Southern Caribbean 2023 - Day 3 Aruba

Rock Pigeon at the Aloe Factory 

On the fourth day of the Southern Caribbean Cruise, I started birding later than normal, around 6:30 AM because I was feeling unwell. As we arrived at the port of Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, I saw some familiar Caribbean Seabirds like Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla), Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificent) and Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). I had planned to join a guided birding tour with Michiel Oversteegen, of  Bird Watching Aruba, but it didn’t work out. Instead, we visited some interesting places and one of the best birding spots on the island.

The first place we went to was the Aruba Aloe Factory, where we saw how they made products from a single plant. I learned that the Aloe Vera subspecies they used had the same Latin name as our island - Barbadensis. I wondered if there was any connection to Barbados because one of the birds I wanted to see on this trip also had that name - Amazona barbadensis, the Yellow-shouldered Parrot. The factory was surrounded by a dry and dusty landscape, with Hubada (Acacia tortuosa) shrubs everywhere. The only birds I noticed were common ones like Bare-eyed Pigeons (Patagioenas corensis), Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), and so on.  I got excited when I spotted an owl on a roof, but it turned out to be fake, lol.

Five Neotropic Cormorants at Bubali Bird Sanctuary, my only lifer from Aruba

The only real birding stop we made was at the Bubali Bird Sanctuary, a wetland oasis with tall buildings around it. We walked along a trail from the road to a lookout tower that overlooked the marshy grassland. There, I saw my first Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) of the trip in the bushes below. I also saw my fifth lifer for the trip, Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum), in that area.

After Bubali, we went back to the ship for a late lunch and some rest. There were no more birding surprises for the rest of the day. I hope to come back to Aruba someday and take that tour with Michael because there are so many beautiful birds to see on this island.

Number of Species recorded on the Day: 22
Number of Lifers recorded on the Day: 1

Total Species recorded for the Trip: 51

Total Lifers recorded for the trip: 5 

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Harrison Point Warbler Season 2023

Blackpoll Warbler, an annual visitor to Harrison's Point 

I love October because it’s the time of year when warblers visit Harrison’s Point in St. Lucy, a hotspot for migratory birds. I have had some wonderful experiences there over the years, such as seeing 15 Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) on a wet day in 2017, a Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) in 2014, and two new birds for me: Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta variaon) and Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) last year.

Northern Wheatear, one of my 3 lifers from HP in 2023

But this year was the best. I spotted 37 species, including three lifiers: Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), and Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera), which was also a new record for Barbados. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) were everywhere, I counted more than 200 on August 29th. They were so abundant that they outnumbered all the other seed eaters, even the Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola). Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus) also put on a great display at HP this year. I recorded over 50 individual birds for the year. A pair of Upland Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda), a bird that is very hard to find on the island, were easily visible there this year. 

Upland Sandpipers

Why did the birds gather or stay at Harrisons Point this year? I don’t know for sure, but I think it had something to do with the two open fields across from the hospital entrance where most of the birds were seen. This field used to be covered with River Tamarind (Leucaena leucocephala), but that was cleared and it was ready for planting, but then we had a lot of rain and some native grasses with seeds grew, which drew in the seed eaters. Some plants also attracted butterflies and moths, which the Cuckoos, Upland Sandpiper, and Warblers took advantage of. It shows how vital feeding areas are along the migration paths of these travelers. I hope this is not the last time we see Harrison Point full of migratory birds like it was in 2023.

Images from HP 2023

lots of Bobolinks 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak one of my 3 lifers

Blue-winged Warbler another lifer 

Prothonotary Warbler was the prettiest warbler at HP this year

A curious Yellow-billed Cuckoo 

Another Yellow-billed Cuckoo drying out after a downpour