Southern Caribbean 2023 - Day 1 Grenada

Brown Booby hunting from the bow of the ship

I began my birdwatching adventure at dawn, around 4:50AM, as the ship sailed near the western shore of Ronde Island on Grenada's northern end. I observed Red-footed Boobies (Sula sula) chasing flying fish that were disturbed by the ship's movement. As we approached Grenada, the Red-footed Boobies were replaced by Masked (Sula dactylatra) and Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster). By the time we docked at the port, only Brown Boobies remained. Most of them soared gracefully beside the ship, but one clever or lazy individual perched on the bow and waited for easy prey. I also spotted a Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) and some Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) that morning.

Broad-winged Hawk at Annandale Falls

On the island, we hired a taxi and visited Annandale Falls, Grand Etang National Park, and some of the forts around St. Georges, the capital city. I saw my first lifer of the trip, a Grenada Flycatcher (Myiarchus nugator), and had excellent views of the Caribbean subspecies of Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).

Lesser Antillean Tanager at Grand Etang National Park

At our second stop, Grand Etang National Park, I added another lifer to my trip list and two new ones to my West Indian list. The lifer was a dazzling Lesser Antillean Tanager (Stilpnia cucullata), which I had been eager to see. The other birds I saw in Trinidad* a few years ago, but not on my West Indies list: a Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus) and Yellow-bellied Elaenia (Elaenia flavogaster).

I wished I could have seen more species in Grenada, but the brief time I spent on this lush island made me fall in love with it and I plan to return.

*(Trinidad is part of the West Indies, but its species are considered South American).

Tally for the Day/Trip 

Number of Species recorded: 27
Number of Lifers recorded: 2

Checklist

Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground Dove, Zenaida Dove, Eared Dove, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Red-billed Tropicbird, Magnificent Frigatebird, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Grenada Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbird, Carib Grackle, Lesser Antillean Tanager, Bananaquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Black-faced Grassquit

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