Explorations of an Ecologist: August 2015

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

February 22, 2015 - final morning at Cayo Santa Maria

View of part of Havana from a high rise building

Western Spindalis, formerly known as the Stripe-headed Tanager, is a common species found throughout Cuba, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and the island of Cozumel, Mexico. It occasionally shows up as a vagrant in southern Florida as well. I've featured the males before in earlier posts from this trip but this was my first time photographing a female. The trees surrounding our resort constantly had Western Spindalis(es?) feeding on a sort of fruit, though photography was more difficult than expected due to their propensity for having several small twigs getting in the way, preventing a clean photo.

female Western Spindalis

Of course I had to photograph a few of the males - an absolutely stunning bird in my mind.

male Western Spindalis

Eurasian Collared-Doves have really taken over in urban areas not only in Cuba but throughout much of the world. Looking at the eBird sighting map they have yet to spread extensively in South America and Africa, while Australasia and southeast Asia also remains untouched. One feels that is just a matter of time though...

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Warblers were quite common right in the resort complex, presumably due to the large number of mature, fruiting and flowering trees that attracted many insects. Comparatively, the dry scrub that makes up the rest of the island is more of a hostile environment. Each morning we encountered about a dozen species while only walking a few dozen meters! Cape May Warblers were surprisingly abundant, while American Redstart, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers were also accounted for in decent numbers. This sharp male Prairie Warbler was too sexy not to photograph, especially as it set at eye level for a minute or so.

Prairie Warbler

The trip was certainly a success and we managed to enjoy a wide variety of Cuba`s flora and fauna. As it was not a dedicated birding tour we missed several of the endemics, but on my next trip to Cuba I have set aside several days once the tour concludes to rent a vehicle and clean up the remaining endemics. The following are the endemic bird species of Cuba according to the most recent Clements checklist. Bold letters represent species we observed during this tour.

Gundlach's Hawk

Cuban Black Hawk

Zapata Rail

Blue-headed Quail-Dove

Gray-fronted Quail-Dove

Bare-legged Owl

Cuban Pygmy-Owl

Bee Hummingbird

Cuban Trogon

Cuban Tody

Cuban Green Woodpecker

Fernandina's Flicker

Cuban Parakeet

Giant Kingbird

Cuban Vireo

Cuban Martin (migrates to South America during winter, though wintering grounds are unknown)

Zapata Wren

Cuban Gnatcatcher

Cuban Solitaire

Yellow-headed Warbler

Oriente Warbler

Cuban Grassquit (also introduced to Bahamas)

Zapata Sparrow

Red-shouldered Blackbird

Cuban Blackbird

Cuban Oriole

Sunday, 23 August 2015

February 21, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria

breakfast companions

It was a hot and humid day, but the overcast conditions provided some shelter from the elements as we explored the dry, scrub like habitats on the island.

Cuba has a high number of endemic land snails, several species which we were able to find and photograph during the hike. Wikipedia tells me that there are over 1300 species of land gastropods in Cuba with about 94% of them endemic to the country. Most of the ones I photographed are Liguus fasciatus, a common species that can also be found in Florida.

Before long we entered a cave, the roosting site for thousands of bats. I can't recall which species they were, though Cuba has about 26 different species.

Up to this point in the trip we had yet to encounter a single snake. The weather was partly to blame - it had been unseasonably cool for the first part of the trip, and while a day time high of 20 degrees may feel comfortable to us, it is too cold for the snake species that are found in Cuba. The winter season is also quite dry. For these reasons snakes will brumate through part of the winter, emerging during periods of hot and wet weather, but generally saving their energy for the wet season when prey is much easier to find.

We finally encountered our first snake early in the afternoon as we continued hiking through the scrub habitat. It was an adult Cuban Racer (Alsophis cartherigenus) that had certainly seen better days. The snake was extremely emaciated, made no attempt to flee when we approached (very unusual for a snake called a "racer"!) and in general looked like it was on its way out of this world.

It was not the way we were hoping to see our first snake, but life and death is a part of nature, as painful as it may be to witness. One has to remember that by having the weak individuals of a species die, only the strongest will succeed in passing on their genes to the next generation, thereby improving the genetics of the species as a whole.

Of interest were the large number of ticks that had attached themselves to the snake's scales.

Someone made a great discovery by finding this Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) resting on the inside of a succulent.

We made a few more discoveries throughout the walk, including several Leiocephalus stictigaster, a type of small iguanid lizard, and several anole species. Birds included a White Ibis at the only freshwater pool we encountered on the hike, Cuban Black-Hawks overhead, the endemic subspecies of Great Lizard Cuckoo only found on several keys off the north coast of Cuba, and a variety of other scrub species such as Western Spindalis, Cuban Pewee, Cuban Vireo and a variety of wood-warblers.

Just as we were finishing the hike Glenn discovered this Cuban Racer basking at the base of a tree. Compared to the first individual, this one was much healthier looking! We did not capture this one, instead contenting ourselves by photographing it from a moderate distance. It gave a few tongue flicks, but otherwise seemed comfortable as long as we did not get too close.

I had to break out the big lens to take a few headshots...

Later that afternoon we returned to the lagoons to see what shorebirds were in. Twelve species were located including our first Semipalmated Sandpiper of the trip. All of the expected wading birds were accounted for including six Roseate Spoonbills - always a crowd pleaser! Several of the clients had been asking about American Avocet through the trip, but I told them that our chances of seeing one was very slim as they are a vagrant to Cuba.

Well wouldn't you know it, as I set up my scope I noticed two avocets swimming near the back of the lagoon. That certainly caused a bit of excitement, and was a great way to finish off a fun day on Cayo Santa Maria!

Friday, 21 August 2015

Rare warblers and a shorebird near Halifax

Last night I arrived in Halifax to spend the next 9 days or so with Laura and her family. This week she was working at a veterinary clinic and had a long day scheduled for today (Friday), which provided me with an opportunity to drop her off in the morning, go birding all day, and pick her up in the evening!

My best bird of the day came as I was birding near the back cove at Harlen Point, located near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Hartlen Point is a fantastic rarity magnet, and was the location where I successfully twitched a provincial first Ross's Goose in January 2013, and the provincial second Eurasian Kestrel last December. Around late morning as I was exiting Back Cove, I was quite surprised to see an oystercatcher flying my way. It followed the shoreline to Back Cove, circled around, and exited the mouth of the channel, continuing north along the coast. I was hoping that it would have the diagnostic white rump of a Eurasian Oystercatcher, but unfortunately that was not the case! American Oystercatcher was actually a life bird for me as I had missed them previously in Florida, Colombia and Panama. I'm not sure if there are any previous records of American Oystercatcher for the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). In Canada the only place to reliable see them is around the islands off the extreme south tip of Nova Scotia where a few nest each year. The odd vagrant has shown up elsewhere in the Maritimes, while Ontario and Quebec even have the odd record. The decision to leave my camera in the car was a poor one this time, however, as I could have smoked some decent shots.

I wanted to relocate the oystercatcher so I decided to focus the rest of my birding to points further east. Unfortunately the persistent fog lasted all day, rendering beach-checking and sea-watching practically useless!

The other two highlights of the day occurred as I slowly drove a back road near Lower Three Fathom Harbour. My strategy for finding rare landbirds was to slowly troll along roads near the coast, listening for the tell tale chips, zeets and chucks of flocks of chickadees or warblers. Often rarities will join up with these roving flocks.

This strategy worked to a tee today! I stopped to investigate a few chip notes, and with a bit of "encouragement" I was able to rile up a whole flock of chickadees and warblers. Black-capped Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers made up the bulk of the flock, while a few Boreal Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats and Red-breasted Nuthatches were also accounted for. Something bright and yellow down low in the alders immediately grabbed my attention. It was a Blue-winged Warbler! After a mad dash to the car, I was ready with the camera, but the bird proved very skulky and nearly impossible to focus on. As I was failing with my photography, another bright yellow bird popped up. This time it was a young female Prairie Warbler!

Eventually with a bit of patience I photographed both species, though my Blue-winged Warbler shots are less than ideal.

female Blue-winged Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

Both Prairie and Blue-winged Warblers are species that breed further south and west of Nova Scotia, yet every autumn small numbers of mainly hatch year individuals of each species end up in the Maritimes after presumably getting blown off course. Prairie is more regular as a vagrant than Blue-winged, but both show up each autumn in Nova Scotia.

female Prairie Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

I have to say I really enjoy birding on the east coast, where vagrant hunting seems much more productive than back home in Ontario! Rarities could be around any bend, and often they are. Now if only one of those funny looking Black Terns would end up our way...

female Prairie Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Summer phalaroping

Over the last few weeks I haven't ventured outside in search of wildlife as frequently as I had earlier in the spring and summer. After a rushed spring migration followed by a long and busy field season, this late summer "hangover" is an annual occurrence for me. The period from mid July to mid August is traditionally very slow for birding in this part of the continent. The breeding birds are finishing up nesting duty and preparing for migration, remaining mostly hidden and relatively silent in the deep foliage. Reptiles and amphibians, my other main interest besides birds, are still very much present this time of year but often much more difficult to encounter than during the late spring and early summer period. The heat and humidity can be oppressive, and August signals the beginning of ragweed season for me. All the more reason to catch up on projects indoors, sit on patios, go to Jays games, and generally take a bit of a break from all that naturalizing! After all, September and October will be very busy for me with the excitement of autumn migration.

But even during the dog days of summer migration is well underway , particularly with shorebirds. Species like Short-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs are some of the first birds to begin moving south. Due to the length of the migration season for yellowlegs in particular, it is not unheard of for the first autumn migrants to be returning south in June (!) while some lingering spring migrants are still making their way up north.

While shorebirding in York Region is usually rather dismal, this year the 4th cell at the Holland Landing lagoons have been partially drawn down, revealing some suitable muddy habitat for shorebirds and gulls to feed or rest on. It has been a nice break after working in the office to swing by Holland Landing on my way home and spend an hour watching the birds do their thing. It is still about a 25 minute drive for me, but I try to stop by a few times a week. (For those considering a visit - note that the lagoons are posted no trespassing, but I have never had an issue being there).

Shorebirds have generally consisted of the usual species expected this time of year - good numbers of Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers which nest at the lagoons, a few dozen Lesser Yellowlegs, a mixture of both Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, two or three Solitary Sandpipers and the odd Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs or Semipalmated Plover. Bonaparte's Gulls have numbered close to 200 in recent days, and the duck flock is steadily growing, incorporating close to 100 Blue-winged Teal, 30+ Green-winged Teal, American Black Ducks, and today the first Northern Shoveler. I've been keeping an eye out for a teal with a longer bill, but alas no luck with a Cinnamon Teal yet!

Last week I had finished up with the shorebirds in the 4th pond and had turned my attention to the group of Bonaparte's Gulls floating on the 3rd pond when a small white bird caught my attention way in the back. I cranked the scope up to 60x and was pleasantly surprised to see the dot morph into a very crisp, juvenile Red-necked Phalarope. Red-necked Phalaropes are generally pelagic species, breeding in the arctic and spending much of the rest of the year floating on the open ocean. But every year small numbers will pass through Ontario and it is not too uncommon for them to stop by sewage lagoons during the autumn. My checklist of York Region Birds lists Red-necked as less than annual, and there are no previous eBird records for the county. I do know of at least one relatively recent record from Holland Landing, from August, 2006. The phalarope was much too far for good photos (my phone-scoped shots are hardly worth mentioning!), so here is a photo of one that tolerated my close approach on James Bay during August, 2012.

Red-necked Phalarope - James Bay (August 9, 2012)

I called David Szmyr who lives in Barrie and is doing an Ontario "big year". He raced down and quickly added it to the list later that evening! The phalarope remained at the lagoons for at least four days, last being reported on August 13.

I visited again yesterday after work to see what had dropped in. The fourth lagoon often has a group of gulls, ducks and shorebirds resting on a mud flat that is not visible unless one walks south down the berm for a few dozen meters, as the birds here are hidden by overgrown vegetation. I had cautiously began walking down the berm when the ducks noticed my presence, and instantly all 200+ took to the air. However, I had noticed a plump little shorebird moments before the flurry of wings and had managed to get on the bird as the ducks and Bonaparte's Gulls headed over to the 3rd pond. It appeared phalarope-like and the white rump combined with a lack of wing stripe clinched the ID as Wilson's Phalarope. After landing on the water for a few minutes, it flew back to the 4th pond and settled on the mudflat with the returning gulls.

Like the Red-necked earlier, this one was also a crisp juvenile, and it remained content to forage in the shallow water with the Lesser Yellowlegs. With the sun at my back I relished this rare opportunity (for me at least) to study a juvenile Wilson's at close range. Unfortunately my camera was at home, so phone-scoping was the order of the day. Wilson's Phalaropes are the least pelagic of the three phalarope species, breeding along ponds throughout the prairies of western North America. Ontario has a few breeding Wilson's Phalaropes including a small population in the prairie-like sedge marshes of the James Bay coast. Migrants can be generally rare to encounter, however.

Wilson's Phalarope - Holland Landing (August 18, 2015)

In the next photo, the Wilson's Phalarope is in the foreground and a Lesser Yellowlegs is feeding behind it. They can look surprisingly similar, especially when wading in moderately deep water, obscuring their legs. The very thin bill, plump white body, and facial pattern easily give it away as a Wilson's if you are looking close enough. The Wilson's also fed much more erratically and even spun around in the water a few times.

Wilson's Phalarope and two Lesser Yellowlegs - Holland Landing (August 18, 2015)

Needless to say I was on the phone with Dave again, and he had to cancel evening plans with his lady once more to race back down to the lagoons. Luckily for him, this will only happen once more this year, as Red Phalarope is the only remaining phalarope to find!

Sunday, 16 August 2015

February 19 and 20, 2015 - Hanabanilla Reservoir, Cayo Santa Maria

view of the Hanabanilla River

our trustry tour bus

The clouds were threatening and the temperature was a cool 16 degrees or so with a brisk wind. We climbed aboard, spotting a Little Blue Heron and Pied-billed Grebe close to the shoreline.

embarking our vessel

The boat ride was interesting with several nice bird sightings along the way. Scattered small groups of Lesser Scaup and American Coot, both new "trip birds", hugged the shoreline, while we encountered a large group of several hundred birds in a sheltered bay. Most of the ducks were scaup, there were small numbers of Ruddy Ducks and Blue-winged Teals, as well as a single Ringnecked Duck. Later on a Northern Pintail flew over the boat and a pair of tiny Least Grebes kept a cautious eye on us as they swam away from the boat.

After a delicious lunch outside under thatched roofs, several of the group had an opportunity make the 20 minute hike to a lookout point overlooking the reservoir. By this point the sun had came out, making for a pleasant afternoon.

We embarked on our boat once again, making the short trip to the far end of the reservoir where our bus was waiting. From here we left the south part of the country, making good time on the roads to the north coast of Cuba while our guide, Acosta explained the history of the area we were passing through and discussed the Cuban Revolution, including the role that Che Guevara played in it.

By late afternoon we crossed the 40 km or length causeway connecting the mainland to Cayo Santa Maria and surrounding keys. As this was our first taste of the north coast we became acquainted with our first Magnificent Frigatebirds, along with occasional shorebirds on the edge of the causeway. The winds had picked up by the time we arrived at our accomodations, threatening to put an end to our planned catamaran and snorkeling tour the following day.

shoreline of Cayo Santa Maria

Unfortunately the winds hadn't subsided overnight, and the wind and waves had stirred the water to such a degree as to make the visibility during snorkeling futile. Our alternate plan was to bird some of the scrub and wetlands throughout the eastern end of the island.

Wading birds were abundant, with the diversity changing by the hour. Great Egrets always had a strong presence.

Great Egrets - Cayo Santa Maria

Several terns were fishing over the wetlands, providing an opportunity for flight shots.

Royal Tern - Cayo Santa Maria

One of the more popular species of the day was Reddish Egret, a wading bird that is relatively localized in its worldwide distribution, with the Caribbean at the heart of its range.

Reddish Egret - Cayo Santa Maria

Some new shorebird species made their way onto the trip list, including Willet, Stilt Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper and a rare in winter Pectoral Sandpiper. Many of the birds were quite approachable, allowing great comparison view in the scope of Stilt Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs. The 90+ flock of Black-necked Stilts was also nice to scope from close range!

The duck list also grew, and additions of Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser and American Wigeon left very few "easy" ones to get later.

Perhaps the biggest highlight for many of the clients was the small group of Roseate Spoonbills frequenting the wetlands. The first was nearly hidden, tucked away at the back of the wetland with some egrets, but after a while several more came in, flying low over the group.

Roseate Spoonbill - Cayo Santa Maria

The final new bird was a Sora which called once from the cover of dense vegetation, capping off an enjoyable morning of birding.

Sunday, 9 August 2015

February 18, 2015 - the Escambray Mountains, Cuba

February 10-11, 2015 - Viñales Valley
February 10-11, 2015 - hotel birding in the Viñales Valley
February 12, 2015 - Parque Nacional La Guira and Soroa
February 13, 2015 - Reserva Sierra del Rosaria, town of Las Terrazas
February 14, 2015 - Soroa to Zapata
February 15, 2015 - Zapata Swamp
February 16 and 17, 2015 - Trinidad and Ancon Peninsula
February 18, 2015 - the Escambray Mountains
February 19 and 20, 2015 - Hanabanilla Reservoir, Cayo Santa Maria
February 21, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria
February 22, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we left the mangroves and beaches behind, drove through the streets of the colorful city of Trinidad, and climbed a windy road through the forested foothills of the Escambray Mountains. Our destination was Topes de Collantes, a nature reserve park that protects the forests, waterfalls, caves, and of course the flora and fauna that reside in these mountains.

We stopped for a quick break partway through our descent of the foothills. A short walk to an observation tower provided a panoramic view of the countryside to the south. Peering through the distant haze, one could see the Ancon Peninsula jutting into the Caribbean, our home base for the past two nights.

I thought this was kind of a neat photo, showing two of the clients looking at a Red-legged Thrush (top left).

Several Great Lizard-Cuckoos vocalized from the nearby scrub, but staying mostly out of site. These birds can be very difficult to photograph well, reminding me of our Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos from back home.

foothills of the Escambray Mountains

We arrived at our destination of Topes de Collantes shortly after. Despite a bit of a mix up we arranged a "Russian Limousine" - a converted Russian army truck - to escort us on the narrow roads into the mountains. It encountered some mechanical issues, which, combined with the slick roads due to the recent rain caused us to be dropped off a short walk from our destination to begin a nice hike through the forest.

Russian limousine - Escambray Mountains

During our hike we were able to observe several of the Cuban specialties reasonably well, including Cuban Peewee, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Tody and an abundance of Cuban Trogons. We learned about some of the native, endemic plants found in these mountains as well as stopping to appreciate the various butterflies and flowers we encountered. We explored a cave where Bare-legged Owls roost in on occasion, though none were accommodating this time around. Several Cuban Pygmy-Owls were calling, however, as we hiked through the landscape, and one flew directly across the trail, right over our heads!

Loggerhead Kingbirds are abundant in open habitats, and the grassy areas at the edge of woodlands here were no different. This individual was quite tolerant of our group's approach, and even held still for some photos.

Loggerhead Kingbird - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Our lunch was being prepared over an open fire nearby - it was a large pig on a spit, smelling absolutely delicious....

Dinner - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Once our hike concluded we retired back at a restaurant - Hacienda Codina - tucked away in the hills for lunch. Several of the clients were more interested in the gardens encircling the restaurant, as good numbers of Cuban Emeralds, Western Spindalis, Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds and wintering wood-warblers were feeding on the plants or on the insects attracted to them, and some Scaly-naped Pigeons roosted at the tops of distant trees..

male Western Spindalis - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Cuban Emerald - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Cape May Warblers are always a crowd pleaser. A bright male fed on the Bottlebrush flowers, while several females with their subdued plumage sat in a nearby shrub. The gray/yellow pattern on the head, the thick breast streaking, and yellowish green rump were subtle clues to the birds' identities, compared to the bright red cheek and striking plumage of the male.

male Cape May Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

female Cape May Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

This West Indian Woodpecker kept a very close eye on us as we dined.

West Indian Woodpecker - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

After finishing our delicious roast pig meal, several bouts of rain pushed through the area. We were delegated to watching the birds from the comfort of the restaurant and its overhanging roof. Between storms I ventured out to photograph some of the birds as they attempted to dry out.

Cuban Emerald - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Our Russian Limousine was delayed in picking us up - we were later told that there was a shortage of them as some were going through various mechanical problems. It was frustrating to say the least as it meant changing our itinerary for the day, but fortunately the Clients were quite easy going and accommodating with the change. Besides, the birding at the restaurant was so good!

While not a wild, native species, I couldn't help but snap a few photos of these too cute baby chickens.

The highlight of the day, and perhaps the trip (for me) was the Townsend's Warbler that we discovered and identified on the restaurant grounds. As I was photographing the above Red-legged Thrush on the road a short distance from the restaurant, I heard someone call my name. I returned to the restaurant and was informed about an interesting warbler that was in the garden that went unidentified. Some thought it was a weird Black-throated Green, while another possibility was a Blackburnian. Not 5 minutes later a small yellowish warbler popped up on top of a nearby shrub. I looked at it with my binoculars and had to suppress a slew of profanities - it was a Townsend's Warbler!!

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

I quickly called over whoever was in earshot - fortunately the bird was relatively to easy to get on as it fed in one area for several minutes. I fired off a series of photos as well, as "proof" of the identification.

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Townsend's Warblers breed throughout mature coniferous forests in western North America, from Alaska to Oregon. Their winter range extends along the Pacific Coast and down through Mexico into Central America. The reason I was so excited about this find is because their range does not include Cuba, a fact confirmed when flipping through our Cuban field guides and seeing no mention of the species.

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

We only had a few minutes to view this bird before our truck arrived to take us back to the entrance, but all of the birders in my group had reasonable views of the bird before we pulled ourselves away. Pretty good timing :)

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Once returning from our trip I did some looking around and fired off some emails to Cuban bird experts, confirming that this was indeed the first record for Cuba. There is a recent record from Grand Cayman, the only other record I am aware of for the Greater Antilles. Florida, however, has quite a few records, including over a dozen on ebird. I am sure that if Cuba had the birding coverage of Florida there would be a few more records of this species.

Our afternoon finished by visiting a nearby shade-grown coffee plantation while the rains came down outside, before making the short drive to our nearby hotel. Despite the rain, it was an excellent day, and perhaps one of the most memorable of the trip for many.