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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hamhed" data-source="post: 3582194" data-attributes="member: 70825">12-21   Out the door by 6:15, we made a morning stop at Monte Brisas Bakery.  Strong coffee, eggs and arepas con coca propelled us back for a pre-trip visit to El Portal.  Not knowing what the drive to the airport in San Juan would be like, we kept an eye on the clock, once again started our birding at the front gate area.  Birds were fairly active with PR Tanagers, PR Woodpeckers, PR Orioles, a PR Vireo and a pair of Orange-fronted Parakeets.  Inside the gate, we revisited the bank of flowers at the upper end of the parking lot with the same results as the day before.  At this point, we were beginning to assume there was a mass die-off of hummingbirds that we were unaware of.  A little trinket shopping at the Center and it was time to see what the highway west to the big city would be like.  Fears of the same traffic snarls we faced on arrival gave way to relief as we swiftly neared then easily passed the airport, on our way to return the rental car.  That also went very well and the shuttle got us to the airport in just the right amount of time.  Facing us yet that day was boarding a plane operated by LIAT (Leave Island at Any Time) airlines.  LIAT was taking us to the mountainous island of Dominica for the second half of our trip.  More on that to come!In the end, we missed several of the 18 species of endemic birds.  Clear misses were the Parrot, the Nightjar and the Emerald.  The Owl was “heard only” and we are learning to accept that.  Sometimes to actually lay eyes on a bird, such as a nightbird, the end does not justify the means (over-playing of recordings).  The lack of hummingbird sightings, endemic or not, was very puzzling.  It is hard to say if we will ever return with just those species missing from our lists.  Revisiting in a different season would likely increase our chances.</blockquote>

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