Bird watching on Bahamas - December 2024

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

December 2024

Day 3

Saturday 14 ^th of December 2024 and I jump out of bed at 4 o'clock in the morning, well, a few minutes after 4 o'clock. Tea and cheese and I continued to sort my bird pictures.

I went out on the road quarter to 8, my plan is to have a look for birds while waiting for my Guide from Bahamas Outdoors. I hear one bird when I approach the gate and I turn on my mobile using the Merlin app to record the bird.

Merlin ID the bird as a Yellow-throated Warbler. I cannot see the bird and I play the recording and the bird is soon showing up so I can get pictures for my eBird report.

Listen to the Yellow-throated Warbler

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Waiting for my Guide from Bahamas Outdoors and I hear the bird. I make a recording and I also manage to get some pictures of the bird sitting in a tree next to the road.

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

I bought an K8 Wireless microphone for my phone yesterday. I want to try the small microphone, but was a disappointment. 40$ down the drain, I never got it to work and I had been looking forward to record birds today with my new mic.

40 $ for duck all! What a waste of money this turned out to be.

I realised that I had forgot my DIET drinks and I returned to my room to pick up two bottles. And my Guide arrives when I am back on the road.

It is her and her companion plus two guests that are going to look for birds today. I get in to the car and I pop open a diet drink.

Our first stop will be at the Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail but we stop at the Sea Beach Promenade. There is one Osprey sitting in the tree and I report it to eBird. But I do not bother to try to take any picture.

We park the car at Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail and I turn on my eBird app. Turns out that the Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail is an eBird hotspot. We can report two American coot and 1 American Moorhen straight away coming out from the car.

We flush one Green Heron and it landed on the other side of the pond. I follow the bird to try to get pictures of the bird before it disappears.

Green Heron

Green Heron

Loggerhead Kingbird

Loggerhead Kingbird

Cuban Pewee

The group is soon catching up and we see two new LIFERS for me, first the Loggerhead Kingbird and then the Cuban Pewee. And I also managed to get pictures, so it was a very good start of the day. And I was in an “upbeat mood”

Without the Guide I would not have had a clue on what birds it was.

Common Ground Dove

Common Ground Dove

Bahama Woodstar

Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail

Listen to the mystery bird

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

I think I am recording the Bahama Woodstar on top of me, but I suspect it is a warbler

The area is closed, but we continue and we reach a bridge. There are a lot of birds and I get a poor picture of the Bahama Woodstar. I try to make a recording, but I don't think it is the Bahama Woodstar and I have requested help at xeno-canto forum.

So, we will see if anyone can ID the bird sound.

We walk back to the car and we see the Cuban Pewee again. There is also one La Sagra's Flycatcher, a new LIFER for me. But the bird is in the vegetation, between me and the sun so the pictures are just good enough for ID purpose.

Cuban Pewee

Cuban Pewee

Black-and-white Warbler

La Sagra's Flycatcher

La Sagra's Flycatcher

Red-legged Thrush

Red-legged Thrush

La Sagra's Flycatcher and one Red-legged Thrush, two new LIFERS walking back to the car. So, just early morning and already 4 new LIFERS.

We approach the car and we spot one woodpecker on one of the trees. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and this is my fifth LIFER for this morning.
• Cuban Pewee
• Loggerhead Kingbird
• La Sagra's Flycatcher
• Red-legged Thrush
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

An excellent start of the day. Back at the car and I turned of my eBird app. Well, we are just having some water before we continue to the check out the Hobby Horse Pond.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Back at the car

eBird Report

Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail, New Providence, BS
Dec 14, 2024 08:27 - 09:13
Protocol: Traveling
0.4 kilometer(s)
15 species

Common Ground Dove 3
Bahama Woodstar 1
American Moorhen 4
American Coot 2
Green Heron 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Cuban Pewee 1
La Sagra's Flycatcher 1
Loggerhead Kingbird 1
Grey Catbird 1
Red-legged Thrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Northern Parula 3
Bananaquit 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205338975

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home

Today's track at Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail

I turn on my eBird app again and we start walking towards the east end of the pond. We are running in to our second Loggerhead Kingbird. We are walking on a path way and there is vegetation between us and the Hobby Horse Pond so we cannot see anything of the pond.

There is a small opening and we can see ducks on the pond. I see a wooden hand rail and I go to check it out. There is a wood bridge and this one goes along the Hobby Horse Pond and we get close to the birds.

Well, we get close to some of the birds. There are American Coots and we are lucky with one Least Grebe. The birds come up just next to the bridge, I have never seen a grebe like this before. They are always very scared.

So, we got very good pictures of the bird.

Loggerhead Kingbird

Loggerhead Kingbird

American Coot

American Coot

Least Grebe

Least Grebe

Least Grebe

We walk to the next bridge and we walk along the road and it is not possible to see the Hobby Horse Pond. We spot two Neotropic Cormorants sitting on a tree next to the next wooden board walk and we get a few good pictures.

Good, now I can see the difference between the Neotropic Cormorant and the Double-crested Cormorants and I was happy.

Our Guide spot one lizard in the vegetation, laying in the foliage and looking at it through my zoom lens and it looks to be a huge lizard. An invasive species according to our Guide.

Invasive species, a lizard

Neotropic Cormorant

Neotropic Cormorant

Ring-necked Duck

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Ring-necked Duck

Ruddy Duck

Poor picture, kept for ID purpose only

We walk back to the car and we spot three White-crowned Pigeon on the way back to the car. Of course, we get out on the first boardwalk on the way back and we spot one Yellow-crowned Night Heron. We almost missed it as it was in the reeds looking for food.

I manage to get a picture of one of the Ruddy Ducks through the vegetation going back to the car.

eBird Report

Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail, New Providence, BS
Dec 14, 2024 09:16 - 10:12
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Bahamas Outdoors
9 species

Ring-necked Duck 16
Ruddy Duck 3 Poor picture, kept for ID purpose only
White-crowned Pigeon 3
American Coot 27
Least Grebe 5
Neotropic Cormorant 2
Yellow-crowned Night Heron 1
Grey Kingbird 4 Four sitting in dead tree. Poor picture, kept for ID purpose only as the observation gave an eBird warning
Loggerhead Kingbird 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205347004

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Hobby Horse Pond Nature Trail - Part 2

We will drive to the water front to have a look for the Clapper Rail at the Bonefish Pond National Park. We drive there and we park at the parking lot. There is one abandoned car on the parking lot, well, I thought it was an abandoned car.

Turned out that there was someone siting in the car register visitors. We registered and we went out on the board walk.

We could hear three Clapper Rails and I could see two of them. So, I got both a recording and pictures of the Clapper Rail, a new LIFER for me.

And the Northern Waterthrush is heard in the background on the recording, so heard but not seen. The Clapper Rail was the only bird we spotted in the Bonefish Pond National Park.

Listen to the Clapper Rail

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

We can also hear the Northern Waterthrush in the back

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rail

Walking on the board walk

Walking on the board walk

eBird Report

Bonefish Pond National Park (west), New Providence, BS
Dec 14, 2024 10:32 - 10:54
Protocol: Traveling
0.28 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Bahamas Outdoors
2 species

Clapper Rail 3
Northern Waterthrush 1 Heard only

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205352776

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home

Today's track at Bonefish Pond National Park

We have one more place to visit before we will drop the girls in Nassau. I made an agreement and I will continue birding so I get a full day. And we will buy a pair of new shoes in Nassau. My Timberlands have capsized and sank.

We drove to a private farm, at least the eBird hotspot is named Mailis Farm It does not look like a farm so I do not know what they are farming, nothing obvious for sure.

We park the car in we see an Glossy Ibis first thing and we are soon seeing a Collared Dove sitting in a tree. After 50 meters or so we reach a pond full of White-cheeked Pintail, a very beautiful bird. At least 75 of them plus at least 28 Black-bellied Whistling-duck.

Glossy Ibis

Collared Dove

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

White-cheeked Pintail

White-cheeked Pintail

Blue-winged Teal

Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Listen to the White-cheeked Pintail

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

At lest 75 White-cheeked Pintail and 28 Black-bellied Whistling-ducks in the pond. We can hear the Black-bellied Whistling-duck in the background

Listen to the Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

At least 75 White-cheeked Pintail and 28 Black-bellied Whistling-ducks in the pond. We can hear the White-cheeked Pintail in the back ground

As you understand, it was not easy to count the birds, so it was a rough estimation. Also very hard to get single birds on pictures as they were very close together.

And to single out the birds to make the sound recording for Xeno-canto was not easier, but I was quite happy when we continued our walk through the area.

There was a lot of different warblers in the garbage dump area, but no pictures. After 30 meters or so and we spotted one Spotted Sandpiper foraging in a small pool.

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Bahama Woodstar

Bahama Woodstar

We ran in to one Wilson's Snipe but I did not see the bird until it took off when it was flushed. So no picture but I reported the bird to eBird.

I was very happy to see the Bahama Woodstar again, and this time I managed to get a picture. We got back to the van and we took off. Last bird we spotted was one Northern Waterthrush and I reported the bird before stopping my eBird app.

eBird Report

Mailis Farm, New Providence, BS
Dec 14, 2024 11:09 - 11:53
Protocol: Traveling
1.07 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Bahamas Outdoors
18 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 28 Group in a pond
Blue-winged Teal 8
White-cheeked Pintail 75
Northern Pintail 2
Collared Dove 1
Common Ground Dove 1
Bahama Woodstar 1
American Moorhen 2
American Coot 21
Wilson's Snipe 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Glossy Ibis 1
Green Heron 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205361651

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Mailis Farm

We drive back to Nassau to drop off the girls before going to buy new shoes for me. We stop so I can buy some TAKE AWAY snacks as I was very hungry, I also found a pair of nice shoes and I paid 80 Dollars for the shoes.

When we left Nassau, it was only me and the Guide remaining in the wan and we will go to have a look at the eBird hotspot: Pine Forest, Coral Harbour Road

We park the car and we walk in to the forest and it is a very slow start. One new LIFER for me, the Black-faced Grassquit and I never got any picture. So I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I had got a picture good enough for my eBird report.

Walking around and there are not many birds, but a couple of cars that have been dumped in the forest. We turn around to walk back to the car and now we get some bird action.

I get pictures of the Prairie Warbler and the Mangrove Cuckoo. I was very lucky to get to see the Mangrove Cuckoo, a new LIFER for me. The second LIFER for me in the pine forest.

Black-faced Grassquit

American Redstart

Bird watching at Pine Forest, Coral Harbour Road

Prairie Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Mangrove Cuckoo

Mangrove Cuckoo

We leave the forest to go look for the Pied Imperial-Pigeon. The Pied Imperial-Pigeon is a bird from SE Asia. And they are only seen in SE Asia and no one knows why they are on Bahamas.

They were found in the Blair Estates and now they are slowly spreading over Nassau. If I remember it right, my Guide told me that there had been 60 of them at the last count.

We drove around but without any luck and we gave up. Next stop is the eBird hotspot: St Augustine's Monastery

we get out of the car and we can hear a Killdeer. I was surprised as we are far away from any beach. But my Guide told me that they were often here around St Augustine's Monastery.

I was almost running in to a snake, but the snake was scared and took off, a red snake and not dangerous. I think they have three different snakes on Bahamas and no one that is dangerous.

We were lucky with one Black-throated Blue Warbler and I got both pictures and a recording so I was happy when we left.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Listen to the Black-throated Blue Warbler

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

One bird singing in the bushes

Pied Imperial-Pigeon

Pied Imperial-Pigeon

I was satisfied with the day and it was time to return to my room and we drove back towards my room. Suddenly, my Guide stop and we spot the Pied Imperial-Pigeon. We stop the car at a place at a service garage.

We get out and we count to 7 Pied Imperial-Pigeons in the tree. We got pictures and we were happy when we left. And the Pied Imperial-Pigeon will be the last bird for me to report from Bahamas. I have had 3 beautiful days of birding on Bahamas.

I can make my eBird trip report from The Bahamas with many new birds for me.

eBird Trip Report

Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.

And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!

Today's Trip Report: The Bahamas - December 2024 | Click HERE

Download | PDF

Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports

Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life

Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life

Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life

Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.

Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).

Provisional:Either: 1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.

When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.

Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
bred but don't yet fulfil the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.

The rest of the day was spent in my room, drinking tea deleting pictures that I was not very happy with. Hours spent and it was soon time to go to bed with the alarm set to go off at 4o'clock in the morning.

My host will take me to the airport at 6 o'clock and you just need to click HERE to find out if I make it to Panama City with American Airlines via Miami.

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