species. This being the last day of the year it seems a most unlike task but you never know what will pop up. 

These were the species added:
108. Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
107. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
106. Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata)

The Week Before Christmas

Chancery Lane  Swamp

Most of my birding throughout the years has taken place on afternoons after work but circumstances made this almost impossible to do during most of 2018.  Last week, December 17^th-21^st, that situation changed making it possible for me to get a few minutes of after work birding and it was rewarding.  I recorded two more yearbirds, giving me my best year tally ever of 107 species.  I also saw some good birds and rarities.  Here is the rundown.

Year Birds

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

I recorded two yearbirds at Chancery Lane, a female Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), a duck that is known for its large shovel-like bill, and the scarcer of the two-night herons documented on the island, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea).  I considered myself fortunate to have seen both birds as they were hidden most of the time, especially the night heron which was well camouflaged in the mangroves.

Rare Birds

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

I saw a few birds that would be considered rare.  A Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR) on the 17^th was a good find.  This may be one of the two birds first seen in the north a few weeks ago or even a new arrival, this still needs to be confirmed.  I also saw my first wintering Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) for the season at WSR and my second and third at Chancery Lane’s Swamp.  The male American Wigeon (Mareca americana) was still putting on a display.  In the east, the Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) was still showing well and a Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)  was also there.  In the center of the island at Redland’s Irrigation Pond was a beautiful male Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) in breeding plumage.  On the west coast five Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) can still be seen at Pile Bay along with four Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster), and yes, Laughing Gulls are considered rare for this time of the year.  These were the birds that could be considered rare which I saw during the week but there were a few sightings of common birds that warranted an honorable mention.

Honorable Mentions

Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus) roosting at Pile Bay

The number of Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) at Inch Marlow warranted a mention I saw 44, also the numbers of Blue-winged Teals (Spatula discors) continue to grow.  I tallied well over one hundred combined at three locations.  There were Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus) roosting at Pile Bay and I had a high count of 14 birds.

I had an enjoyable and rewarding week of afternoon birding and I am hoping for more rewards before year end.

My 2018 Checklist

104. Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

I just updated my 2018 checklist, which now stands at 105 species. This is a new record for me for the most species I've seen in a calendar year.  My previous best was in 2015 when I recorded 104 species.  The month is still young so look out for more additions to my 2018 checklist as I strive to finish the year with a bang. 

My 2018 Checklist

104. Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

I just updated my 2018 checklist, which now stands at 105 species. This is a new record for me for the most species I've seen in a calendar year.  My previous best was in 2015 when I recorded 104 species.  The month is still young so look out for more additions to my 2018 checklist as I strive to finish the year with a bang. 

Brainy Birds Know How to Reel in Food With String - NGO

Now a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE finds that two more species successfully perform the task: the bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis) and the Carib grackle (Quiscalus lugubris fortirostris), both of Barbados.... continues reading here

BY JASON BITTEL
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Return To THW

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

November 30th found me back at Turners Hall Woods (THW), this time with the experts, Dr. John Webster, Ed Massiah and Grete Pasch in tow.  Our main goal was to see and identify the bird Jason and I saw on our first trip and for Grete and John to get their first look at a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).  The conditions were very wet with the threat of rain ever present.  I came prepared this time with a camera, a neat little point and shoot with a 24x zoom from a maker beginning with N and ending with N.

We got started at around 9am and as we entered the Woods there was an airy silence.  We got to the location where I saw the unidentified bird.  We pished, tried various recorded calls, including on of an Owl but the bird did not show.  We then made our way to the location where the Prothonotary was seen but that too was a no show.  We continued onward deeper into the woods, making periodic stops to search the canopy and undergrowth.  Ed showed us the areas where the Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) and Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum) were recorded in previous visits in years gone by.  We eventually came to our arranged turn around point, a brook that flows across the foot path which we call Turners Hall River, on the island any flow of water is called a river.  Here Grete saw a bird she described as Yellow with a white under tail, sadly no one else saw it so a positive identification could not be made.  We started heading back at a quicker pace still making periodic checks.  I am not sure if the others felt as dejected as I was on not finding anything if so there were not showing it.  As I approached the area where I saw the Prothonotary Warbler, it was suddenly there, sitting in a shrub almost at eyelevel. It was a most beautiful bird, a bright yellow head, with a faint reddish tint on the throat, a contrasting white rear end and large black eyes.  I was able to get a less than adequate image as the bird was feeding on a large caterpillar.  We spent a few minutes getting multiple looks at the bird before moving on to find the main bird we came to see.  We pished, played recordings but still were unable to entice this mystery bird to put in an appearance.  At the end of the trip into THW the checklist read: time spent 172 minutes; 1.20 miles travelled and 10 bird species recorded.  I am sure this will not be our last trip into THW for the year.  Let us hope that we can resolve the identity of that mystery bird.

Enjoy your birding!!

Lifer Gained, Lifer Lost

I always depend on getting an image to identify peculiar birds.  It is easy, take a picture and share it among the experts both local or on the internet, most often than not, a positive ID is made.  Easy Peasy! This all changed when my trusted work horse of a lens, my Sigma 120-400mm, suddenly developed a fault, rendering it unusable, now positively identifying these strange birds has become 100% more difficult.  This fact was cemented on Monday when I added a new lifer, my 138^th for the island but also lost one because I was unable to make a positive identification.  This is what happened:

Lifer Gained

On Tuesday November 27^th my birding pal, Jason, and I visited The Turners Hall Woods (THW) in the Parish of St. Andrew in search of migrating warblers.   Historically THW is a good birding spot for migrating warblers from late November to mid –February but for various reasons it is not used for birding very often.  Jason and I started birding around 9:00 am, stopping and phishing at various clearings and attracting the usual suspects – Yellow Warbler, Black-whiskered Vireo, Caribbean Elaenia, Barbados Bullfinch and the ubiquitous Carib Grackles.  We came to a point, a depression in the woods where I found my first and only American Redstart a few years ago.  Phishing at that location brought a yellow bird from high in the canopy.  At first we thought it to be a Yellow Warbler, then we saw the white undertail and quickly recognized it as a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).  This bird became my 138^th local lifer, 104^th year bird and my 5^th lifer for 2018.  That was the lifer gained.

The Lifer Lost

We saw this bird as we were leaving THW. Unlike the case with the Prothonotary Warbler, I was unable to identify this bird straight away so I made an audio recording describing what I saw as the bird hung around feeding for 3-5 minutes. The bird was pale, with white underparts and grayish uppers. The head was slightly darker, dustier than the back, no supercilium or eye ring of note.  We mainly saw the bird from its underparts but on one occasion were able to see a bright white wingbar.  The bird’s appearance was slim, and longish, not as round as a Yellow Warbler but about the same size.  I contacted Ed Massiah, our local expert and with my description he suggested, tentatively, Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens), a bird he himself saw at this location some years ago.  I ruled that out after examining images of that warbler, mainly because the female’s underparts were not white enough and the males black throat.  If the female had the male’s white belly with a less pronounced supercilium that would be our bird.  If I had my lens and camera, by now I would have had a positive identification but for now until it is repaired or replaced I will have to sharpen my live “real time” birding skills.  This maybe a blessing in disguise.

Any suggestions?

Here is a list of Warblers recorded at Turner’s Hall Wood between November to February:

• American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 
• Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
• Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens
• Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosa
• Northern Parula - Setophaga americana  
• Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
• Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
• Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum - 1st Record for Barbados

                                                                                                                          

Another Year Another One Hundred

Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

I was so busy this month that I forgot to mention I reached my 100^th bird species for the year; actually my tally now stands at 103 species.  My 100^th bird was a Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) I saw it in the parish of St. Lucy on November 11^th.  It took me by surprise as it was hawking for insects over a pond with Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica).  Bird 101 was discovered by Dr. John Webster on November 11^th, a Wilson Phalarope, in the parish of St. Philip.  I saw it the following day, thanks John for the heads up.  My 102^nd bird was one that went missing from the island’s checklist for about two years but American Wigeons (Mareca Americana) are back!  I saw two males at the Chancery Lane’s Swamp, hurray!  My 103^rd was another duck but this time it was a diving duck, a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis).  This duck, well twelve of them were seen in a flooded cane field at Padmore, St. Philip.  The ducks were sharing the pond with 100+ Blue-winged Teals, the largest flock I have seen for the year by far.  My goal now, is to break my highest year total of 104 species. Can I do it? I have a whole month to try. Lets see. 

Enjoy your birding