The search for Ardea Purpurea – February 7th

For a couple of weeks I have been trying to see the Ardea purpurea or Purple Heron.  It was first seen on the final day of 2014 and spotted many times since then by various birders, except me.  I was hoping that February 7^th would be the day I would see it, for it would be my 116^th lifer.

I started my trip, reluctantly, at about 6 am.  I say reluctantly because it was a cold, wet and rainy morning, the type of morning that you would stay in bed and draw close to your significant other.  However, I was out and on the road.  The pull of Ardea Purpurea was very strong.  I substituted the warmth of my bed for the warmth of a flask of hot chocolate with marshmallows and two Coconut Shortcake cookies.  My plan was to travel to the parish of St. John with the hope of photographing the sunrise over the freshly cut pastures of the Redland Plantation.  The sun was not yet awake when I reached Redland, so I decided to head north with the hope of catching the sunrise from one of the ridges or on the sea cliffs.  That plan too, was adjusted upon seeing the sun rising over a pasture in St. Philip.  As I was driving to a vantage point, I stopped and spent a couple of minutes taking photographs of the sunrise and then headed off to the WSR.

At WSR 

As I drove into to the WSR and parked my car, my 116^th lifer flew right in front of me from the north, and landed on the bank between the north and the North-West tray, as if it was awaiting my arrival.  At last the Ardea Purpurea.  I was so surprised to see it, that I had to grab my camera and start taking photos from my car, which was more than one hundred meters away.  Thereafter I ventured to the observation hut.  The bird seemed smaller than I expected.  It was a dwarf in comparison to a Great Egret, which was also in the swamp not too far away.  The Heron had a reddish brown plumage, with a long white neck and black lines on the sides.  It was not hard to identify.  I spent forty five minutes at the WSR photographing the Purple Heron but because of the distance I was shooting from, the quality of the photographs were not the best.

I recorded seventeen species that morning but of course, my highlight was to finally record my 116^th lifer the Ardea Purpurea commonly known as The Purple Heron.

Click to see my checklist

The search for Ardea purpurea – January 29

Sorry no photographs for this one I accidentally deleted them from my camera

Since my last visit to the WSR on the 26th, the Purple Heron was spotted at the WSR on the 28th by Dr. John Webster at 6:46am.  That morning’s sighting prompted me to plan an early morning visit.  I arrived at the swamp at 6:30am, sunrise was forecasted for 6:25am.  It was a quiet morning.  Many of the birds were busy wading and feeding.  A family of thirteen Black-bellied Ducks was leaving their customary east tray and gradually made their way to the north – west tray.  Ten Blue-wing Teals and an American Wigeon were also in the north tray. (The Wigeon was my first for the year).   In the south – west tray, there was a Great Egret, a Little Blue Heron and two Common Gallinules.  A Snowy Egret, a Little Blue Heron and a few shorebirds were wading just in front of the observation hut.  Meanwhile Cattle Egrets were busy flying overhead to and from the rookery.  At 7:15am I took a look at the back swamp where most of the Herons and Egrets roost.  It was empty with just two Green Herons flying around.  I then concluded that I had arrived too late and the Heron had already flown the coop.

I spent an hour at the WSR, leaving at 7:30am, I saw 20 species; one was a first for the year but no lifers and no Purple Heron.  My guess is that I got to Woodbourne too late and missed the bird.  For my next attempt I will strive to arrive before sunrise.

The search for the Ardea purpurea continues…

The Search for Ardea Purpurea - January 26

It is said to be “one of the hardest (birds) to photograph”, for me it is proving to be one of the hardest birds to see.  I am speaking of our island’s latest Eurasian visitor and this one is a rarity if ever there has been one.  With only three previous records dating back to 1998, this bird, which can stand over three feet tall, is very shy and likes hiding among the reef and grass of fresh water wetlands.  Our bird, Ardea Purpurea commonly known as the Purple Heron, was first sited at the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge on December 21^st, 2014.  On that occasion it was photographed by Richard Roach.  After that it disappeared until the mornings of January 25^th and 26^th when it was seen by Dr. John Webster.  It was noted that sightings were made during the early morning, thus emphasizing this bird’s crepuscular nature, but this species may also feed during the day.

From WSR to Oil Field Road and Back

I joined the search on the afternoon of January 26^th.  As I expected, when I arrived the Purple Heron was not in the swamp.  A family of Black-bellied Ducks, a wintering Great Egret and about three Little Blue Herons were among the birds in the swamp.  

Part of the Cattle Egrets rookery

I hiked to a Cattle Egrets rookery, about a half mile away and then to the road next to an abandoned shooting swamp, then back to WSR, a round trip of about a mile and a half.   At swamp, which is overrun with grass, a bird caught my attention; I was able to get a few photos of it flying off.  An examination concluded that the bird was a Great Blue Heron. 

Great Blue Heron

On route back to WSR, many of the small puddles had wading shorebirds, mainly Solitary Sandpipers.  Once again at the WSR, I made a search of the back swamp, the swamp to the north of the hut.  Herons love the back swamp, it is secluded; tall grass grows on the perimeter with thick over hanging trees.  The quick check found a Black-crowned Night Heron (1^st for the year) and two green Herons.

I left WSR at 6:10 that afternoon and up until that time the Purple Heron was not there.

The search for the Ardea purpurea will continue…

 See photographs of the trip here

Molting Little Blue Heron

Noisy Solitary Sandpiper

Dragonfly

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Carib Grackles nesting at WSR

Carib Grackle @ WSR 

I have been spending lots of time at the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR) over the last couple of weeks and it was with astonishment that I watched a Carib Grackle’s (Quiscalus lugubris) Colony grow from just one nest, late last year, to more than a dozen at the end of January.

Three of the more than one dozen Grackle's nest

Grackles are colonial breeders.  So I was surprised when the first solitary nest was built and even more surprised by where it was being built.  I am accustomed to seeing these colonies high, either in large trees or manmade structures, but this nest was being built on drying stubs low over the waters of the east pond.  

The construction of the Grackles Nest

The nests, are open at the top, cup shape, and are made of twigs, dead leaves and dry grass.

One of the flock of Shiny Cow Birds at the colony

Not all of these nests will produce Grackle chicks; no doubt some already contained Shiny Cowbird eggs.  Shiny Cowbirds are Brood parasites of Grackles, so where there is a colony, you will be sure to see Shiny Cowbirds hanging around.

Wide view of the colony

Carib Grackle over the water