Pre-storm Birding

two of the tree Collared Plover 

With the threat of tropical storm Gonzalo to the south of the island I wanted to investigate a few birding locations on the south and south-east coast. 

My first stop was at the Oistins pier and it was empty! No Laughing Gulls, Roseate Terns, or Magnificent Frigatebirds that would normally be there. The fishing boats that are usually moored in the bay were all gone, move to safety no doubt. The sea was very calm, lets hope it was not the proverbial calm before the storm. I then went on to Inch Marlow. The sargassum seaweed littered beach played host to a few  Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius) and Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) but that will change in the coming weeks as migration intensifies.  My last stop was at a private location in the parish of St. Philip and it was there that I saw my bird of the afternoon, a Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris), three of them in fact.   The most numerous bird species were

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), a few in breeding plumage, and Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla).  

It was a good afternoon of birding, I saw 23 bird species included a rare one.  Now as I am here sitting and reminiscing a it has started to rain, light at first but then it really came. The island need the rain after the perlong drought we are experiencing. It was refreshing to learn that the storm system is much further south than first reported, thus would not effect the island to the degree as was expected. It is also weakening and hopefully  will have little or no affect on the islands to our south. Stay safe and enjoy your birding. 

Checklist

1. Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa)
2. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
3. Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina)
4. Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita)
5. Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)
6. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
7. Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
8. Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris)
9. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
10. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
11. Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
12. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
13. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
14. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
15. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
16. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
17. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
18. Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica)
19. Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis)
20. Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
21. Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)
22. Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola)

Big Year Update: June

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

At the end of May, I set a goal of 87 bird species by the end of June for my big year challenge and ended with 84 species, adding 5 new birds in the month. For the photographic side, I did not do as well as expected for various reasons and ended the month with 41 images, adding just 8 images in June.

Big Year 2020

The five additions for June was made up of mainly rare birds.  On the first day of the month, I added a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) and White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus).  On the 13^th I photographed one of three Terns at North Point, St. Lucy which turned out to be Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii), and two days later in the same parish, I added Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor).  My final new bird for the month was the tiny Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris). I would like to finish the month of July with ninety species.

Photo Big Year 2020

I thought I would at least be up to 50 images by now but the setbacks in 2020 continue, with my cheapo Canon 75-300mm lens developing auto-focusing issues.  Before quitting on me It allowed me to add 8 new images, of which you can see below.    

I missed a few birds in the month that I am hoping to see and photograph in July.  Two sightings of Pearly-eyed Thrashers (Margarops fuscatus) at private residents in St. Joseph and St. Michael is on my radar and the second one, Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens), which would be a lifer for me. I know of a confirmed sighting in St. Peter and a tentative one in St. Michael.  If they are still around I will try to see them.  


June images

 34. White-tailed Tropicbird  (Phaethon lepturus)

35. Sanderling (Calidris alba)

36. Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus

37. Scaly-naped Pigeon  
(Patagioenas squamosa)

38. Roseate Tern
(Sterna dougallii)

39. Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)

40. Collared Plover
Charadrius collaris 

41.Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
(Dendrocygna autumnalis)