2017 Photographic Big Year 51-53

The birds were scarce in the last two weeks, weeks 14, 15 but week 16 promises to be more rewarding.  For week 14 I added an Eared Dove⁵¹, week 15 - an out of season Pectoral Sandpiper⁵² and a Laughing Gull⁵³.   These additions moved my Big Year tally to 53. 

 See 2017 Photographic Big Year images here.

51 - Eared Dove - Zenaida auriculata

52 - Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos

53 - Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla

 See 2017 Photographic Big Year images here.

2017 Photographic Big Year 47-50

Week 13 was a scorcher! It was very hot but the days were beautiful with a bright blue cloudless sky, for the most part, and the birding was not too bad. I had a rarity, two swallows and a sandpiper to add to the big year gallery.

The Rarity

50 -Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea

I saw this bird, a ⁽⁵⁰⁾ Purple Heron, on Friday afternoon in the parish of St. Andrew.  These series of irrigation ponds are not often visited by birders but I was in the area so took a look and was surprised to see this bird.  Straight away I knew it was a Purple Heron because of its chestnut color and the dark stripe that runs down the back of its neck.  These shy herons are between 31–38 inches in length and breeds in Eurasia region.

Two Swallows

47 - Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica

It is not surprising to see ⁽⁴⁷⁾ Barn Swallows at this time of the year, what was surprising for me was to see over 70 of these birds on the powerline as I was driving through the eastern parish of St. Philip.  I took a few images of the flock which consisted of adult and juvenile birds with some in the process of molting but on closer inspection of the images I noticed a ⁽⁴⁹⁾ Cliff Swallow in the midst. I hope to visit the area again when I can and hopefully the swallows will still be around.

49 - Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Sandpiper

I have been noticing an increase of sandpipers, mainly peeps, and Semipalmated Plovers.  On a morning visit to one of the swamps I was able to get some nice images of ⁽⁴⁸⁾ Semipalmated Sandpipers wading in the shallows.

48 - Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla

These four additions to my 2017 Photograph Big Year gallery brings the total to 50 species. With still a few commoners to tick off I should reach 60 species by the end of next month.

Keep following and enjoy your birding.

2017 Photographic Big Year 43-46: A New Bird for Barbados

My first lifer for 2017 and a new bird for Barbados was the highlight of week 12.  Last week I posted about an unidentified bird.  This bird was first seen by Dr. John Webster at a Christ Church Swamp about two weeks ago and by myself on March 18^th. I posted images of the bird in question on the website www.birdforum.net and straight away got a responds from Michael “Nutcracker” Frankis, of Newcastle, UK, that the images was without a doubt a female (43)Tufted Duck.  Dr. Webster also sent images to noted ornithologist and birders around the world who all agreed that it was in deed a Tufted Duck.  The males of this Eurasian diving duck is black on the head, neck, breast with a white flank while the females are brown all over. Both genders has yellow eyes and a tuft of feathers on back of the head. Tufted can be found breeding along the high and middle latitudes from Iceland eastward to Siberia and winters farther south in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Significant numbers reach North America in fall migration and spend the winter, mostly along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and now also Barbados, West Indies 👍.  This bird increased my life count for Barbados to 128, for the West Indies 145, Life count 242 and year count to 63 species.

The other birds for my big year album: (44)Belted Kingfisher, (45)Lesser Yellowleg and (46) Grassland Yellowfinch moving my tally to 46 birds. 

 See 2017 Photographic Big Year images here.

43 -Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula- New bird for Barbados and a lifer

44 - Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon

45 - Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes

46 - Grassland Yellow-Finch - Sicalis luteola

 See 2017 Photographic Big Year images here.