A Good Weekend of Birding

I had a really good weekend of birding. It was one of rarities, shorebirds and egrets and herons, large ones. Here are a few images I capture during that period 

Our first Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) for the season

One of the two Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa haemastica) I saw during the weekend.  Our big guy is here feeding with the much smaller Stilt Sandpipers (Calidris himantopus)

This Ruff (Calidris pugnax) at WSR is the third for the migration season. Seen here with a beautiful Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) preening. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

I was happy to see my first Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) in almost two years.

 

The Herons

The herons and egrets put on a show this weekend.  For most of the week we saw a fair amount of Great Egret (Ardea alba) turning up a various location, and it remained so into the weekend with over ten of these large, majestic birds sighted at one location.

A good representation of egrets and a heron I saw over the weekend - Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) the largest of the group, and the smaller white egrets - Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta), Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) and Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Little (Egretta garzetta) and  Snowy Egrets  (Egretta thula)

And the Shorebirds

Shorebirds are still around in smaller amounts than a few weeks ago.

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Global Bird Weekend & October Big Day - Day 2

Hudsonian Godwit

The October Big Day birding went better than I anticipated. I knew I would have only been able to get out late in the afternoon, so I planned and maximized the time I had ending the day tallying 51 species.   Nineteen of those species were a first for the Global Bird Weekend, ending yesterday with fifty-five species.  The final day of the Bird Weekend will be even busier for me but I will try to add a few more species.

Here is the days checklist:

1. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
2. Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
3. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
4. Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa)
5. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
6. Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina)
7. Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita)
8. Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus)
9. Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus)
10. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
11. Black-bellied Plover  (Pluvialis squatarola)
12. American Golden (Plover Pluvialis dominica)
13. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
14. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
15. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)
16. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
17. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
18. Sanderling  (Calidris alba)
19. Least Sandpiper  (Calidris minutilla)
20. White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
21. Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
22. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
23. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
24. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
25. Wilson's Snipe  (Gallinago delicate)
26. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
27. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
28. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
29. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
30. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
31. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
32. Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
33. Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
34. Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
35. Great Egret  (Ardea alba)
36. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
37. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
38. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
39. Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
40. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
41. Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
42. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
43. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
44. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
45. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
46. Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica)
47. Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)
48. Caribbean Martin  (Progne dominicensis)
49. Barn Swallow  (Hirundo rustica)
50. Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
51. Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)
52. Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola)
53. Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
54. Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis)
55. Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor)   

Global Bird Weekend & October Big Day - Day 1

Three of the four Hudsonian Godwit at WSR

A fair start to this weekend's birding.  On day one I saw thirty-six species with the highlight being a Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) and four Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica). See the list below.

1. Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
2. Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa)
3. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
4. Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita)
5. Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus)
6. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
7. Black-bellied Plover  (Pluvialis squatarola)
8. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
9. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
10. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)
11. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
12. White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
13. Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
14. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
15. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
16. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
17. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
18. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
19. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
20. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
21. Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla
22. Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus
23. Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens
24. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
25. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
26. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
27. Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
28. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
29. Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
30. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
31. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
32. Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)
33. Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis
34. Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)
35. Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis)
36. Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor)

Weekend Birding

October 8th, 9th & 10th

October 9th

The team will be out this weekend for the October Big Day and  Global Bird Weekend.   We set a goal to see 70 species over the weekend and 50 for the Big Day.  Look out for the daily updates as we have fun birding.