West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2019

Grenada stole the headlines with their first record of Marbled Godwit and second record of White-winged Swallow. A Trindade Petrel once again appeared in Bermuda.

A long-staying Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was at various Bermuda locations to 31 Jul+ (Tim White), and an four others were seen in Warwick, Bermuda 20 June (Erin Stovell). A female Blue-winged Teal remained at the Reef GC, Freeport, Grand Bahama from 21 Jun-12 Jul (Martha Cartwright). At least two Black-necked Stilts were present at various Bermuda locations from 10 May–22 June (John Weale, Neal Morris). A lone American Avocet was seen at North Dam Road, Inagua, Bahamas 27 Jul (Tarra Lindo). A Wilson’s Plover, a scarce bird in Barbados, was seen at Chancery Lane Swamp, Barbados 31 July (Julian Moore). A Marbled Godwit seen and photographed on a partially dried out coastal wetland at La Sagesse, Grenada 16 Jun was the first record for the island (Anthony Jeremiah). Following one record in the spring, single South Polar Skuas were seen 18 Jun at Petite Terre (Anthony Levesque) and 13 Jul at Pointe des Châteaux (Frantz Delcroix). Two nesting platforms at Petite Terre Nature Reserve, Guadeloupe allowed 40 Least Terns to fledge—vitally important as 150 beach nests failed (Anthony Levesque). A Royal Tern was photographed remotely in the Great Sound, Bermuda 13 Jun (Erich Hetzel). Black Skimmer is very rare in the Lesser Antilles, so one seen at Salines d’Orient, Saint Martin 9 Jul by Guillaume Letournel was an exciting observation. A Trindade Petrel was found at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 2 Jul (Robert Branco) and brought to Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo where it was checked and released. It was thought to be the same bird seen in Devonshire earlier in the year.