This is the SOUTH EASTERN CARIBBEAN BIRD ALERT (2003- 09) for.8th March 2003. Sponsored by the T&T Field Naturalist Club, our aim is to promote birding and ornithology in the southeastern Caribbean by fostering communication among resident and visiting birders regarding the study of birds in the region. The SCBA and information about the TTFNC, T&T Rare Birds Committee and Photo Gallery are accessible at http://www.wow.net/ttfnc. Reports should be sent to Martyn Kenefick by phone at 674-7609 or by Email at "martynkenefick@hotmail.com" The TTRBC requests details for species indicated with an asterisk (see website above and RARE BIRD REPORTING below).
BIRDING NEWS :- In St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the two NORTHERN SHOVELERS (2nd for St. Thomas) were still present at Perseverance Bay on 5 March. An immature female YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (possibly only 2nd record for St. Thomas) was found along Turpentine Run on 28 February. Only six LEAST GREBES were found in various ponds on 5 March: one at Fortuna Bay, three including a new, half-grown chick at Bordeaux, one at Dorothea and one at Turpentine Run. Other noteworthy birds seen on 5 March include: a GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a YELLOW-RUMPED (MYRTLE) WARBLER at Bordeaux; a SORA at Perseverance Bay; two CLAPPERS RAILS, two SORAS and 15 STILT SANDPIPERS at Compass Point Pond; and 145 WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS (highest count for St. Thomas) at six sites. A WHITE-WINGED DOVE was seen along Turpentine Run on 4 March.
From Guadeloupe, wildfowl on Gaschet Reservoir included 91 BLUE WINGED TEAL, 9 RUDDY DUCK, 5 LESSER SCAUP 1 NORTHERN PINTAIL and 2 each of CARIBBEAN and AMERICAN COOT whilst on Gardel Reservoir, a SORA and a female RING NECKED DUCK were seen. Also on the same date, at Port-Louis Swamp there were 4 MYRTLE WARBLERS and at Beautiran 12 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, 6 AMERICAN REDSTARTS, 2 OVENBIRDS, 2 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS and a female PROTHONOTARY WARBLER.
From north east Trinidad, an intriguing report of 2 adult KING VULTURES feeding at a deer carcass with TURKEY VULTURES on 27th Feb close to Grande Riviere.
In central Trinidad on 4th March there were 17 LEAST GREBES and a single PIED BILLED BREBE on Trincity ponds.
On the west coast of Trinidad, the first reported YELLOW BILLED TERN of the year was seen at Waterloo together with approximately 125 ROYAL TERNS, 3 SANDWICH TERNS and a winter plumaged GULL BILLED TERN In the northern range of Trinidad, belated news of a female BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER seen at Asa Wright on 24th Feb. Also at Asa Wright a NORTHERN SCRUB FLYCATCHER was carefully studied on 3rd March. A hike on the trails north of Luango village on 7th March produced 60 species including 3 WHITE NECKED JACOBIN, both COLLARED and WHITE TAILED TROGON, RED RUMPED WOODPECKER, 2 STREAKED XENOPS, 3 PLAIN ANT-VIREO, BLACK FACED ANT-THRUSH, both SLATY CAPPED and DUSKY CAPPED FLYCATCHERS, at least 25 RED LEGGED HONEYCREEPERS and 6 BLUE DACNIS.
In Tobago, a YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO * was seen at Bon Accord sewage lagoons on 24th Feb - could this be the same bird as seen on 21st Dec overwintering ?. On 26th Feb, an adult GREY HAWK * soared over the ridge behind Blue Waters - also present was an immature GREAT BLACK-HAWK.
During this week on St Martin, a new female LESSER SCAUP was found amongst 150 WHITE CHEEKED PINTAILS and 35 BLUE WINGED TEALS at Grand Case Airport Pond. Both the SORA at Orient Pond and the CLAPPER RAIL at Fish Pond were still present.. At Belair Pond, 2 GREEN WINGED TEAL were found. Numbers of STILT SANDPIPERS on the island have dwindled down to 50 from a peak of 350+. At Great Salt Pond, 5 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS were still present. The GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL found in January, was again seen at Grand Case Airport Pond. Banding highlights at Lotterie Farm during the week included a MANGROVE CUCKOO (a hatch-year bird), a BLACK WHISKERED VIREO, with many other being seen in the scrub habitat, 4 NORTHERN PARULA with 10 others being observed, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER (4th island record and first banded bird), a BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER with 3 others being seen, 5 PRAIRIE WARBLERS, all adult males, a BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER, 6 AMERICAN REDSTARTS, with 25 others being seen, 2 KENTUCKY WARBLERS (3rd and 4th island records), and 3 HOODED WARBLERS. Banding at Fish Pond, produced 3 PRAIRIE WARBLERS, all adult females, whilst 3 MYRTLE WARBLERS and 12 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES were seen.
ORNITHOLOGICAL TIDBIT: The following abstract is from: Collins, C. T. 2002. Notes on the biology of the Band-rumped Swift in Trinidad. Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper 11:138-143. The Band-rumped Swift (Chaetura spinicauda) in Trinidad has a breeding and moult cycle coinciding with the dry season flowering period. This differs from the early rainy season breeding period of other swift species and can represent a type of seasonal resource partitioning. Breeding may be biannual.
RARE BIRD REPORTING :- Do we believe what you see ? We want to ! Many of the identifications reported in the SCBA are tentative. For birds found in Trinidad & Tobago, the T&T Rare Birds Committee, formed in 1995, requests details for all rare birds observed (see Species Review List at our website) Please submit details to the TTRBC Secretary : Martyn Kenefick, 36 Newalloville Ave, San Juan, Trinidad - Email "martynkenefick@hotmail.com"