This is the SOUTH EASTERN CARIBBEAN BIRD ALERT (2003- 17) for 23rd May 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 :- From Dominica, a BULWER'S PETREL (likely to be 1st record for Lesser Antillean waters) was the highlight of an otherwise quiet pelagic on 21st Apr. Up to 6 IMPERIAL PARROTS were found near Mt Diablotin amongst numerous RED NECKED PARROTS on 22nd-23rd Apr. A couple of EURASIAN COLLARED DOVES were found near Cane Field airport on Apr 23rd.

In St Lucia a RUFOUS NIGHTJAR was found at Grande Anse on Apr 18th. On the same date up to 10 SHORT TAILED SWIFTS, (1st documented record for the island were seen in the Les Cartiers area.

On Monserrat, 2 EURASIAN COLLARED DOVES were found near Little Bay on 26th Apr ( not previously documented for the island ?) MONSERRAT ORIOLES appear relatively common in hill forest in the northern "safe zone" of the island.

From Grenada, an adult HOOK BILLED KITE was seen on 14th Apr with an adult and a juvenile seen the following day.

In St Vincent, a RED EYED VIREO found in the Botanical Gardens on 15th Apr is strongly suspected of being from the nominate migratory race.

On Barbuda, a late MERLIN flew over on Apr 27th.

In Tobago, on 11th May a late  BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was found on Gilpin Trace; the following day a COMMON POTOO was seen at the same site.

In Barbados, 2 BLACK SWIFTS were seen around St Joseph on 18th May and an OSPREY was seen at Long Pond. At Barbados Flour Mills, 2 adult EARED DOVES and a recently fledged juvenile indicate the continued westward expansion of their range on the osland.

In St. John, US Virgin Islands, a LEAST GREBE turned up at the recently filled freshwater pond at Concordia on 14 May. A SANDWICH TERN with a mostly yellow upper bill at Maho Bay on 13 May was either a ''CAYENNE'' TERN (potential 1st for St. John) or a hybrid ''SANDWICH'' X ''CAYENNE'' TERN. The extent of hybridisation and taxonomic relationships between these two taxa, currently considered conspecific by the American Ornithologists'' Union, are poorly understood. Also at Maho Bay, a few COMMON TERNS were noted among the ROSEATE TERNS on 13 May. The LITTLE BLUE HERON and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON nests (one of each) at Reef Bay were still attended on 14 May. On 7 May, 15 WILSON''S PLOVERS were found at four sites; a nest with three eggs was found at Leinster Bay. At Coral Bay, a colour-banded RUDDY TURNSTONE (green flag above ankle, red band below on left leg; aluminum band above ankle, blue band below on right leg), two WHITE-WINGED DOVES and a PALM WARBLER were tallied on 7 May. Two WHITE-WINGED DOVES were seen at Chocolate Hole in southwestern St. John on 14 May, and in eastern St. John single birds were noted at Hurricane Hole and Hansen Bay on 7 May. A lone WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON perched in mangroves at Lagoon Point on 14 May. Active hummingbird nests inspected on 13 May include a GREEN-THROATED CARIB with two nestlings at Francis Bay, another with two eggs at Leinster Bay, and an incubating ANTILLEAN CRESTED HUMMINGBIRD at Peace Hill.

In St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, a skittish subadult PURPLE GALLINULE (2nd for St. Thomas) turned up at Turpentine Run on 18 May, but was not relocated after two kids dropped large stones off a bridge while it cowered in vegetation nearby. WHITE-WINGED DOVES appear to have staged a recent invasion, with an unprecedented high count of 24 tallied on 18 May, including: two at Brewer Bay and two at the University of the Virgin Islands; five at Frenchman''s Bay; one at Turpentine Run; two at Sugar Bay; ten at Compass Point; one at Red Hook; and one at Cabrita Point. A few had been noted earlier in recent weeks, including one at Compass Point and three at Sugar Bay on 6 May, three at Sugar Bay on 11 May, and one at Turpentine Run on 15 and 16 May. Breeding probably occurs but has yet to be documented. LEAST GREBES have moved into recently filled freshwater ponds at lower Dorothea, where one was seen on 11 May and a pair attending a nest with a single egg on 18 May, and at Bolongo, where one was seen on 11 and 19 May. Three adults and a nest (uncertain if any eggs present) were at Bordeaux and a pair at Red Hook on 18 May. A KILLDEER nest at Sugar Bay had two eggs on 6 May, seven on 11 May, and eight on 18 May; a second nest at Sapphire Beach had two eggs on 18 May. Eight nests of WHITE-CROWNED PIGEONS were found on Bovoni Cay in Mangrove Lagoon on 10 May. One WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON was reported well inland along Turpentine Run on 17 May and another was seen at Compass Point Pond on 18 May. A calling BRIDLED QUAIL-DOVE was seen and two others heard at Perseverance Bay on 11 May. A partially leucistic dove with extensive white in the inner primaries and secondaries of both wings was seen at Compass Point on 18 May. It vaguely resembled a White-winged Dove but was paired with an apparent Zenaida Dove with more white than normal on the right wing; both were probably partially leucistic ZENAIDA DOVES rather than hybrids. A second partially leucistic BANANAQUIT with a white head only was seen at Red Hook on 6 May.

BIRD MEETING: The Society for the Study and Conservation of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) is please to invite you to participate in its 14th regional meeting. The conference will consist of symposia, workshops, and roundtables, contributed oral presentations, and poster sessions. Several interesting workshops are planned, including: an all day avitourism workshop to focus on the development of avitourism products and how to make it a successful business; a workshop on invasive species in the Caribbean that will develop a regional approach to this critical issue; and a workshop on the conflicts between birds and agriculture that will bring renowned biologist, Dr. Enrique Bucher, to offer solutions. Lastly, ornithologist Richard ffrench, author of the field guide, Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, will actively participate in this conference's events. For registration information, please contact Carolyn Wardle at cwardle@batelnet.bs .

A very special post-meeting field trip is offered to the Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad, from Saturday July 26th to Monday July 28th for meeting registrants only. Early registration is recommended for this trip due to limited space and flights.

The general information, details of the plenary talks, registration forms, and the post-conference trip information, etc., are available at the society's website at: http:/www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/SCSCB .

Further details regarding submissions for oral presentations and/or workshops can be obtained by contacting Dr. Jerome Jackson, Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, jjackson@fgcu.edu.

ORNITHOLOGICAL TIDBIT: The following abstract is from: White, G. L., and S. A. Temple. 2002. Dickcissels in Trinidad: numbers and impacts on rice crops. Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper 11:194-198. Trinidad is at the edge of the Dickcissel''s (Spiza americana) winter range, but Richard ffrench did pioneering research on their winter ecology in Trinidad in the 1960s. We add to information on Dickcissels in Trinidad by summarising observations of numbers and distribution over 1991-2002 and by estimating the impact that recent Dickcissel populations might have on Trinidad''s rice (Oryza sativa) crop, which we conclude to be minimal.

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"