October Big Day 2020: a global birding phenomenon By Team eBird

On 17 October more than 32,000 birders from around the world ventured out into backyards and beyond to enjoy birds for October Big Day, joining from 168 countries with more than 460 eBirders in Africa, 1,800 in Asia, 2,300 in Europe, and 3,900 in South America. This global team, united by birds, found an astounding 7,097 species in one day, breaking the world record for the most species ..... continue reading here 

October Big Day and Global Bird Weekend

The island put on a show for the October Big Day and the Global Bird Weekend.  Close to ten birders got out birding either on the 17^th or 18^th or on both days, recording a total of 69 species for the weekend.  Here are a few highlights.

October Big Day on the 17^th

The two main teams started at either end of the island. The Moore Birders, a team made up of my wife, two children, and myself, started at the north of the island and worked our way east then south, ending our day at Pile Bay, St Michael.  The team recorded 65 species included a few rarities, but the bird of the day, well two of them, were a pair of beautiful Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) at the polluted Graeme Hall Swamp.

John Webster was part of a regional team called The Rare Bird Club.  He started on the South Coast and worked his way north.  He recorded 54 species included a few rare birds with his highlight bird being a Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) at the Oistin pier.  The two other birders, Ed Massiah, and a visiting birder recorded 24 and 55 species respectively, giving the island an October Big Day record total of 66 species, all of which also counted towards the Global Bird Weekend. 

Global Bird Weekend

The Global Bird Weekend is a new initiative that encourages birders from across the world to “come together as a global community and celebrate birds, by participating in birdwatching, birdwatching events, citizen science, and conservation”.  The intensity that was shown on day one did not continue into day two.  Four birders made it out birding and added two more species to the Weekend's checklist.  Ed an Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) in st. Lucy and another visiting birder a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) at the Boardwalk in Hastings, Christ Church.  It was a good weekend of birding for all.

See image here 

Here is a list of the birds seen on the weekend (*birds seen on the 18th)

1. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
2. Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
3. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
4. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))
5. Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa)
6. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
7. Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina)
8. Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita)
9. Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)
10. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
11. Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus)
12. Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus)
13. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
14. American Coot (Red-shielded) (Fulica americana (Red-shielded))
15. American Coot (White-shielded) (Fulica americana (White-shielded))
16. Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
17. American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica)
18. Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)
19. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
    
20. Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)*
21. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
22. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
23. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
24. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
25. Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
26. White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
27. Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
28. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
29. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
30. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
31. Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)
32. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
33. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
34. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
35. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
36. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
37. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
38. Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
39. Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
40. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
41. Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
42. Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
43. Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
44. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)*
45. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
46. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
47. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
48. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
49. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
50. Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
51. Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
52. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
53. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
54. Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)
55. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
56. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
57. Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica)
58. Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)
59. Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus)
60. Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis)
61. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
62. Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
63. Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)
64. Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
65. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
66. Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola)
67. Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)
68. Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis)
69. Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor)

October Big Day and Global Bird Weekend (images)

Greater Yellowleg, Solitary Sandpiper
 &
Semipalmated Sandpiper

Southern Lapwing in a cane field in St. Lucy

Wilson's Snipe & Semipalmated Sandpiper

Whimbrel @ River Bay 

Again

and again!

Semipalmated Sandpipers @ Long Pond 

Least Sandpiper @ Bath Beach, St. John

Common Tern @ Oistin ice jetty 

Snail Kite aglow in the golden sunset 

Sanderling @ Pile Bay, St Michael 

 

Weekend Birding Events

October 17th 

October 17 & 18th

The weekend of October 17 & 18^th will be a big weekend for birding. That is because birders from across the globe will come together for two events, The October Big Day, on the 17^th, and the Global Bird Weekend.  Click on the links to find out how you could be a part.

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - September

Snail Kite

It was a September we will remember. The birders of Barbados submitted over 100 completed checklists to ebird with 69 bird species.  Eight new birds were added to the Barbados year checklist ending the month at 105 species for the year. One such bird, a Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), was a new species for the island moving our avian record to 273,  according to the Clements Checklist^#. The other birds were Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), Red Knot (Calidris canutus), Striated Heron (Butorides striata), Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus), Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica), and a Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor).

During the month we saw notable movement in some species, like Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) and  American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) for example. At Chancery Lane on the 28^th John Webster tallied 56 individual Golden-Plovers, while Barns can be seen across the island in numbers. I counted close to 100 birds hawking over and around the raceway at Vaucluse in St. Thomas.  To a lesser extent, we had a mini  Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) inflow.  Since August 2019 we had one bird in St. Lucy.  Another bird joined that one in August, while yet another bird was seen there during a visit in September bringing the total to three birds at this private location. One bird was recorded at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge in late August and remained throughout September.  Yet another Glossy was photographed at the Walker Reserved in the late in the month making a total of 5 on the island.  

We had a spike in South American rare birds during the month.  This may have been the result of the southerly winds we were experiencing over a few days.  We had the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) at Bay Street on the south coast, Striated Heron (Butorides striata) at SBRC in St. Thomas, Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor), and a Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris). This may continue during October as weather systems continue to impact the island.

September Rare Bird Sightings

Here is a list of Rare Birds seen during the last month parish by Parish  (* continuing Birds)

St. Lucy

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (3)* The first bird has been around since August 2019, it was joined by another in August and now another one in September.

  

  Wilson's Phalarope

  
  
• Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) – John Webster discovered this bird at River bay. It had an injured eye.
• Collared Plovers (Charadrius collaris)* - seen at North Point, next to Animal Flower Cave

St. Andrew 

• American Coot ((White Shielded) Fulica Americana) (6)*, 5 at The Walkers Reserve, and 1 at Bawdens. These birds were here for more than a year, nesting expected. 
• American Coot ((Red Shielded) Fulica Americana)* the rarer of the two American Coots.  This bird is paired with one of the White Shielded mentioned above at Bawdens.
• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) – a photograph of this GLIB was shared with local birders.

St. Thomas

Striated Heron 

• Striated Heron (Butorides striata) was seen at the SBRC pond. This South American species returns to this location year after year.

St. Philip

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)* at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR), bird first seen on the 28^th of August.
• Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) was reported by John Webster on the 23^rd

Christ Church

•  Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) three reported at Chancery Lane. 

  

  Tricolored Heron

  
  
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) a juvenile at Silver Rock’s  estuary on the 26^th

St. Michael

Snail Kite

• Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) at Bay Street, a first for the island

Feel free to contact me, Julian Moore @ 100birdsbarbados@gmail.com, John Webster @ barbadosbirds@gmail.com, or Ed Massiah @ ebmassiah@hotmail.com to report any rare bird sightings, or if you need assistance identifying a bird, we would be happy to assist. 

^#Clements Checklist v2019 / Avibase
* continuing Birds from previous month(s)

The Sad Loss of An Osprey by Dr. John Webster

Earlier today, 30 September 2020, I learnt of the loss of one of the few Osprey that visit our shores during the Southbound migration of North American birds. Charmaine “Midge” Hatcher of the Local RSPCA sent me the attached photos for identification of the bird species. The bird, identified as an Osprey, was found barely alive on the ground in the Sunset Crest area and transported to the RSPCA. According to Charmaine, It appeared to have neck damage and nerve damage generalized. Unfortunately They had to put it to sleep on arrival as it was very distressed. It is believed that the Osprey was struck by lightning during one of the numerous thunderstorms that have been occurring along the West coast in the last 48 hours. The carcass was Xrayed in an effort to establish the cause of death but no broken bones or injury to internal body was found. In fact the bird actually was found to be in good health and eating properly, hence the belief that the bird had been the victim of a lightning strike.

Thanks to

Charmaine Hatcher

(Barbados RSPCA) for providing the information and photos.

Dr. John Webster is one of the leading Birders and Bird Photographers on the island of Barbados.  He is a member of Birds Caribbean and a guide with Barbados Birding & Photography Tours.  He can be contacted at barbadosbirds@gmail.com