This is the SOUTH EASTERN CARIBBEAN BIRD ALERT (2003-28) for 8th.Sept  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 Guadeloupe, an adult CURLEW SANDPIPER (1st for Guadeloupe -and still present to 4th Sept at least) and 2 SNOWY PLOVERS were found at "La Pointe des Chââteaux" together with the first CLIFF SWALLOW of the season. The PIPING PLOVER, first found on  7th Aug on the Nature Reserve of Petite-Terre was still present as at 30th Aug.

In the northern range of Trinidad, a hike along the Lalaja and upper Guanapo valleys on 30th August produced 66 species including ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE, 50 WHITE COLLARED SWIFTS, CHESTNUT WOODPECKER, 2 GRAY THROATED LEAFTOSSERS, WHITE BELLIED ANTBIRD, BLACK FACED ANT-THRUSH and at least 10 SWALLOW TANAGERS (an extremely late date for this species). On 4th Sept, 3 CHESTNUT WOODPECKERS were found along Las Lapas ridge, and a male WHITE WINGED BECARD was at Mile Post 8 on the Blanchisseuse Rd.

Most birding in Trinidad over the weekend of 6th-7th Sept centred around the Caroni plain and the west coast wetlands,. a YELLOW BREASTED CRAKE fed out in the open at Caroni ricefields and the first BLUE WINGED TEALS and YELLOW WARBLERS of the season appeared on 6th Sept. The following day, the Field Naturalist Club outing tallied 84 species including a PINNATED BITTERN and the YELLOW BREASTED CRAKE at Caroni ricefields; 2 WHITE CHEEKED PINTAILS, CLAPPER RAIL, MANGROVE and STRIPED CUCKOO, PYGMY KINGFISHER and the first AMERICAN REDSTARTS of the season at Cacandee; together with large numbers of SEMI PALMATED, WESTERN and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, RED KNOT, SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER, COLLARED, BLACK BELLIED and SEMI PALMATED PLOVERS amongst the gulls, terns and herons at the Brickfields mudflats tidal roost.

In Tobago, on 30th Aug, 5 WHITE WINGED SWALLOWS were feeding from the moored boats at Grafton Beach.

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"