Thursday 14 December 2023

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - November

Lesser Scaup- one of the species of migratory ducks seen in November
November was a calm month after the busy October we had. We added three new species to our 2023 checklist: Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), and Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) ending the month with a jaw-dropping 123 species seen for the year. Meanwhile, more migratory ducks showed up and we saw four different species by the end of the month: Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors), Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris), and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). In St. Lucy and Christ Church, we observed some large flocks of Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) with over 100 individual birds each.

November's Rare Bird Sightings

November was a slow month for new rare bird sightings, and December tends to be even slower. But we still have a chance to see some wintering warblers at Turner’s Hall Woods and the Graeme Hall Swamp that could make 2023 end with a bang. Plus, the rains have filled up the ponds and made them more appealing to some birds, so we might get some surprises in December so stay alert. These are the rare birds that we saw in November, some of which stayed from previous months.

St. Lucy

one of the six long-stay Glossy Ibis

  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(6)*- These birds have continued at this location for over a year.
  • Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*(1) – One bird seen among a flock of  Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
  • Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) - was seen last on November 5th 
  •  
St. Andrew 

  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)(2)- This pair was seen at various locations
    Manx Shearwater
  • Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) - This bird was found on the beach at Morgan Lewis in poor condition, and appeared to be caused by a fishing line or net.  It died two days later
    One of the two Prothonotary Warblers seen at Turner Hall
  • Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) - two birds were seen in the Turners Hall Woods during the month. 

St. Philip 
  • Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) seen early in the month 
  • Red Knot (Calidris canutus) (2)* - This could be the pair from last month that roosted at a private wetland.
  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)* - last seen on November 19 at a private location.

St. Michael
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)(2) - at Pile Bay

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 help.  A new tool to help with your local bird identification is our Facebook Group, The Birds of Barbados. Click here to join   

Saturday 2 December 2023

Pelagic Bird Found on the East Coast

Manx Shearwater
Pelagic birds are seldom seen near the island, as they live mostly on the high seas. Most of the records we have on ebird.org were made by observers who were on vessels, except for our two native species, the Audubon’s Shearwaters (Puffinus lherminieri) that breed in St. Lucy and the Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) that breed in St. Philip. On November 25th, a visiting couple discovered a rare bird on an east coast beach, a Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), which was identified by Ed Massiah. The bird was injured, lost the primary feathers on its right wing, and had a leg wound that seemed to be caused by a fishing line or net.

injury on the leg
Ed also kindly agreed to take and keep the bird until it could be brought to the RSPCA for treatment. The staff there have helped many wounded birds in the past, such as the 
 Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) in 2019Greater Shearwater (Ardenna gravis) in 2016link 2Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), to name a few. He also consulted a veterinarian on how to care for it until we could get it there. Sadly, it died before it could reach the RSPCA.

The Manx shearwater is a medium-sized seabird that measures 12–15 in (30–38 cm) long and has a wingspan of 30–35 in (76–89 cm). It is known for its amazing migration, traveling thousands of miles between its wintering grounds in the southern Atlantic, Brazil, and Argentina, and its breeding grounds in northern Atlantic countries like the United Kingdom, Iceland, etc. These birds are closest to our island during February and March when they migrate to their breeding grounds. It would be wonderful to see these beautiful birds in their element, far out at sea, in the pelagic zone. Yes, a boat trip is needed for some open-water birding, maybe in 2024.

Stay safe and enjoy your birding.

 

Thursday 16 November 2023

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - October

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, one of the new additions for October
October was an incredible month for birding. We added ten new species to our yearly list, including two that had never been seen on the island before. We ended the month with a whopping 121 species, amazing! Here are the ten newcomers:

  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
  • Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) - this year we had the highest count ever, with counts of over 200 birds on numerous occasions.
  • Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), is extremely rare, with only the third or fourth sighting for the island.
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
  • Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)
  • Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
  • Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)
  • Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
  • Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) - a first for the island
  • Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
  • Brown-chested Martin (Progne tapera), another first for the island 
What’s even more remarkable is that all these birds were spotted at Harrison’s Point, Lucy.

October's Rare Bird Sightings

November usually brings some rare birds, but the past few years have been disappointing. I wonder if the great birding at Harrison's Point will continue into November but for now here is a review of the rare bird sighting for October.(*birds that stayed from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis 

  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(6)*- These birds have been at this location for over a year now, during the month one of them was photographed carrying nesting material. Could this be a breeding attempt on its way?
  • Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*(2) – Two were seen at various locations in the north during the month.
    Common Nighthawk roosting, sent by Carla Daniel
  • Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)(3) - A high count of three birds seen throughout the month, all around the Archers Bay and Broome Field area.
    Blue-winged Warbler
  • Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) - seen last on the afternoon of the 25th at Harrison's Point. A first for Barbados and a Mega for this region.
    Black-and-white Warbler
  • Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) - seen last on the afternoon of the 25th at Harrison's Point.
    Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)(3)- There were multiple sightings of these seed-eaters between the 15th and 20th at Harrison's Point.
  • Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) - this beauty was seen and photographed at Harrison's Point on the 15th. 
    Northern Wheatear
  • Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) - another mega-rare find at Harrison's Point 
  • Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) - seen by Michael St. John at Harrison's Point on the 22nd.
  • Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) - seen by Qunicy Clarke on the 22nd at Harrison's Point.
    Hudsonian Godwit
  • Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) - this year was a good year for Godwits, this one was seen on the 25th at Bright Hall.
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) - at North Point on the 12th. 
    Least Tern at North Point
  • Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)* - at North Point on the 12th 

St. Andrew 

  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) - John saw one at the Walkers Reserve 
  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)(2)- This pair was seen at various locations

St. Thomas
  • Striated Heron (Butorides striata) - after going missing for a few weeks this lone bird was back at the pond by SBRC, seen last month by Ed Massiah.

St. Philip 

Gull-billed Tern (FP)
  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)*(2) - a single bird was first reported by John on August 29th but another one joined it in October and two were last seen on the 17th. 
  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)* (7) - seen at a private location
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) - multiple appearance and a private wetland
  • Red Knot (Calidris canutus) - continue to visit the island throughout the year  
Christ Church
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) - seen at Paragon
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)* - multiple sightings on south coast beaches. 
St. Michael
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)(2) - at Pile Bay

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 help.  A new tool to help with your local bird identification is our Facebook Group, The Birds of Barbados. Click here to join   

Friday 27 October 2023

More New Species

Suspected Grey-breasted Martin
Two new bird species have been spotted at Harrisons Point, St. Lucy, in the span of two weeks. The first one, seen on October 16th, was a Grey-breasted Martin (Progne chalybea), a relative of the more common  Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis).  These large swallows, - with a length of 6.3 - 7.1 inches (16–18 cm) - are native to South and Central America and Trinidad. This record is pending confirmation, but if accepted, it would be bird #278 for Barbados. (The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World)
Blue-winged Warbler
The second bird that was seen at Harrisons Point, St. Lucy, was a Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera). It was spotted on the evening of the 23rd. This small bird - 
measuring around   4.3 inches (11 cm) in length and weighing about 9 g (0.32 oz) -  is a brightly colored yellow warbler with blue-gray wings and a black eye stripe. It breeds in eastern North America, where it lives in areas with shrubs and some large trees. It migrates to Central America for the winter, especially in the region between Honduras and the Yucatán Peninsula.
These are the third and fourth new bird species for Barbados in 2023, following the swift and the kite. The Swift was either a House Swift (Apus nipalensis) or a Little Swift (Apus affinis), but the experts are still figuring it out. The kite was a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). I think there are more new birds to come.

Tuesday 17 October 2023

October Birding at HP

Northern Wheatear, one of my two Harrison's Point Lifers for 2023
Harrison’s Point (HP), St. Lucy, is my favorite birding spot in October. This place is known for attracting migratory sound birds every year. This month has been halfway through, and I have already seen some regular visitors and some unexpected ones.

A Blackpoll Warbler at HP last year
Some of the birds that I usually see at HP around this time are Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata), Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus), and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). They have all shown up this year as well. Sometimes, HP also surprises me with some rare birds, like the Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) and Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) that I saw last year, or the Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) and Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) that was spotted in 2014.

Prothonotary Warbler, my first record of this warbler at HP
This year, I have seen four special birds so far, two of which were lifers for me - the elusive Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), the stunning Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), and then two lifers: a Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), which is extremely rare in this region and only the third record for the island, and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), which is probably the second record for the island. With just two more weeks to go in October, I will be looking forward to seeing more birds at Harrison’s Point.  


 

Friday 13 October 2023

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - September

Bird activity has been quite high, but I have been so busy that I could not update you as often as I wanted to, so here is a mix-bag. September was a lively month with four new birds added to the island’s 2023 checklist. We also witnessed a clear shorebird migration, with American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) and a few other shorebird species being very active. I am thrilled to welcome the local bird to the 100 Club.

As I mentioned in the introduction, four new species joined the island’s 2023 list of birds. They were Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) a juvenile, and a single Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). We recorded 110 bird species for the year by the end of September.
American Golden-Plover
One bird that impressed me during the month was the American Golden Plover. The numbers recorded throughout the month were amazing. On the 10th, we counted 250 birds, then nearly 700 between the 16th and 17th, with 350 at Chancery Lane’s Swamp alone. From the 22nd to the 26th, we saw almost 600 birds. On the other days, there were more than 50 birds.
List of top birders by species seen from ebird.org
I began birding and submitting checklists to ebird.org in 2012. At that time, only two birders had seen over 100 bird species on the island: Ed Massiah, our local guru, and Mark Gawn, a Canadian expatriate. Dr. John Webster and I joined them soon after. A few years later, my son Jason also reached the milestone. I am pleased to announce that we now have two more local birders who have reported over 100 bird species in Barbados and another one who is very close to achieving that goal. The first one to hit the triple digits was Quncy Clarke, a Barbadian who lived abroad for a while and returned to the island around 2019. His journey to 100 species was hard and slow. He did not have access to most of the private locations and sometimes faced transportation difficulties. But he was very determined to reach the mark. His 100th bird was a Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), a bird that local birders would consider easy to see. This shows how challenging his journey was. The second centenarian, Mike St. John, had a completely different experience. His journey could be the fastest to 100 species. He is a very enthusiastic birder and photographer. He even recorded a new species for the island in July, a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). Congratulations to both of you! 

September's Rare Bird Sightings

Here are the rare bird sightings for August, sorted by parishes. (*birds that stayed from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(6)*- These birds have been at this location for over a year now, during the month one of them was photographed carrying nesting material. Could this be a breeding attempt on its way?
    Fulvous Whistling-Duck
  • Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*(2) – Two were seen at various locations in the north during the month.
    Common Nighthawk
  • Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)(1) - this nocturnal insectivore was seen late on the afternoon of the 7th, then again on the 14th where it was photographed and a positive identification made. 
  • Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)(1) - seen on the 19th
  • Red Knot (Calidris canutus)(1) - was first seen on 6th and stayed up to  end of the month 

St. Andrew 

  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)(2)- One seen at Green Pond 
  • Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)* - Very common at Green and Long Pond, along with other tern species
  • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) -  the guide at Walkers Reserve shared with me images of a juvenile at Long Pond, Late confirmed by two other birders. 

St. Thomas
Striated Heron
  • Striated Heron (Butorides striata) - after going missing for a few weeks this lone bird was back at the pond by SBRC

St. Philip 

Gull-billed Tern (FP)
  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) - reported by John on August 29th, the bird continued into September.  Most likely the same bird at Green Pond, St, Andrew.
  • Ruff (Calidris pugnax) - One bird made a brief visit to a private wetland on the 19th
  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (8) - seen at a private location
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) - multiple appearance and a private wetland
Christ Church

Glossy Ibis at W00d Bourne
  • Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (2) both were seen at WSR 

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 help.  A new tool to help with your local bird identification is our Facebook Group, The Birds of Barbados. Click here to join   

Wednesday 11 October 2023

October Big Day—14 Oct 2023 By Team eBird

 Mark your calendars for October Big Day—14 Oct 2023! Like Global Big Day, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 35,000 people from 185 countries submitted 80,000 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring people together.

Wherever you are on 14 October, take a few minutes to join in this global celebration. Participate from anywhere—even from home! By taking part in October Big Day... continue reading here >>

Wednesday 27 September 2023

Record Number of Glossy Ibis

The 6 Glossy Ibis in St. Lucy 
This week, the island witnessed an unprecedented sight of 14 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), a rare bird species. Six of them have been staying in St. Lucy for a while, while two more were spotted in Christ Church on Monday. On Tuesday, those two appeared to have linkup with six more at a private location in St. Philip. 

Buff-breasted Sandpipers
This is a remarkable event, as the island also hosted unusually high numbers of American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) and Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis) during the fall migration. As October approaches, and with it the warbler season, we wonder if we will also see more diversity and abundance of these birds. Only time will tell.

Sunday 17 September 2023

Plovers of Barbados on World Plover Appreciation Day

On September 16, we celebrated World Plover Appreciation Day, a special occasion to show our love and support for the Plover family of shorebirds. These birds face many threats in their habitats, which are often shared with humans.  In our region, Birds Caribbean is an organization that works to protect and educate about Caribbean birds, including the two most endangered plover species in our region: the Snowy Plover and the Piping Plover. They offer many tools and resources to help identify and assist these vulnerable birds.
While our island does not have a nesting species of plover, it is a stop-over point for resting and refueling for many species during migration.  The first step to help protect them is to know them and their habitats and that is what we attempt to do below.  Next, give them a bit of space and respect by keeping a safe distance, and keeping your dog on a leash whenever a plover is nearby to minimize any disturbance while sharing the beach, park, etc., or even hunting mashes with them, even if just for one day.   
Here are the plovers you may see on our island, from the very common to the very rare.

Common Plovers of Barbados
 
Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) are the most common plover species to visit our island.  These tiny birds, locally called Ring Necks, can be found in various ecosystems across the island, from mudflats to beaches. 
A molting Black-bellied Plover

The Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is the largest plover species to regularly visit and stay on our island. It gets its name, in the  Americas, from its black underside that it shows during the breeding season. When it is not breeding, it has a more greyish colour, which is why in Euroasia it is referred to as Grey Plover.  Locally it is known as a Squealier because of its loud and high-pitched call (example of call from xeno-canto.org ). This bird can be seen all year round on the island, where it likes to rest in wetlands, but prefers grassy areas such as golf courses, playing fields etc.
A juvenile American Golden Plover
The American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) is another large plover that often visits the island. While uncommon as a long-stay (wintering) visitor it comes in large numbers when it migrates southward when it is actively hunted, but less so during the northern movementLike the other species, and more so this species, loves grassy areas.  It can be seen, especially at this time of year, on golf courses and other manicured open fields like playing fields, and polo fields but is also found in plowed fields and other gardened areas.


Scarce to Rare  Plovers Species Seen on Barbados

Collared Plovers
Collared Plovers (Charadrius collaris) are the thinnest of the plovers species that visit our island.  It visits yearly in small numbers, between 1-4 per year, normally between June and September.  it is a common resident of southern Mexico to the northern half of South America. It prefers dry areas, and open sandy savannas and returns yearly to the rocky cliffs between Animal Flower Cave and Coles Cave St. Lucy.

Killdeer
Another yearly but in small number plover visitor is the Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous). This medium-sized, double-banded plover got its name, not because it hunts deers, because it does not, but from its repetitive call of "kil-deer". It is a very vocal bird, normally heard before it is seen. 

Wilson's Plover
Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) is another small plover but with a large bill.  It prefers coastal habitats including sandy and pebble beaches, sandbars, and mudflats, and along coastal lagoons. So it is not surprising that a large percentage of the sightings here was at Chancery Lane's Swamp, in Christ Church
Pacific Golden-Plover 
The Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) is the rarest and prettiest of the plover family to visit our shores.  An almost yearly visitor now, in singles, this bird breeds in Alaska and Siberia and migrates south to Asia, Australasia, and Pacific islands. Until 2008, there were only three recorded sightings on the island but from 2017 to this year at least one bird has been recorded. This is truly a golden, golden plover and a sight to behold. 
 
Three other very rare plovers that are worth mentioning are:
  • Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) - last recorded on the island in 2008 but maybe overlooked because of its close resemblance to the Semipalmated Plover.
  • Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) - last recorded on the island was in 1984. It closely resembles the Collared Plover but with a paler plumage.  It is listed on the (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species where it is categorized as Near Threatened.  
  • Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) - The only record of this plover on the island was in 1957.  This tiny plover is also listed on the (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species where it is categorized as Near Threatened.