Sunday 24 November 2019

Birders Out In Full Force (November 23)



The local birders were out in full force this morning, spanning from the east to the north coast. Even though we did not visit all of the birding areas, we recorded over 40 species, including a few rare ones.


The North
My son Jason and I, visited the northern parish of St. Lucy. It was a complete contrast to the last time I visited.  Then everything was dry, now, every location  we visited had water, with some even full to the brink.  This was because of the downpour of rain we had during the last week. Many shorebirds were around, with us recording over 10 species including a <>rare Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus).  The ducks are still arriving and we counted 31 Blue-winged Teals (Spatula discors) at one location.  As the water settles and Dragonflies, fish, and tadpoles begin to strive in them, I am sure the number of birds will increase.


The East


John Webster, Ed Massiah, Jason and I all visited eastern parishes. John spent most of his time at Greenland collecting images - stills, and motion on a rare male Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) at that pond.  He also drew our attention to a duck he saw there that was much like a female Blue-winged Teal but had a very light-colored belly/underbody when compared to the Blue-winged Teal. It was also somewhat smaller. 


Ed went to the eastern parish of St. Philip to see a pair of Ruffs,  first seen by John two days ago. Sadly he did not see them but saw over 40 Black-bellied Plovers and over 50 Semipalmated Sandpiper and a semirare Western Sandpiper.


Jason and I added another an eastern rarity to the list and a lifer for him. We saw a juvenile Purple Gallinule at Redlands Irrigation Pond in the parish of St John.


A good morning of birding was had by all. Below are the birds we saw.

  1. Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
  2. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
  3. Scaly-naped Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa
  4. Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
  5. Common Ground Dove - Columbina passerina
  6. Zenaida Dove - Zenaida aurita
  7. Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata
  8. Green-throated Carib - Eulampis holosericeus
  9. Antillean Crested Hummingbird - Orthorhyncus cristatus
  10. Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica
  11. Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
  12. Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
  13. Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
  14. Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus
  15. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
  16. Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
  17. White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis
  18. Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla
  19. Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri
  20. Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus
  21. Wilson's Snipe - Gallinago delicata
  22. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
  23. Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria
  24. Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca
  25. Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
  26. Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens
  27. Great Egret - Ardea alba
  28. Snowy Egret Egretta thula
  29. Green Heron - Butorides virescens
  30. Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
  31. Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
  32. Caribbean Elaenia - Elaenia martinica
  33. Gray Kingbird - Tyrannus dominicensis
  34. Black-whiskered Vireo - Vireo altiloquus
  35. Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis
  36. Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris
  37. Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia
  38. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
  39. Grassland Yellow-Finch - Sicalis luteola
  40. Bananaquit - Coereba flaveola
  41. Barbados Bullfinch - Loxigilla barbadensis
  42. Black-faced Grassquit - Melanospiza bicolor