Cuba 2015

ORIOLE BIRDING
www.oriolebirding.com
oriolebirding@gmail.com
@OrioleBirding
TOUR REPORT
CUBA
2015
General
Our tour was led by Cuban expert Andy Mitchell and ground arrangements were provided through
Havanatour. We had the same driver and Havanatour guide throughout the trip, and they were both
very good, putting up with our early morning starts and driving along various tracks and unmade
roads without complaint! Our air conditioned bus was perfect for birding, having plenty of room to
move around and comfortable seats for the longer journeys. Our four different hotel bases were of
varying standards [but the best available in each location] from the Western standard tourist hotel
on Cayo Coco [complete with Western tourists!] to the rather more ramshackle Playa Larga.
Throughout the trip though, the staff were friendly and helpful. Food was decent enough though it
lacked variety – again apart from Cayo Coco which was a buffet of huge proportions! Birding was not
strenuous, with mainly short walks on flat, well made paths and tracks and occasionally along the
roadside. Birding was generally split into two sessions each day, one from around dawn until noon,
and another from 1600 to dusk. We used local guides in each location too, some through necessity
[some areas cannot be visited without one] and some for helping us find the more difficult species
[notably owls and the ‘swamp birds’]. We enjoyed the cheap drinks, especially the excellent Mojitos,
and were fascinated throughout by the cultural and political differences we encountered – especially
the ingenuity of the Cubans themselves and of course their eighty year old cars!
Weather
We only had one day of rain during the trip, but unfortunately it did virtually wipe out quite an
important birding session at La Belen. Thankfully, we had already bagged up on the main targets
before it hit! The rest of the time it was basically sunny, occasionally with a bit more cloud bringing
welcome shade, particularly during the hotter afternoon sessions. Temperatures dropped from 31C
when we arrived in Havana, gradually getting a bit cooler until we hit a morning low of about 12C
when in Zapata. Most of the time, the temperature was just about ideal for birding and only on a
couple of occasions did it start feeling a bit too hot.
Monday 23rd March
We met at London Gatwick airport for the Virgin Atlantic flight direct to Havana, which left slightly
late at around 1300. We were met by 31C of heat and a bit of a scrum at the baggage hall, but we were
all eventually reunited with our luggage and after a long queue for currency exchange we had soon
met with our guide Andy Mitchell, our Havanatour guide and driver. The transfer west to Hotel
Mirador took just over 1.5hrs and we arrived, exhausted, to a very pleasant and prompt meal and beer
which left us all well and truly ready for bed! The Antillean Palm Swifts calling from under the thatch
of the restaurant roof would have to wait until morning to be ticked off!
Tuesday 24th March
We rose for breakfast at 0730, taking it a little easy on the first morning as we were all extremely
tired after yesterday. The Antillean Palm Swifts we had heard last night were now whizzing around
calling and we saw our first Northern Mockingbird in the hotel garden. We wanted to crack on
though, to visit an area before it got too hot where we might find the endemic Cuban Solitaire, our
only chance of the trip. It took about forty minutes to wind our way into the limestone hills behind
San Diego de los Banos to the National Park at Ceuva los Portales, a beautiful spot with a river
running through limestone caves creating a unique type of terrain. Birds along the road included
Loggerhead and Grey Kingbirds, Greater Lizard Cuckoo, Zenaida and Mourning Doves, Cuban
Blackbird and Greater Antillean Grackle. Birds came thick and fast as we got out of the bus and
walked towards the entrance to the park, as our guide Cesar found a Cuban Pygmy Owl which he
called into the open and of course it was immediately mobbed by many small birds! Northern Parula,
Palm and Magnolia Warblers, Western Spindalis, American Redstart, Black-whiskered Vireo ,
Cuban Emerald and Cuban Blackbird were subsequently all seen in the same tree! A group of Tawnyshouldered Blackbirds moved in to feed at a flowering tree, joined by a Cuban Oriole, and we had
good comparisons of Loggerhead and Grey Kingbirds. La Sagra’s Flycatcher also showed well in a
large tree and in quick succession we had good views of West Indian and Cuban Green
Woodpeckers.
West Indian Woodpecker, 24th March Cueva los Portales
Red-legged Thrush were very common, here of the distinct Cuban race – a large and beautiful thrush
which is also a great songster. As we passed a large cave, a pair of Cuban Tody’s showed really well as
they were prospecting a nest site on the rocks – such stunning little birds with quite improbable
colouration. Along the river Cave Swallows were doing their thing and now we could hear our main
target giving its remarkable song – the Cuban Solitaire. Winding our way up the steps to an area
favoured by this bird, we had more good views of species such as Western Spindalis, Grey Catbird,
Greater Lizard Cuckoo and a pair of Black-whiskered Vireos. We didn’t have to wait long for
excellent views of the solitaire, which flew and landed in a tree right beside us and began singing. We
had some more decent views of it later on too, including scoped up as it perched motionless among
the branches of a tree. Other birds in the trees around included an elusive Black and White Warbler
and some decent views of two Cuban Trogon, while a single Cuban Martin flew over. A Scaly-naped
Pigeon was something of a bonus, perched for scope views rather than just being a flyover, and we
had some brief views of Cuban Bullfinch and Common Yellowthroat too down by the river. It had
been a quite fantastic introduction to Caribbean birds and some of the commoner Cuban endemics,
of which we had already seen ten! There was time for one more before lunch too, as we spent some
time about 1km outside San Diego de los Banos looking for the Cuban Grassquit in the roadside goat
fields. This one was tricky, and we could see a few Yellow-faced Grassquits around but only the
leaders managed to see the main target. However, with perseverance from Cesar we all managed good
views of a pair perched in a small bush among a tobacco plantation. We also saw several Palm
Warblers, Common Ground-Dove, a stonking male American Redstart, and a scoped up Common
Yellowthroat – not a bad start to the tour! We made the short journey back to the hotel for lunch and
a break, with time for a swim during the hottest part of the day.
We headed back out into the field again at 1600, refreshed and ready to go! We headed back
towards the area we had visited during the morning, at Hacienda de Cortina, to look specifically for
the Olive-capped Warbler, a pine woodland endemic. We found the species within a few minutes,
and had excellent views as it fed typically overhead among the higher branches, occasionally
dropping lower for better views. It shared its tree with our first Cuban Pewee, a bird which we went
on to get several nice views of during the walk. A gentle wander along the road through the
landscaped grounds of this area which bordered semi-deciduous woodland, produced a good
selection of species with American migrants featuring highly – Tennessee, Black-throated Blue and
Palm Warblers, American Redstart and a Louisiana Waterthrush were all noted, the latter proving
something of an identification conundrum! A pair of Red-legged Honeycreepers allowed us to scope
them as they perched among the fruits of a palm, while Cuban Blackbird, Greater Antillean Grackle,
Grey and Loggerhead Kingbirds and Red-legged Thrush were all very common.
Red-legged Honeycreeper and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 24th March
We had particularly excellent views of both the West Indian and Cuban Green Woodpeckers, with a
pair of the former observed mating on a branch overhead! Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds were also
seen well, and a Great Lizard Cuckoo clambered about right above our heads. We made the most of
opportunities to get better views of some species seen earlier, particularly Cuban Emerald, Blackwhiskered Vireo and Cuban Pewee which were all observed at close quarters through the telescope.
A pair of Cuban Trogons appeared right above the road, and entertained us as they chased one
another from branch to branch calling frequently and putting on a great display. A first-summer male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak was more of a surprise though, popping up nearby and allowing us some
very good prolonged scope views and photos. As we walked back, we had extremely close views of a
Green Heron, on the same pond as the waterthrush – we also had some fun learning some of the
Cuban bird names, with this one being a favourite. Translating as ‘shits milk’, the local name refers to
the species habit of defecating on take-off! The waterthrush has a rather more appealing local name,
‘Senorita del Rio’ – the ‘senorita’ part referring to its habit of wiggling its rear end! All in all a very
enjoyable session and a great end to a productive first day which had met all our targets in terms of
the endemics. We had a great meal back at the hotel, complete with live music and salsa to round off
the evening [helped of course by a drop of rum!].
Wednesday 25th March
Today was basically billed as a travelling day, as we undertook the long journey eastwards across the
country some 800km to our second base on the offshore Cayo Coco, joined to the main island of Cuba
by a 16km causeway. Cuba is in fact comprised of over 4500 islands or ‘cays’, most of which run in a
chain along the northern edge of the island, and this destination would open up new habitats and
species for us. The total drive was almost 12 hours, but of course we made several stops along the
way, though only one was primarily a birding stop. This was at Nina Bonita, where a convenient
coffee bar overlooked a vegetated reservoir where many ducks could be observed. A large flock of
around 500 ducks comprised mainly Lesser Scaup, but with good numbers of Blue-winged Teal and
Ruddy Duck too. Double-crested Cormorant and Pied-billed Grebe were also common, and of course
American Coot and Common Moorhen. Several herons were present along the margins, including
Snowy and Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Little Blue Heron. A
Caspian Gull gave good close up views plunging into the water and many Brown Pelicans were also
present. Two Barn Swallows flew through, three Ring-billed Gulls loafed on the water and a Palm
Warbler was hopping about among the chairs and tables in the cafe!
From here we basically continued motoring throughout the day, picking up a few birds on
the final leg such as Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, Magnificent Frigatebird and
even two Red-breasted Merganser – found wintering only here in the whole of Cuba. We arrived on
Cayo Coco slightly later than planned due to heavy rain hampering the last leg of the journey. Still,
we were checked in and having a beer by 2015 and despite the very different tourist-orientated
environment of this bustling beach style hotel, we enjoyed a decent buffet meal and an all you can
drink bar service before retiring ready for a busy days birding tomorrow.
Thursday 26th March
We made an early start with a packed breakfast this morning, and after coffee at the 24hr hotel bar
alongside the remnants of last nights party-goers, we boarded the bus just after 0700 for our short
drive to Cueva de Jabali – the ‘Wild Boar Cave’. This slightly bizarre location has an underground
nightclub inside natural limestone caves which can house up to 300 revellers! Thankfully at this time
of day it was deserted and we had some super birding in the trees and shrubs around, being right on
the coast. A Cuban Green Woodpecker was excavating a nest hole in the car park and species such as
Red-legged Thrush and Loggerhead Kingbird were plentiful and conspicuous.
Cuban Green Woodpecker, 26th March Cayo Coco
It was the American migrants that stole the show though, with one clump of bushes producing
American Redstart, Black-throated Blue and Cape May Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireo and
Northern Parula. The endemic Oriente Warbler was also easy to see here, and both Cuban Pewee and
La Sagra’s Flycatcher did their best to divert our attention from the dazzling warblers! Two drinking
troughs maintained by one of the local guides were fantastic for getting close-ups of Grey Catbird,
Ovenbird and Black-throated Blue Warblers, but our main target also soon appeared – the superb
Ovenbird, 26th March Cayo Coco
Key West Quail-Dove. A White-crowned Pigeon also visited the troughs and the trees around gave
superb views of Cuban Tody, Cuban Bullfinch and Black-whiskered Vireo. Talking a slow walk back
along the road, we saw more Cuban Bullfinches, La Sagra’s Flycatcher and Western Spindalis, but
two Cuban Vireo were all too brief. Oriente Warbler was again common though – we had superb
views of this bird, part of a two-species endemic genus which also includes the similar Yellowheaded Warbler.
Cuban Tody, 26th March Cayo Coco
A quick stop for fuel allowed us to add two more species to the list, with a White-winged
Dove and stunning Yellow-throated Warbler seen in the middle of a roundabout. A Cape May
Warbler was present too, in full plumage, giving even better views than earlier.
Cape May Warbler, 26th March Cayo Coco
Moving on to a nearby beach, we made an impromptu roadside stop for three Cuban Black-Hawks,
one of which perched on top of a Mangrove allowing us to jump out of the bus and get a scope on it –
another endemic ticked off! The beach brought a new clutch of species with several waders seen
including a flock of Semipalmated Plovers, giving their distinctive two-note call. Ruddy Turnstone
and Grey Plover were more familiar fayre, but we also saw an American Oystercatcher – only about
the 5th Cuban record. Royal Terns gave some nice views as they flew past close inshore, and we
scored with two of our main target species – the threatened Piping Plover. Andy knew a spot at the
edge of the beach which was good for Yellow Warbler, which we saw with ease – also bagging up on
Northern Waterthrush in the process, which showed really well and reinforced our identification of
the Louisiana seen on Tuesday.
Back at our hotel, we took a short walk along the road to the neighbouring hotel where we
hoped to find West Indian Whistling Ducks among the chalets! They were easy to find, and lovely
birds to see, but as usual there was more on offer too! Some great views of Cuban Martin, and both
Great Blue and Tricoloured Herons at close quarters were rounded off by two Lesser Yellowlegs, two
Black-necked Stilts and a Kildeer – not bad before lunch!
In the afternoon we reconvened for a trip out to Cayo Guillermo, about forty minutes drive
away. Our main target here was the extremely localised Bahama Mockingbird, found only on two
Cuban Keys and the Bahamas themselves. We tried two spots without any luck, but we did see a
Merlin and a colossal Marine Iguana, before eventually the bird popped up and sang on a bush right
beside the bus! We saw two in the end, and got great scope views – much larger than the common
Northern Mockingbird and with streaked flanks. Now we could relax and spend the rest of the
afternoon watching waterbirds at a fantastic brackish lagoon near the coast, and here we cleaned up
on American shorebirds. Black-necked Stilt and Willet were probably most common, followed by
Stilt Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper, all of which were seen at close
range in stunning light. Kildeer and Short-billed Dowitcher were also easily seen, feeding on the more
open muddy areas. The larger waterbirds comprised American Flamingo, White Ibis, Roseate
Spoonbill, Great and Snowy Egrets, Little Blue, Green and Tricoloured Herons, Neotropic Cormorant
and a single Glossy Ibis – quite a scarce bird here. American Coot, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls
and Common Gallinule [Moorhen!] completed the scene. A wonderful close-up feast of waterbirds
that we simply did not want to leave, but at the end of every day one must enjoy a beer and go
through the checklist before dinner!
Short-billed Dowitchers 26th March Cayo Guillermo
Iguana sp. Cayo Guillermo 26th March [by Celia Hills]
Friday 27th March
A hot day in light winds with temperatures soon reaching 30C as we headed out to the nearby island
of Cayo Peredon Grande. En route, we had some superb views of Cuban Black Hawk by the roadside,
and our first Northern Caracara – we would go on to see several more of both species during the
morning. The lighthouse at the tip of the island was our destination, and we spent time wandering
along the track there checking the low scrub for two target species – Thick-billed Vireo and Cuban
Gnatcatcher. Both could be heard calling, but the vireo especially was extremely skulking at first. The
Gnatcatcher much less so, showing about six feet away in full view. Two vireos also popped out and
gave themselves up as we were watching a Yellow Warbler, so we had both species in the same view.
Birding was a bit slow here otherwise, as the settled weather meant no migrants to speak of in the
coastal bushes – a single Prairie Warbler was new and we also saw lots of Oriente Warblers, two
Northern Parula and both Cuban Pewee and Cuban Emerald. We decided to move on and use our
time elsewhere, and headed back off the Cay to a spot with some brackish pools where we saw
Greater Yellowlegs, two Western Sandpipers, many Tricoloured Herons and American Kestrel. It
was hot out in the open here, so we didn’t linger for too long, instead heading back to the bridge onto
Cayo Coco where there were many herons to be seen. A Reddish Egret just before the bridge was a
new species for us, seen in beautiful light, and from the bridge itself we added Yellow-crowned Night
Heron – great views of an adult and juvenile of this species, which is normally not out and about
during the day. Great Egret side by side with the all white form of Great Blue Heron was a very useful
comparison, and we also picked up good views of two Hudsonian Whimbrel here. Royal Terns,
White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, distant Belted Kingfisher and two Ospreys were also noted from this
vantage point. We wanted to get back to the hotel in time for a shower before check out and lunch,
so we started to head back, but Andy had one more stop planned in a wooded spot on the way. Here
we had fantastic views of another endemic – Cuban Sparrow – and better views of a male Prairie
Warbler. Arriving back at 1100 there was plenty of time for a wash and brush up before lunch and the
drive south to our next base at Camaguey.
Saturday 28th March
We had an early start this morning for breakfast at 0630 before heading out on the one hour trip to La
Belen, an area of open savannah type country with Palm trees and scattered woodland which is home
to yet more range-restricted Cuban endemics. The first of these was Cuban Crow, and unlike our
own corvids these birds are restricted to particular habitats and have incredibly musical calls. The
forecast was for rain today, so we were keen to crack on and see all the targets as quickly as possible
– this proved to be a very good decision. We had some nice flight views of Cuban Parrots with
perhaps six seen in total including one perched in the scope for just some of the group. Cuban
Parakeet was also seen, albeit more distantly. Two Plain Pigeons were noted and a Giant Kingbird
gave fantastic views as it called in the open. Other species seen included Tawny-shouldered and
Cuban Blackbirds, American Kestrel, Cuban Green and West Indian Woodpeckers and Grey
Kingbird. One tree played host to Northern Parula, American Redstart, Cape May, Black-throated
Blue, Palm and Yellow-throated Warblers and we went on to get a new warbler species too – a
stunning Black-throated Green Warbler. A Limpkin wandering around on the woodland floor and a
couple of Cuban Palm Crows [told by their very different calls] meant we had seen all our main
targets before 0900, but the weather was closing in and it began to rain. Soon thunder and lightning
rolled in and we were forced to take cover under a Mango tree, where we spent an hour and even
built a makeshift shelter with palm leaves and palm stalk seats! We realised that it was not going to
stop though, so waited for a slight break before dashing back along the bird trail to the bus. It was
now raining very hard and this meant the track up to Finca la Belen, where we planned to have lunch,
was impassable to our tour bus. We improvised though, finding a local man with a 4x4 who kindly
took us up the hill to the finca where shelter and cocktails awaited! We had an excellent lunch here,
with the rain still hammering down, and by 1400 we decided to get a lift back down and head back to
Camaguey. We made a stop just outside La Belen to visit the home of Andy’s good friend Pedro and
his wife, who kindly invited us all in for coffee while we chatted about his various conservation
projects. Back in the UK, this man would be recognised as a professor of ornithology but of course in
Cuba, ‘all animals are equal’! Pedro found and described one of the subspecies of Zapata Sparrow and
was the last man alive to see an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, as well as being a brilliant artist. An
inspirational half hour in his company was enjoyed by all. The route back produced a few birds, as
the rain had eased – many Smooth-billed Ani’s were drying out on the roadside fence and we saw a
few Eastern Meadowlarks, Limpkin and a Northern Caracara. Best bird though was a small flock of
the seldom seen Northern Bobwhite, which flew across the road. We arrived back in Camaguey
around 1600 and had a leisurely remainder of the afternoon.
Sunday 29th March
Essentially another travelling day, it was rather cooler as we started off from Camaguey in the rain,
only warming up to around 25C later on as we headed back west. The journey produced a few
roadside birds such as Limpkin, Eastern Meadowlark, American Kestrel, Grey Kingbird and our first
Red-tailed Hawk, and after about 7.5hrs we reached our final base at Playa Larga, on the famous
Zapata Peninsula right by the Bay of Pigs.
Kildeer, 29th March Playa Larga
We checked in and had an hour or so walking around the grounds, where Kildeer could be
approached closely and American White Ibis were probing the turf. We found few migrants in the
coastal Sea Grape trees, other than a couple of American Redstarts and Grey Kingbirds, but had great
views of fishing Brown Pelican, two Black-necked Stilts, a feeding frenzy of terns and a small flock of
distant American Wigeon offshore. La Sagra’s Flycatcher and Tawny-shouldered Blackbird were
found on the way back to the cabins, as well as Loggerhead Kingbird and the first small groups of
Cuban Parrots flying in to roost in the hotel grounds as the evening approached. We had some
fantastic close range views of these birds, squabbling as they fed among fruiting trees right by our
accommodation – fantastic way to end the day!
Loggerhead Kingbird, 29th March Playa Larga
Cuban Parrot, 29th March Playa Larga
Monday 30th March
We had another very early start, leaving after breakfast at 0620 for a half hour drive into Zapata
Swamp to La Turba, where we would try and see the Cuban Nightjar as it came in to roost at first
light. We saw the bird three times, but always rather sketchy flight views despite being pretty low
overhead. Nevertheless, they were views of some sort, which was better than nothing! Once daylight
broke, we drove further along the track into the Saw Grass swamp to look for our next endemic
target, the localised Zapata Wren. It took some patience, but eventually we had fantastic views of a
singing bird out in the open, just a few feet away. Other birds present included Prairie Warbler,
American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush and Common Yellowthroat while we were looking for
the wren. Reaching the end of the track in terms of how far we could drive, we left the bus and took a
walk for an hour or so. Two Black-crowned Night Heron showed well and over the swamp we saw
Great Blue Heron and a tree full of Neotropic Cormorants. American Redstart was very common,
flitting in almost every clump of bushes, and we also saw a stunning male Prairie Warbler, great close
views of Black and White Warbler and plenty of La Sagra’s Flycatchers. Another endemic, the
Yellow-headed Warbler, also showed itself down to a couple of feet, loosely associating with a small
group of American warblers, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee and Loggerhead Kingbird.
Further up the trail we saw several Cuban Emeralds, fantastic views of a pair of Cuban Green
Woodpeckers and two Cuban Orioles which were feeding right above us. Another Northern
Waterthrush bobbed among the bushes and as we walked back, two Zapata Sparrows dropped right
onto the path in front of us! We watched and photographed them for several minutes, with one
coming to within six feet of us – we had to zoom out to fit it in the camera lenses!
Zapata Sparrow, 30th March La Turba
Heading back along the road towards Playa Larga, we made a roadside stop to look for Redshouldered Blackbird but were unable to find them, so continued to a roadside service area at La Bola
for coffee and a bit of a break. Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, West Indian Woodpecker and Cuban
Martin could be seen, and after coffee a walk around the adjacent landscaped ponds produced more
American Redstarts, another Black and White Warbler, two Northern Waterthrush, La Sagra’s
Flycatcher, Common Ground-Dove and superb close-ups of Common Yellowthroat and Cuban
Oriole.
Black and White Warbler, 30th March La Bola
The star of the show though was another endemic – a stunning Fernandina’s Flicker probing for
grubs on the grass of an adjacent hotel garden, and we watched the bird for about fifteen minutes. A
couple of dazzling looking American Purple Gallinule were wandering about with the Common
Gallinules on the same lawn. From here we headed back to the hotel for lunch and the usual break
before reconvening for the evening session.
Fernandina’s Flicker, 30th March La Bola
After lunch we met with our local guide Angel again and headed a short distance from Playa Larga
into the forest at Solpillar to spend the afternoon looking for owls. We had only walked about fifty
metres into the wood from the track and a Cuban Pygmy Owl flew across unannounced in front of us!
Angel whistled it into view and we had some cracking views of it in the scope before it shot back off
into the trees. The plan was then to spend an hour or so walking quietly through the wood, to see
what else we could find. American Redstart was very common, as it had been in the marsh during the
morning, and we also had some great views of Black-whiskered Vireo, Cuban Tody, Black-throated
Blue Warbler and a couple of brief Ovenbirds. Two Great Lizard Cuckoo scolded us as we passed and
Smooth-billed Ani were in the canopy above. One of our main targets here was the delightful Greyfronted Quail-Dove, which Angel somehow spotted with the naked eye even though it was sitting
motionless among the leaf litter. We went on to see two more during the walk, including one which
ran across the path in front of us. Next Angel took us to a broken off Palm trunk deep in the woods,
and after lining us up to one side he scratched the trunk with a branch – out popped a Cuban Screech
Owl, to take a look at us for a minute or so, before popping back in again! Incredible! Only a few
metres away, Angel also knew where a Stygian Owl was roosting, and we completed the hat-trick in
style with fantastic views of the largest of Cuba’s owls sitting right out in the open on its chosen
perch. A fantastic day all round, and we were certainly ready for a beer by the time we returned to
base around 1830.
Owl hat-trick – Solpillar 30th March – Cuban Pygmy, Cuban Screech and Stygian
Tuesday 31st March
A much cooler feel to things this morning as we headed out again at dawn to reach a spot at the edge
of the forest to look for the endemic Blue-headed Quail-Dove. The local ranger of the natural park has
created a feeding station where rice is spread along a woodland ride, overlooked by a viewing screen.
The only downside was that three coach loads of American birders also had the same idea, due to a
breakdown in communications between all the guides. So trying to cram 50 people into a small space
was not easy but we found ourselves a spot where we could view the ride and waited. Many Zenaida
Doves were feeding and a superb Key West Quail-Dove was strutting its stuff right in front of the
screen. A Cuban Emerald was spotted sitting in its nest in a small tree above us, which provided
some interim entertainment until our prize appeared – two dazzlingly beautiful Blue-headed QuailDoves, which walked out of the forest and began feeding and displaying right under our noses. We
still hadn’t really seen Ruddy Quail-Dove properly but decided to cut our losses here due to the
crowd and opt instead to try and find it during our forest walk.
Key West and Blue-headed Quail-Doves, 31st March
Angel took us along the tracks into the forest where we enjoyed a great hours birding, with good
views of many species such as Great Lizard Cuckoo, Cuban Trogon, Black-whiskered Vireo, Redlegged Honeycreeper, Cuban Green Woodpecker and most importantly Cuban Vireo, which most of
our group had missed. A pool in the forest attracted Grey-fronted Quail-Doves to drink, while
Ovenbirds strutted about around the fringes, and a Ruddy Quail-Dove flew right towards us down
the track and just over our heads! A couple of us saw the species on the ground a little later on, but
anyway we had now had ‘tickable’ views and completed our Quail-Dove quartet.
Grey-fronted Quail-Dove, 31st March
Back at the forest edge Angel found us a super Magnolia Warbler, and then a pair of circling Broadwinged Hawks, before taking us along to the star of the show. When anyone comes birding in Cuba
the smallest bird in the world has to be the number one target, and within minutes of watching along
a small avenue of flowering trees we were watching a dazzling singing male Bee Hummingbird. The
bird showed brilliantly for about half an hour, occasionally coming to feed at the flowers in between
bouts of singing from a wire. On a couple of occasions, it performed its incredible ‘display flight’
which involves accelerating vertically into the sky at before turning and coming straight back down
at quite incredible speed – we surmised that if it were possible to clock it with a radar gun, it would
knock the Peregrine’s record into a cocked hat for fastest bird in the world and then hold two top
accolades!
Bee Hummingbird, 31st March
From here we had one more stop to make near the eastern edge of the swamp to try again for our last
[available] endemic, the Red-shouldered Blackbird. We didn’t see it, but enjoyed watching a family
group of four Northern Caracara and a Fernandina’s Flicker flew past. Back to the hotel from here for
lunch around 1230.
In the afternoon we visited an area of ponds not far from Playa Larga, and though largely dry this year,
we still saw some nice birds. Black and White and Magnolia Warblers flitted among the trees with
the ubiquitous American Redstarts, and Kildeer ran around the parched ground by the ponds,
allowing extremely close approach. The biggest surprise here without a doubt was a pair of Wood
Duck – the first Andy had seen for many years, though they remained frustratingly shy and difficult to
observe – definitely not ‘coming to bread!!’.Common Gallinule, American Coot and the metallic
American Purple Gallinule were common, and we also had good views of our main target – Northern
Jacana, complete with brilliant lemon-yellow wing flashes. One each of Least and Solitary Sandpipers
picked around the muddy margins and a pair of Blue-winged Teal were also observed. Tawnyshouldered Blackbirds were particularly common here, and singles of Cuban Oriole, Northern
Caracara and Fernandina’s Flicker flew past. Common Yellowthroat and Northern Waterthrush
were both observed at close range and a pair of West Indian Woodpeckers showed down to a couple
of feet as we walked back to the bus. We made another stop on the way back to try for the Redshouldered Blackbird but were again unlucky – it was quite windy now though so we decided it was
best left for tomorrow. A hot afternoon [perhaps the warmest since the beginning of the trip] so we
were glad to retire for a shower [of sorts!] before dinner.
Wednesday 1st April
Our main target this morning was our last remaining endemic and the one which had already eluded
us three times! It was a lovely bright and calm morning though with the mist hanging over the
swamp, and it only took a minute or two to find a male Red-shouldered Blackbird. We watched the
bird for some time, singing at close quarters with the steam seen coming from its bill as it did so! We
had to persevere in order to see the red shoulders, but boy were they red! Grey Catbird, Cuban
Emerald and Cuban Green Woodpecker were also seen. Now we had the luxury of the rest of the
morning to head down to Las Salinas, a huge wetland area of Mangrove swamp and brackish lagoons,
to watch waterbirds. We enjoyed a real feast of birds in brilliant light conditions – a masterclass on
all the herons and their various age-related variations and colour morphs [particularly the white form
of Reddish Egret]. Tricoloured, Black-crowned Night, Green, Great Blue and Little Blue Herons and
hundreds of Snowy Egret were seen, along with a spectacular flock of about one hundred American
Flamingo. Waders were well represented with a single flock of about one hundred Black-necked
Stilts, many Willet and Greater Yellowlegs and a single Short-billed Dowitcher. A couple of Lesser
Yellowlegs, Grey Plover and two Stilt Sandpipers were also seen and we enjoyed great scope views of
Belted Kingfisher – the first proper view of the tour. Yellow Warbler and Northern Waterthrush
were seen around the mangroves and overhead Cuban Black Hawk was seen displaying. Osprey and
Peregrine were other raptors of note, with the latter being a new trip bird. Slightly unexpected was a
great view of a Clapper Rail, which we all managed to watch for several minutes through the scope as
it fed in the open. The biggest lagoon held three American White Pelicans [which later increased to
about a dozen] and two Gull-billed Terns gave some very nice views – two more new species. At the
end of the track Magnificent Frigatebirds and Caspian Terns drifted over and a small group of Shortbilled Dowitchers were roosting with Willets. Four more Grey Plovers were also here, but not the
hoped-for Wilson’s Plover which is sometimes found at the site. More great views of the waterbirds
could be had from the bus as we retraced the 21km track back out to the main road, and a couple of
lucky people saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flying across in front of the bus – when I say lucky, I mean
those who were awake! After lunch back at the hotel, we took an afternoon out to relax and get
sorted ready for tomorrows departure. In the evening, we unanimously decided it would be a nice
experience to visit a local Cuban household for dinner. Cuban people can get a licence for letting
rooms in their house and some also provide evening meals. Andy knew of one such establishment
nearby so we headed across there for a great evening of eating and drinking! A perfect way to round
off the trip.
Thursday 2nd April
After breakfast we departed for Havana, a journey of around three hours. Here we took a walking
tour and visited the old part of the city, before having lunch in one of the squares and transferring on
to the airport in the afternoon. Our Virgin Atlantic flight departed at 1900 for London Gatwick,
where we arrived back around 0900 the following morning.
Systematic List
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
West Indian Whistling-Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Wood Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Helmeted Guineafowl
Pied-billed Grebe
American Flamingo
Magnificent Frigatebird
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cuban Black-Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Dendrocygna arborea
Anas discors
Anas clypeata
Anas Americana
Aix sponsa
Aythya collaris
Aythya affinis
Mergus serrator
Oxyura jamaicensis
Numida meleagris
Podilymbus podiceps
Phoenicopterus ruber
Fregata magnificens
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Phalacrocorax auritus
Anhinga anhinga
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Pelecanus occidentalis
Ardea herodias
Ardea alba
Egretta thula
Egretta caerulea
Egretta tricolor
Egretta rufescens
Bubulcus ibis
Butorides virescens
Nycticorax nycticorax
Nyctanassa violacea
Eudocimus albus
Plegadis falcinellus
Platalea ajaja
Cathartes aura
Pandion haliaetus
Buteogallus gundlachii
Buteo platypterus
Buteo jamaicensis
Caracara cheriway
Falco sparverius
Falco columbarius
Falco peregrinus
Rallus longirostris
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Limpkin
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Northern Jacana
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Stilt Sandpiper
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Northern Bobwhite
Rock Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon
Plain Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Zenaida Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Key West Quail-Dove
Gray-fronted Quail-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Blue-headed Quail Dove
Cuban Parakeet
Cuban Parrot
Great Lizard-Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Bare-legged Owl
Cuban Pygmy-Owl
Stygian Owl
Greater Antillean Nightjar
Porphyrio martinica
Gallinula galeata
Fulica americana
Aramus guarauna
Haematopus palliatus
Pluvialis squatarola
Charadrius semipalmatus
Charadrius melodus
Charadrius vociferus
Himantopus mexicanus
Jacana spinosa
Tringa melanoleuca
Tringa semipalmata
Tringa flavipes
Tringa solitaria
Numenius hudsonicus
Arenaria interpres
Calidris mauri
Calidris minutilla
Limnodromus griseus
Calidris himantopus
Leucophaeus atricilla
Larus delawarensis
Larus smithsonianus
Larus fuscus
Gelochelidon nilotica
Hydroprogne caspia
Thalasseus maximus
Colinus virginianus
Columba livia
Patagioenas squamosa
Patagioenas leucocephala
Patagioenas inornata
Streptopelia decaocto
Zenaida asiatica
Zenaida aurita
Zenaida macroura
Columbina passerine
Geotrygon chrysia
Geotrygon caniceps
Geotrygon montana
Starnoenas cyanocephala
Aratinga euops
Amazona leucocephala
Coccyzus merlini
Coccyzus americanus
Crotophaga ani
Gymnoglaux lawrencii
Glaucidium siju
Asio stygius
Caprimulgus cubanensis
93. Antillean Palm-Swift
94. Cuban Emerald
95. Bee Hummingbird
96. Cuban Trogon
97. Cuban Tody
98. Belted Kingfisher
99. West Indian Woodpecker
100. Cuban Green Woodpecker
101. Fernandina's Flicker
102. Cuban Pewee
103. La Sagra's Flycatcher
104. Gray Kingbird
105. Loggerhead Kingbird
106. Giant Kingbird
107. Thick-billed Vireo
108. Cuban Vireo
109. Black-whiskered Vireo
110. Yellow-throated Vireo
111. Palm Crow
112. Cuban Crow
113. Cuban Martin
114. Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
115. Cave Swallow
116. Barn Swallow
117. Zapata Wren
118. Cuban Gnatcatcher
119. Cuban Solitaire
120. Red-legged Thrush
121. Gray Catbird
122. Northern Mockingbird
123. Bahama Mockingbird
124. Ovenbird
125. Worm-eating Warbler
126. Northern Waterthrush
127. Louisiana Waterthrush
128. Black-and-white Warbler
129. Common Yellowthroat
130. American Redstart
131. Cape May Warbler
132. Northern Parula
133. Magnolia Warbler
134. Yellow Warbler
135. Black-throated Blue Warbler
136. Palm Warbler
137. Olive-capped Warbler
138. Yellow-throated Warbler
139. Prairie Warbler
140. Black-throated Green Warbler
141. Tennessee Warbler
142. Yellow-headed Warbler
Tachornis phoenicobia
Chlorostilbon ricordii
Mellisuga helenae
Priotelus temnurus
Todus multicolor
Megaceryle alcyon
Melanerpes superciliaris
Xiphidiopicus percussus
Colaptes fernandinae
Contopus caribaeus
Myiarchus sagrae
Tyrannus dominicensis
Tyrannus caudifasciatus
Tyrannus cubensis
Vireo crassirostris
Vireo gundlachii
Vireo altiloquus
Vireo flavifrons
Corvus palmarum
Corvus nasicus
Progne cryptoleuca
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Petrochelidon fulva
Hirundo rustica
Ferminia cerverai
Polioptila lembeyei
Myadestes elisabeth
Turdus plumbeus
Dumetella carolinensis
Mimus polyglottos
Mimus gundlachii
Seiurus aurocapilla
Helmitheros vermivorum
Parkesia noveboracensis
Parkesia motacilla
Mniotilta varia
Geothlypis trichas
Setophaga ruticilla
Setophaga tigrina
Setophaga americana
Setophaga magnolia
Setophaga petechia
Setophaga caerulescens
Setophaga palmarum
Setophaga pityophila
Setophaga dominica
Setophaga discolor
Setophaga virens
Vermivora peregrina
Teretistris fernandinae
143. Oriente Warbler
144.Western Spindalis
145. Red-legged Honeycreeper
146. Cuban Bullfinch
147. Cuban Grassquit
148. Yellow-faced Grassquit
149. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
150. Zapata Sparrow
151. Red-shouldered Blackbird
152. Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
153. Eastern Meadowlark
154. Cuban Blackbird
155. Greater Antillean Grackle
156. Cuban Oriole
157. House Sparrow
Teretistris fornsi
Spindalis zena
Cyanerpes cyaneus
Melopyrrha nigra
Tiaris canorus
Tiaris olivaceus
Pheuticus ludovicianus
Torreornis inexpectata
Agelaius assimilis
Agelaius humeralis
Sturnella magna
Dives atroviolaceus
Quiscalus niger
Icterus melanopsis
Passer domesticus