MEXICO 
date; the earliest date we have for Belize (and 
Central America?) is 14 Jun. At the unusual- 
ly high elevation of 2000 m, a Rufous-and- 
white Wren was heard in the Los Tarrales Re- 
serve on Atitlan Volcano 12 Jun (KE). An un- 
expected find in a mixed-species flock near 
Altos de Piedra above Santa Fe was Veraguas's 
first Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager 18 Jul OAC, 
RMi). This species was previously known 
from Panama only from the area of Oleoduc- 
to Rd., Bocas del Toro. 
Large-billed Seed-Finch and Yellow-hood- 
ed Blackbird continue to be seen at the El Real 
airstrip where both were first recorded in 
North America in 2007: 2-3 singing male 
seed-finches QAC, KK, RMi, DM, DeM) and 
one blackbird QAC, RMi, DM) were there 12 
Jun. Adding further support for a local breed- 
ing population of Blue Seedeater in El Im- 
posible N.P., Ahuachapdn were 5 singing 
males on territory between El Mirador Mulo 
at 850 m and Cerro Leon at 1100 m elevation 
14 Jun (vt., v.r. JF, LA). All territories were in 
dense stands of understory native cane. A 
male Shiny Cowbird seen at Douglas D’Silva, 
Mountain Pine Ridge, Cayo 20 Jun and 2 
there 24 Jun (tRM) provided only the 2nd 
documented record of this species for Belize. 
A male Lesser Goldfinch at El Real cemetery 
12 Jun and several House Sparrows at a gas 
station in Meteti 14 Jun (both JAC) estab- 
lished first records for Darien. 
Contributors (country coordinators in bold- 
face): David Anderson (Honduras), Leticia 
Andino, George Angehr (Panama), Philip 
Balderamos, Jan Axel Cubilla, Knut Eiser- 
mann (Guatemala), Jesse Fagan (El Sal- 
vador), Nestor Herrera, Lee Jones (Belize), 
Roselvy Juarez, Karl Kaufmann, Esmeralda 
Martinez, Roni Martinez, Jeffrey McCrary 
(Nicaragua), Rosabel Miro (RMi), Darien 
Montanez, Delicia Montanez (DeM), Marvin 
Rivas, Jim Zook (Costa Rica). @ 
H. Lee Jones, 901 E. Washington Street, Apt. 126 
Colton, California 92324, (leejonesiaatt.net) 
Oliver Komar 
SalvaNATURA Conservation Science Program 
33 Avenida Sur #640, San Salvador, El Salvador 
(okomar@salvanatura.org) 
West Indies & Bermuda | 
ATLANTIC 
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Robert L. Norton 
Anthony White 
Andrew Dobson 
Eddie Massiah 
T he short summer season was a rela- 
tively eventful one, particularly in the 
Bahamas. The American Flamingos 
on Great Inagua had a very successful breed- 
ing season, and Grand Bahama had its sec- 
ond records of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 
and Roseate Spoonbill. Seabird breeding sur- 
veys on Great Isaac, north of Bimini, and 
Brush Cay off eastern Grand Bahama were 
very productive. 
WHISTLING DUCK THROUGH TERNS 
Five Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were at 
Pine Tree Stables, Grand Bahama intermit- 
tently between 30 Jun and 20 Jul (ph. CM, 
fide BP), Just the 2nd record for the island. A 
pair of was observed 28 Jun on a small pond 
near Mayagiiez, Puerto Rico (fide HM). The 
long-staying male Eurasian Wigeon was pres- 
ent through the period on Spittal Pond, 
Bermuda (EA). Two Blue-winged Teal at Har- 
rold & Wilson Ponds N.P. (hereafter 
H. W.P.N.P.), New Providence 11 Jul were 
probably birds that did not migrate (PD). 
Eight Masked Ducks were seen at Barbados 
10 Jul (EM, RLN), 3 of which were males. A 
pair of Least Grebes was noted nesting 28 Jun 
near Mayagiiez QAS-F). Bracey found 10 ad. 
Pied-billed Grebes with young on Reef G.C., 
Grand Bahama 21 Jul. 
At Cayo Diablo near Pineros L, Puerto 
Rico, there were 3 Red-billed Tropicbirds and 
more than 200 Brown Boobies; on the same 
day, a Red-billed Tropicbird was observed 
near Lobos Cay part of the La Cordillera Na- 
ture Reserve 27 Jun. A bit farther s. of Alcar- 
raza (which lies off the nw. coast of Culebra 
I. ) are the larger Cayo Luis Pena and the 
smaller Cayo de Agua and Cayo Yerba, where 
a few White-tailed Tropicbirds were noted; 
and one White-tailed was at Palomino 1. in 
Cayo Lobos, along with some 50 Magnificent 
Frigatebirds, all 27 Jun (all JAS-F, JMW, 
RLW). A breeding colony of about 20 Masked 
Boobies was noted on Cayo Alcarraza 27 Jul 
(AP); this would appear to be an expansion w. 
of the well-established Cockroach Cay site at 
St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Two 
imm. Neotropic Cormorants at the Treasure 
Cay G.C. 17 Jul represented only the 4th re- 
port from Abaco (EB). 
A probable Gray Heron was reported from 
the former Sonesta Hotel site, Bermuda 17 Jun 
(EA). A Little Egret was seen at Congo Rd. 
swamp, Barbados 10 Jul (EM, RLN). At 
Pineros L, Puerto Rico, a Yellow-crowned 
Night-Heron was noted 27 Jun OAS-F, JMW, 
RLW). On 8 Jul, Purdy discovered seven Yel- 
low-crowned Night-Heron colonies, with up 
to 14 nests per site along Fortune Bay, Grand 
Bahama. He was previously aware of only two 
sites. A Glossy Ibis was seen at Packers 
Swamp, Barbados 10 Jul (EM, RLN). Twenty- 
eight White Ibis nests were found on Sandy 
Cay in Bimini Harbour 19 Jun and five on 
Brush Cay, Grand Bahama 20 Jun. Brush Cay 
is now the 2nd known White Ibis nesting site 
in the Bahamas. The Brush Cay survey also 
found three Brown Pelican nests, five Green 
Heron nests, 21 Tricolored Heron nests, 28 
Double-crested Cormorant nests, and four 
Reddish Egret nests. Twenty-four Magnificent 
Frigatebirds were also roosting on the cay (all 
JK, KH, BP). Two Eurasian Spoonbills contin- 
ued at Congo Rd. swamp, Barbados 10-12 Jul 
(EM, RLN). Two Roseate Spoonbills were not- 
ed at Freeport Harbor, Grand Bahama 26 Jul, 
and at least one remained through the end of 
the season (BP). This is the 2nd record for the 
island. Henry Nixon, the ranger at Great In- 
agua N.P., estimates that between 10,000 and 
11,000 American Flamingos hatched in the 
park this year. The rookery stretched for about 
3 km, and there appeared to be three different 
hatching periods (fide LG). The large numbers 
and different hatching periods suggest that 
some of the birds may have come from other 
breeding colonies. At Josiah’s Bay pond, Torto- 
la, British Virgin Islands, RLN noted a single 
American Flamingo 18 Jul. Its provenance is 
unknown but suspected to be from the re-es- 
'.’VOLUME 6 3 ( 2 0 0 9 ) • NUMBER 4 
663 
