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| Painted Bunting, Garden of Grand Bahama Birders B&B, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Feb 7, 2017 |
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| La Sagra's Flycatcher, Garden of Grand Bahama Birders B&B, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Feb 7, 2017 |
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| Red legged Thrush, Garden of Grand Bahama Birders B&B, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Feb 7, 2017 |
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| Ovenbird, Garden of Grand Bahama Birders B&B, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Feb 7, 2017 |
Tuesday the 7th started very early with a ferry ride from Fort Lauderdale over to
Freeport, Grand Bahama. We left Florida around eight and arrived in the Bahamas
just before noon. My main targets for the trip over to Grand Bahama were the
two endemic warbler species (Bahama Warbler and Bahama Yellowthoat) plus another
near endemic warbler (Olive capped Warbler...also found on Cuba). I also had a
list of around ten speciality species that I also hoped to add from Bahama
Hummingbird to Key West Quail Dove. Sadly the two endemic warblers have not
been reported since Hurricane Matthew devastated Grand Bahama back in October so
I would really have my work cut out for me in finding them. After a bit of a
snafu in our pick up from the port we eventually made it to our lodging for the
next four days, Garden of Grand Bahamas B&B. Despite the damage from the
latest hurricane the small garden on site produced some great birds including my
first Thick billed Vireo, Cuban Emerald and La Sagra's Flycatcher (species
#1254-1256). The garden also featured a couple very tame species that would
walk to within hands reach including Red legged Thrushes and Ovenbirds. Many
times the birds were so close that I could not focus the camera but instead had
to use my iPhone.
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| Olive capped Warbler, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Pine Warbler, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Yellow throated Warbler, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Black faced Grassquit, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Thick billed Vireo, Lucayan NP,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Western Spindalis, Lucayan NP,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Cape May Warbler, Garden of the Groves,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| White crowned Pigeon, Garden of the Groves,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Northern Waterthrush, Garden of the Groves,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Bananaquit, Garden of the Groves,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Cuban Emerald, Garden of the Groves,Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Shannon Golf Course ATV trail, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
On Wednesday the 8th I hired a guide (Erica
Gates) for the entire day to try to track down the above mentioned targets and
had some success as well as a few misses. We started out in the pine lands on
the way to Owl's Hole looking for pine specialties and after a bit of walking
we ran across a mixed species flock that contained at least two Olive capped
Warblers. Although we tried to turn up the other two endemic warblers we had no
luck here (or any of the other spots we checked over the course of the day). I
was certainly happy to get to see, hear and photograph the Olive capped Warbler
which became species #1257. The walk along the road to Owl's Hole also produced
species #1258 with a pair of Western Spindalis, a couple of unusual for the area
Chipping Sparrows plus a number of other expected species. Our next stop was to
Lucayan National Park where we explored the area near some entrances to
underground caves as well as the nearby mangroves. One of the entrances to the
caves produced a couple of nearly fledged Barn Owls in a nest hole, which was a
surprise to both the guide and I. After an entire morning out in the pine lands
we headed over to Garden of the Groves for lunch and a few hours around the park
where we ran across a number of new species for the trip. We finally ran across
another new species for me along some ATV trails through an old, overgrown golf
course near Garden of the Groves when we turned up a Greater Antillean Bullfinch
(#1259).
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