Cuba 2015
Transcription
Cuba 2015
ORIOLE BIRDING www.oriolebirding.com [email protected] @OrioleBirding TOUR REPORT CUBA 2015 General Our tour was led by Cuban expert Andy Mitchell and ground arrangements were provided through Havanatour. We had the same driver and Havanatour guide throughout the trip, and they were both very good, putting up with our early morning starts and driving along various tracks and unmade roads without complaint! Our air conditioned bus was perfect for birding, having plenty of room to move around and comfortable seats for the longer journeys. Our four different hotel bases were of varying standards [but the best available in each location] from the Western standard tourist hotel on Cayo Coco [complete with Western tourists!] to the rather more ramshackle Playa Larga. Throughout the trip though, the staff were friendly and helpful. Food was decent enough though it lacked variety – again apart from Cayo Coco which was a buffet of huge proportions! Birding was not strenuous, with mainly short walks on flat, well made paths and tracks and occasionally along the roadside. Birding was generally split into two sessions each day, one from around dawn until noon, and another from 1600 to dusk. We used local guides in each location too, some through necessity [some areas cannot be visited without one] and some for helping us find the more difficult species [notably owls and the ‘swamp birds’]. We enjoyed the cheap drinks, especially the excellent Mojitos, and were fascinated throughout by the cultural and political differences we encountered – especially the ingenuity of the Cubans themselves and of course their eighty year old cars! Weather We only had one day of rain during the trip, but unfortunately it did virtually wipe out quite an important birding session at La Belen. Thankfully, we had already bagged up on the main targets before it hit! The rest of the time it was basically sunny, occasionally with a bit more cloud bringing welcome shade, particularly during the hotter afternoon sessions. Temperatures dropped from 31C when we arrived in Havana, gradually getting a bit cooler until we hit a morning low of about 12C when in Zapata. Most of the time, the temperature was just about ideal for birding and only on a couple of occasions did it start feeling a bit too hot. Monday 23rd March We met at London Gatwick airport for the Virgin Atlantic flight direct to Havana, which left slightly late at around 1300. We were met by 31C of heat and a bit of a scrum at the baggage hall, but we were all eventually reunited with our luggage and after a long queue for currency exchange we had soon met with our guide Andy Mitchell, our Havanatour guide and driver. The transfer west to Hotel Mirador took just over 1.5hrs and we arrived, exhausted, to a very pleasant and prompt meal and beer which left us all well and truly ready for bed! The Antillean Palm Swifts calling from under the thatch of the restaurant roof would have to wait until morning to be ticked off! Tuesday 24th March We rose for breakfast at 0730, taking it a little easy on the first morning as we were all extremely tired after yesterday. The Antillean Palm Swifts we had heard last night were now whizzing around calling and we saw our first Northern Mockingbird in the hotel garden. We wanted to crack on though, to visit an area before it got too hot where we might find the endemic Cuban Solitaire, our only chance of the trip. It took about forty minutes to wind our way into the limestone hills behind San Diego de los Banos to the National Park at Ceuva los Portales, a beautiful spot with a river running through limestone caves creating a unique type of terrain. Birds along the road included Loggerhead and Grey Kingbirds, Greater Lizard Cuckoo, Zenaida and Mourning Doves, Cuban Blackbird and Greater Antillean Grackle. Birds came thick and fast as we got out of the bus and walked towards the entrance to the park, as our guide Cesar found a Cuban Pygmy Owl which he called into the open and of course it was immediately mobbed by many small birds! Northern Parula, Palm and Magnolia Warblers, Western Spindalis, American Redstart, Black-whiskered Vireo , Cuban Emerald and Cuban Blackbird were subsequently all seen in the same tree! A group of Tawnyshouldered Blackbirds moved in to feed at a flowering tree, joined by a Cuban Oriole, and we had good comparisons of Loggerhead and Grey Kingbirds. La Sagra’s Flycatcher also showed well in a large tree and in quick succession we had good views of West Indian and Cuban Green Woodpeckers. West Indian Woodpecker, 24th March Cueva los Portales Red-legged Thrush were very common, here of the distinct Cuban race – a large and beautiful thrush which is also a great songster. As we passed a large cave, a pair of Cuban Tody’s showed really well as they were prospecting a nest site on the rocks – such stunning little birds with quite improbable colouration. Along the river Cave Swallows were doing their thing and now we could hear our main target giving its remarkable song – the Cuban Solitaire. Winding our way up the steps to an area favoured by this bird, we had more good views of species such as Western Spindalis, Grey Catbird, Greater Lizard Cuckoo and a pair of Black-whiskered Vireos. We didn’t have to wait long for excellent views of the solitaire, which flew and landed in a tree right beside us and began singing. We had some more decent views of it later on too, including scoped up as it perched motionless among the branches of a tree. Other birds in the trees around included an elusive Black and White Warbler and some decent views of two Cuban Trogon, while a single Cuban Martin flew over. A Scaly-naped Pigeon was something of a bonus, perched for scope views rather than just being a flyover, and we had some brief views of Cuban Bullfinch and Common Yellowthroat too down by the river. It had been a quite fantastic introduction to Caribbean birds and some of the commoner Cuban endemics, of which we had already seen ten! There was time for one more before lunch too, as we spent some time about 1km outside San Diego de los Banos looking for the Cuban Grassquit in the roadside goat fields. This one was tricky, and we could see a few Yellow-faced Grassquits around but only the leaders managed to see the main target. However, with perseverance from Cesar we all managed good views of a pair perched in a small bush among a tobacco plantation. We also saw several Palm Warblers, Common Ground-Dove, a stonking male American Redstart, and a scoped up Common Yellowthroat – not a bad start to the tour! We made the short journey back to the hotel for lunch and a break, with time for a swim during the hottest part of the day. We headed back out into the field again at 1600, refreshed and ready to go! We headed back towards the area we had visited during the morning, at Hacienda de Cortina, to look specifically for the Olive-capped Warbler, a pine woodland endemic. We found the species within a few minutes, and had excellent views as it fed typically overhead among the higher branches, occasionally dropping lower for better views. It shared its tree with our first Cuban Pewee, a bird which we went on to get several nice views of during the walk. A gentle wander along the road through the landscaped grounds of this area which bordered semi-deciduous woodland, produced a good selection of species with American migrants featuring highly – Tennessee, Black-throated Blue and Palm Warblers, American Redstart and a Louisiana Waterthrush were all noted, the latter proving something of an identification conundrum! A pair of Red-legged Honeycreepers allowed us to scope them as they perched among the fruits of a palm, while Cuban Blackbird, Greater Antillean Grackle, Grey and Loggerhead Kingbirds and Red-legged Thrush were all very common. Red-legged Honeycreeper and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 24th March We had particularly excellent views of both the West Indian and Cuban Green Woodpeckers, with a pair of the former observed mating on a branch overhead! Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds were also seen well, and a Great Lizard Cuckoo clambered about right above our heads. We made the most of opportunities to get better views of some species seen earlier, particularly Cuban Emerald, Blackwhiskered Vireo and Cuban Pewee which were all observed at close quarters through the telescope. A pair of Cuban Trogons appeared right above the road, and entertained us as they chased one another from branch to branch calling frequently and putting on a great display. A first-summer male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was more of a surprise though, popping up nearby and allowing us some very good prolonged scope views and photos. As we walked back, we had extremely close views of a Green Heron, on the same pond as the waterthrush – we also had some fun learning some of the Cuban bird names, with this one being a favourite. Translating as ‘shits milk’, the local name refers to the species habit of defecating on take-off! The waterthrush has a rather more appealing local name, ‘Senorita del Rio’ – the ‘senorita’ part referring to its habit of wiggling its rear end! All in all a very enjoyable session and a great end to a productive first day which had met all our targets in terms of the endemics. We had a great meal back at the hotel, complete with live music and salsa to round off the evening [helped of course by a drop of rum!]. Wednesday 25th March Today was basically billed as a travelling day, as we undertook the long journey eastwards across the country some 800km to our second base on the offshore Cayo Coco, joined to the main island of Cuba by a 16km causeway. Cuba is in fact comprised of over 4500 islands or ‘cays’, most of which run in a chain along the northern edge of the island, and this destination would open up new habitats and species for us. The total drive was almost 12 hours, but of course we made several stops along the way, though only one was primarily a birding stop. This was at Nina Bonita, where a convenient coffee bar overlooked a vegetated reservoir where many ducks could be observed. A large flock of around 500 ducks comprised mainly Lesser Scaup, but with good numbers of Blue-winged Teal and Ruddy Duck too. Double-crested Cormorant and Pied-billed Grebe were also common, and of course American Coot and Common Moorhen. Several herons were present along the margins, including Snowy and Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Little Blue Heron. A Caspian Gull gave good close up views plunging into the water and many Brown Pelicans were also present. Two Barn Swallows flew through, three Ring-billed Gulls loafed on the water and a Palm Warbler was hopping about among the chairs and tables in the cafe! From here we basically continued motoring throughout the day, picking up a few birds on the final leg such as Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, Magnificent Frigatebird and even two Red-breasted Merganser – found wintering only here in the whole of Cuba. We arrived on Cayo Coco slightly later than planned due to heavy rain hampering the last leg of the journey. Still, we were checked in and having a beer by 2015 and despite the very different tourist-orientated environment of this bustling beach style hotel, we enjoyed a decent buffet meal and an all you can drink bar service before retiring ready for a busy days birding tomorrow. Thursday 26th March We made an early start with a packed breakfast this morning, and after coffee at the 24hr hotel bar alongside the remnants of last nights party-goers, we boarded the bus just after 0700 for our short drive to Cueva de Jabali – the ‘Wild Boar Cave’. This slightly bizarre location has an underground nightclub inside natural limestone caves which can house up to 300 revellers! Thankfully at this time of day it was deserted and we had some super birding in the trees and shrubs around, being right on the coast. A Cuban Green Woodpecker was excavating a nest hole in the car park and species such as Red-legged Thrush and Loggerhead Kingbird were plentiful and conspicuous. Cuban Green Woodpecker, 26th March Cayo Coco It was the American migrants that stole the show though, with one clump of bushes producing American Redstart, Black-throated Blue and Cape May Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireo and Northern Parula. The endemic Oriente Warbler was also easy to see here, and both Cuban Pewee and La Sagra’s Flycatcher did their best to divert our attention from the dazzling warblers! Two drinking troughs maintained by one of the local guides were fantastic for getting close-ups of Grey Catbird, Ovenbird and Black-throated Blue Warblers, but our main target also soon appeared – the superb Ovenbird, 26th March Cayo Coco Key West Quail-Dove. A White-crowned Pigeon also visited the troughs and the trees around gave superb views of Cuban Tody, Cuban Bullfinch and Black-whiskered Vireo. Talking a slow walk back along the road, we saw more Cuban Bullfinches, La Sagra’s Flycatcher and Western Spindalis, but two Cuban Vireo were all too brief. Oriente Warbler was again common though – we had superb views of this bird, part of a two-species endemic genus which also includes the similar Yellowheaded Warbler. Cuban Tody, 26th March Cayo Coco A quick stop for fuel allowed us to add two more species to the list, with a White-winged Dove and stunning Yellow-throated Warbler seen in the middle of a roundabout. A Cape May Warbler was present too, in full plumage, giving even better views than earlier. Cape May Warbler, 26th March Cayo Coco Moving on to a nearby beach, we made an impromptu roadside stop for three Cuban Black-Hawks, one of which perched on top of a Mangrove allowing us to jump out of the bus and get a scope on it – another endemic ticked off! The beach brought a new clutch of species with several waders seen including a flock of Semipalmated Plovers, giving their distinctive two-note call. Ruddy Turnstone and Grey Plover were more familiar fayre, but we also saw an American Oystercatcher – only about the 5th Cuban record. Royal Terns gave some nice views as they flew past close inshore, and we scored with two of our main target species – the threatened Piping Plover. Andy knew a spot at the edge of the beach which was good for Yellow Warbler, which we saw with ease – also bagging up on Northern Waterthrush in the process, which showed really well and reinforced our identification of the Louisiana seen on Tuesday. Back at our hotel, we took a short walk along the road to the neighbouring hotel where we hoped to find West Indian Whistling Ducks among the chalets! They were easy to find, and lovely birds to see, but as usual there was more on offer too! Some great views of Cuban Martin, and both Great Blue and Tricoloured Herons at close quarters were rounded off by two Lesser Yellowlegs, two Black-necked Stilts and a Kildeer – not bad before lunch! In the afternoon we reconvened for a trip out to Cayo Guillermo, about forty minutes drive away. Our main target here was the extremely localised Bahama Mockingbird, found only on two Cuban Keys and the Bahamas themselves. We tried two spots without any luck, but we did see a Merlin and a colossal Marine Iguana, before eventually the bird popped up and sang on a bush right beside the bus! We saw two in the end, and got great scope views – much larger than the common Northern Mockingbird and with streaked flanks. Now we could relax and spend the rest of the afternoon watching waterbirds at a fantastic brackish lagoon near the coast, and here we cleaned up on American shorebirds. Black-necked Stilt and Willet were probably most common, followed by Stilt Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper, all of which were seen at close range in stunning light. Kildeer and Short-billed Dowitcher were also easily seen, feeding on the more open muddy areas. The larger waterbirds comprised American Flamingo, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Great and Snowy Egrets, Little Blue, Green and Tricoloured Herons, Neotropic Cormorant and a single Glossy Ibis – quite a scarce bird here. American Coot, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls and Common Gallinule [Moorhen!] completed the scene. A wonderful close-up feast of waterbirds that we simply did not want to leave, but at the end of every day one must enjoy a beer and go through the checklist before dinner! Short-billed Dowitchers 26th March Cayo Guillermo Iguana sp. Cayo Guillermo 26th March [by Celia Hills] Friday 27th March A hot day in light winds with temperatures soon reaching 30C as we headed out to the nearby island of Cayo Peredon Grande. En route, we had some superb views of Cuban Black Hawk by the roadside, and our first Northern Caracara – we would go on to see several more of both species during the morning. The lighthouse at the tip of the island was our destination, and we spent time wandering along the track there checking the low scrub for two target species – Thick-billed Vireo and Cuban Gnatcatcher. Both could be heard calling, but the vireo especially was extremely skulking at first. The Gnatcatcher much less so, showing about six feet away in full view. Two vireos also popped out and gave themselves up as we were watching a Yellow Warbler, so we had both species in the same view. Birding was a bit slow here otherwise, as the settled weather meant no migrants to speak of in the coastal bushes – a single Prairie Warbler was new and we also saw lots of Oriente Warblers, two Northern Parula and both Cuban Pewee and Cuban Emerald. We decided to move on and use our time elsewhere, and headed back off the Cay to a spot with some brackish pools where we saw Greater Yellowlegs, two Western Sandpipers, many Tricoloured Herons and American Kestrel. It was hot out in the open here, so we didn’t linger for too long, instead heading back to the bridge onto Cayo Coco where there were many herons to be seen. A Reddish Egret just before the bridge was a new species for us, seen in beautiful light, and from the bridge itself we added Yellow-crowned Night Heron – great views of an adult and juvenile of this species, which is normally not out and about during the day. Great Egret side by side with the all white form of Great Blue Heron was a very useful comparison, and we also picked up good views of two Hudsonian Whimbrel here. Royal Terns, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, distant Belted Kingfisher and two Ospreys were also noted from this vantage point. We wanted to get back to the hotel in time for a shower before check out and lunch, so we started to head back, but Andy had one more stop planned in a wooded spot on the way. Here we had fantastic views of another endemic – Cuban Sparrow – and better views of a male Prairie Warbler. Arriving back at 1100 there was plenty of time for a wash and brush up before lunch and the drive south to our next base at Camaguey. Saturday 28th March We had an early start this morning for breakfast at 0630 before heading out on the one hour trip to La Belen, an area of open savannah type country with Palm trees and scattered woodland which is home to yet more range-restricted Cuban endemics. The first of these was Cuban Crow, and unlike our own corvids these birds are restricted to particular habitats and have incredibly musical calls. The forecast was for rain today, so we were keen to crack on and see all the targets as quickly as possible – this proved to be a very good decision. We had some nice flight views of Cuban Parrots with perhaps six seen in total including one perched in the scope for just some of the group. Cuban Parakeet was also seen, albeit more distantly. Two Plain Pigeons were noted and a Giant Kingbird gave fantastic views as it called in the open. Other species seen included Tawny-shouldered and Cuban Blackbirds, American Kestrel, Cuban Green and West Indian Woodpeckers and Grey Kingbird. One tree played host to Northern Parula, American Redstart, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Palm and Yellow-throated Warblers and we went on to get a new warbler species too – a stunning Black-throated Green Warbler. A Limpkin wandering around on the woodland floor and a couple of Cuban Palm Crows [told by their very different calls] meant we had seen all our main targets before 0900, but the weather was closing in and it began to rain. Soon thunder and lightning rolled in and we were forced to take cover under a Mango tree, where we spent an hour and even built a makeshift shelter with palm leaves and palm stalk seats! We realised that it was not going to stop though, so waited for a slight break before dashing back along the bird trail to the bus. It was now raining very hard and this meant the track up to Finca la Belen, where we planned to have lunch, was impassable to our tour bus. We improvised though, finding a local man with a 4x4 who kindly took us up the hill to the finca where shelter and cocktails awaited! We had an excellent lunch here, with the rain still hammering down, and by 1400 we decided to get a lift back down and head back to Camaguey. We made a stop just outside La Belen to visit the home of Andy’s good friend Pedro and his wife, who kindly invited us all in for coffee while we chatted about his various conservation projects. Back in the UK, this man would be recognised as a professor of ornithology but of course in Cuba, ‘all animals are equal’! Pedro found and described one of the subspecies of Zapata Sparrow and was the last man alive to see an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, as well as being a brilliant artist. An inspirational half hour in his company was enjoyed by all. The route back produced a few birds, as the rain had eased – many Smooth-billed Ani’s were drying out on the roadside fence and we saw a few Eastern Meadowlarks, Limpkin and a Northern Caracara. Best bird though was a small flock of the seldom seen Northern Bobwhite, which flew across the road. We arrived back in Camaguey around 1600 and had a leisurely remainder of the afternoon. Sunday 29th March Essentially another travelling day, it was rather cooler as we started off from Camaguey in the rain, only warming up to around 25C later on as we headed back west. The journey produced a few roadside birds such as Limpkin, Eastern Meadowlark, American Kestrel, Grey Kingbird and our first Red-tailed Hawk, and after about 7.5hrs we reached our final base at Playa Larga, on the famous Zapata Peninsula right by the Bay of Pigs. Kildeer, 29th March Playa Larga We checked in and had an hour or so walking around the grounds, where Kildeer could be approached closely and American White Ibis were probing the turf. We found few migrants in the coastal Sea Grape trees, other than a couple of American Redstarts and Grey Kingbirds, but had great views of fishing Brown Pelican, two Black-necked Stilts, a feeding frenzy of terns and a small flock of distant American Wigeon offshore. La Sagra’s Flycatcher and Tawny-shouldered Blackbird were found on the way back to the cabins, as well as Loggerhead Kingbird and the first small groups of Cuban Parrots flying in to roost in the hotel grounds as the evening approached. We had some fantastic close range views of these birds, squabbling as they fed among fruiting trees right by our accommodation – fantastic way to end the day! Loggerhead Kingbird, 29th March Playa Larga Cuban Parrot, 29th March Playa Larga Monday 30th March We had another very early start, leaving after breakfast at 0620 for a half hour drive into Zapata Swamp to La Turba, where we would try and see the Cuban Nightjar as it came in to roost at first light. We saw the bird three times, but always rather sketchy flight views despite being pretty low overhead. Nevertheless, they were views of some sort, which was better than nothing! Once daylight broke, we drove further along the track into the Saw Grass swamp to look for our next endemic target, the localised Zapata Wren. It took some patience, but eventually we had fantastic views of a singing bird out in the open, just a few feet away. Other birds present included Prairie Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush and Common Yellowthroat while we were looking for the wren. Reaching the end of the track in terms of how far we could drive, we left the bus and took a walk for an hour or so. Two Black-crowned Night Heron showed well and over the swamp we saw Great Blue Heron and a tree full of Neotropic Cormorants. American Redstart was very common, flitting in almost every clump of bushes, and we also saw a stunning male Prairie Warbler, great close views of Black and White Warbler and plenty of La Sagra’s Flycatchers. Another endemic, the Yellow-headed Warbler, also showed itself down to a couple of feet, loosely associating with a small group of American warblers, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee and Loggerhead Kingbird. Further up the trail we saw several Cuban Emeralds, fantastic views of a pair of Cuban Green Woodpeckers and two Cuban Orioles which were feeding right above us. Another Northern Waterthrush bobbed among the bushes and as we walked back, two Zapata Sparrows dropped right onto the path in front of us! We watched and photographed them for several minutes, with one coming to within six feet of us – we had to zoom out to fit it in the camera lenses! Zapata Sparrow, 30th March La Turba Heading back along the road towards Playa Larga, we made a roadside stop to look for Redshouldered Blackbird but were unable to find them, so continued to a roadside service area at La Bola for coffee and a bit of a break. Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, West Indian Woodpecker and Cuban Martin could be seen, and after coffee a walk around the adjacent landscaped ponds produced more American Redstarts, another Black and White Warbler, two Northern Waterthrush, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Common Ground-Dove and superb close-ups of Common Yellowthroat and Cuban Oriole. Black and White Warbler, 30th March La Bola The star of the show though was another endemic – a stunning Fernandina’s Flicker probing for grubs on the grass of an adjacent hotel garden, and we watched the bird for about fifteen minutes. A couple of dazzling looking American Purple Gallinule were wandering about with the Common Gallinules on the same lawn. From here we headed back to the hotel for lunch and the usual break before reconvening for the evening session. Fernandina’s Flicker, 30th March La Bola After lunch we met with our local guide Angel again and headed a short distance from Playa Larga into the forest at Solpillar to spend the afternoon looking for owls. We had only walked about fifty metres into the wood from the track and a Cuban Pygmy Owl flew across unannounced in front of us! Angel whistled it into view and we had some cracking views of it in the scope before it shot back off into the trees. The plan was then to spend an hour or so walking quietly through the wood, to see what else we could find. American Redstart was very common, as it had been in the marsh during the morning, and we also had some great views of Black-whiskered Vireo, Cuban Tody, Black-throated Blue Warbler and a couple of brief Ovenbirds. Two Great Lizard Cuckoo scolded us as we passed and Smooth-billed Ani were in the canopy above. One of our main targets here was the delightful Greyfronted Quail-Dove, which Angel somehow spotted with the naked eye even though it was sitting motionless among the leaf litter. We went on to see two more during the walk, including one which ran across the path in front of us. Next Angel took us to a broken off Palm trunk deep in the woods, and after lining us up to one side he scratched the trunk with a branch – out popped a Cuban Screech Owl, to take a look at us for a minute or so, before popping back in again! Incredible! Only a few metres away, Angel also knew where a Stygian Owl was roosting, and we completed the hat-trick in style with fantastic views of the largest of Cuba’s owls sitting right out in the open on its chosen perch. A fantastic day all round, and we were certainly ready for a beer by the time we returned to base around 1830. Owl hat-trick – Solpillar 30th March – Cuban Pygmy, Cuban Screech and Stygian Tuesday 31st March A much cooler feel to things this morning as we headed out again at dawn to reach a spot at the edge of the forest to look for the endemic Blue-headed Quail-Dove. The local ranger of the natural park has created a feeding station where rice is spread along a woodland ride, overlooked by a viewing screen. The only downside was that three coach loads of American birders also had the same idea, due to a breakdown in communications between all the guides. So trying to cram 50 people into a small space was not easy but we found ourselves a spot where we could view the ride and waited. Many Zenaida Doves were feeding and a superb Key West Quail-Dove was strutting its stuff right in front of the screen. A Cuban Emerald was spotted sitting in its nest in a small tree above us, which provided some interim entertainment until our prize appeared – two dazzlingly beautiful Blue-headed QuailDoves, which walked out of the forest and began feeding and displaying right under our noses. We still hadn’t really seen Ruddy Quail-Dove properly but decided to cut our losses here due to the crowd and opt instead to try and find it during our forest walk. Key West and Blue-headed Quail-Doves, 31st March Angel took us along the tracks into the forest where we enjoyed a great hours birding, with good views of many species such as Great Lizard Cuckoo, Cuban Trogon, Black-whiskered Vireo, Redlegged Honeycreeper, Cuban Green Woodpecker and most importantly Cuban Vireo, which most of our group had missed. A pool in the forest attracted Grey-fronted Quail-Doves to drink, while Ovenbirds strutted about around the fringes, and a Ruddy Quail-Dove flew right towards us down the track and just over our heads! A couple of us saw the species on the ground a little later on, but anyway we had now had ‘tickable’ views and completed our Quail-Dove quartet. Grey-fronted Quail-Dove, 31st March Back at the forest edge Angel found us a super Magnolia Warbler, and then a pair of circling Broadwinged Hawks, before taking us along to the star of the show. When anyone comes birding in Cuba the smallest bird in the world has to be the number one target, and within minutes of watching along a small avenue of flowering trees we were watching a dazzling singing male Bee Hummingbird. The bird showed brilliantly for about half an hour, occasionally coming to feed at the flowers in between bouts of singing from a wire. On a couple of occasions, it performed its incredible ‘display flight’ which involves accelerating vertically into the sky at before turning and coming straight back down at quite incredible speed – we surmised that if it were possible to clock it with a radar gun, it would knock the Peregrine’s record into a cocked hat for fastest bird in the world and then hold two top accolades! Bee Hummingbird, 31st March From here we had one more stop to make near the eastern edge of the swamp to try again for our last [available] endemic, the Red-shouldered Blackbird. We didn’t see it, but enjoyed watching a family group of four Northern Caracara and a Fernandina’s Flicker flew past. Back to the hotel from here for lunch around 1230. In the afternoon we visited an area of ponds not far from Playa Larga, and though largely dry this year, we still saw some nice birds. Black and White and Magnolia Warblers flitted among the trees with the ubiquitous American Redstarts, and Kildeer ran around the parched ground by the ponds, allowing extremely close approach. The biggest surprise here without a doubt was a pair of Wood Duck – the first Andy had seen for many years, though they remained frustratingly shy and difficult to observe – definitely not ‘coming to bread!!’.Common Gallinule, American Coot and the metallic American Purple Gallinule were common, and we also had good views of our main target – Northern Jacana, complete with brilliant lemon-yellow wing flashes. One each of Least and Solitary Sandpipers picked around the muddy margins and a pair of Blue-winged Teal were also observed. Tawnyshouldered Blackbirds were particularly common here, and singles of Cuban Oriole, Northern Caracara and Fernandina’s Flicker flew past. Common Yellowthroat and Northern Waterthrush were both observed at close range and a pair of West Indian Woodpeckers showed down to a couple of feet as we walked back to the bus. We made another stop on the way back to try for the Redshouldered Blackbird but were again unlucky – it was quite windy now though so we decided it was best left for tomorrow. A hot afternoon [perhaps the warmest since the beginning of the trip] so we were glad to retire for a shower [of sorts!] before dinner. Wednesday 1st April Our main target this morning was our last remaining endemic and the one which had already eluded us three times! It was a lovely bright and calm morning though with the mist hanging over the swamp, and it only took a minute or two to find a male Red-shouldered Blackbird. We watched the bird for some time, singing at close quarters with the steam seen coming from its bill as it did so! We had to persevere in order to see the red shoulders, but boy were they red! Grey Catbird, Cuban Emerald and Cuban Green Woodpecker were also seen. Now we had the luxury of the rest of the morning to head down to Las Salinas, a huge wetland area of Mangrove swamp and brackish lagoons, to watch waterbirds. We enjoyed a real feast of birds in brilliant light conditions – a masterclass on all the herons and their various age-related variations and colour morphs [particularly the white form of Reddish Egret]. Tricoloured, Black-crowned Night, Green, Great Blue and Little Blue Herons and hundreds of Snowy Egret were seen, along with a spectacular flock of about one hundred American Flamingo. Waders were well represented with a single flock of about one hundred Black-necked Stilts, many Willet and Greater Yellowlegs and a single Short-billed Dowitcher. A couple of Lesser Yellowlegs, Grey Plover and two Stilt Sandpipers were also seen and we enjoyed great scope views of Belted Kingfisher – the first proper view of the tour. Yellow Warbler and Northern Waterthrush were seen around the mangroves and overhead Cuban Black Hawk was seen displaying. Osprey and Peregrine were other raptors of note, with the latter being a new trip bird. Slightly unexpected was a great view of a Clapper Rail, which we all managed to watch for several minutes through the scope as it fed in the open. The biggest lagoon held three American White Pelicans [which later increased to about a dozen] and two Gull-billed Terns gave some very nice views – two more new species. At the end of the track Magnificent Frigatebirds and Caspian Terns drifted over and a small group of Shortbilled Dowitchers were roosting with Willets. Four more Grey Plovers were also here, but not the hoped-for Wilson’s Plover which is sometimes found at the site. More great views of the waterbirds could be had from the bus as we retraced the 21km track back out to the main road, and a couple of lucky people saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flying across in front of the bus – when I say lucky, I mean those who were awake! After lunch back at the hotel, we took an afternoon out to relax and get sorted ready for tomorrows departure. In the evening, we unanimously decided it would be a nice experience to visit a local Cuban household for dinner. Cuban people can get a licence for letting rooms in their house and some also provide evening meals. Andy knew of one such establishment nearby so we headed across there for a great evening of eating and drinking! A perfect way to round off the trip. Thursday 2nd April After breakfast we departed for Havana, a journey of around three hours. Here we took a walking tour and visited the old part of the city, before having lunch in one of the squares and transferring on to the airport in the afternoon. Our Virgin Atlantic flight departed at 1900 for London Gatwick, where we arrived back around 0900 the following morning. Systematic List 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. West Indian Whistling-Duck Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler American Wigeon Wood Duck Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Helmeted Guineafowl Pied-billed Grebe American Flamingo Magnificent Frigatebird Neotropic Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga American White Pelican Brown Pelican Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron White Ibis Glossy Ibis Roseate Spoonbill Turkey Vulture Osprey Cuban Black-Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Crested Caracara American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Clapper Rail Dendrocygna arborea Anas discors Anas clypeata Anas Americana Aix sponsa Aythya collaris Aythya affinis Mergus serrator Oxyura jamaicensis Numida meleagris Podilymbus podiceps Phoenicopterus ruber Fregata magnificens Phalacrocorax brasilianus Phalacrocorax auritus Anhinga anhinga Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus occidentalis Ardea herodias Ardea alba Egretta thula Egretta caerulea Egretta tricolor Egretta rufescens Bubulcus ibis Butorides virescens Nycticorax nycticorax Nyctanassa violacea Eudocimus albus Plegadis falcinellus Platalea ajaja Cathartes aura Pandion haliaetus Buteogallus gundlachii Buteo platypterus Buteo jamaicensis Caracara cheriway Falco sparverius Falco columbarius Falco peregrinus Rallus longirostris 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. Purple Gallinule Common Gallinule American Coot Limpkin American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Killdeer Black-necked Stilt Northern Jacana Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Hudsonian Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Stilt Sandpiper 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull American Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Northern Bobwhite Rock Pigeon Scaly-naped Pigeon White-crowned Pigeon Plain Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove Zenaida Dove Mourning Dove Common Ground-Dove Key West Quail-Dove Gray-fronted Quail-Dove Ruddy Quail-Dove Blue-headed Quail Dove Cuban Parakeet Cuban Parrot Great Lizard-Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Smooth-billed Ani Bare-legged Owl Cuban Pygmy-Owl Stygian Owl Greater Antillean Nightjar Porphyrio martinica Gallinula galeata Fulica americana Aramus guarauna Haematopus palliatus Pluvialis squatarola Charadrius semipalmatus Charadrius melodus Charadrius vociferus Himantopus mexicanus Jacana spinosa Tringa melanoleuca Tringa semipalmata Tringa flavipes Tringa solitaria Numenius hudsonicus Arenaria interpres Calidris mauri Calidris minutilla Limnodromus griseus Calidris himantopus Leucophaeus atricilla Larus delawarensis Larus smithsonianus Larus fuscus Gelochelidon nilotica Hydroprogne caspia Thalasseus maximus Colinus virginianus Columba livia Patagioenas squamosa Patagioenas leucocephala Patagioenas inornata Streptopelia decaocto Zenaida asiatica Zenaida aurita Zenaida macroura Columbina passerine Geotrygon chrysia Geotrygon caniceps Geotrygon montana Starnoenas cyanocephala Aratinga euops Amazona leucocephala Coccyzus merlini Coccyzus americanus Crotophaga ani Gymnoglaux lawrencii Glaucidium siju Asio stygius Caprimulgus cubanensis 93. Antillean Palm-Swift 94. Cuban Emerald 95. Bee Hummingbird 96. Cuban Trogon 97. Cuban Tody 98. Belted Kingfisher 99. West Indian Woodpecker 100. Cuban Green Woodpecker 101. Fernandina's Flicker 102. Cuban Pewee 103. La Sagra's Flycatcher 104. Gray Kingbird 105. Loggerhead Kingbird 106. Giant Kingbird 107. Thick-billed Vireo 108. Cuban Vireo 109. Black-whiskered Vireo 110. Yellow-throated Vireo 111. Palm Crow 112. Cuban Crow 113. Cuban Martin 114. Northern Rough-winged Swallow 115. Cave Swallow 116. Barn Swallow 117. Zapata Wren 118. Cuban Gnatcatcher 119. Cuban Solitaire 120. Red-legged Thrush 121. Gray Catbird 122. Northern Mockingbird 123. Bahama Mockingbird 124. Ovenbird 125. Worm-eating Warbler 126. Northern Waterthrush 127. Louisiana Waterthrush 128. Black-and-white Warbler 129. Common Yellowthroat 130. American Redstart 131. Cape May Warbler 132. Northern Parula 133. Magnolia Warbler 134. Yellow Warbler 135. Black-throated Blue Warbler 136. Palm Warbler 137. Olive-capped Warbler 138. Yellow-throated Warbler 139. Prairie Warbler 140. Black-throated Green Warbler 141. Tennessee Warbler 142. Yellow-headed Warbler Tachornis phoenicobia Chlorostilbon ricordii Mellisuga helenae Priotelus temnurus Todus multicolor Megaceryle alcyon Melanerpes superciliaris Xiphidiopicus percussus Colaptes fernandinae Contopus caribaeus Myiarchus sagrae Tyrannus dominicensis Tyrannus caudifasciatus Tyrannus cubensis Vireo crassirostris Vireo gundlachii Vireo altiloquus Vireo flavifrons Corvus palmarum Corvus nasicus Progne cryptoleuca Stelgidopteryx serripennis Petrochelidon fulva Hirundo rustica Ferminia cerverai Polioptila lembeyei Myadestes elisabeth Turdus plumbeus Dumetella carolinensis Mimus polyglottos Mimus gundlachii Seiurus aurocapilla Helmitheros vermivorum Parkesia noveboracensis Parkesia motacilla Mniotilta varia Geothlypis trichas Setophaga ruticilla Setophaga tigrina Setophaga americana Setophaga magnolia Setophaga petechia Setophaga caerulescens Setophaga palmarum Setophaga pityophila Setophaga dominica Setophaga discolor Setophaga virens Vermivora peregrina Teretistris fernandinae 143. Oriente Warbler 144.Western Spindalis 145. Red-legged Honeycreeper 146. Cuban Bullfinch 147. Cuban Grassquit 148. Yellow-faced Grassquit 149. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 150. Zapata Sparrow 151. Red-shouldered Blackbird 152. Tawny-shouldered Blackbird 153. Eastern Meadowlark 154. Cuban Blackbird 155. Greater Antillean Grackle 156. Cuban Oriole 157. House Sparrow Teretistris fornsi Spindalis zena Cyanerpes cyaneus Melopyrrha nigra Tiaris canorus Tiaris olivaceus Pheuticus ludovicianus Torreornis inexpectata Agelaius assimilis Agelaius humeralis Sturnella magna Dives atroviolaceus Quiscalus niger Icterus melanopsis Passer domesticus