Birding is good for your health (New York Times, Dec. 10, 2022), and a fine group of folks gathered at 7:30 a.m. at the Malecon for a healthy bit of birding with the Trust. Vieques’ First Bird Lady, Daphne Gemmill, joined the Birding Team (Chuck, Marie, Priscilla, Cesar, Mike, and Dale) and several other participants, including VCHT Board President Colleen McNamara and Board Member Katrina Bickford, for the walk. Cesar took the lead and explained what we would do and hopefully see. We got our first birds right there on the Malecon:
Photo By: Martjan Lammertink. Scaly-Naped Pigeon eBird S27800573
Narrative by Dale Doucette, Chief Birder
Birding is good for your health (New York Times, Dec. 10, 2022), and a fine group of folks gathered at 7:30 a.m. at the Malecon for a healthy bit of birding with the Trust. Vieques’ First Bird Lady, Daphne Gemmill, joined the Birding Team (Chuck, Marie, Priscilla, Cesar, Mike, and Dale) and several other participants, including VCHT Board President Colleen McNamara and Board Member Katrina Bickford, for the walk. Cesar took the lead and explained what we would do and hopefully see. We got our first birds right there on the Malecon:
2 Eurasian Collared Doves
1 Royal Tern
3 Brown Pelicans
1 House Sparrow
Our first stop was at the radio tower outside of town to see the now famous Ruff, a bird that normally winters in Africa and migrates to Asia to breed in the spring. It is a “vagrant,” a bird that got off course. We don’t know why or how it got here. First spotted at this pond by Daphne Gemmill in November, it has been the “talk of the town” in the Puerto Rican birding community. Birders have traveled to Vieques specifically to see it. Hopefully, everyone had a good scope view. It was nice to see Vieques’ biologist Erick Bermudez and bird photographer Gustavo Melendez come across the field where they had conducted a close observation of “Ruffy” as Erick calls him. I suspect that Erick and Gustavo were off next to see the American Flamingo at Playa Grande. Both Erick and Gustavo generously contributed photos for the birding article in the recent Vieques Insider. A vagrant always steals the show, but local birds are very important. Our list at the tower included:
1 White-winded Dove
1 Ruff
7 Cattle Egrets
2 Gray Kingbirds
2 Northern Mockingbirds
At our second stop, just inside the Sun Bay gate, we checked off several local birds. Cesar located three Killdeer, a shorebird which is a plover that prefers grassy areas. It is easily identified by the two black bands on its chest. We had nice scope views. Vieques hosts two Kingbirds, the Gray Kingbird, and the Loggerhead Kingbird. Here we were able to see both. The Loggerheaded is slightly larger with a dark, somewhat flat, head. Often seen on a wire, the Gray is somewhat more common. In the distance, we had a quick view of a White-crowned Pigeon and a White-winged Dove. Daphne explained that we will make a note in our eBird post that a Zenaida Dove was carrying nesting material. That information is important and will be included in the new Puerto Rican Bird Atlas. Mike noted that at this stop we saw:
2 Scaly-naped Pigeons
1 White-crowned Pigeon
2 White-winged Doves
1 Zenaida Dove
3 Killdeer
12 Cattle Egret
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Gray Kingbird
1 Loggerhead Kingbird
2 Northern Kingbirds
Our final stop was at the east end of the beach. Today several participants had a good view of the Cuckoo and heard the Adelaide as we walked to the lagoon. This is a great area to see birds. We added to our list:
1 Mangrove Cuckoo
1 Loggerhead Kingbird
1 Adelaide’s Warbler (heard only)
1 Bananaquit
Cautioning us to go quietly, Cesar went into the lagoon ahead of the group and set up a scope on a small beach from which we could see most of the saltrail, but not all of it. Although the lagoon is tidal, we noted that the water level was down from what it was in January. Immediately Daphne spotted the elusive Clapper Rail and Cesar got a scope on a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Off to the left, a Greater Yellowlegs probed near the shore while further out a Lesser Yellowlegs ran, stopped, probed for food, and ran again. Through the scope, we observed a Little Blue Heron. He is darker than the Great Blue Heron. His beak is really dark. We also saw an immature Little Blue in the white phase. It is white during its first year. In the distance, Great Egrets stood patiently waiting to strike and Pelicans rested. Black-necked stilts flew in near the mangrove islands. They are such elegant birds. In the distance, Short-billed Dowitchers probed like sewing machines for the tiny crustaceans and microorganisms in the mud. Daphne focused her scope on a Belted Kingfisher. Sun Bay Lagoon is an important bird area. We saw:
3 Antillean Crested Hummingbirds
1 Clapper Rail
6 Black-necked Stilts
5 Short-billed Dowitchers
1 Greater Yellowlegs
5 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Magnificent Frigatebird
5 Brown Pelicans
2 Great Egrets
3 Little Blue Herons
1 Yellow-crowned Night Heron
! Belted Kingfisher
1 Gray Kingbird
Yes, a successful morning of birding. We saw many birds and perhaps improved our own health, but we know birds are in trouble. Their numbers are declining because of loss of habitat, window strikes, pesticides, hunting, and cats. Birds are a necessary part of life on earth. We can and we must act to protect them. If supported, conservation efforts are working. Your donations to the Trust and other organizations are important. We hope to see you on another Bird Walk with the Trust soon!
PS - Don’t forget to put our Christmas Bird Walk on your calendar. Save the date - December 30, 2023! If you are not on our CBC Bird Walk list, please email mfm255@gmail.com and ask to be notified! More great things to come!