Waterfowl to hummingbirds

A female Gadwall at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint Lucy, Barbados 15 Nov relocated to Bright Hall, Saint Lucy 16–24 Nov (Michael St. John). A drake Canvasback, only the second island record for 45 years, arrived at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 17 Nov (Andrea Webb) and quickly relocated to Ship’s Hill Pond 19–30 Nov+. A Redhead was photographed at Dayaniguas-Lagunas Maspotón, Pinar del Rio, Cuba 27 Nov (Dayron Breto). Single Black-billed Cuckoos were seen in Havana, Cuba 26 Sep (Alejandro Llanes Sosa) and photographed at Carretera Del Faro, Pinar del Rio, Cuba 12 Oct (Carlos Hernández Peraza); and at La Désirade island, Guadeloupe 29 Oct (Anthony Levesque, Muriel Aboso). Guadeloupe’s second Common Cuckoo was photographed at Pointe des Colibris (La Désirade), Guadeloupe 24–29 Oct (Anthony Levesque, Muriel Aboso). Five Lesser Nighthawks were seen at three separate locations on San Andrés 30 Sep–1 Oct and photographed at Vía Circunvalar de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, Colombia 30 Sep (Jeff Gerbracht, Anthony Levesque, Edward Massiah)—confirmation that this species occurs on the island. A probable White-collared Swift was well-described at West End Community Park, Cayman Brac 16 Nov (Lindsey Whitney): “Very large, black swift the size of an Antillean Nighthawk; long pointed wings and long forked tail; a bit of white seen below the head. Gliding flight, circling over the runway. Seen for 3-4 minutes.” If confirmed, this will be the first record for the Cayman Islands. A Chimney Swift provided a rare sighting at Harrison’s Point, Saint Lucy, Barbados 14 Oct (Julian Moore). A Common Swift was photographed at Harrison’s Point, Saint Lucy, Barbados 26–27 Oct (Niels Larsen) and re-found at the same location Nov 28 (Simon Walker). A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was present in Jenningsland, Bermuda 18 Oct–30 Nov+ (Jeremy Madeiros).

Shorebirds to owls

Rare in Bermuda, an American Avocet was present at Ship’s Hill Pond 25–27 Oct (Miguel Mejias). Two Hudsonian Godwits were photographed at Congo Road Private Impoundment, Saint Philip, Barbados 8 Oct (John Webster). A Ruff was photographed at Bermuda Airport 18–21 Sep (Andrea Webb). Two Baird’s Sandpipers were on Mid-Ocean Golf Course, Bermuda 28–29 Aug (Paul Watson) with another on Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda 31 Aug (Kevin Berkoff). Single Red-necked Phalaropes in Cuba were photographed at Humedal de Mota, Granma 19 Aug (Ricel Polán Hdez) and photographed at Playa Del Chivo, Habana 12 Oct (Vladimir Mirabal, Jorge Uria). An immature Black-headed Gull was photographed at Junkanoo Beach, New Providence, Bahamas 15 Nov (Hendrew Haley). A Franklin’s Gull was photographed at Malportas Pond New Subdivision, North Side, Cayman Islands 22 Nov (Peter Davey). An Audouin’s Gull discovered in June 2024 remained at Pile Bay, Saint Michael, Barbados to at least Oct 12 (Michael St John). A White Tern was a real surprise at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St Croix, US Virgin Islands 11 Aug (Jennifer Valiulis)—the only two previous records being in Bermuda (Dec 1972) and San Salvador, Bahamas (Jun 2010).

Single Caspian Terns were photographed at Petit Marais de Port-Louis, Guadeloupe 25 Sep (Eric Delcroix, Frantz Delcroix Duzont) and 23 Oct (Anthony Levesque).

A Cory’s Shearwater was seen and photographed from a cruise ship 120km NE of the Dominican Republic 29 Nov and the following day from the same cruise ship off Dominica (Noam Markus). Two Northern Gannets were seen during a pelagic trip NE of Samana Cays, Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bahamas 7 Nov (Mark Beebe). A Grey Heron was present at Congo Road Private Impoundment, Saint Philip, Barbados 15 Oct (John Webster). A Swallow-tailed Kite was seen flying over Naked Boy Hill, Sint Maarten 7 Oct (Nature Foundation St. Maarten). An adult male Snail Kite was photographed at Renegade Rum Swamplands, Grenada 12 Oct (Kenrith Carter et al.). Three Mississippi Kites passed high over the Agricultural Grounds, Bodden Town, Cayman Islands 21 Sep (Peter Davey)—a rare sight on the island. A White-tailed Hawk continued its stay on Barbados, last seen in Saint Joseph 3 Aug (Michael St. John). A totally unexpected Flammulated Owl was videoed at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas 29 Nov (Scott Johnson). First observed by Mrs. Doris Thompson and Clinique Thompson, it provided a first record for the West Indies.

Flycatchers to martins

A visit to San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, Colombia 26 Oct–4 Sep proved to be very successful with the following flycatchers recorded: Caribbean Elaenia (58), Olive-sided Flycatcher (5), Western Wood-Pewee (1), Eastern Wood-Pewee (39), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (2), Acadian Flycatcher (2), Alder Flycatcher (3), Willow Flycatcher (1), Least Flycatcher (2)—a new island record, Piratic Flycatcher (1), Eastern Kingbird (760) and Grey Kingbird (22) (Jeff Gerbracht, Anthony Levesque, Edward Massiah).

In Cuba there was an extraordinary influx of rarely-seen Western Wood-Pewees with single birds photographed at La Habana 27 Sep (Orlando Llerena); Quinta de los Molinos, Havana 2 Oct (Carlos Hernández Peraza); Carretera Cayo Coco 9 Oct (Yuzaima Ortiz); Faro Roncali, Pinar del Rio 12 Oct (Dayron Breto); and Ciego Pinar, Ciego de Avila 12 Oct (Nicolás Díaz Pérez)—perhaps they have previously been overlooked. An Eastern Wood-Pewee provided a very rare sighting in Barbados at Graeme Hall Swamp, Christ Church 15 Nov (Edward Massiah). A Least Flycatcher was photographed at Motelera, Cabo de San Antonio Pinar del Río, Cuba 9–13 Oct (Dayron Breto, Carlos Hernández Peraza) with another in Cojímar, Cuba 20 Oct (Orlando Llerena, Ramón Hondal). A Piratic Flycatcher photographed at the Agriculture Grounds, Bodden Town, Cayman Islands 22 Oct (Peter Davey) was a terrific find—the first record for the Greater or Lesser Antilles. A Cassin’s Kingbird, the first for the Cayman Islands was photographed at Prospect Cemetery, George Town, Cayman Islands 24 Nov (Simon Artuch)—there is only one other West Indies record, from Cuba in 2017.

A Fish Crow provided its distinctive call on North Bimini, Bahamas 16 Nov (Mark Shaver). Single Grey-breasted Martins were photographed at three locations on San Andrés, Colombia 26 Sep—Dorna Pond, South Point and South Point—providing the island and the West Indies with its first records (Jeff Gerbracht, Anthony Levesque, Edward Massiah).

Guadeloupe’s first Brown-chested Martin was photographed at Pointe Allègre (Sainte-Rose) Guadeloupe 13 Oct (Anthony Levesque et al). An extraordinary arrival of Western House Martins into Barbados with the first arrival photographed at Harrison’s Point, Saint Lucy 23–29 Oct (Julian Moore)—the second record for the island (Julian Moore)—and up to 12 birds on 26 Oct (Edward Massiah, Narshan Narang) and 29 Oct (Michael St John) with two birds still present on Nov 16 at Bright Hall (Niels Larsen).

Wagtail to Dickcissel

The long-staying White Wagtail was still present at Humedal de Mota, Cuba 17 Nov (Ricel Polán Hdez). With very few previous records of White-winged Crossbill in Bermuda, the influx of birds onto the island was unprecedented. At least 30 birds were seen between 11–23 Nov with maximum counts of 17 at Morgan’s Point 18 Nov (Erich Hetzel, Janice Hetzel); 9 at Ferry Point Park 23 Nov (Eva Bottelli, Kate Sutherland) and single birds at other locations. Scarce in Bermuda, a Brown-headed Cowbird was photographed at Kindley Field 13–16 Sep (Paul Watson). A Great-tailed Grackle made an unexpected appearance at Plage de Bas du Fort (Le Gosier), Guadeloupe 1–30 Nov+ (Loïc Jason)—the first record for Guadeloupe. A Yellow-headed Blackbird was photographed at Prosperidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba 5–6 Oct (Pedro Luis Sánchez Mustelier). Bermuda recorded 32 warbler species during the fall season, including a single Golden-winged Warbler at Ferry Point Park 13–17 Sep (Paul Watson). A Mourning Warbler photographed on the Reefs Golf Course, Freeport, Bahamas on 24 Sep was an outstanding find with the only previous Bahamian record in 1983 (Martha Cartwright). A Nashville Warbler was seen at Graeme Hall Swamp, Barbados 14–30 Nov+ (Frank Gilliland, Susan Gilliland, Becky Turley). A Mourning Warbler was also photographed at Faro Roncali, Pinar del Rio, Cuba 11–13 Oct (Dayron Breto). A Kentucky Warbler was seen at Chemin de Chouchou, Lamentin, Guadeloupe 30 Nov (Frantz Delcroix Duzont). Pine Warbler is a scarce visitor to Cuba, with individuals photographed at PN Guanahacabibes Casa del Leñador, Pinar del Río, 13 Oct (José Alberto Pérez Hechavarría); Faro Roncali, Pinar del Rio, 13–14 Oct (Dayron Breto, José Alberto Pérez Hechavarría) and Jardín Botánico Nacional 2, La Habana 2 Nov (Vladimir Mirabal, Jorge Uria). Five observers were lucky enough to see and obtain photos of a Canada Warbler at Parque Ecológico Monte Barreto Havana, Cuba 14 Sep (Elsa Santana Figueras) with a likely different bird photographed at the same location 28 Sep–2 Oct and 12 Oct (Pedro Raul Reyes Matos). Western Tanager is an extremely rare visitor to the Cayman Islands, so a female sighted at Sunnyfield Road, East End 23 Oct and two males photographed in the Agricultural Grounds, Bodden Town, Cayman Islands 17 Nov were particularly noteworthy (Peter Davey). A Dickcissel was a good find at Petit Marais de Port-Louis, Guadeloupe 9 Oct (Anthony Levesque).

Post-Ernesto Highlights

Hurricane Ernesto passed over Bermuda on 17 Aug after weakening to a Cat 1 storm, producing an exceptional fallout of birds. Twenty-four shorebird species were documented within a week of the storm passing, including Black-necked Stilt (3), American Golden-Plover, Piping Plover and Western Sandpiper. Flooding of Bernard Park resulted in high counts of Lesser Yellowlegs (26), Greater Yellowlegs (23) and Pectoral Sandpiper (30) on 21 Sep (Paul Watson). An estimated 200 Laughing Gulls were present island wide, with up to 60 birds along Coopers Island Road after the storm passed with birds streaming in off the ocean (Miguel Mejias).

Rarely seen Bridled Terns peaked at six over Pearl Island 19 Aug (Erich Hertzel) and several dead birds were picked up at various locations. Other unusual tern sightings included: nine Least Terns were at Cross Island 19 Aug (Eva Bottelli) with at least three at other locations; five Gull-billed Terns including with three together on Mangrove Lake 19–21 Aug where there was also a Sandwich Tern (Paul Watson); an immature Black Tern at Paynter’s Park 19 Aug (Paul Watson); Common Tern numbers built up to 75+ birds with 59 in a single flock in Harrington Sound 23 Aug (Paul Watson); and ten Roseate Terns in the Great Sound 21 Aug was a record high count for Bermuda (Erich Hetzel). A single Magnificent Frigatebird was seen passing over Mangrove Lake 19 Aug (Neal Morris). Amongst the passerines, good numbers of the following species were seen post-storm: Eastern Kingbird (15), Barn Swallow 100+, Cliff Swallow (25), Northern Waterthrush (20+), Black-and-white Warbler (25+), and Prothonotary Warbler (20+).

Report processed by Eric DeFonso, 10 Feb 2025.