West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2021–2022

Ducks to Shorebirds

A Gadwall was present at SeaDuced Villa, Central Eleuthera, Bahamas 21 Dec (John Fitzpatrick). An American Black Duck was photographed at Lynford Cay GC, New Providence, Bahamas 16–19 Dec (Peter Kemp). A Redhead seen at Laguna Oviedo, Pedernales, Dominican Republic 29 Jan (James Goetz) provided a very rare record for Hispaniola. The discovery of a Hooded Merganser at Frigate Bay Golf Course 1 Feb provided the first record for Saint Kitts and Nevis (Michael Ryan, Percival Hanley)—see photos here. In Bermuda, six Yellow-billed Cuckoo records in Dec were unusual with one very late record at Riddell’s Bay GC 18 Dec (Janice Hetzel, Andrea Webb). An American Avocet was photographed at Ensenada, Guanica, Puerto Rico 30 Nov (Sadhu Govardhan); while another American Avocet arrived at Rendezvous Bay Pond, Anguilla 11 Jan with two present 12 Jan–28 Feb+ (Jackie Cestero)—thought to be the first record since 1999. A Pacific Golden-Plover, the first record for Jamaica, was photographed at Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saint Catherine, but on returning in the hope of obtaining further photos, two birds were found to be present 3 Feb (Ricardo Miller). The first nesting in Grenada of Southern Lapwing was documented at Beausejour, Saint George 29 Jan (Kenrith Carter). A Red Knot was at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 31 Dec–13 Feb (Paul Watson, Joanne Smith). A late Pectoral Sandpiper was at the Airport Pond, Bermuda 10–18 Dec (Peter Adhemar). A flock of eight Red-necked Phalaropes was a good sighting at Maroon Hill Road, Inagua, Bahamas 4 Dec (Vivian F. Moultrie).

Gulls to Ibis

A Sabine’s Gull was seen at sea off Bouillante, Guadeloupe 12 Dec (Manolo and Rénato Rinaldi) providing the first record for the island. A Bonaparte’s Gull discovered at the end of Nov at Port-Louis Swamp, Guadeloupe then relocated to Anse-Bertand and wintered to at least 25 Feb (Anthony Levesque). Single Black-headed Gulls were seen at Port Anse Bertrand, Guadeloupe 4–18 Dec (James Jean Baptiste); at Pile Bay, Saint Michael and then Christ Church, Barbados 19 Dec–28 Feb+ (Eddie Massiah); and at St Kitts and Nevis 7–11 Feb (Michael Ryan). Individual Franklin’s Gulls were seen at Baños de la Princesa, Isabela, Puerto Rico 29–30 Nov (Luis Irizzary); the Cruise Jetty Saint George, Grenada 1 Dec (Archipelagics Birding)—an island first—see photos here; and Havana Port, Cuba 20 Jan (Alejandro Llanes Sosa). An Elegant Tern was seen over the sea at San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, Colombia (Valeria Puertas). A Red-billed Tropicbird was seen and well described from the MSC Divina in Cuba waters north of Punta Gobernadora Lighthouse, Cuba (approx. 23°08’N, 83°09’W) on 31 Jan (Aida Almasalkhi, Eric Hope). A Cory’s Shearwater was found dead on the road at Whitby Highway, Caicos Islands, Turks and Caicos 20 Dec (Naqqi Manco). A Magnificent Frigatebird was a winter surprise above Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda 18 Jan (Luke Foster). A Northern Gannet was seen off Cooper’s Point, Bermuda 23 Jan (Luke Foster, Miguel Mejias). Five American White Pelicans were photographed circling high overhead and heading south at Meagre Bay Pond, Bodden Town, Grand Cayman 17 Jan (Peter Davey). An adult Brown Pelican was seen at various Bermuda locations 15–23 Jan (Ingela Perrson) while an immature bird favoured the east end of the island 21–24 Jan (Ron Porter). An American Bittern was photographed at Cuisine Central, Grand Case, Saint Martin 5 Dec (Binkie van Es). A Grey Heron was seen at Woodbourne Shorebird Reserve, Christ Church, Barbados 24 Jan (John Webster). An impressive flock of 21 Glossy Ibis was seen at Renegade Rum swamplands, Saint Andrew, Grenada 29 Jan (Kenrith Carter, Kate Charles). 

Vulture to Thrushes

Two Turkey Vultures continued to visit Vieques, Puerto Rico, with a pair observed over Monte Camelo 19 Dec (Dale and Priscilla Douchette). A Snail Kite was seen at Renegade Rum swamplands, Saint Andrew, Grenada 13–29 Jan (Kenrith Carter, Kate Charles); while the long-staying Snail Kite was still present at Farmers, Saint Thomas, Barbados 17 Jan (Julian Moore). There was an intriguing report of a Northern Harrier at the Fond Doux Eco Resort, Saint Lucia 14 Jan (per eBird). Two Monk Parakeets, first reported on Vieques, Puerto Rico in Apr 2021, were seen carrying nesting material at Isabel Segunda 26 Feb (Daphne Gemmill, Cesar Montero). An Eastern Kingbird seen at Meagre Bay Pond, Bodden Town, Grand Cayman 2 Feb is thought to be the first winter record since one on Cayman Brac in 1985 (Peter Davey). A Blue-head Vireo was a nice surprise on Spicery Lane, Bermuda 24 Jan (Herb Marshall). Grenada is the only place in the Caribbean where White-winged Swallows are likely to be seen. One was seen at Sauteurs Harbour 2 Dec (Archipelagics Birding) and two were seen at Saint George 29 Dec (Kenrith Carter). A Cliff Swallow seen well at East End Dairy 20 Dec was the first ever winter record on Bermuda (Herb Marshall). A Scaly-breasted Thrasher, rare in Grenada, was seen at Grand Etang, Grenada 23 Jan (Vaughn Francis). A Swainson’s Thrush was photographed at Bosque Estatal de Piñones, Loíza, Puerto Rico 9 Nov (Juan G. Ruaño); while another very late Swainson’s Thrush (ph.) was a surprise at South Shore Park, Warwick, Bermuda 19 Dec (Demetri Miranthis). An unusual influx of American Robins occurred on Bermuda from 15 Feb with a maximum of 15 birds seen at the Airport on 16 Feb. Individual and small groups of robins were seen at various Bermuda locations throughout the month (Paul Watson et al.). 

Sparrows to Bullfinch

A Lark Sparrow was caught and banded at Finca Agroecologica, Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba 2 Dec—see photo here. The first record of Harris’s Sparrow for Cuba and the West Indies occurred on 11 Dec when one was caught and banded east of Guantanamo (Yaroddys Rodriguez). A Song Sparrow was a good find at Ferry Point Park, Bermuda 12–13 Jan (Paul Watson). A Palm Tanager was still present on Grenada at Winsor Forest by Rush, Saint David 27 Jan (Kenrith Carter). A Bobolink seen in Ferry Point Park 9 Jan was the first ever January record for Bermuda (Neal Morris). A male Baltimore Oriole was photographed at Chimborazo, Saint Joseph, Barbados 26 Jan (Julian Moore). A Brown-headed Cowbird, a rare vagrant to Cuba, was seen at Vedado Casa, Havana 5-23 Jan (Maikel Cañizares Morera, Abel Luis Simeon). An Orange-crowned Warbler was caught and banded at El Pinar del Poligono, Ciego de Avila, Cuba 4 Dec (Yaroddys Rodriguez). The 4th record of Cape May Warbler for Barbados was discovered and photographed at Graeme Hall Swamp, Christ Church 23 Jan (John Webster). A Cerulean Warbler was seen north of Jaguey Grande, Cuba 5 Jan (Felix Figueroa). A Magnolia Warbler photographed at Turners Hall, Saint Andrew 15 Jan provided a rare record for Barbados (Julian Moore); while another was photographed on Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe 10 Feb (Anthony Levesque). Chestnut-sided Warbler is a regular winter visitor in Guadeloupe, with individuals recorded at Petit-Bourg 13 Jan and Sainte-Rose 22 Feb (Anthony Levesque). A Scarlet Tanager seen in Devonshire 24 Dec was the first ever winter record for Bermuda (Eva Bottelli). Two Indigo Buntings at the airport on Vieques, Puerto Rico 23 Dec provided only the 4^th winter record for the island (Eric Torres-Rivera). An immature and female Lesser Antillean Bullfinch were photographed along the Puerto Mosquito National Nature Landmark trail, Vieques on 31 Jan (Barry Lyon, Brooke Smith) for a first record for Puerto Rico and the Greater Antilles—despite several others searching the trail, the bullfinches were never relocated.

Report processed by Andrew Keaveney, 1 July 2022.