110/10 Big Year Update – May, June and July

84. Fulvous Whistling-Duck

I have not updated the 110/10 Big Year or the 2022 Photographic Big Year since the end of April.  At that point, I saw 83 species and was way behind in the photo challenge only displaying 20 images.  In the three months since then, a few more birds were added to both groups, closing July with  92 species in the big year and still a bit behind in the photo big year with 36 images.

Three species were added in May. There were the rare Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) ⁸⁴ and Striated Heron (Butorides striata) ⁸⁵ and one of the few species that migrate here to nest, Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger) ⁸⁶.

89. Roseate Tern 

Three more species were added in June.  The elusive Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) ⁸⁷ was finally bagged on the Ermy Bourne Highway, Saint Joseph, while my 150^th lifer, a Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) ⁸⁸ was seem along the same stretch of road seven days later.  The last bird recorded during the month of June was a Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) ⁸⁹ at Oistins, Christ Church. I thought I landed what is becoming my nemesis bird for the year, a Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala). Still, thanks to a heads up from a birding expert on the Birds of Barbados Facebook group, Ed Massiah,  I reexamine the image and found the bird in question to be a hybrid, Orange-winged X Yellow-crowned.

91. Collared Plover

In July the trend of three additions continued, this time three rare birds were added, two early in the month and one later. The two, a Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)⁹⁰ and Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris)⁹¹ seen earlier in the month were both logged  on the same day, the 8^th, both in the parish of St. Lucy, both shorebirds but at the opposite end of the shorebird size spectrum. With the plover very small and the stilt tall and lanky.  My final entry on the 110/10 was a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)⁹² seen on a buoy at Oistins, Christ Church. 

Goals for August

As we enter the busy end of the year, fall migration, birds will be coming fast and furious.  High on my to-see list for most of the year was Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) and the search will continue.  On the ebird.org Target list for the month my objective would be the White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), and Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia).  With 18 species to go in 5 months, I must admit I am feeling a bit of pressure, especially on the photo side of the challenge but let us see how it goes in August.