Just returned - Caribbean (1 Viewer)

[dennis]

Hello all.

My wife and I just returned from a 7 day(Nov. 8-15) cruise through the eastern Caribbean. Along the way we ported in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominica and the Dominican Republic. We spent about 8 hours in each port. This was not a birding holiday BUT the binoculars were with me at all times.

52 species seen of which 4 were life birds for me. If anyone has questions about specific islands and their bird possibilities please PM me. If this had been a bird trip may other species were available.

My sightings: (* indicates life bird)

Brown Booby
Red-footed Booby*
Brown Pelican
Magficicent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
White-cheeked Pintail
Osprey
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Wilson's Plover
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Rock Dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Zenaida Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-dove
Monk Parakeet
Smooth-billed Ani
Antillean Palm-swift
Purple-throated Carib*
Green-throated Carib
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Broad-billed Tody
Belted Kingfisher
Hispaniolan Woodpecker
Gray Kingbird
Rufous-throated Solitare*
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Brown Trembler*
Palmchat
Yellow Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Bananaquit
Black-crowned Palm-tanager
Black-faced Grassquit
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
Greater Antillean Grackle
Carib Grackle
House Sparrow

Off to dreamland,
dennis

 

[IanF]

Glad to hear you had a great time Dennis. Now for me, all but nine of your list would have been lifers!

 

[dennis]

Yes Ian, hoped for a few more lifers but couldn't transport myself to their locations in the time allowed.

Did find an excellent location to land 4 endemics to the island of Hispaniola(Haiti and Dominican Republic). Just a short taxi ride from the cruise ship dock at La Romana is a beautiful little tourist village of Altos de Chavon. There it is extremely easy to view Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Black-crowned Palm-tanager and Palmchat(the only member of its own family, Dulidae). Broad-billed Tody is also found in the village but requires alittle searching. All 4 are found only on Hispaniola. I had seen them on a previous trip to the island so the thrill was slightly lessened.

dennis

 

[Dave B Smith]

Dennis,
Sounds like a great trip. Like Ian, a large number of them would be lifers for me. I worked in St. Croix for a year and have visited a good number of the islands but was more focused on the sea. Hadn't started Birdwatching yet. What a shame.

St. Croix had a little Black and Yellow bird (nectar eater) they called a "Sugarbird". Do you know what that is?

 

[dennis]

Hi Dave,

That would be the Bananaquit(Coereba flaveola). It is found throughout the Caribbean with the exception of Cuba. I've encountered it on at least 6 different islands. Like the Palmchat, the Bananaquit is the sole member of its own family(Coerebidae).

dennis

 

[Beverlybaynes]

I wondered where you'd been, Dennis! No wonder you weren't here chiding me for wanting to put 'my' Whooping Crane on my list!

Sounds like you had a great trip. A surprising number of birds on your list would NOT be lifers for me -- I'm always amazed (although I shouldn't be) how many 'home' birds can be found so far south of here. What a wonderful way of 'view' migration!

 

[birdman]

That's an eclectic mix Dennis... I hope you had a great time.

My (non-birding) sister is going on a 14 days Caribbean on Tuesday... (harumph!)

 

[dennis]

You are so right Beverly. Seeing the same birds found around your home, in the summer, in some far away locale really is fantastic. Each time I see a Blackburnian Warbler I recall finding them, in February, seemingly in every tree in the mountains of Ecuador.

Birdman. 14 days and not a birder! Doesn't seem fair, does it?

dennis

 

[HelenB]

Dennis,
In late January, we're doing a 15 day cruise from Florida, through the Caribbean & Panama Canal, then up the Mexican & Baja coast to finish in Los Angeles. Have bought a couple of field guides for the West Indies & Mexico and we're hoping to pick up lots of lifers both from the ship and on the shore excursions. About 20 of your birds would be lifers for us!

We will be disembarking in Jamaica, Aruba, Carthegena (Columbia), Costa Rica, Acapulco & Cabo San Lucas.

Did you take your spotting scope?

 

[Tero]

Long trip, Helen, for an American. Most people just do the week or so.

 

[HelenB]

Ah, Tero, I'm not an American! Born a Brit and still a Brit, though I've lived here in Texas for 11 years. We wanted the experience of going right through the Panama Canal, and the shorter trips only went into it and then back into the Caribbean.

 

[Tero]

Helen, a lot of trips you made. I spent 2 or 3 days in the Canadian Rockies last summer. Probably only saw a dozen species of birds, we were close to the car except 2 hikes. Saw more birds in the rest of Alberta, where we camped.

But your Texas report reminded me to add Roadrunner to my list!

 

[dennis]

Hi Helen,

Sounds like a great trip in your future!

I haven't been to the ports you're visiting although I've spent 9 days in Costa Rica. You are going to like the birding there!! If you take a day trip there, watch for anyplace with hummingbird feeders. Your list will really grow fast.

Didn't take a scope on my cruise but it might be useful as you go though the Canal. Hope you are passing through during daylight.

I have "the" field guide for Costa Rica. I could mail it if you like. Just mail it back afterward. Let me know.

Wish I was going,
dennis