Birding West Jamaica Endemics

Monday, February 4: St. Elizabeth Parish

Upper Black River Morass, Black River and the Parottee Great Morass
Hotel Luna Sea Inn

Bird of the day: Spotted Rail

We had a very early start as the sun was rising, taking our packed breakfast with us.



We drove straight to the Black River Upper Morass IBA, where we had to wait for the cows to clear off the road.



It is an extensive wetland. Luckily there is a narrow gravel road through it. We parked on the side of the road, birded for awhile and then had our “picnic” breakfast of juice, bread, peanut butter and fruit. We hiked along the road, often going off the road to get closer views of the water birds. What a spot! There were all species of herons (including Least Bittern), Glossy Ibis, Common and Purple Gallinules, Northern Jacanas, Black-necked Stilts, Blue-winged Teals, Least Grebes, Greater Yellowlegs, Limpkins, Soras, Smooth-billed Anis and our bird of the day, Spotted Rails.



We retraced our route to a crossroads where the guides had seen a Mangrove Cuckoo previously. It took a bit of searching, but eventually Deceita got us on it.



We drove down to the mouth of the Black River for lunch beside the beach. There was a shortage of menu items available, some of us were “forced” to have lobster. On the beach we enjoyed watching Willets, Back-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Laughing Gulls, Magnificent Frigatebirds and a Ruddy Turnstone. A Vervain Hummingbird was periodically visiting a nearby flowering tree.



Bev and Bill staked out the hummingbird for photos and were entertained by an Anole lizard.



Some wandered down the beach after lunch, but Barbara located a warbler bonanza across the road. With help from Wayne, she got photos of a Prairie Warbler, a Cape May, and a couple of Yellows.



We got back in the vans and birded at a couple of ponds along the road past Black River, where we saw a Reddish Egret and West Indian Whistling Ducks with chicks, as well as repeats of many other water birds.



Wearily, we returned to the Luna Sea Inn in time for a late sunset, followed by bird listing and dinner.

February 4 Birds

Upper Black River Morass, Saint Elizabeth, JM
Feb 4, 2019 7:44 AM - 12:17 PM
Protocol: Traveling
12.167 kilometer(s)
37 species

Blue-winged Teal  47
Common Ground-Dove  13
Zenaida Dove  6
Smooth-billed Ani  41
Mangrove Cuckoo  1
Spotted Rail  2     1st one Heard only, confirmed with sound recording. Second one seen
Sora  3
Common Gallinule  12
American Coot (White-shielded)  3
Purple Gallinule  2
Limpkin  3
Black-necked Stilt  4
Northern Jacana  9
Least Sandpiper  7
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  8
Lesser Yellowlegs  7
American Bittern  1     Seen well in flight, all gray back
Great Blue Heron  17
Great Egret  14
Snowy Egret  2
Little Blue Heron  4
Tricolored Heron  2
Cattle Egret  44
Green Heron  5
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  12
Turkey Vulture  13
Osprey  3
American Kestrel  2
Jamaican Vireo  1
Greater Antillean Grackle  1
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  2
Palm Warbler  1
Prairie Warbler  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52783554

Black River--Crane Road beach, Saint Elizabeth, JM
Feb 4, 2019 1:10 PM - 2:41 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.239 kilometer(s)
17 species

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Antillean Palm-Swift  8
Vervain Hummingbird  1
Black-bellied Plover  3
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Sanderling  11
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Willet  4
Laughing Gull  37
Royal Tern  5
Magnificent Frigatebird  2
Brown Pelican  1
Little Blue Heron  4
American Kestrel  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
Cape May Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  1
Bananaquit  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52783521

Parottee Pond, Saint Elizabeth, JM
Feb 4, 2019 3:59 PM - 4:12 PM
Protocol: Stationary
9 species

Royal Tern  2
Brown Pelican  2
Least Bittern  1     Bvd, flew and disappeared into island thicket
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  4
Snowy Egret  6
Little Blue Heron  12
Tricolored Heron  1
Reddish Egret  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52783483

Spring Pond, Saint Elizabeth, JM
Feb 4, 2019 4:44 PM - 5:09 PM
Protocol: Stationary
6 species

West Indian Whistling-Duck  12     With chicks
Least Grebe  5
Common Gallinule  62
Purple Gallinule  6
Northern Jacana  6
American Kestrel  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52783378