Big 110/10 Big Year Update

Bank Swallow, my 110th local bird species for 2022

Get the bubbly stuff out and let the celebration begin - Today, November 14th, 2022, I Julian E Moore, for the first time ever, saw 110 bird species in Barbados for a calendar year.  The bird that took me to that mark was a Bank Swallow aka Sand Martin (Riparia riparia).  

Barn Swallow

The observation was magical, I was watching a few Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) on a powerline, when this small, more delicate-looking swallow alight on the powerline and smiled at me, no joke, it looked directly at me, and appeared to smile.  The encounter lasted less than 10 seconds before the bird flew away.  

With a month and a half still to go in 2022, I am excited to see what my end-of-year tally will be as the 110/10 big year nears its end.

110/10 Big Year Update – October

A Black-and-white Warbler one of the lifers

Nine year-birds for October got me back on target. After a poor showing in September, the birds turned up in October for my 110/10 Big Year challenge.  Not only did I see 9 new birds for the year, but 2 of them were lifers. The Photographic side of the challenge continues to lag behind, with only 4 images added.

Summer Tanager lifer number two

The month started encouragingly with year-birds on the first and second, namely a rare White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) and Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) respectively. An amazing birding weekend at Harrison's Point, St. Lucy on the 15 and 16th landed five more, including two lifers.  The lifers were Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) and a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia). 

Blackpoll Warblers

The other birds were - Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus), Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), and Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata).  The other two sightings for October were ducks, a femaleNorthern Pintail (Anas acuta) among a large flock of Blue-winged Teals (Spatula discors) at the WSR on the 24th, and four Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) on the 30th, completed my new sightings for October.

Grassland Yellow-Finch, one of the four images

The four new images were that of Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica), Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon),  Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola), and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis). See all the images here.

Goals for November

With just two species more needed to reach the target of 110, the hope is to get them both in November.  This is a month that is synonymous with rare birds, especially those from across the Atlantic.  I will definitely be keeping an eye out for them.  The website ebird.org suggested that there is a high probability of seeing a Ruff (Calidris pugnax), Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), and Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia).  Both Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) and Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), two local species, are still no-shows for the year thus far, I hope they're not extirpated, but that is something I can spend some time with next year.

Two more months for 2022 and two more birds to go, It may seem that the odds are with me but not necessarily so, this is birding and it is not over until the fat bird sings. Let's see if it will be singing for me in the month of November. 

Harrison's Point 2022 - Two Lifers, 5 Yearbirds

I would admit, I felt a bit down when I gave an update on my 110/10 big-year challenge just a few days ago.  I lamented the poor September birding returns and stated that if by month's end and I don't have at least 104 species, the task of reaching the target is next to impossible.  One weekend of birding at Harrison's Point, changed my mood completely.  Here is why.

I saw Yellow-billed Cuckoos on both days

The facility at Harrison's Points (HP) has taken on many faces over time, an American Naval Base, prison facility, and now an Isolation Facility, a key in the island's fight against COVID.   Through all the changes one thing remained consistent - during the month of October, the small wooded area between the Isolation Facility and the Light House is the best place on the island to see migrating songbirds, most notably Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) and Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus).  

Bobolink at HP

I visited HP on Saturday 15th, hoping to see both of these species. After walking for just over a mile I got a brief glance of a  Blackpoll Warbler with a caterpillar in its mouth.  A few feet from that location I heard the familiar call of another migrant I was not expecting to see. It took me a few minutes to follow the call but eventually, it drew me to its bearer a Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), my second yearbird for the morning.  The third, presented itself soon after, three of them as a matter of fact, Yellow-billed Cuckoos skipping around in a field of young cassava plants.  Satisfied with my morning I headed home with a smile.

One of the Blackpoll Warblers we saw on Sunday

I had no plans of going birdingt the following day but Dr. John Webster was going to HP and asked if I wanted to accompany him. My son, Jason, also was not  happy that I went to HP without him, and saw 3 birds that he needed for the year. So Sunday morning found the three of us at Harrison Point.   As I  got out of my car, Jason and I saw our first of our five Blackpoll Warblers for the morning.  John arrived just as it disappeared into the woods.   As we prepared to make our trek along the path that leads through the wooded area, John jokingly said "come let's go find a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)".  That was funny because the last time that bird was recorded on the island was in 1988 at Turners Hall Woods, St. Andrew.  

Summer Tanager was our first lifer for the day 

We were intrigued by the large number of Grey Kingbirds (Tyrannus dominicensis) that were feeding on the seeds of the Black Willow (Capparis cynophallophora) plants just around the first corner on the trail.  Also the tamed nature of the Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) unflustered by our presents, as their fed on grass seeds about a hand's length away from us, got our attention.  We stopped and had many photographic opportunities.  Suddenly, a yellowish colored bird about the size of the cowbirds appeared on the Black Willow plant.   John and I both took images in an effort to  identify this very active bird.  On seeing its bill color and shape, I thought Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) and searched  for the species on the Merlin field guide app.  The comparison images helped with the identification but  a screen shot from the rear of the Canon was sent, by Whatsapp,  to our resident expert, Ed Massiah for further confirmation.  

2nd lifer a Black & White Warbler

We continued birding as we awaited his response, with John finally seeing his first Blackpoll Warbler for the morning, and we all saw our first Yellow-billed Cuckoos for the day.  Finally, Ed's confirmation came, our strange bird was indeed a Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), a lifer for all three of us. (My 151st lifer for Barbados).  About five minutes later we had our second lifer but this one was easier to identify as no other bird has these features - white underparts with a black and white designed upper.  It was a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)(My 150th lifer for Barbados). This bird was even more difficult than the tanager to photograph as it kept hopping up and down and all around tree trunks and branches but we got a few decent images between the two of us.  I dubbed John the bird whisper for calling this iconic bird to HP.   

We searched in vain for Bobolinks but we did not find any of them.

For that weekend I saw 28 species of birds, which included 2 lifers - Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) and a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia).  These along with Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus), Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) took my 110/10 count to 106 species, just 4 short of my goal.  Can you guess where I will be birding this weekend?

110/10 Big Year Update – September

Gull-billed Tern one of the two year-birds seen in September

Missed birds in September may have derailed my 110/10 big year.  At the end of that month, the Big Year total was 99 species.  Two species were added during the month- Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) and Least Tern (Sternula antillarum).  It was not that September was a bad month for birding, no, it was not, but it was because of a series of unfortunate events that caused me to miss seeing about five species.  The other big year challenge, Photo Big Year sat at 60 images.  As I post, it's the middle of October, and  I am still "behind the eight ball" adding just two species for the month.  I am afraid that if the month finishes and I don't have at least 104 species, the task of reaching the target is next to impossible.

A Least Tern was one of the birds seen in September

Goals for the Remainder of October 

That is easy, find more birds! In the second half of October, we will  be looking for species such as - Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis), and Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). The race is not over as yet, there is still lots of birding to be done before throwing the towel but one thing is for sure - October is going to be the make-or-break month. 

October Big Day

One of  the Highlights from Day 2 - 6 Glossy Ibises

The October Big Day did not go to plan but I still saw 36 species.  In the morning I popped into a few locations in the east and visited the north in the afternoon.  The highlight of the day was 6 Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus)  at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge.  Twenty new birds were added to the checklist, closing the the day with 50 species.  See the info below

October Big Day Total: 36 species 
Total Species count for Global Bird Weekend: 50 species 

See Day 1 Trip report here 
Click here for the full checklist
Click here to see the images for the weekend 

 

Global Bird Weekend

It is going to be a busy weekend and not because of birding. Even as I sat to plan my weekend of birding "more important things" kept popping in and sapping up the time I had planned for birding.  No worries though, we will overcome, just as I did today, the first day of the Global Bird Weekend, I  used any available time.  It being a working day, I did my birding before and after work. A brief stop at Pile Bay, St. Michael before work got the weekend started with six species.  After work, I made four stops along the south coast. The first was at Long Beach, Christ Church where shorebirds were busily feeding among the Sargassum Seaweed. Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres)(50)were the dominant species, in terms of numbers, on the beach. 

148 Ruddy Turnstones were seen on day 1 of Global Bird Weekend

Other shorebirds seen were Sanderlings (Calidris alba) and surprisingly a juvenile American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis Dominica). The Ruddy Turnstones trend continued at the neighboring Inch Marlow with a count of 45, with 35 Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus).  I was surprised by a Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) still showing signs of breeding plumage I was not expecting to see it at the beach. Black-bellied Plovers were also at Chancery Lane marsh along with noisy Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), and a few Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) among other birds.     My final stop was at Oistin's Fish Market, which is also in the parish of Christ Church. Would you believe a significant number of Ruddy Turnstones were also there? Fifty - three of them were sitting on various boats in the bay. 

At the end of Day one of the  Global Bird Weekend, the checklist stands at 30 species - see the full checklist here.

Tomorrow is the October Big Day, My adjusted plan is to stop at any wetland or birding hot spots I can reach as I journey throughout the day. 

New Species for the Day: 30

Yearbirds for the Day:0
Total Species for Global Bird Weekend: 30
Total Yearbirds Global Bird Weekend:0

See Day 1 Trip report here 
Click here for the full checklist
Click here to see the images for the weekend 

October Big Day

This weekend I will be taking part in the October Big Day.  I am hoping to see a record 66 species but more importantly, would be striving to add to both of my big year initiatives that are now in danger of falling short of goals. Targetted species are Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), and early Black-polled Warblers (Setophaga striata). I will give periodic updates on Twitter so join me for this day of birding.