West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2024–2025

Waterfowl to Hummingbirds

A Snow Goose at Kindley Field, Bermuda on 23 Dec (Miguel Mejias) was perhaps one of four seen at Hungry Bay, Bermuda on 26 Dec (Geoff Bell) which relocated to Belmont GC until 16 Feb (LeShun Smith). Bermuda’s second record of Ross’s Goose was at Port Royal GC, Bermuda from 8–20 Dec (Eva Bottelli). The arrival of eight Greater White-fronted Geese at Port Royal GC, Bermuda from 12–28 Feb+ was exceptional—the previous maxima was two (Chris Gibbons). On the Vieques, Puerto Rico Christmas Bird Count on 4 Jan, Daphne Gemmill, Saint Seifert, & Mike Bandiaran observed 15 extremely rare American Wigeon and three rarely seen Northern Shovelers on Laguna Punta Gato, and unusually, 22 Ruddy Ducks on Laguna Puerto Diablo (Daphne Gemmill, Saint Seifert, Mike Bandiaran). Six Shovelers, unusual in Anguilla, were on East End Village Pond from 6–29 Dec (Jackie Cestero). A female Gadwall seen at Lamberts, Saint Lucy on 15 Dec relocated to the Mount Gay area of Barbados from 11 Jan–26 Feb (Eddie Massiah). An American Black Duck was confirmed as a first record for Puerto Rico at Córcega Stella, Rincón from 13–22 Feb (Mirielle Villanueva) with multiple photos taken during its stay; and another was seen at Pointe des Chateaux, Guadeloupe on 1 Dec–28 Feb+ (Mattéo Antoine). In the Cayman Islands, two drake Redhead ducks were photographed at George Town sewage plant on 10 Dec (Peter Davey) and another drake bird at Otto Watler’s Lake, Bodden Town on 19 Jan (Denny Swaby). A male Canvasback which arrived in Nov 2024 was still present at various Bermuda locations to 28 Feb+ and seen with a female Canvasback at Seymour’s Pond on 14 Feb (Joanne Smith, David Wingate). Two drake Canvasbacks were photographed at Cayo Coco Wastewater Treatment Ponds, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba on 12 Dec (Serguei Alexander López Perez).

Four American Flamingos were present at Laguna Playa Grande, Vieques, Puerto Rico from 4–12 Jan (Laura Fidalgo De Souza, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Mendoza). The first island record of African Collared-Dove in Esperanza, Vieques, Puerto Rico was documented on 6 Jan (Jenny Young). The first photos of a Northern Potoo taken in the wild were obtained in the Sierra Maestra rainforest, Cuba, present from 14–28+ Feb (Yaroddys Rodríguez). Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are unusual in Bermuda, but two were present in Jenningsland from 2 Dec–2 Jan (Jeremy Madeiros) and three together at the Botanical Gardens on 29 Dec with at least one remaining until 18 Jan (LeShun Smith).

Shorebirds to Pelicans

A high count of 14 Snowy Plovers was made at Cove Pond, Anguilla on 25 Jan, while at the east end of the island by Long Salt Pond there was a high count of 17 on 19 Jan (Jacqueline Cestero). Two Piping Plovers were at Bermuda Airport from 2 Jan–18 Feb (Paul Watson); and another was at Salines d’Orient, Sint Maartin 27 Jan–23 Feb (Krys and Jeremy Schmidt). A Whimbrel was a rare sighting at Laguna Playa Grande, Vieques, Puerto Rico from 4–12 Jan (Laura Fidalgo De Souza, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Mendoza). A Long-billed Dowitcher was photographed at Grand Marais de Port-Louis, Guadeloupe on 11 Dec (Anthony Levesque) for Guadeloupe’s second ever record. An American Woodcock was a very good find at Morgan’s Point, Bermuda on 30 Dec (Paul Watson). A South Polar Skua was photographed at 23.22N, 85.52W, 100 miles northwest of the Pinar del Rio coast of Cuba on 16 Jan where it was chasing Brown Boobies around a cruise ship (Steve Wilson). The Dominican Republic’s first Sabine’s Gull was a complete surprise as it was photographed flying over the shoreline at Barahona on 29 Jan (Luke Berg). A Bonaparte’s Gull was seen in the Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin, Guadeloupe on 25 Jan (Anthony Levesque). A Black-headed Gull was seen at Stone Crusher Corner, Bermuda on 17 Dec (Eva Bottelli); and an influx of Black-headed Gulls in the Lesser Antilles saw one or two birds in Saint Lucia between 17 Dec–21 Feb (Jeff Perkins, mult. obs.); a single bird in Guadeloupe from 25 Dec–25 Jan (Lionel Sineux); another in Barbados 28 Dec–21 Feb (John Webster); a first-winter bird in Martinique on 3 Jan (Tate Putman et. al.); a first-winter bird in Sint Maartin 18 Jan–27 Feb (Binkie van Es); and one in Grenada on 18 Jan (Kenrith Carter). A Franklin’s Gull was photographed at Punta Boca Morena, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico on 16 Dec (Daniel Kaplan). Two American Herring Gulls were seen at Port de Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe 16 Jan and another at Marina de St François, Guadeloupe 13 Feb (Anthony Levesque). Two Iceland Gulls arrived in Bermuda with a first-winter bird at Cross Island, Bermuda from 7–9 Dec (Herb Marshall) and a second-winter bird in St George’s Harbour from 25 Jan–5 Feb (Eva Bottelli). A Great Black-backed Gull was present at McKinnons salt pond, Antigua on 24 Feb (Jermaine Jarvis), joined by a second bird on 28 Feb (Mark Grebe). A Forster’s Tern was observed at Embouchure de la Grande Rivière de Vieux Habitants, Guadeloupe on 19 Jan (Jérôme Oster).

An Eared Grebe, only the second record for Bermuda since the first in 1995, was present in St. George’s Harbour from 1–28 Feb+ (Sylvia Shorto). Bermuda’s first returning White-tailed Tropicbirds were seen at South Shore Smith’s on 25 Jan (Neal Morris); while two very unusual January sightings were made at Puerto Ferro Lighthouse, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 29 Jan (Michael Brent). A Trindade Petrel was seen during a 1hr sea-watch from Mudjin Harbour, Turks and Caicos Islands during NE winds on 4 Dec (John Bowler). Two Black-capped Petrels were seen 20 km due east of Cayo Cruz, Cuba on 4 Dec (Keith Condon). A Brown Booby was seen flying past Cooper’s Point, Bermuda on 17 Jan (Paul Watson). News of Bermuda’s first record of Red-footed Booby has just come to light with a bird photographed 40 kms NW of Bermuda at 32.5159 N and -65.2072 W on 27 July 2024 (Rob Dickerson). The first record of White Ibis was made for the US Virgin Islands, where an immature bird was seen on a pond at Coral Bay, St John on 2 Feb (Gisela Zelenka-Drysdale). A Western Reef-Heron was photographed at McKinnon’s Pond, St. John’s, Antigua on 19 Jan (Charlie Nicholls) a first for Antigua, it was still present on 28 Feb. A Striated Heron was a terrific find and well photographed on 18 Jan at Ferry Point Park, Bermuda (Eva Bottelli)—with one previous record 35 years ago. A visit to a known Brown Pelican nesting colony on Cayo Conejo, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 16 Jan revealed 60 adults and 3 young (Daphne Gemmill, Omar Perez).

Owls to Bullfinches

Up to two Short-eared Owls were present over Bermuda Airport from 6 Dec–28 Feb+ (Miguel Mejias). Two Sharp-shinned Hawks circled overhead and were photographed at McBean, East End, Cayman Islands on 1 Dec (Ian Kirkham, Jen Artuch, Simon Artuch). A White-tailed Hawk was still present in Barbados, seen at Walkers Reserve from 16 Jan–15 Feb (Ocean Campbell). A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen in the museum grounds on Saba on 14 Jan (Kai Wulf). Unusual vireos in Guadeloupe included a White-eyed Vireo at Grand Marais de Port Louis on 4 Dec (Anthony Levesque, Frédéric Portier) and DeShaies on 4 Jan (Anthony Levesque, Lionel Sineux). Also scarce in winter, a Yellow-throated Vireo was at Boca Quebrada, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 4 Jan (Erick Bermúdez). A Northern Shrike was a good find at Cooper’s Point, Bermuda from 25 Dec–28 Feb+ (Jayden Parker). A Horned Lark was photographed at Cross Island, Bermuda on 1 Dec (Miguel Mejias). Rare in Bermuda, a Wood Thrush was photographed at Sears Hill from 29 Dec–Feb 28+ (Miguel Mejias). A probable Purple Martin was photographed over Harrison’s Point, Saint Lucy, Barbados on 28 Dec (Michael St. John)—but very similar Cuban Martin and Southern Martin can’t be ruled out. A Cliff Swallow was photographed on a fishing boat 22 miles north of Anguilla on 15 Dec (Patrick Webster)—only the second eBird record for Anguilla, with the first in 2013 even further offshore. Three Ruby-crowned Kinglets were a surprise at Ferry Point Park, Bermuda on 23 Dec (Paul Watson). A Brown Thrasher was photographed at Stanyard Creek, North Andros, Bahamas on 7 Dec (Benjamin Koenig). Fifteen White-winged Crossbills remained in Bermuda at Ferry Point Park to 28 Feb+ (Paul Watson). A Yellow-breasted Chat was clearly heard at McBean, East End, Cayman Islands on 1 Dec (Ian Kirkham, Jen Artuch, Simon Artuch). Guadeloupe’s first Great-tailed Grackle was seen again at Gare maritime Bergevin on 16 Dec and still present to 28 Feb+ (Anthony Levesque).

A Golden-winged Warbler photographed halfway along Rt.995 on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico was a first record for the island on 12 Jan (Gustavo Meléndez). A Nashville Warbler at Graeme Hall Swamp, Barbados was a good find on 7 Dec (Ryan Chenery). Two very unseasonal Blackpoll Warblers were seen at Cerro Playuela, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 4 Jan (Ana Pazos); while Guadeloupe logged its first wintering record at INRAE Duclos (Petit-Bourg) on 30 Jan (Anthony Levesque). The first record for Antigua of Yellow-throated Warbler was made at McKinnon’s Pond, St. John’s on 2 Feb (Rod Sein). A vagrant Black-throated Green Warbler was seen at Fort Amsterdam, Sint Maarten on 21 Feb (Stan Phippen). A pale female Western Tanager was photographed at the Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama on 24 Jan for the first Bahamas record (Matha Cartwright, Bridget Davis, Phillip Cumming). Rare in winter, an Indigo Bunting was seen on Mt. Pirata, Vieques, Puerto Rico 4 Jan (Mike and Marie Murphy). The Dominican Republic’s first Dickcissel was photographed in Cotubanamá National Park on 19 Jan (Manny Jimenez, Lisa Rosenberger). A very unseasonal Dickcissel was photographed at Port Royal GC Bermuda on 14 Feb (Eva Bottelli). The third Lesser Antillean Bullfinch record for Barbados was photographed at Halton Private Irrigation Pond, Saint Philip on 20 Feb (John Bruder)—the previous records were in 1926 and 1977. Two Lesser Antillean Bullfinches were still present at Punta Galindez, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 18 Jan (Gustavo Meléndez).

Report processed by Andrew Keaveney, 21 Jun 2025.