2024 Images - March

March was a fantastic month for photography! I planned several successful bird photography excursions and captured some great images while birding.  I've also started an Instagram page called Birds in Fine, motivating me to delve deeper into the world of bird and wildlife fine art photography.  Feel free to check it out. 

Here are a selection of ten of my images for March: 

A Lesser Yellowlegs with its catch. With the ponds continuing to dry up scenes like this
 are quite common

A Common Gallinule at the Graeme Swamp was fortunate to find some open water
 between the plant that is chocking the channel 

A Pacific Golden Plover, one of our rare
visitors from across the Atlantic 

Western Sandpiper molting to breeding plumage, a gorgeous bird 

A Least Sandpiper, the thinnest of all peeps striking a pose 

A Peregrine Falcon, predator extraordinaire 

Great Egret

Red-billed Tropicbird

Our  Barbados Bullfinch

Black-whiskered Vireo

Southern Caribbean Cruise 2023 - Day 5 Sea Day

Masked Boobies were the most numerous species on the day

On the morning of our fifth day at sea, the ship was located just south of the Venezuelan dependencies of Gran Roque. I spent about two hours birding around the deck before heading back to my room to prepare for breakfast. During those two hours, I spotted three species of seabirds: Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra), Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster), and a Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens). For most of the day, the ship was mainly escorted by Masked Boobies.

Bown Boobies 

I returned to the deck around 4:15 pm. At that time, the ship was positioned between Margarita Island to the south and La Blanquilla to the north. One new seabird species was added to the days tally - Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)Around 5:30 pm, I noticed a large number of birds and a few dolphins engaged in a feeding frenzy. Masked Boobies were the most abundant bird species, stretching as far as the eye could see.

I returned to my room around 6 pm to prepare for dinner, as tomorrow we will be visiting my favorite island in the Caribbean, Trinidad.

The day's tally looke like this:

• Masked Booby (70+)
• Brown Booby (16)
• Magnificent Frigatebird (6)
• Red-billed Tropicbird (3)

Number of Species recorded on the Day: 4

Number of Lifers recorded on the Day: 0

Total Species recorded for the Trip: 54

Total Lifers recorded for the trip: 7

<---Day 4 | Home | Day 6 --->

Masked Booby

Bown Boobies 

Red-billed Tropicbird

Birding at the Tourist Tree

Black-whiskered Vireo

It is one of the most challenging birds to find, even when it is calling. However, at a certain time of the year and near a specific tree, you can witness them in all their glory. The bird I am referring to is the Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus), and the tree is locally known as the Tourist Tree or Turpentine Tree (Bursera simaruba).

the fruit of the Tourist Tree attracts the birds

The name “Tourist Tree” comes from the fact that the tree’s bark is red and peeling, resembling the sunburned skin of a tourist. On the other hand, the name “Turpentine Tree” is due to the strong turpentine-like smell of the tree’s resin.

Black-whiskered Vireo with a faded mustache lines can pass for a Red-eyed Vireo

Every year around this time, the tree sheds its leaves and produces small red berries, which are beloved by several bird species, including the elusive Black-whiskered Vireo.

Barbados Bullfinches were chasing off the other birds

During my recent visit to a location with three of these trees, I noticed an unusual lack of activity. Normally, when this tree is fruiting, it’s bustling with bird activity. However, each tree had only one Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis). It became clear that the Bullfinches were chasing away other birds, explaining the lack of activity.

Caribbean Elaenia was one of the bird species at the Tourist Tree

Soon enough, I spotted the first Vireo and also observed a Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica). My initial excitement was tempered when I thought I saw a Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus), a bird I had yet to see on the island. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a black-whiskered Vireo, likely a juvenile. 

I plan to revisit the trees again during this brief fruiting period, hopefully, the Bullfinches will be more accommodating to the other bird species visiting the Tourist Tree.

An Unexpected Encounter with a Duck Hawk

Peregrine Falcon aka Duck Hawk

Have you ever heard of a "Duck Hawk"? It's another name for the fastest animal on Earth, the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). A few weeks ago, I witnessed this incredible predator harassing teals at the WSR, but surprisingly, it was unable to catch any of them.

Here's what unfolded:

For several weeks, I'd been patiently stalking two duck species at the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR), not just for documentary shots, but to capture their beauty in different lighting conditions. 

Northern Pintails drake

My initial focus was on the stunning male Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), three of which frequented the location. Unfortunately, I never quite captured the image I envisioned.  Once these birds migrated, my attention shifted to the Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca). Three males in breeding plumage graced the ponds here, and my goal was to photograph them as sunlight illuminated the iridescent crescent on their heads. However, I was consistently falling short.  On one particular afternoon, I was meticulously positioning myself for the perfect light to photograph the teal when, suddenly, the egrets in a nearby tree took flight. Glancing up, I saw the bird of prey circling and gliding lazily overhead. Under normal circumstances, this aerial predator would've grabbed my attention, but today, I was laser-focused on capturing the perfect Green-winged Teal image.

Green-winged Teal

Everything changed in a flash. A powerful whoosh of wings filled the air as the falcon launched into a diving attacking the ducks on the pond. It circled repeatedly, executing multiple dives, but each attempt ended with empty talons. These birds seemingly seasoned veterans of such encounters, darted towards the high west bank, seeking refuge in the thick vegetation. The peregrine, despite its relentless pursuit, couldn't force them to abandon the safety of the bank or take flight. After five or six failed attempts, the falcon finally gave up, slowly drifting high into the sky. 

Snowy Egret high up

As I followed its ascent, I noticed a Snowy Egret even higher, far above the falcon. Perhaps escaping to that altitude seemed like the perfect strategy for the egret, but in reality, it wasn't entirely safe from the "king of the skies." I got my camera ready, as I anticipated an aerial duel that the snowy wouldn't survive – the peregrine, now positioned perfectly above the egret, could've easily made a quick kill. However, for this afternoon at least, the falcon remained fixated on a duck dinner, completely ignoring the egret.

Peregrine Falcon inspecting the ponds at WSR

This unexpected encounter at the WSR not only highlighted the Peregrine Falcon's incredible aerial hunting skills but also showcased the remarkable survival instincts of its intended prey.

2024 Images - February

In February, my bird photography adventures expanded significantly compared to January. I had the privilege of collaborating with the talented visiting photographer, Mark Phillips from ARTstudioWILD. Mark generously shared valuable tips and insights, enriching my photographic journey. The result is a mix-bagged of images for February's galllery, all captured with Canon 7D Mark II and a Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM and edited with Lightroom 5. See the images below.

Ducks 

Northern Pintail drake in flight 

and again

Lesser Scaup, drake 

Shorebirds

Semipalmated Plover 

American Golden Plover 

Least Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs, backlit with the Sahara Dust defused sunlight 

Egrets 

A Snowy Egrat in flight backlit with the Sahara Dust defused sunlight

Great Egret flying gracefully to the left

and flying gracefully to the right 

Little Blue Heron

One of my favorite images of the month was this Western Cattle Egret in the dry grass

Snowy Egret

A mixture of species

A beautiful Northern Waterthrush at the Graeme Hall Swamp

A male Grassland Yellowfinch striking a pose in the morning sunlight at North Point 

Red-billed Tropicbird 

Shiny Cowbird male

Common Ground Dove 

Common Gallinule 

First Lifer for 2024, a Local Lifer, #162

Tropical Mockingbird from a trip to Bonaire

My first local lifer of 2024 was a Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus), a bird that gave me both joy and a little disappointment. Let me tell you how it happened. I was birding along the south coast of Barbados after work, stopping at Graeme Hall, Oistins, and Chancery Lane. I saw the usual suspects, but nothing out of the ordinary. As the sun was setting, I reached the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR).  This was just an exploratory stop, as the fading light made general photography strenuous.  It was to see if two duck species  I was struggling to photograph all season, Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) and Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) were still around. I didn’t think I would find anything new, so I left my camera in the car and headed to the western end of the reserve, where there is a spot we birders call the “back pond”. That’s where I spotted the bird. It was obvious from the first glance that it was not a common bird. It flew up from the ground, showing the white edges in the tail that no other bird on the island has. It then landed next to a Grey Kingbird, which confirmed its identity. I recognized it immediately as a Tropical Mockingbird, having seen many of them in my Caribbean travels. I wanted to capture it on camera, so I ran back to get my camera, but when I came back, the bird was gone. I looked for it in the following days, but it never reappeared.

The last photo of a Tropical Mockingbird in Barbados by Richard Roach 2009

The only other time I saw a Tropical Mockingbird in Barbados was in a photo taken by my good friend and fellow photographer Richard Roach. He snapped that bird in 2009, not far from the WSR. The Tropical Mockingbird has greyish upperparts and paler underparts. Its tail is long and has wide white tips on the outermost feathers, which are very noticeable when the tail is open or in flight. Young birds may be more brownish or buffy than adults and have weak dark streaks on the chest and sides. While this bird is rare for our island it is a common bird for the Lesser Antilles.

My first new local bird of 2024 was a rewarding experience, but I regret not having a photo of it because I didn’t bring my camera with me. But that’s birding for you.

2024 Images - January

My bird photography opportunities in January were limited, but I still managed to capture some images, snapshots, while birding.  Below are a few of them.

  

A  male Antillean Crested Hummingbird 

An elegant Great Egret in flight

Recognizing the potential for confusion with its larger, American counterpart, the Great Blue Heron, this Grey Heron strategically exposed its diagnostically pale thighs for clear identification.

A Belted Kingfisher giving me the look as it flies by 

A beautiful male Black-faced Grassquit at the Walkers Reserve 

the same bird from above

the mighty Osprey 

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

One of my backyard birds - Barbados Bullfinch