Bird Report – October 2010

Observation date: October 8th and 11th, 2010

Number of Species observed: 67

Observations: Michael H. Ryan

Notes :

 

Please note that the observations were undertaken over two days (Friday, October 8 & Monday, October 11, 2010) with about 6 hours of observations each day. It was primarily undertaken in 3 areas of St. Kitts,

 

A)Frigate Bay,

B)South East Peninsula flats, and

C)Wingfield level.

 

One interesting observation that stood out was that 19 Ospreys were observed in about 5 minutes over a stretch of no more that a half mile. Surprisingly, eighteen of the nineteen were either perched in the trees or on the ground, while only one was flying. Two Peregrine Falcons were spotted, one close to the sea and the other up in the hills.

While a total of 67 species were seen over the two days, an additional 4 species were spotted during the next few days (Prairie Warbler, Scaly-breasted thrasher, Bridled Quail dove and a Tricoloured Heron). Surprisingly, a few relatively common birds were not seen (e.g. Green throated humming Bird, House Sparrow etc.)

 

 

Number of species: 67

 

Blue-winged Teal – Anas discors

White-cheeked Pintail – Anas bahamensis

(They live and breed in St.Kitts and are usually seen all year.)

Helmeted Guineafowl – Numida meleagris

(Likely escaped from captivity a few years ago, but now apparently wild.)

Red Junglefowl – Gallus gallus

Magnificent Frigatebird – Fregata magnificens

Brown Booby – Sula leucogaster

Brown Pelican – Pelecanus occidentalis

Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias

Great Egret – Ardea alba

Snowy Egret – Egretta thula

Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea

Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis

Green Heron – Butorides virescens

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – Nyctanassa violacea

Osprey – Pandion haliaetus

(Over 19 Ospreys (carolinesis)were seen in a half-mile stretch of road on the South East Peninsula.)

Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis

American Kestrel – Falco sparverius

Peregrine Falcon – Falco peregrinus

(Two were seen between the Friday, Oct 8, and Monday Oct 11, the two days taken for the survey.)

Common Moorhen – Gallinula chloropus

Black-bellied Plover – Pluvialis squatarola

(Usually seen most years.)

American Golden-Plover – Pluvialis dominica

(Not been seen for a few years, but quite a number were seen this year.)

Wilson’s Plover – Charadrius wilsonia

Semipalmated Plover – Charadrius semipalmatus

Killdeer – Charadrius vociferus

(These are seen every year, in reasonably numbers.)

Black-necked Stilt – Himantopus mexicanus

(Common every year in great numbers.)

 

 

Spotted Sandpiper – Actitis macularius

Solitary Sandpiper – Tringa solitaria

Greater Yellowlegs – Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes

Whimbrel – Numenius phaeopus

(Seen every year.)

Hudsonian Godwit – Limosa haemastica

(These sightings were a pleasant surprise! Only one solitary bird had been sighted by me over the previous 6 years.)

Ruddy Turnstone – Arenaria interpres

Semipalmated Sandpiper – Calidris pusilla

Western Sandpiper – Calidris mauri

Least Sandpiper – Calidris minutilla

Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos

Stilt Sandpiper – Calidris himantopus

Short-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus griseus

(Seen every year)

Wilson’s Snipe – Gallinago delicata

(Seen every year)

Herring Gull – Larus argentatus

Least Tern – Sternula antillarum

Royal Tern – Thalasseus maximus

Rock Pigeon – Columba livia

Scaly-naped Pigeon – Patagioenas squamosa

Eurasian Collared-Dove – Streptopelia decaocto

White-winged Dove – Zenaida asiatica

(These are common in a few areas of St.Kitts)

Zenaida Dove – Zenaida aurita

Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerina

Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Coccyzus americanus

(They were seen in great numbers all over the place, usually by the mangroves, but even up in the hills. They were everywhere!)

Purple-throated Carib – Eulampis jugularis

Antillean Crested Hummingbird – Orthorhyncus cristatus

Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon

(Seen every year)

 

 

 

Caribbean Elaenia – Elaenia martinica

Stolid Flycatcher – Myiarchus stolidus

(These birds breed in St.Kitts)

Lesser Antillean Flycatcher – Myiarchus oberi

Gray Kingbird – Tyrannus dominicensis

Black-whiskered Vireo – Vireo altiloquus

Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica

Pearly-eyed Thrasher – Margarops fuscatus

Brown Trembler – Cinclocerthia ruficauda

Yellow Warbler – Dendroica petechia

Blackpoll Warbler – Dendroica striata

(These are common every October)

Black-and-white Warbler – Mniotilta varia

(Only the second sighting by me over the past 6 years.)

American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla

(Was seen on at least 6 different occasions (male) and one female sighted.)

Bananaquit – Coereba flaveola

Black-faced Grassquit – Tiaris bicolor

Lesser Antillean Bullfinch – Loxigilla noctis