This is the SOUTH EASTERN CARIBBEAN BIRD ALERT April 2006 summary of sightings through the Region. Sponsored by the T&T Field Naturalists Club, our aim is to promote birding and ornithology by fostering communication among resident and visiting birders regarding the study of birds in the region. The SCBA and information about TTFNC, T&T Rare Bird Committee and our Photo Gallery are accessible at "http://www.wow.net/ttfnc" . Reports should be sent to Martyn Kenefick tel 674.7609; Email "martynkenefick@hotmail.com" The T&T Rare Birds Committee requires details for species indicated with an asterisk.
From Guadeloupe, sightings from Petite-Terre Nature Reserve include a female MYRTLE WARBLER ON 3rd Apr; 50 BRIDLED TERNS on 8th Apr and a YELLOW THROATED VIREO (3rd for Guadeloupe) on the 10th together with the long staying EUROPEAN WHIMBREL. A total of 11 hours sea watching produced 99 MANX SHEARWATERS, 47 AUDUBON'S SHEARWATERS, 25 "shearwater sp"; 12 WILSON'S PETRELS, 11 LEACH'S PETRELS and 101 "storm petrel sp" ; 1 BLACK CAPPED PETREL, 15 PARASITIC JAEGERS, 3 POMARINE JAEGERS, 10 "jaeger sp" and a CORY'S SHEARWATER
Elsewhere on the island, an adult male BALTIMORE ORIOLE (2nd for the island) and 373 COMMON MOORHEN were found at Le Gosier on 17th Apr. On La Desirade Is, a female ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK , 2 SCARLET TANAGERS, a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE and a male BLACKPOLL WARBLERwere all found on 19th Apr and both 2 RED EYED VIREOS and a female MYRTLE WARBLER were present on 22nd Apr. A WHITE WINGED DOVE (1st for Guadeloupe) was found at St Francois on 23rd Apr together with another BALTIMORE ORIOLE; 2 more WHITE WINGED DOVES were located at Pointe des Chateaux on 27th Apr together with another RED EYED VIREO. Finally a short seawatch from La Desirade on 23rd Apr produced 21 MANX SHEARWATER, 17 AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER, 8 POMARINE JAEGERS, 1 CORY'S SHEARWATER together with 5 unidentified small shearwaters, 2 unidentified jaegers and one unidentified storm petrel.
From Antigua, a party of 5 MASKED DUCKS including one breeding plumaged male were found in a small pond with water hyacinths near Dark Wood Salt Pond on Apr 2nd. At McKinnons Salt Pond, 2 SORA RAILS and a WHITE WINGED DOVE were found on Apr 2nd whilst a LITTLE EGRET in breeding plumage and a WEST INDIAN WHISTLING DUCK were present the following day. Finally an unidentified large Larus gull (either Lesser Black backed or American Herring Gull) was present on Apr 2nd.
From St Thomas, USVI, an adult male ROSE BREASTED BROSBEAK seen and photographed on the north side of the island on 13th Apr
From Barbados, a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK at Graeme Hall 30 April.
In Tobago, both BRIDLED and SOOTY TERNS returned to Smith Is early this year with the first birds seen on 8th Apr. Two SCARLET TANAGERS* were found during the month, at Merchison Rd on 8th and Grafton Sanctuary on 20th. At Bon Accord sewage lagoons, a BANK SWALLOW was found feeding with a large party of BARN SWALLOWS on 23rd Apr. Highlights of several trail hikes through the central ridge rain-forest on 25th Apr include 2 WHITE THROATED SPADEBILLS, 2 OLIVACEOUS WOODCREEPERS and a VENEZUELAN FLYCATCHER. Off of the south western point, up to 30 ROSEATE TERNS were present on 25th Apr Finally, two summer plumaged BOBOLINKS* were found at Lowlands on 30th Apr
In the northern range of Trinidad at Asa Wright Nature Centre, a male SCARLET TANAGER * and a male ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK * were seen briefly on 16th and 22nd Apr respectively. From the same site a late OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen daily until 21st Apr. Elsewhere, on 17th Apr a SWALLOW TANAGER was found along Las Lapas trace and a BAT FALCON was close to Morne le Croix village.
From central Trinidad, early morning on 1st Apr at Caroni Rice Project saw several thousand BARN SWALLOWS and one possible CLIFF SWALLOW. Hawking the aeriel insects were 2 CHESTNUT COLLARED SWIFTS and a number of FORK TAILED PALM SWIFTS (both new species for this site) Also present was a GRASSLAND YELLOW-FINCH (1st for Trinidad away from Aripo Ag Stn), single PINNATED and STRIPE BACKED BITTERNS and 20 LIMPKINS. At the Aripo Agriculture Station, an adult PINNATED BITTERN was found in a small pond close to the road on 18th Apr and a Waller Field a CRANE HAWK (probably carrying nesting material) was seen on 18th Apr
On the west coast of Trinidad a late YELLOW WARBLER was found at Carli Bay on 19th Apr and the high tide seabird roost at Waterloo included 200 BLACK SKIMMERS, 100 YELLOW BILLED TERNS, 75 LARGE BILLED TERNS and 37 ROYAL TERNS.
NEW GUADELOUPE BIRDING WEBSITE A new birding website has been launched "www.amazona-guadeloupe.com with text in both English and French . RARE BIRD REPORTING :- many of the identifications from Trinidad and Tobago reported in the SCBA are tentative. The T&T Rare Birds Committee, founded 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 - Email "martynkenefick@hotmail.com"