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.