WEST INDIES & BERMUDA 
This Arctic Tern at Golden Grove, St. Philip Parish, Barbados 22 October 2008 furnished 
the fifth record of this species for the island, though the spring migration of the species 
probably passes not far offshore. Photograph by Eddie Massiah. 
Smith’s Parish garden Q&K L), where on at 
least one date, 2 were seen. Uncommon fly- 
catchers in the Bahamas included an Eastern 
Wood-Pewee at Blue Shark G.C., New Provi- 
dence 4 Sep (PD, TH), one n. of Treasure Cay 
4 Oct (EB, BE), and one with an Eastern 
Phoebe at the cattle farm. Grand Bahama 8 
Nov (BP). An Empidonax flycatcher, probably 
an Acadian, was seen n. of Treasure Cay 25 
Oct (EB). A Western Kingbird was at St. 
George’s Park 28 Oct, and 6 were at Reef G.C., 
both Grand Bahama, 22 Nov (BP), while sin- 
gle Eastern Kingbirds were at Blue Shark 
G.C., New Providence 6 Sep (TH), Angel Fish 
Pt., Abaco 24 Sep (EB), n. of Treasure Cay 4 
Oct (EB, BE), and at Lucayan G.C., Grand Ba- 
hama 9 Nov (BP). In the Bahamas, Gray King- 
birds are staying later in the fall: in Nov, they 
were found on North Andros, Eleuthera, Aba- 
co, Grand Bahama, and New Providence 
(m.ob.). Single Great Crested Flycatchers 
were seen 7 Nov at Whale Bay Fort (DW) and 
Wreck Hill, Bermuda (WF). A Gray Kingbird 
at Somerset Long Bay N.R., Bermuda 14 Aug 
was the earliest fall record by 21 days (PH). A 
Fork-tailed Flycatcher was at Port Louis 
swamp, Guadeloupe 9 Sep (AL). A Fork- 
tailed Flycatcher on the e. end of St. Croix 10 
Oct constituted the 2nd record for St. Croix 
and possibly the U.S. Virgin Islands (ph. JE, 
fide LY). 
Black-whiskered Vireos were sighted on 
Vieques at Mt. Pirata 14 Sep and Puerto Ferro 
peninsula 15 Sep (DG). Crows are very rare in 
the Bahamas, so a crow at Coopers Town, 
Abaco 20 Sep (SN, EB) was noteworthy. It did 
not call and was not identified to species. A 
Homed Lark was at Bermuda Airport 26 Sep 
(PW). Caribbean Martins peaked at 1555 (25 
Aug) and 617 (5 Oct) at Pointe a Pitre town 
centre, Guadeloupe, with 3 still present — 
along with a single Purple/Cuban Martin — 26 
Nov (AL). Two Purple 
Martins at Sandy Pt., 
Abaco 6 Aug (EB, TH) 
were unusual. There were 
8 Cliff Swallows at Pointe 
des Chateaux, Guade- 
loupe 30 Aug (AL). DG 
had some interesting 
swallow observations 
during a Sep trip to 
Vieques: an estimated 
1000 Barn Swallows were 
heading southward 7 Sep 
during a break in bad 
weather; a count of 500 
Cave Swallows 5-15 Sep 
included a peak 175 on 
14 Sep; additional sight- 
ings in mixed swallow 
flocks included 3 Bank Swallows, 5 Cliff Swal- 
lows, and 2 Caribbean Martins. The large 
number of Cave Swallows may have been the 
result of a series of tropical storms affecting 
the area. 
A Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrush was at 
Rock Sound, Eleuthera 5 Oct (JDW), and a 
Swainson’s Thrush was there 30 Oct QW et 
al.). A Northern Wheatear was at Bermuda 
Airport 21-26 Sep (DBW), 
and another was in a Hamil- 
ton Parish garden 16-19 Oct 
(PA). Two Bare-eyed 
Thrushes were at Port- 
Louis 8 Aug and 4 at Beau- 
tiran, Guadeloupe 2 Nov 
(AL). Two American Robins 
were at Bermuda Airport 23 
Nov (AD). An American 
Pipit was at West End, 
Grand Bahama 19 Oct (BP). 
A Cedar Waxwing was at 
Rock Sound, Eleuthera 20 
Nov ODW). 
A Golden-winged War- 
bler was in Shelly Bay fields, 
Bermuda 5-7 Oct (DBW). 
There were single Prairie 
Warblers at both Vieux-Habitants (ED) and 
Pointe des Chateaux, Guadeloupe 27 Sep 
(AL). Guadeloupe recorded its first fall record 
of a Palm Warbler at Pointe des Chateaux 25 
Sep (AL). Fifty Blackpoll Warblers passed 
through Vieux Habitants, Guadeloupe 28 Oct 
(FD). A Cerulean Warbler was seen on St. 
Georges G.C., Bermuda 3 Oct (EA). On 2 
Nov, 12 American Redstarts were found at 
Beautiran, Guadeloupe (AL). A late Pro- 
thonotary Warbler was seen in Hog Bay Park, 
Bermuda 29 Nov (AD). A male Hooded War- 
bler was seen at Gaschet Res., Guadeloupe 27 
Nov (AL). Single Yellow-breasted Chats were 
seen in Bermuda at Shelly Bay Park 17 Sep 
(DBW) and Ferry Point Park 4-6 Oct (DBW). 
The warbler migration in the Bahamas was 
normal; 30 species (including resident 
species) were reported. Single Blue-winged 
Warblers were at Rock Sound, Eleuthera on 
four dates from 3 Oct through 2 Nov QW, 
ADe, JDW). Two Blackburnian Warblers were 
at Blue Shark G.C. 6 Sep (PD, TH), and one 
was at the Marsh Harbour dump 10 Sep (EB). 
Single Yellow Palm Warblers were seen at 
Rock Sound, Eleuthera 3, 7, & 28 Nov (ADe, 
JDW). The Bahamas’ first documented Cana- 
da Warbler was photographed at Cable Beach 
G.C., New Providence 8-10 Oct (PD, ph. TH). 
A Swainsoris Warbler was in EG’s garden at 
Lucaya, Grand Bahama 5 Nov. The Kirtland’s 
Warbler Research and Training Project on 
Eleuthera, Bahamas saw their first Kirtland’s 
Warbler on 10 Oct. In Oct and Nov, they re- 
sighted 6 banded warblers and banded 11 
new ones. The oldest re-sighted bird was 
banded in 2002. They report that the number 
of unbanded birds seems to be higher than 
last year, reflecting a good breeding season 
(JideJDW). 
A Clay-colored Sparrow was at the Coopers 
Town dump, Abaco 1 Nov and a White- 
crowned Sparrow there 27 Oct (EB). BP re- 
ported 10 Savannah Sparrows on Grand Ba- 
hama 1 & 2 Nov. A Painted Bunting on 
Southwest Ridge, New Providence 6 Sep was 
early (PD). Two Dickcissels were seen on St. 
Georges G.C. 3 Oct (EA) and a further 2 at 
Hog Bay Park, Bermuda 11 Oct (AD, DW). 
Bobolink migration extended over a month, 
as usual. Over 100 were at Gladstone Road 
Agricultural Centre, New Providence 10 Sep, 
and over 50 were at Harrold and Wilson 
Ponds N.P. 13 Oct (PD, TH, WP). A Red- 
winged Blackbird was in Riddell’s Bay man- 
groves, Bermuda 27 Nov (DW) and a Com- 
A first for Guadeloupe and for the Lesser Antilles, this Orchard Oriole at Pointe des 
Chateaux was mist-netted and photographed 10 October 2008. Photograph by 
Anthony Levesque. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
175 
