WEST INDIES & BERMUDA 
This Common Greenshank at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 23-31 (here 24) May 2009 marks the third record for Bermuda, the first being in 1965. 
Photograph by Andrew Dobson. 
plates, the book is filled with deep detail 
about 263 species that have been recorded on 
Barbados. 
It was a dry winter and spring in the Ba- 
hamas, with only 8.4 cm of rainfall through 
mid-May. In general it was a poor migration 
from North America, with few unusual passer- 
ines being reported. Bahamian highlights in- 
clude the continued presence of the West In- 
dies’ first Iceland Gull, the second document- 
ed record of Mute Swan, and both Wilson’s 
and Red Phalaropes. Namitz reported on a 
cruise between Florida to St. Martin, provid- 
ing a rare sampling of seabirds east of the Ba- 
hamas and Greater Antilles. Cuban ornitholo- 
gist Dr. William Suarez hosted an ornithologi- 
cal expedition that included sightings of en- 
demics in the northern islands at Cayo Coco, 
eastern Camagtiey province, the famed Zapata 
Swamp, and hot-spots in between. Field 
Guides, Inc. again toured the Lesser Antilles 
from Grenada north to Antigua and Barbuda, 
with some very interesting finds. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH TERNS 
A flock of 6 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks 
was found on the Picard R., Portsmouth, Do- 
minica 1-11 Mar (BJB) — the first report of the 
species from Dominica in at least 10 years. 
Another flock of 13 Black-bellieds was seen at 
Antigua 16 Apr Oefi JVG). Five Snow Geese 
wintered in Bermuda, and 2 were present un- 
til 10 Apr at Port Royal G.C. (AD). A Snow 
Goose was photographed 18-31 Mar at the 
Girls Scout Pond in Estate Bordeaux, St. 
Thomas (RO). Other than bones of the species 
recovered from St. Croix middens (Alexander 
Wetmore), there are no records of Snow Goose 
from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Bermuda’s first 
Ross’s Goose was present at Belmont G.C. un- 
til 7 May (AD). Two Canada Geese wintered in 
Bermuda, and one was present at Belmont 
G.C. 14 May (DBW). A male Northern Shov- 
eler was at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 23 May+ 
(DBW). A female American Wigeon was on 
North Pond, Bermuda 28 Apr (DBW). A first- 
year Mute Swan, the 2nd for the Bahamas, 
was photographed at Reef G.C., Grand Ba- 
hama 28-29 May (MA). The first record was a 
bird photographed at Baker’s Bay, Great Guana 
Cay, Abaco, Bahamas 27-28 Jan 2005. Both 
swans are of unknown provenance. 
It has been another record year for the 
Bermuda Petrel or Cahow, with 90 confirmed 
pairs and 47 chicks QM). RN observed a 
Black-capped Petrel off Hispaniola 27 Mar and 
one off San Salvador 28 Mar. On 1 1 Mar, AL 
tallied 1593 Manx Shearwaters in one hour (a 
Guadeloupe record) at Pointe des Chateaux. 
An Audubon’s Shearwater was found ashore 
on s. Bimini, Bahamas 24 Apr. Local people 
trying to help the bird back to sea observed it 
being attacked and killed by Laughing Gulls 
(GM), as often occurs with ailing seabirds. A 
juv. Brovm Booby was at Danger Cay, Exumas, 
Bahamas 18 May (BP). Namitz saw 3 Brown 
Boobies e. of s. Eleuthera, Bahamas 23 Mar 
and 10+ Masked Boobies e. of Turks and 
Caicos Is. 24 Mar. Six Northern Gannets were 
seen flying northward 16 km e. of Munjack 
Cay, Abaco, Bahamas 9 Apr (EB, FB, HA). A 
Double-crested Cormorant flying around the 
Atlantic Underwater Test and Evaluation Cen- 
ter (hereafter AUTEC), Andros, Bahamas 6 
Apr was unusual (DM). White-tailed Trop- 
icbirds were reported nesting at Powell’s Cay, 
Abaco 5 May (EB, BB) and Rose 1. off New 
Providence, Bahamas (four nests) the same 
day (O&PS). A Brown Pelican was at various 
locations in Bermuda 10-14 Apr QE PW). 
A Gray Heron was a great rarity at Barba- 
dos 5 Apr (JeF, JVG). Two dark-morph Red- 
dish Egrets at the e. end of New Providence 
16 Mar were unusual there (O&PS). A breed- 
ing-plumaged Little Egret was found at St. 
John’s Harbour, Antigua 31 Mar OHo. CC). 
Another Little Egret was seen by JHo and CC 
at Chancery Lane swamp, Barbados 2 Apr, 
where they are recorded as breeding. 
Yet another Little Egret was noted at 
Dominica 11 Apr QeE JVG) for the 
first record there. An imm. Black- 
crowned Night-Heron was at Spittal 
Pond, Bermuda 24 Oct-23 Feb 
(PW), and an ad. was seen near 
Grand Case, St. Martin 25 Mar 
(RN). A single Glossy Ibis, vagrant 
in the U.S. Virgin Islands, persisted 
through the spring and was last seen 
at Great Pond, St. Croix 23 May 
(LY). Roseate Spoonbills numbered 
250 at Las Salinas, Zapata Swamp, 
Cuba 30 Mar-1 Apr QS, WS). The 2 
Eurasian Spoonbills at Barbados, 
first found in fall 2008, remained 
through the spring period (EM), and one was 
photographed at Antigua 18 Apr OeR JVG), 
reportedly also there a few days prior. The 
American Flamingo flock at Gordon’s Beach, 
Long L, Bahamas numbered 28 on 21 Apr 
(TW, D&MB). At Las Salinas, Zapata Swamp, 
Cuba, JS and WS counted 2332 American 
Flamingos 30 Mar. 
A Northern Harrier, rare on St. Croix, was 
seen gliding low over Great Pond 3 Mar (LY) 
and 24 Mar (CB, LY). Bermuda’s long-staying 
Red-tailed Hawks were present through at least 
21 May (DBW). Two Gundlach’s Hawks, 
Cuba’s rare endemic of which there may be 
only 300 individuals remaining, were noted 
near San Diego de los Banos and Cayo Coco 
(JS, SW), 24 & 26 Mar, respectively. A Ridg- 
way’s Hawk was found near its breeding area 
near Los Haitises 29 Mar (JHo et al). Cuban 
Black-Hawks numbered 20 at Cayo Coco 27 
Mar (JS, WS). A Eurasian Kestrel at Desirade 
1. 3 Apr provided the first Guadeloupe record 
and only the 2nd for the West Indies (AL, OT), 
first being from Martinique. An ad. Purple 
Gallinule, vagrant in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
was at Castle Burk Pond, St. Croix 7 Apr (LY). 
A Black-necked Stilt was at Spittal Pond, 
Bermuda 4-12 Apr (KR). Piping Plovers re- 
ported from the Bahamas this spring included 
one on Cambridge Cay, Exumas 1 Mar (LD), 
10 on Green Turtle Cay 9 Mar (EB), and one at 
Lighthouse Beach, Eleuthera 23 Mar (RN). 
Two Southern Lapwings, which made history 
at Barbados, remained there through the 
spring period (EM). Five American Oyster- 
catchers were photographed on Goat Rocks 
between Little and Great Stirrup Is., Berry Is., 
Bahamas 29 Mar (fide BP); it is speculated that 
the species breeds in that area. A Common 
Greenshank discovered at Spittal Pond, 
Bermuda 23-31 May (DBW) was the 3rd over- 
all record there, only the 2nd since 1965. Thir- 
teen Willets, all of the nominate (eastern) sub- 
species, were seen at Yamacraw Beach, New 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
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