Bokmakierie99
Well-known member
This February, from the 19th to the 25th, we took a little trip to Jamaica, visiting three main birding sites on the island: the Blue Mountains, Portland Parish and the Ecclesdown Road, and Cockpit Country in the northwest. We saw 63 species, including 23 of the 28 Jamaican endemics. Below is a description of the itenerary:
February 19: Arrive 10:30 at Kingston airport, get picked up and driven to Eppings Farm, in the Blue Mountains.
February 20: Wake very early to hike up Blue Mountain Peak.
February 21: Bird in morning around Epping Farm, then get driven to Manchioneal, Portland Parish.
February 22: Birding Ecclesdown Road.
February 23: Morning at Manchioneal, then drive to Albert Town, Cockpit Country.
February 24: Morning birding Cockpit Country, then drive to Kingston.
February 25: Port Royal
Blue Mountains:
In Epping Farm we stayed at Jay’s Guest House, a very nice place through which we were able to arrange a hike up Blue Mountain Peak, the highest mountain in Jamaica. We started the hike at 2 am, meaning we got to the top at sunrise and descended during the early morning hours. During the descent, through the cloud forest of the Blue Mountains National Park, we saw such species as Jamaican Blackbird, Arrowhead Warbler, and Crested Quail-Dove.
Along the roadside right near Jay’s Guest House we took a couple afternoon/evening walks, which provided a few birds in the disturbed habitat around there. These included Jamaican Euphonia and Loggerhead Kingbird.
Ask Jay about the nearby Chesterfield Forest; we visited this area on the last morning, before leaving for Portland. A mix of forest and banana and coffee farms, we had a very productive couple of hours here, seeing Orangequit, Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo, Jamaican Spindalis, Jamaican Woodpecker, Jamaican Oriole, and quite a few other species.
Portland Parish:
Here we stayed at Zion Country, a beautiful sea-side bunch of cabins run by a Dutch expat named Free-I. We were able to arrange to have Free-I pick us up midway between Epping Farm and Manchioneal, and to serve as our driver for the rest of the trip, taking us to Cockpit Country and then to Kingston. At Zion Country there is a beautiful view over the nearby bay, where manatees are sometimes seen. Flowers and trees on the grounds attract Jamaican Mangos and Black-billed Streamertails.
Free-I put us in contact with a local birding guide to bird the road, but the guide was not actually super helpful here. I would advise you to get dropped off at the beginning of the Ecclesdown forest road, and hike on your own from there. We still had a successful walk there, adding Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo, Jamaican Vireo, and Rufous-tailed Flycatcher to our list. We heard parrots calling in the forest, but for sightings we had to wait until Cockpit Country.
Cockpit Country:
In Cockpit Country we stayed in Albert Town, in a guest house which we booked through the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, . They are somewhat difficult to reach, but after some emails and calls we were able to arrange a morning of birding in the Burnt Hill area with one of their bird guides, a very knowledgeable man named Brian. Hiking here we picked up Jamaican Crow, as well as both species of endemic parrot. Also Jamaican Tody, Jamaican Woodpecker, Sad Flycatcher, and Ring-tailed Pigeon.
We then returned to Kingston, where we had a last day visiting Port Royal, which was mostly about historical stuff (and delicious seafood at Gloria’s Restaurant). However, we did add a few last species here, such as Ruddy Turnstone and Sandwich Tern.
February 19: Arrive 10:30 at Kingston airport, get picked up and driven to Eppings Farm, in the Blue Mountains.
February 20: Wake very early to hike up Blue Mountain Peak.
February 21: Bird in morning around Epping Farm, then get driven to Manchioneal, Portland Parish.
February 22: Birding Ecclesdown Road.
February 23: Morning at Manchioneal, then drive to Albert Town, Cockpit Country.
February 24: Morning birding Cockpit Country, then drive to Kingston.
February 25: Port Royal
Blue Mountains:
In Epping Farm we stayed at Jay’s Guest House, a very nice place through which we were able to arrange a hike up Blue Mountain Peak, the highest mountain in Jamaica. We started the hike at 2 am, meaning we got to the top at sunrise and descended during the early morning hours. During the descent, through the cloud forest of the Blue Mountains National Park, we saw such species as Jamaican Blackbird, Arrowhead Warbler, and Crested Quail-Dove.
Along the roadside right near Jay’s Guest House we took a couple afternoon/evening walks, which provided a few birds in the disturbed habitat around there. These included Jamaican Euphonia and Loggerhead Kingbird.
Ask Jay about the nearby Chesterfield Forest; we visited this area on the last morning, before leaving for Portland. A mix of forest and banana and coffee farms, we had a very productive couple of hours here, seeing Orangequit, Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo, Jamaican Spindalis, Jamaican Woodpecker, Jamaican Oriole, and quite a few other species.
Portland Parish:
Here we stayed at Zion Country, a beautiful sea-side bunch of cabins run by a Dutch expat named Free-I. We were able to arrange to have Free-I pick us up midway between Epping Farm and Manchioneal, and to serve as our driver for the rest of the trip, taking us to Cockpit Country and then to Kingston. At Zion Country there is a beautiful view over the nearby bay, where manatees are sometimes seen. Flowers and trees on the grounds attract Jamaican Mangos and Black-billed Streamertails.
Free-I put us in contact with a local birding guide to bird the road, but the guide was not actually super helpful here. I would advise you to get dropped off at the beginning of the Ecclesdown forest road, and hike on your own from there. We still had a successful walk there, adding Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo, Jamaican Vireo, and Rufous-tailed Flycatcher to our list. We heard parrots calling in the forest, but for sightings we had to wait until Cockpit Country.
Cockpit Country:
In Cockpit Country we stayed in Albert Town, in a guest house which we booked through the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, . They are somewhat difficult to reach, but after some emails and calls we were able to arrange a morning of birding in the Burnt Hill area with one of their bird guides, a very knowledgeable man named Brian. Hiking here we picked up Jamaican Crow, as well as both species of endemic parrot. Also Jamaican Tody, Jamaican Woodpecker, Sad Flycatcher, and Ring-tailed Pigeon.
We then returned to Kingston, where we had a last day visiting Port Royal, which was mostly about historical stuff (and delicious seafood at Gloria’s Restaurant). However, we did add a few last species here, such as Ruddy Turnstone and Sandwich Tern.
