December 26: My Best Birding Day of 2025 (3 yearbirds, 2 lifers)

Western Reef-Heron, lifer

December 26 will forever stand out as one of—if not the—best birding days of my life. In a single day, I added three new species to my 2025 year-list, including two lifers, and witnessed a record-breaking moment for Barbados birding.
The day began with a buzz in our Birds Alert WhatsApp group. Ian “Bolt” Alkins, principal of the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR), had photographed a strange, light-grey heron with striking white markings on its face. When the ID came through, my heart skipped: Western Reef-Heron (Egretta gularis)—a bird at the very top of my bucket list, and my first lifer for the day.

Eurasian Wigeon - yearbird #2

Soon, local birders gathered at WSR to admire this rarity. None of us realized another surprise was hiding in plain sight. Four Wigeons - all thought to be American Wigeon (Mareca americana) - had been lingering at the refuge, but as I studied them more closely, I noticed something unusual. Among the females, one had a brownish head while another showed a grayish tone. I suggested the possibility of a female Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope), and after careful study with the group, my hunch was confirmed:  a second rare bird, Eurasian Wigeon, yearbird number two.

Gray Trembler - lifer #2, Yearbird #3

As birders chatted and compared notes of the two finds at WSR, Macrae Hoyos—one of our newer, enthusiastic members—shared a video of a bird no one expected to see in Barbados - a Gray Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis). He led me and fellow birder Ocean Campbell on a winding drive through St. Philip and St. John, eventually arriving at Consett Bay and we were not disappointed, the bird showed in all its glory.  This species, which is near endemic on Saint Lucia and Martinique, is not known to migrate. The plot thickens when other birders visited the site on the following and not only found one bird, but also a second - two bird on the island.  Our local experts, Ed Massiah, noted they appeared to belong to the St. Lucian race. How they reached Barbados remains a mystery, but their presence marked a first record for the island and a life for me.

With these three additions, my 2025-year tally climbed to 124 species—a new personal best and an island record for the number of bird species seen in a single calendar year.

December 26 wasn’t just another day in the field. It was a day of lifers, surprises, and history-making discoveries. Without question, it was my best birding day of 2025.

My 2025 Checklist (updated 31/12/2025)

121.Black-and-white Warbler

In my previous update, I celebrated passing my 110th bird of the year and set a bold target of 115+ species. Fast forward to just a few days before the end of 2025, and I’ve not only crossed that threshold—I’m now sitting at 121 species, a major personal and local record. What makes this stretch even more thrilling is the quality of the birds. Among them are two unforgettable local lifers: the Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and the Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra), along with several other rare sightings that added extra excitement to the tally. While my birding has never been just about the tick, reaching 120+ species in a single calendar year feels like a milestone worth celebrating. After all, I began this journey simply aiming to see 100 local birds. Now, I find myself officially in big year mode.
Who knows what the next outing will bring? One thing’s certain—it’s not over yet.

           __________________________________________________________________

Key: Rare birds; Barbados Purple lifer; W.I Lifers; World Lifer * Rare for the time of year

_________________________________________________________________

124.Gray Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis) (178;226;421)
123.Western Reef-Heron (Egretta gularis) (178;225;420)
122.Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
121.Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia
120.Masked Booby - Sula dactylatra (Barbados: 176)
119.Northern Shoveler - Spatula clypeata
118.Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
117.White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus
116.Brown Pelican - Pelecanus occidentalis
115.Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (175;224;419)
114.Ruff - Calidris pugnax
113.Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula (174;222;418)
112.Blackpoll Warbler - Setophaga striata
111.Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus (173; 221)
110.Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
109.Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia
108.Merlin - Falco columbarius
107.Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus
106.Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Calidris subruficollis
105.Southern Lapwing - Vanellus chilensis
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 (172;220;417)
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 (171;219;416)
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

Alberta 2024 - Acknowledgements

The Black-caped Chickadee is still my favorite Canadian bird after two trips

My second visit to Alberta turned out to be even better than the first, and for many reasons:

• This time, I had my entire family with me, and we all had a blast.
• I was able to spend extended, meaningful time with my uncle and aunt.
• And of course, the birding was simply fantastic, thanks to some local birders.

I want to say a big thank you to my uncle and aunt for opening their home and allowing my family and me to share their space for an entire month. Their hospitality made this trip truly special.

In total, I recorded 145 species, including 29 lifers. One person played a huge role in making that possible—Keith Miles. I first met Keith during my 2019 visit, and we quickly became friends. When he heard I was returning to Calgary, he promised to take me birding. True to his word, he took me out not once, but three times.  Thanks to Keith, I was able to see several of my target birds, including the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) and the Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus). He also surprised me with lifers I hadn’t expected, such as the Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) and the Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis). In all, he helped me secure 14 of my 29 lifers. Beyond the birds, as we travel to various hotspots, he allowed me to see Alberta’s stunning landscapes, from Brown-Lowery Provincial Park to Frank Lake.  Thank you, my friend, for spending your time with me and helping make my vacation wonderful. Another friend I must acknowledge is John MacGillivray. Despite not being in the best of health, John still joined us for birding outings. His effort and companionship meant a lot, and I am truly grateful.

We faced challenges with canceled flights, both from Calgary to Toronto and from Toronto to Barbados, on our way back home - thanks Air Canada. One young lady, Sarah Al-ajele, at Calgary International Airport went above and beyond. Though she had already clocked out for the day, seeing how we were being turn around by the Air Canada checking staff, she returned to help us. She worked tirelessly on the phone for what felt like hours, eventually securing a way home for us and arranging accommodation near the airport. Her dedication turned a stressful situation into a manageable one, and we all owe her a big thank you.

These are just a few of the many people—named and unnamed—who helped us along the way. To all of them, I extend my deepest gratitude.

This won’t be my last visit to Calgary. In fact, I’m already thinking about returning in winter to try for some of those iconic cold-weather birds, including the Snowy Owl but I am not sure if I can handle the cold, but I am thinking about it.

Alberta 2024 - Bonus Days (September 11 - 14)

I should have been back home in Barbados on September 11. Instead, thanks to Air Canada canceling our flights from Alberta to Toronto and then onward to Barbados, our vacation stretched by four extra days. The detour took us through Grenada—yes, Grenada in the Caribbean—because that was the only available routing.

White-throated Sparrow

We were hosted at a hotel near the Calgary airport. The weather was miserable—rainy and freezing—but I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of birding during breaks in the showers. At the pond close to the hotel, a Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) put on a nice show, while a resident pair of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) kept me company both days at the hotel. From my room window, I also spotted a pair of Wilson’s Warblers (Cardellina pusilla) flitting through the shrubs. That was the extent of it; the rain kept me from exploring further. 

Our next stop was the Marriott Airport Hotel in Toronto where I saw my first Maple Leaf. After the issues we faced at the Calgary hotel—including missing items—we arrived skeptical. But the Marriott quickly erased those worries with excellent service and food. I was excited to spend a little extra time in Toronto, hoping to finally see the iconic Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), a bird I’d been told was common there. Despite my efforts around the city, the cardinal remained elusive. On the morning of September 14, we boarded a five-hour Air Canada flight to Grenada. 

Stepping off the plane at Maurice Bishop International Airport, the Caribbean heat hit me like a wall—a stark reminder that the vacation was truly ending. After weeks away, I hadn’t felt temperatures like that in over a month. With four hours to spare before our connecting flight, I wandered around the airport and was rewarded with my final lifer of the trip: a Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis). That sighting was a fitting finale to the journey.
Eventually, we boarded our last flight—a short 45-minute hop on Caribbean Airways—and finally touched down in Barbados. Bring an end to and eventful and rewarding trip to Alberta, Canada.

Week 4 |Home | Acknowledgements