My 100th bird of the year, at the end of August, was an absolute stunner—a Cuban Martin (Progne cryptoleuca), unexpectedly turning up in St. Lucy on August 26th. A mega rarity and a thrilling yearbird! But if you’ve been keeping track, you’ll notice it’s no longer listed as number 100. Why the shuffle? Earlier this year, I had logged my second lifer for 2026 as a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), only to later remove it due to the tricky ID challenge posed by the recent split from the Eurasian based, Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Anywhere else in the hemisphere, it might’ve been a straightforward call—but this is Barbados, where European vagrants have a habit of just popping up unannounced. Thankfully, thanks to the tight-knit global birding community, the sighting was eventually confirmed as a Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)—a lifer and the first-ever record for Barbados and the Americas. That reclassification bumped the Cuban Martin to #101 on the list, but it’s still a highlight of the season.
September didn’t disappoint either. A surprise Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) made an appearance, (remember what I said about Barbados and Eurasian birds) and I finally tracked down one of my long-standing nemesis birds for 2026 at the WSR, a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) marking my 104th species for the year.
With a few regulars still expected, I’m well on track to hit my goal of 115+ species for 2025. The chase continues!
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| 94. Black Swift - Cypseloides niger |
104.Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
103.Upland Sandpiper - Bartramia longicauda
102.Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia
101.Cuban Martin - Progne cryptoleuca
100.Bridled Tern - Onychoprion anaethetus
99. White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis
98. Red Knot - Calidris canutus
97. Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
96. Willet - Tringa semipalmata
95. Hen Harrier - Circus cyaneus (171;220;416)
94. Black Swift - Cypseloides niger
93. Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii
92. Common Swift - Apus apus
91. Least Tern - Sternula antillarum
90. Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
89. Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri
88. Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus* (seen in May)
87. Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos* (seen in May)
86. American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus
85. Striated Heron - Butorides striata
84. Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus
83. White-tailed Hawk - Geranoaetus albicaudatus
82. Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
81. Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
80. Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus
79. Pacific Golden-Plover - Pluvialis fulva
78. Fork-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus savana
77. Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus
76. Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
75. Black-throated Blue Warbler - Setophaga caerulescens (170;219;415)
74. Northern Parula - Setophaga americana
73. Pearly-eyed Thrasher - Margarops fuscatus
72. Brown Booby - Sula leucogaster
71. Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla
70. American Wigeon - Mareca americana
69. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nyctanassa violacea
68. Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea
67. White-crowned Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala
66. Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
65. Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
64. Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus
63. Masked Duck - Nomonyx dominicus
62. Gadwall - Mareca strepera
61. Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus
60. Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
59. Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
58. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
57. Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus
56. Northern Waterthrush - Parkesia noveboracensis
55. Orange-winged Parrot - Amazona amazonica
54. Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea
53. Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica
52. Eared Dove - Zenaida auriculata
51. Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
50. Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia
49. Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis
48. Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri
47. Black-whiskered Vireo - Vireo altiloquus
46. Caribbean Elaenia - Elaenia martinica
45. Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus
44. Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
43. Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
42. Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria
41. Wilson's Snipe - Gallinago delicata
40. Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens
39. Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
38. Grassland Yellow-Finch - Sicalis luteola
37. Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
36. Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps
35. Common Ground Dove - Columbina passerina
34. Caribbean Martin - Progne dominicensis
33. Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla
32. Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
31. Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
30. Pacific Golden-Plover - Pluvialis fulva
29. Gray Kingbird - Tyrannus dominicensis
28. Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
27. Great Egret - Ardea alba
26. Green Heron - Butorides virescens
25. Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
24. Tricolored Heron - Egretta tricolor
23. Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca
22. Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
21. Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
20. American Coot - Fulica americana
19. Sora- Porzana carolina
18. Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
17. Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
16. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - Dendrocygna autumnalis
15. Sanderling - Calidris alba
14. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
13. Royal Tern - Thalasseus Maximus
12. Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus
11. Black-faced Grassquit - Melanospiza bicolor
10. Barbados Bullfinch - Loxigilla barbadensis
9. Bananaquit - Coereba flaveola
8. Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris
7. Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata
6. Antillean Crested Hummingbird - Orthorhyncus cristatus
5. Green-throated Carib - Eulampis holosericeus
4. Zenaida Dove - Zenaida aurita
3. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
2. Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
1. Scaly-naped Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa