Puerto Rica and Souther Caribbean Cruise - December 2010 (1 Viewer)

Puerto Rico and Southern Caribbean Cruise - December 2010

In December, my wife and I went on a southern Caribbean cruise departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico and stopping on St. Thomas, St. Croix, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada. But first we spent three nights in Puerto Rico before the departure.

I'm in the process of writing up reports on my blog, Birds on the Brain, but thought I'd post them here as well.

Puerto Rico, Day 1

I had originally planned to be in Peru during the first part of December, but those plans fell through. That left me with a lot of vacation days to be used. My wife and I had been considering taking a Caribbean cruise next spring, so we just decided to move that up a bit. It seemed to meet all the requirements: warm, birds, non-bird stuff, and warm. We decided on a seven day southern Caribbean cruise originating out of San Juan, Puerto Rico that had stops on St. Thomas, St. Croix, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada. We would fly to Puerto Rico early so that we’d have three nights there before the cruise started.

December 8

It was with a good measure of sadness that we left our daughter in the capable hands of her grandparents while my dad drove us to the airport. It was below freezing in pre-dawn Atlanta when we arrived at the airport. Six or seven hours later, sunshine and humid air in the low 80’s greeted us as we stepped outside in San Juan. As we waited for the van to take us to the rental car, I spotted the first birds of the trip: Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows. Of course. Some Greater Antillean Grackles, although not a lifer for me, were much more welcome.

The plan was to get the car and make the relatively long drive to the southwestern corner of the island where we would stay the next three nights. Puerto Rico has 17 endemic birds, and all but one can be found in that part of the island. The lone exception, the Puerto Rican Parrot, is critically endangered and almost impossible to find in its eastern mountain haunts. I’d love to try for it, but put it off until I have more time to devote to it.

Unfortunately, most of the day was spent driving, so the only birds seen were from the car. The ubiquitous Gray Kingbird was the bird most often seen, but did see a few American Kestrels, a single group of Smooth-billed Ani, and many Cattle Egrets along the road.

After checking in to our hotel in Parguera, I had hoped there would be time to get to the Guanica State Forest before nightfall to try for the Puerto Rican Nightjar. From my research, it seemed like the best way to see this secretive bird is to walk in from the gate, which would be closed at that time. But it was dark before we could get there, so I decided to drive along PR 333, which skirts the southern edge of the dry forest. I hoped to hear a nightjar or even see one on the road. But it was a total bust. I heard nothing, and even if I had, the high traffic and lack of places to pull off the road would have kept me from doing anything about it. I’d have to try again later, after scouting out the area in the daylight.

With very few birds seen, and no lifers yet, I looked forward to a full day in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico, Day 2

December 9

The bird I wanted to see most in Puerto Rico (besides the parrot, of course, which wasn’t going to happen) was the Elfin-woods Warbler. This little sprite of the high altitude forests wasn’t even discovered until 1968. That should tell you that it’s not the easiest bird to find. The best place to see it is around the Forest Service compound in the Maricao State Forest, so that’s were we headed on our first full day in Puerto Rico.

It took about an hour to get there from Parguera. I had read on other trip reports that it can be tough to find the road from Sabana Grande that goes up to Maricao. I can attest to that – we had a map on my iPhone, and still missed it! That road is very steep and winding, so you can’t drive any faster than the posted speed limit of 25 mph. So allow plenty of time to get there.

We pulled in about 9:30, a little later than I’d have liked. But it probably wouldn’t have mattered if we had gotten there any earlier; the weather was not cooperating. It was a little foggy, with a constant, strong wind. The wind made it almost impossible to see or hear anything. We took the trail up past the gate at the electric station thing. It probably took over 15 minutes to even see the first bird. It was a quick-moving thing that could have been a Puerto Rican Vireo, but I’m not sure. A pair of Puerto Rican Spindalis were much more cooperative. The male was so much more vivid and pretty than I had been expecting. There was also a Cape May Warbler and Gray Kingbird.

Before leaving, I tried birding the area around the forest service buildings. I kept hearing birds in the trees above, but was only able to catch quick glimpses. After what seemed like forever, I determined they were Puerto Rican Tanagers. That was my second lifer of the day, but only the fourth species overall. In two and a half hours. I can’t recall a more frustrating birding experience. The wind was that bad.

We then drove north toward Maricao to get some lunch. Afterward, I thought we’d check out the grounds of Hacienda Juanita, a bed-and-breakfast type place that is known for having some good birds. When we pulled in, we didn’t see a single person or car there. It was a little odd, but I walked around the parking area and down a little trail. In addition to the ubiquitous Gray Kingbird and Bananaquit, I finally got decent looks at the two endemic hummingbirds – Puerto Rican Emerald and Green Mango. It was a good thing, too, I wouldn’t see either again.

Hoping the wind had died down, we gave Maricao one more try. It was indeed less windy, and I very quickly came upon some tanagers that were much more obliging.


But even better was the beauty that was accompanying them. The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is one of the most striking birds, not to mention woodpeckers, that I’ve ever seen. For my money, they come pretty close to rivaling the Red-headed Woodpecker.

Further down the trail, I got decent looks, but not photos, of Puerto Rican Tody and Puerto Rican Bullfinch. But it was still fairly quiet. At least it was until I was almost back to the car. Just past the gate is a clearing with the ruins of an old house. When I got back there I could hear tanagers. I’ve read that PR Tanagers are often the nucleus of mixed-species flocks, and that was certainly the case here. In addition to the tanagers I spied another tody and woodpecker, along with several Bananaquits. I got another endemic lifer when I spotted a Puerto Rican Vireo amongst them. But I was really hoping this flock would contain an Elfin-woods Warbler. A Black-and-white Warbler got my hopes up for a second, being the same colors as the Elfin. At one point, I did see a very likely candidate, but I did not see the face or streaking underneath. But even with extensive pishing, I never got more than a single, quick glance.

But even without the warbler, this was a much more productive visit. It seems that the key is to bird here when there’s little wind. And to run into a mixed flock.

I also wanted to try for the nightjar at Guanica State Forest again. But this time, we got to the gate at the end of PR 334 before dark, around 5:30. It was locked, as expected, so I parked and walked up the road for a ways, birding while it was still light enough to do so. I heard a Puerto Rican Lizard-cuckoo, but couldn’t entice it out where I could see it. I had much better luck with Adelaide’s Warbler. I wish every bird was this responsive to pishing!

When it was getting dark, I stationed myself at a bend in the road, about a quarter mile from the gate. I was hoping this was a good spot to listen for Puerto Rican Nightjars and Screech-owls. At 6:21 I heard a single Puerto Rican Nightjar, but it sounded fairly distant. But I never saw one, and didn’t even hear an owl, despite using some playback (I did not play a call of the nightjar, a critically endangered species).

On the plus side, mosquitoes weren’t an issue. They would have been, however, without my patent-pending Personal Mosquito Deterrent System, commonly known as bats. Once it got dark, I could hear them flying around me and see them pass through the beam of my flashlight. I was very grateful for their services and hope they were well compensated.

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I'm attaching a couple of pics, and there are a few more on the original post

Great read Grant! I love Puerto Rico, and this brings back good memories of some stunning endemics.

Great and interesting stuff Grant, thanks.

Puerto Rico, Day 3

December 10

The failure to see an Elfin-woods Warbler at Maricao yesterday meant another trip there this day. Since we knew exactly where we were going, we made a little better timing and arrived to find that, while still windy, it was much less so than the day before. Optimistic, we went through the gate and passed the ruins, just as before. But this time, we took the trail branching off to the right, hoping it may be more open and sheltered from the wind. But the birds were still hard to come by.

We hadn’t gone too far when we decided to turn around; it seemed like a better play to hang around an open spot like the ruins and hope for a mixed flock to pass by. But on the way back, some Puerto Rican Tanagers could be heard calling. We eventually saw a few, along with a Puerto Rican Bullfinch and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. But a different-sounding chip caught my attention. It took a little time and effort to find the bird making it, but when I did, I was face-to-face with a gorgeous Elfin-woods Warbler. Well, it was eye-level and less than ten feet away, but it was still fairly obstructed. But my wife was able to get some identifiable pictures.

There was a little time before lunch, so I thought there would be time to stop at the Susua State Forest. The new Birdwatchers’ Guide to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Caymans claims it’s a good spot for Puerto Rican Pewees. But it also gives incorrect directions, which had us driving several miles down the wrong road. We finally got there, only to find the gate locked. We walked in a little ways, hoping that the trails mentioned in the guide would start shortly inside the gate, but no luck. There was very little shade from the bright noon sun, so we left to grab something to eat. The only birds were a Northern Mockingbird, Puerto Rican Spindalis, and a heard-only Adelaide’s Warbler.

Later on, I wanted to try for some waterbirds at Laguna Cartagena, a National Wildlife Refuge about 20 minutes from Parguera (and that long only because it’s off a dirt road that you don’t want to drive too fast on). The main parking area was found without a problem, but for some reason I had thought open water would have been visible from near the entrance. Nope. A calling Sora meant that there was some water nearby, but vegetation blocked all views. We walked down the trail, hoping for a good vantage point somewhere. Along the way, we were entertained by a couple of Puerto Rican Todies and some Smooth-billed Anis that sounded like something out of Space Invaders (as my wife put it).

Very shortly, we came across a very nice observation tower, complete with a birding couple from Ohio. They had been in Puerto Rico for a few days longer than we had, but until then hadn’t seen another birder. And they were the only ones I saw. Sad.

But we did see lots of birds, including Great and Cattle Egrets, Green and Great Blue Heron, lots of Common Moorhens, and a single Purple Gallinule. Ducks were represented by Ruddy, Ring-necked, and Blue-winged Teal, but not the hoped for White-cheeked Pintail. But I was very glad to see that the two visible coots didn’t have any red on their frontal shields, making them Caribbean Coots, and a lifer for me.

My wife and I bid adieu to the other couple and were walking away from the tower when they called down “West Indian Whistling-ducks!” I had seen them previously in the Caymans, but I wasn’t about to pass up another chance to see “one of the rarest ducks in the Americas” (Neotropical Birds). After a hurried ascent and look through the scope, there they were: two West Indian Whistling-ducks swimming out in the middle of the water.

I’ve skipped another stop that was made, but it deserves its own post…

Nice shot of a tough little bird to find!

And you can put away the tape for the owl. My experience is: You play a tape. The owl shuts up.

Thanks, Jeff. I'll have to remember that if and when I get back.

Very interesting, Grant. Will be in the San Juan area for a week in March. Unfortunately, of the four going I am the only birder. Still hope to get at least one day of birding in.

Lisa, where will you be staying? walking from the cruise ship berth in Old San Juan around the coast to the "Doors of San Juan" and continue to the nearest fort often will produce some good birds if done early in the morning, and should take only a couple of hours. From memory, Red-legged Thrush, one of the endemic hummers, Monk Parakeet, Java Sparrow, terns ...

Niels

Niels,

Thanks, for asking. We are renting a house in old San Juan for a week. I don't think it will be hard to sneak out early in the morning and get some long walks in. I should be able to do just what you are suggesting.

I can't speak to the birds of Old San Juan, we just spent a few hours there, mostly visiting the forts. The forts are great, though, well worth a visit. It's a great area overall, hope you enjoy it!

As mentioned in the recap of my third day in Puerto Rico, I left something out. I thought that a fantastic experience with a critically endangered bird deserved its own post.

There were still a handful of endemics that I hadn’t seen, but one loomed larger than the rest – Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. There may be no more than 3000, all in southwestern Puerto Rico and a few offshore islands. The best place to see them is the small town of Parguera. The traditional location is the Parador Villa Parguera, where the birds would come looking for food. But from what I’d read online, the best spot to see them currently was a small hardware store just down the street.

Continue west on PR 304 past the parador, keeping the water and mangroves on your left. In not very far, you’ll see a store on your right with a sign next to the road saying Ferreteria (hardware store). When you pull into the fairly large gravel parking lot, the store will be on your right, with a fence and tree to the left of the building. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I pulled into the parking lot; I could hear the distinctive calls of icterids. Lots of them.

Before I could even get out of the car, I saw some dark forms fly up into the tree right in front of us. Some of them were doing their best to hide their namesake field mark, but these were definitely Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds.

A closer look revealed a water fountain behind the fence and many birds foraging on the ground where, presumably, seed had been scattered for them. The birds would alternatively feed, drink and bathe on the fountain, and fly up into the tree to preen.

There were dozens of birds there, and every few minutes more would fly in from the mangroves across the street. Male Red-winged Blackbirds in flight, with their red epaulets glowing, are a stunning sight. Their yellow-shouldered cousins are every bit as distinctive and beautiful on the wing. I tried to capture some in full flight, but they were too fast. I could only get some preparing to land.

But as wonderful as the blackbirds were, there were other species present at the feast as well. There were a few Greater Antillean Grackles, Common Ground-doves, House Sparrows, and my first Black-faced Grassquits. Unfortunately, there were also some Shiny Cowbirds. Well, fortunate for me since they were a lifer, but bad news for the blackbirds. In addition to habitat loss, the blackbirds are threatened by nest parasitism from the cowbirds. The Shiny Cowbird, like their Brown-headed cousins, will lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and leave the unwitting hosts to raise the cowbirds, often at the expense of their own young.

I’ve got to admit, though, the male cowbirds are indeed shiny (in the literal sense, not in the sense Malcolm Reynolds would use the word). I could pick out a few in the mass of feeding birds, but couldn’t get any good pictures of them.

This may not have been the most natural place to see such great birds, but I can’t really complain about the great, close observations of an endangered species. It was very weird to consider that the 50+ Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds present represented a significant percentage of the world population.

There are a few more, and larger, pictures here.

I thought that a fantastic experience with a critically endangered bird deserved its own post.

Click to expand...

Grant, excellent post, and yes quite deserving to be on it's own.

Great trip report, very interesting and informative.

Those blackbirds are great. I remember an amazing seafood dinner overlooking the mangroves and watching them fly out to roost just offshore as it got dark. A great place.

Grant good for you and looking forward to the rest!

Niels

Thanks everyone. I'll keep 'em coming as quickly as I can.

Puerto Rico, Day 4

December 11

Having seen two of my three most wanted Puerto Rican birds the day before (Elfin-woods Warbler and Yellow-shouldered Blackbird), I was feeling much better. I knew I no longer had a chance to get the nocturnal birds this trip, but there were several others that I had a good shot at this day.

Our cruise embarked around 5pm from San Juan, but we wanted to get on early so as to familiarize ourselves with our home for the next week. Even with the drive time to San Juan, that left several hours to fill. And I knew just the place…

We arrived at Guanica State Forest at 9, and proceeded to the main parking area. The visitor’s center was undergoing renovation, but there was a small temporary structure setup and manned by two gentlemen. After disclosing my interest in birds, I found out that one of them is in charge of the bird banding operation at the park. Given our limited time, he suggested that we walk the Granados trail, which looped around from the headquarters.
Guanica State Forest, Puerto Rico

The first, and most common, birds were Adelaide’s Warblers. But it wasn’t too long before I heard some pewee-like sounds. I couldn’t find the bird, so I played the call a few times from my phone. It didn’t take long before a dark bird swooped in and perched right beside the trail, giving me a great look at my first Puerto Rican Pewee. It was a much richer color than I was expecting.

Further along, the same thing happened with a Puerto Rican Flycatcher. Even with playback, though, it didn’t cooperate as well as the pewee. Also in contrast to the pewee, this myiarchus flycatcher was much duller than those I’m used to in the U.S.

The other star had to have been a very cooperative Puerto Rican Tody. We were finally able to get some good pictures, including the attached pic that my wife took. These birds are scarcely larger than hummingbirds, and have to rank among the cutest birds I’ve ever seen.

Other birds seen along the trail include: Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Black-faced Grassquit, and Bananaquit. I heard another Puerto Rican Lizard-cuckoo, but it must have been very shy.

While driving out, a large-ish bird flew over the road and into a tree on the other side. The tail could only have been that of a cuckoo. Excited, I grabbed my binoculars expecting a lizard-cuckoo finally. Instead, I saw a bird with a black mask and cinnamon belly. The disappointment of it not being the endemic didn’t last long as this was my first Mangrove Cuckoo. Especially since it perched out in the open for me, and was still there as I reluctantly drove off. You know it’s a great birding spot when you get lifers when you’re trying to leave!

On the way back to San Juan, I took a detour through Comerio to try for Plain Pigeon. It’s not the most straight-forward route, and certainly not quick. With my smart phone I was able to limit misturns to just one, and arrived at the school ballfield at 1. According to the birdfinding guide and trip reports, this baseball field is the best place to see these birds, which are scare in Puerto Rico. I scanned the trees around the field for 15 minutes, but the target refused to show itself. There were plenty of other doves present, though, in the form of Rock Pigeons, Zenaida Doves, and a single White-winged Dove.

With that, my birding in Puerto Rico was concluded. I tallied 50 species, of which 19 were life birds. I saw 13 of the 18 endemics, and heard two others. Totally missed were the Puerto Rican Parrot, Screech-owl, and Oriole (from the recently split Greater Antillean Oriole complex). The Puerto Rican Nightjar and Lizard-cuckoo were heard only, which I don’t usually count for life birds. But I have included them in the list, for the sake of completeness.

The trip list (endemics in bold):

* West Indian Whistling-duck
* Blue-winged Teal
* Ring-necked Duck
* Ruddy Duck
* Great Blue Heron
* Great Egret
* Cattle Egret
* Green Heron
* Turkey Vulture
* Red-tailed Hawk
* Sora – heard only
* American Purple Gallinule
* Common Moorhen
* Caribbean Coot
* Rock Pigeon
* Eurasian Collared-dove
* White-winged Dove
* Zenaida Dove
* Mourning Dove
* Common Ground-dove
* Mangrove Cuckoo
* Puerto Rican Lizard-cuckoo – heard only
* Smooth-billed Ani
* Puerto Rican Nightjar – heard only
* Green Mango
* Puerto Rican Emerald
* Puerto Rican Tody
* Puerto Rican Woodpecker
* Puerto Rican Pewee
* Puerto Rican Flycatcher
* Gray Kingbird
* Puerto Rican Vireo
* Northern Mockingbird
* Pearly-eyed Thrasher
* European Starling
* Cape May Warbler
* Black-throated Blue Warbler
* Adelaide’s Warbler
* Elfin-woods Warbler
* Black-and-white Warbler
* Bananaquit
* Puerto Rican Tanager
* Puerto Rican Spindalis
* Black-faced Grassquit
* Puerto Rican Bullfinch
* Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
* Greater Antillean Grackle
* Shiny Cowbird
* House Sparrow
* Bronze Mannikin

Grant, Excellent reports. I can't wait to go in March, even though I know I won't be able to bird as much as you did. If you only had one day where would you have gone?
Lisa