The Barbados Birds and Birding Report – July

Red-footed Booby a rare bird seen in June 

I am happy to be presenting The Barbados Birds and Birding Report  after an absence of three months.  During that time the total species count for birds seen on the island this year moved from 87 to 95 species at the end of July. Here is a list of the new additions during the months, May to July:

• July - Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris), Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis);
• June: Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii);
• May: Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor), Striated Heron (Butorides striata), Black Swift (Cypseloides niger).

Stilt Sandpipers were one of the shorebird species migrating in  late July

The start of the southern migration became evident in July when we saw the subtle and not-so-subtle return of migrants.  One such event took place on the 17^th when over 1000 Lesser Yellowlegs were recorded during a day of bad weather. Since then we have observable 2 to 3 smaller flights of  the same species, Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), and Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) in the weeks following. We also saw subtle signs of the return of Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius) and Sanderlings (Calidris alba).

As we move into August we are expecting to see even more species of shorebirds and other birds passing through the island as the fall migration continues.

July’s Rare Bird Sightings

Here are the rare birds seen during the month, highlighted below parish by parish. (* continuing Birds)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(1)*- only one of the original three birds remaining at this location;

  

  Fulvous Whistling-Duck

• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*- A single bird was first seen on May 2nd with multiple sightings since then. This bird remained into the month of August;

  

  Tricolored Heron

• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) - First appeared during the bad weather event on June 17 and remained into the month of August;

  

  Black-necked Stilt

• Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) - The bird was first seen on the 8th and remained for two days before moving on;

  

  Collared Plover

• Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris) - first seen  July 8th on the trail between Animal Flower Cave and the dilapidated  North Point Resort. This continued into the month of August.

Christ Church

• Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) - was first reported in the area of Atlantic Shores, later seen on a buoy off Enterprise Beach,

St. Michael

• Lesser Black-backed Gull(Larus fuscus)* – is enjoying its long vacation here in Barbados. This bird has become a staple along the south .coast.  

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