Puerto Rico, Day 6, February 4, 2012. Winding up.

When we got up and went outside on our final morning, we realized just how beautiful the setting of the Ceiba Country Inn was. On one side lush hills rose up, becoming almost mountains. On the other, the sea lay in view, just beyond lower hills. When we arrived it had been rainy and very misty, so we hadn't appreciated it. A Loggerhead Kingbird perched on the utility wires. We could hear birds all around. I regretted that we couldn't stay longer.

We had no more target birds left. It was kind of a weird feeling. We decided it would be a good idea to try to get some decent photos of Antillean Crested Hummingbird. We were well in range, so we took off looking for flowering trees. We drove up the coast, towards the far NE corner. Both the carib and the crested had been reported from a bed and breakfast called the Passion Fruit B&B. Martin had mapped it. We found it with very little trouble. Unfortunately, the trees around the B&B were not blooming. Luckily, we did find a couple more of the pink trees where we had seen hummers before. Sure enough, I spotted an Antillean Crested, but like the others, it took off before we could even try to get a photo. The Green-throated Caribs were a lot easier here. We saw several and I was able to get a few photos.  One of the coolest things we saw here was a gigantic colorful caterpillar.

We decided to visit El Yunque, the national forest. This is the only tropical rain forest in the United States. It is touted as a good place to get most of the endemic birds. You probably have the best chance of seeing the incredibly rare and endangered Puerto Rican Parrot. There is a captive bred release program going on here, so the birds are not countable. We had made a decision to not make a serious attempt to see them. We drove up the road to the gates of the forest.

There was a tent along the road with signs for food and pina coladas. A very nice woman had everything fried you could think of. We choose a variety of empanadas, including conch, shrimp and crab. She also had some corn dog shaped things of beef and plantain. We got a couple of pina coladas (non-alcoholic, unfortunately) I probably gained 5 lbs just at this stand!

Since we had seen all of our target birds, we decided to concentrate on butterflies. Unfortunately, it started to rain and was rather cold, so the butterflies were almost non-existent. The park was packed with cruise ship excursions, so the birding wasn't that great either. It was a little disappointing, but it was very nice to see the great habitat.

I wanted to see a bit of old San Juan, so we headed down and did a drive through. It really was beautiful. The traffic was brutal, which gave me more time to look. We went to the airport a bit early for our flight back. I won't tell the story here, because I want to end on a positive note, but it was a bit of a debacle, which ended with me sleeping on the floor of the Miami airport and Martin getting no sleep at all.

Anyway, to wind things up, Puerto Rico is a fabulous place! The birding was relatively easy. The countryside was very different than I expected. If you want American food you can get it. If you want amazing Puerto Rican food, you can get that and it is not terribly expensive. (Choose Puerto Rican! Choose Puerto Rican!) The road system is mostly great. You can get all over the island easily and quickly. If you haven't birded the tropics, this could be a good introduction. If you have birded the tropics, you will love it. Now, you won't get a huge list, but the birds are beautiful, and to me, were high value. If you are interested in going, please feel free to contact me at Sngcanary@yahoo.com. I will be more than happy to share any information we have.  Thanks for sharing our trip with me, through this blog.

Photos of the day-http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629310918543/

Bird list fot the day-

Brown Pelican
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Zenaida Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Mangrove Cuckoo
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Green-throated Carib
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Puerto Rican Tody
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
Puerto Rican Vireo
Black-whiskered Vireo
Cave Swallow
Red-legged Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Black-faced Grassquit
Greater Antillean Grackle
House Sparrow

Puerto Rico, Day 5, Feb. 3, 2012

We had done so well at this point, we were running out of birds to get! We had three targets left, two hummingbirds, and Plain Pigeon. We had debated if we should even try for the pigeon when we planned the trip. I had seen it in the Dominican Republic, and it was, well, plain. We got up and were still discussing it. Finally we figured, why not? It wasn't that far off of the beaten track and we had no need to rush.

The best place for Plain Pigeon, according to the research that Martin did, was a baseball field near Comario. It was a little bit off the beaten track, but it wasn't too bad a drive. The road is twisty and turning, and we did have to ask directions. It seemed like there was a school every half mile and they all had traffic tied up, with kids arriving. A couple of birds, sitting on wires, looked like they might have been Plain Pigeons, but stopping would be tough. We finally found the ball park and were dismayed to find there was major construction going on. There was no sign of any pigeons, other than feral Rock Pigeons. We debated on going back and trying to see the birds we saw on the wires, but decided to walk up a side street and check around the houses. We walked up the hill and Martin spotted a Plain Pigeon feeding in a tree with orange flowers. These trees are all over the island and we never saw any birds in them. This one, however, paid off! The pigeon was more attractive than its name implies.

Now we had to make another decision. We really wanted the final two hummingbirds, but we had neglected the butterflies on the island. There is a spot in Coamo for Antillean White Butterfly, which is rather rare. There are some thermal baths in town with a small river running next to them. We found the spot and started searching. Unfortunately, it was sprinkling when we arrived, so butterfly activity was non-existent. Luckily, it cleared a bit and we found some skippers flying. We walked down to the gravel river bed and found a few more bugs. There were some Florida Whites, but not our coveted bug. Then I found a butterfly sitting on a gravel bank in the middle of the river. It looked good for the Antillean. I called Martin over, and sure enough, it was the right one. We were really happy! Unfortunately, being in the middle of the river, I didn't get a great photo. We went back up to the car, where we found a couple of hairstreaks, too.

We had lunch and started for Humacao Reserve. We were now ready for the two last hummingbirds, Green-throated Carib and Antillean Crested Hummingbird. These were actually my most wanted birds of the trip. The carib is a large hummingbird, with a de-curved bill. It is not very flashy, but I wanted to add a carib to my hummingbird list. The Antillean Crested looks like a cross between Woody Woodpecker and a hummingbird. I am always concerned about finding hummingbirds, especially when there are no feeders. I did not see a single hummingbird feeder in Brazil. The Mimosa trees, where they can usually be found, were not blooming. Neither were the Flamboyant trees, which they also like.

The reserve has a lot more than just hummingbirds. It is a good place to see Caribbean Coot, and sometimes, West Indian Whistling-duck. There are several lagoons, surrounded by trees. In front of the parking lot and across the road were a couple of the pink blooming trees, in which we had found the Antillean Mango earlier. We did a fast scan of the pink trees, but didn't see any hummingbirds. A couple of huge iguanas were in one tree near the car. We decided to walk into the lagoon area and add a few species to our trip list. It is a great place. The habitat was great. It is possible to rent a kayak, if you want to do it by water.

We walked in and started up the path between two lagoons. Another big iguana was on the path ahead of us. Martin was looking across the lagoon, when I saw three mammals run across the path behind the iguana. They were long and ran with the undulation of a weasel or otter. I called for Martin to look, but they were too fast. I made a mental note to ask the women at the kiosk at the entrance if they had otters.  There were some Caribbean and American Coots, so we were able to do a comparison. I found a couple of White-cheeked Pintails, which were new for the trip.

We walked back out and got a couple of cokes. I found out my "otters" were actually Mongoose, which have been introduced to the island. I was very disappointed. Martin walked over to the gate and scanned the pink blooming tree across the road. He quickly spotted a large hummingbird, the Green-throated Carib. Martin decided to go back into the park, to watch the other pink trees. I stayed put, watching the first tree. Shortly after Martin left, I spotted the Antillean Crested. I caught my breath, worried that we would have a repeat of the mango incidence, with me seeing it and it being gone by the time Martin got there. Luckily, that was not the case. We got reasonable photos of the carib, but the Antillean Crested was camera shy, and I only got a barely recognizable picture. Ok, it isn't even recognizable!  It shot off and we didn't see it again.

We left Humacao very happy and headed to the Ceiba Country Inn, where we would spend our last night. This lovely little bed and breakfast is in the north east corner of Puerto Rico. It is a good place for Puerto Rican Screech-Owl. When we arrived, it had started to rain a bit. It was dreary and misty. In spite of this, the grounds looked lovely. We checked in, got some ice cream from the lobby and got ready to go for dinner. The owner recommended a little restaurant in Farjardo, which is nearby. The restaurant was great. Martin got the mofongo, which has to be one of the best names for a dish ever. It is made with mashed plantains and pork. I had a grilled flank steak, which was great. When we returned to the inn, the wind was howling. Martin did hear the screech-owls, but had no luck seeing them. It was cool enough out, that we left the windows open, instead of the air conditioning. I was more than a little sad that it was going to be our last night in Puerto Rico.

Photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629272111125/

Bird list for the day-
White-cheeked Pintail
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Caribbean Coot
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Rock Pigeon
Plain Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Zenaida Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Green-throated Carib
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
Cave Swallow
Red-legged Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Bananaquit
Black-faced Grassquit
Greater Antillean Grackle
House Sparrow

Puerto Rico, Day 4, February 3, 2012

We really wanted a better look at the Puerto Rican Nightjar, so we got up at about 5:00 AM and headed back towards Guanica. Martin had found some information that there was a road that ran along the coast that could be good for them. The road was supposed to be busy, but the birds could be heard from shoulder. We found the road, but it was still too early. The nightjars only call for a short time in the morning, right before dawn. We did a little exploring, driving the end of the road, where it dead ended into a beach.

We worked our way back and came to one of the spots that was supposed to be good for the nightjars. The road was not at all busy, and  we heard the nightjars start to call. Martin flushed one, which flew right over his head. I saw the shape of the bird, but he got quite a bit of detail. We worked the road a bit more, but the birds totally shut up. We decided to give it one more shot at dusk and went on our way.

Our plan was to re-visit the dry forest reserve during the day, when we could drive in. Unfortunately, the gates don't open until 8:30 AM, so we had some time to kill. We drove back down the road, near to where it dead ended. There were several small beaches along the road and we stopped to do some sea watching. It is amazing at just how devoid of birds the tropical seas are.  We decided to look for a point that extended further out. There was a road that led to a bed and breakfast we almost stayed at, Mary Lee's by the Sea. We drove out and didn't see any good spots to sea watch. What we did find was a beautiful pink blooming tree. It looked like it might be good for hummingbirds, and sure enough, there was an Antillean Mango feeding actively. A Common Ground Dove was perched in the tree and a Puerto Rican Woodpecker was working the area. By the way, Mary Lee's by the Sea looked great.

We drove back to Guanica and headed back to the forest. We were able to drive in and went up to the headquarters and parked. We asked one of the rangers where we could find some butterflies. He pointed to a path that made a circle back to the parking lot. We walked the trail and did find a few butterflies, and there were birds. We got some fabulous looks at the Puerto Rican Todys. Martin and I agreed the tody was one of our favorite birds. Adelaide's Warblers were thick. Pearly-eyed Thrasher was very common. I added a life bird, Caribbean Elenia. We got good looks again at Puerto Rican Pewee. It was a very pleasant walk, despite the lack of butterflies.

We went back into town to grab some lunch. There are several American fast food places in Guanica, but I wanted something Puerto Rican. We found a little hole in the way place where we got the most amazing Cuban sandwiches. Neither of us could finish, the sandwich was so large. We also grabbed some bread pudding to take with us.  I was absolutely enamored with the food.

We decided to try for the West Indian Whistling Ducks at Laguna Cartagena, again. We got out the maps and figured a different way to get in. This time it worked. The road was a little rough, but at least it was a road, unlike the day before. We walked out to the observation tower. It was an easy walk, less than half a mile. As we reached the tower, a Loggerhead Kingbird flew out of a nest in the under-structure of the tower. We climbed the stairs and Martin very quickly found the whistling ducks, across the lake. There were at least 42 of them, which is pretty impressive, considering there are only supposed to be about 100 on all of Puerto Rico. A flock of Glossy Ibis were working the lake. We added a few duck species, including about 9 Masked Ducks working in a mat of vegetation. It was a great place! We walked back, and as we left the refuge, we saw a Merlin sitting in a tree.

We decided to go back and try another sea watch, while we waited for dusk and another nightjar search. There was a stand one the side of the road which had frappes. The sign had a long list of fruit flavors. We were a bit hot, so we stopped. I ordered mango and Martin got a pina colada, non-alchoholic. All I can say is I could live on these things! They were somewhat like smoothies, but much better. They both had big hunks of fruit in them. Jeez, I want one right now....

We returned to one of the beaches we had visited in the morning. We hadn't been there long when a young Brown Booby flew by, quite close to shore. We tried to make it into a Red-footed, but we just couldn't string it. Martin found several more Brown Boobies, way out at sea. Royal Terns and Magnificent Frigatebirds were feeding. More boobies came in, flying along the horizon. I think he finally counted 16. Texas isn't all that great for sea watching, so he was very happy. I spotted a sea turtle in the surf, but couldn't get enough detail on it to ID it. I also waded into the water,  just up to my knees, so I could say I had been in the Caribbean.

Dusk was approaching, so we headed back to the nightjar area. We parked on a pull out we had found in the morning and we waited. When it seemed like the right time, we walked down to the area where the bird had flown over our heads. The road now was fairly busy, which made me a bit nervous. It seemed like forever before we heard any calls. The birds seemed more distant. One was calling fairly near to the car. We walked down and it flew out, giving us decent looks. We spot-lighted the trees, hoping to get a perched one that Martin could photograph. but we had no luck. We were still happy.  We headed back to the hotel to pack to go to our last destination.

Photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629252946943/

Bird list for the day-
West Indian Whistling-Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Masked Duck
Ruddy Duck
Brown Booby
Brown Pelican
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Sora
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
Caribbean Coot
Lesser Yellowlegs
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Zenaida Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Mangrove Cuckoo
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Antillean Mango
Puerto Rican Tody
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Caribbean Elaenia
Lesser Antillean Pewee
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
Puerto Rican Vireo
Cave Swallow
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Adelaide's Warbler
Bananaquit
Black-faced Grassquit
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Greater Antillean Grackle
Orange-cheeked Waxbill- introduced

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52

Puerto Rico, Day 3, February 1, 2012

Waking up at Maravilla was bitter sweet. I loved this place so much, I really hated to leave, but we had a lot of ground to cover. We did decide to look for the Green Mango again, before we left, as Martin had not gotten great looks. We went up to the area around the house and sure enough, a pair of mangos chased each other right over our heads! Unfortunately, neither of us got any photos, but it was still fun. A Puerto Rican Emerald did allow me to get a very poor photo, but it was better than nothing. I said good bye to the two horses that live at Maravilla and we were off.

We were going to hit both the north and south coast of the island, with stops along the west coast. We headed north first, to check out some cliffs where tropicbirds and Red-footed Boobies had been seen by a tour group. On the way up, I spied a Zenaida Dove sitting on a fence next to the road. We had been looking for since we arrived in PR; after I found the first one, they were every where! The drive north involved us getting lost a couple of times, but there were some great people who helped us. Finally, we arrived at Punta Algarobbo.

As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed that the sky was really threatening. We got out and almost immediately it started raining. Luckily, there were trees along the cliff, which kept us relatively dry.  We started scanning the sky over the waves below us and saw White-tailed Tropicbirds every where! We figured there were between 30 and 40. The rain stopped pretty quickly and the sky started to lighten. I walked down a trail through the trees and found an overlook where I could see the beach. I added the Little Blue Hero, that was picking along the rocks, to my list. This really was a spectacular spot.

I started back to the spot where Martin was still scanning. As I walked down the path, I heard an unfamiliar warbler song. I stopped and "pished", and was thrilled when an Adelaide's Warbler popped out. I was worried that this endemic warbler would be elusive. I also thought we wouldn't even have a decent chance for it until we went to Guanica. I went and got Martin, and we returned. The warbler was still in the area and put on a great show. After getting some photos, we returned to the tropicbirds for a while, and then packed up to head south, via the west coast.

Our first stop was just north of Maraguez, at a river mouth, were rare gulls have been seen the past.  Unfortunately, the only birds loafing on the sand bar were Royal Terns. We did pick up several species of shore birds. Martin was distracted by a Mangrove Darner (a dragonfly.) A few butterflies flitted around, but we didn't find anything particularly unusual. We decided to push on.

One of Martin's target birds was West Indian Whistling Duck. It is estimated that there are less than a hundred left on Puerto Rico, though they are found on other Caribbean islands. I had seen one in the Dominican Republic two years ago. There is a good spot just north of La Paguera, where we were spending the next two nights. Laguna Cartagena turned out to be a problem to get to. Martin had printed out a map, which was great, until we got to the road into the refuge. Actually, the word road didn't really apply. It was more like a goat path with a branches and trash scattered over it. There was another way in, but it would involve back tracking, so we decided to leave it for another day.

We drove the winding streets of La Paguera, and found our hotel, Parador La Paguera. This hotel had looked really great on the web page. When we pulled up we were a little disappointed. I think some of that was our enchantment with Maravilla. The hotel sprawls down the street, with the parking lot being about a block from the entrance. It was quite a ways to drag all of our luggage. Ironically, when we got to our room, it was right next to the parking lot, but there was no way in. I will say, the grounds were beautiful, backing up to a gorgeous bay. The pool looked good and the room was clean and decent. It just wasn't Maravilla!

After we lugged our gear in, we left to get our next target bird, Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. This bird is listed as endangered. It used to be wide spread across the island, now it is very difficult to find, except for one spot, which is not what you would expect. There is a little hardware store in La Paguera where Yellow-shoulded Blackbirds congregate. The store owners put out water and bread and the blackbirds come to feed in swarms.  The workers at the store were great! They led us out to a little porch and put the bread out early for us. The birds were everywhere. I took more photos of them than all the other birds put together. It was really fun to watch. We got some cokes and snacks at the store and left, so we could be in time for our biggest target bird of the day.

We headed east to Guanica, where there is a beautiful reserve with dry, scrub forest. This is the best place to get Puerto Rican Nightjar. This is a very rare bird, thought to be extinct for over 70 years. The bird calls for less than half an hour at dusk and dawn. There are areas of the reserve, where the trees meet over the road, where the birds are most likely to be. There is also a nearby road where they are found. It is vital to be there at just the right time. We drove over to Guanica and parked at the entrance of the park. The gate is locked at 5:00 PM, but you can walk in.

The nightjars can be found in several areas of the park. One of the best is right at the entrance. We were there right at 5:00 PM, hoping to talk to a park employee, asking for directions to the best places. Unfortunately, the gate was already locked. We walked in and debated on where to go. We could stay at the entrance and wait, or walk in and see what else we could see. We decided to walk in. It was uphill. Boy, was it uphill! We were pretty tired from our day of birding and travel, but we persevered. I was surprised at how thick the forest was. It was not like our scrub forest at all. It was difficult to see into the woods. Birds called all around us, but they were tough to see.

It started to get close to the time for the birds to call, so we started slowly walking back. About half way back we finally heard a nightjar. Then two flushed from the trees and flew right over our heads. More were calling as we finished our walk down. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any photos, but we were thrilled to have seen them at all. We made plans to return for the dawn show.

Photos from the day-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629238230839/

Bird list for the day
White-tailed Tropicbird
Brown Pelican
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Zenaida Dove
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Puerto Rican Screech-Owl
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Green Mango
Puerto Rican Emerald
Puerto Rican Tody
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Lesser Antillean Pewee
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Puerto Rican Vireo
Cave Swallow
Red-legged Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Adelaide's Warbler
Bananaquit
Black-faced Grassquit
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
Greater Antillean Grackle
Shiny Cowbird
Greater Antillean Oriole
House Sparrow

Puerto Rico, Day 2, January 31, 2012

I had slept deeper and better than I had in ages. I stirred right before sunrise and heard the sound of the Puerto Rican Screech Owls. Martin was already outside, sitting on the porch. One of the owls had flown right over his head earlier. Other birds began their dawn chorus. I can't think of a non-cliched way to describe how it felt to be in that place. Paradise comes to mind.  I know, that is totally hokey.

I got dressed and we headed up to the main compound. Martin was already at the top. A Puerto Rican Oriole was singing nearby. We got a few glimpses, and then it was off. The evening before Martin had talked to Puerto Rican bird guide,  Gabriel Lugo, about where to look for one of our target hummingbirds, the Green Mango. Gabriel was extremely helpful and suggested we monitor the mimosas around the cottage. We got up to the top of the hill, when we heard a loud bird call which we did not recognize. Martin wandered around the back side of the tree it was calling from, to try and ID it. I stayed by the drive way, still working on waking up.

I saw a flash of movement and there was the Green Mango, feeding in some bougainvillea by the drive way. I got a good look at the bright green throat, the long de-curved bill and the wide tail. The bird was only there a few seconds and took off over the hedge. I called for Martin, who came running. Unfortunately, the mango was no where to be found. This situation was becoming an unfortunate pattern. There have been more a couple of times that I have found a hummingbird and it disappears before Martin can get there. We waited and waited, hoping it would return. It didn't. Martin went up to the main cottage and watched the mimosas, with still no luck.  I felt terrible for him. We did get better looks at the oriole, which was a small consolation. Finally, we decided we would go look else where.

The birding had been so good the day before in the Maricao forest, we decided to go back. There was a good chance we could find the Green Mango there and figured it was worth a shot. We parked at the forest headquarters again and walked up towards some antennas on the top of the hill. The ground was covered with Puerto Rican Calistos, an endemic butterfly. The wind was howling and there were rain showers off and on. The birds were not being very cooperative, so we started back down. Martin was a little bit ahead of me, when a pair of Green Mangos shot over his head. He didn't get a long look, but saw enough to ID them. I felt a definite sense of relief!

We returned to the place where we had gotten the Elfin-woods Warbler the day before and quickly found the flock. The warblers were pretty cooperative, as were the spindalis, and other birds we had the day before. We didn't see any birds we hadn't seen the day before, but we were still happy.  We drove back to Maravilla, stopping for lunch in the town of Maricao. By the way, Puerto Rican food is amazing! Between the incredible sandwiches made on a crusty pressed bread and the bread pudding, it is a wonder I didn't gain 20 lbs!

We got back to Maravilla and did a little "canopy tower" watch on the roof of the cabin. It really was marvelous, being right up in the tree tops. Birds were constantly coming in to feed on a fruiting tree. Martin decided to walk one of the trails and I stayed behind. After a while, he returned, very excited. He had found a Lesser Antillean Pewee, up near the main compound. I followed him up the hill and we searched the area where he had seen it, but initially couldn't find it. We walked further down the trail, past the spot where he had last seen it. We were about 20 yards down the trail, when we heard it call. We back tracked and got good looks. Pewees of different kinds have been a bit of a nemesis on our recent trips, so it was good to find one.

We had brought a pizza back with us from town, so we settled down at the cabin and waited for the screech owls to call. They did fire up after the sun set, but again, they were absolutely invisible.  I don't know how they could be so close and not be seen.

Here are my photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629225121077/

Here is my bird list-
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Rock Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Puerto Rican Screech-Owl
Green Mango
Puerto Rican Emerald
Puerto Rican Tody
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Lesser Antillean Pewee
Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Puerto Rican Vireo
Red-legged Thrush
Elfin-Woods Warbler
Bananaquit
Puerto Rican Tanager
Puerto Rican Spindalis
Black-faced Grassquit
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Greater Antillean Grackle
Shiny Cowbird
Greater Antillean Oriole
Antillean Euphonia

Puerto Rico, the Tropics without a Passport! Day 1, January 30, 2012

If you have followed my blog, you know that most of our birding trips are to South America. This trip was a bit different for us. We decided to visit Puerto Rico, which has the only tropical rain forest in the United States. There are 17 endemic species of birds, and a number of Antillean species. Martin and I have had limited experience in the Caribbean. We had one day of birding in Curacao, and I visited the Dominican Republic two years ago for a week. We knew we wouldn't get a huge number of life birds, but there were several that were "high value" birds for us, particularly the five hummingbirds.

We left our apartment at about 5AM on January 29. I spotted a "falling star', which fell slowly enough that I was able to say, "Martin, look!" and he actually saw it. We laughed and said it must be a sign, and hoped it was a good omen, though it might not be. After being thrown out of my seat onto the floor of the shuttle bus of the Parking Spot in Austin when the driver took a corner too quickly and having our first flight of the trip be canceled, we weren't laughing quite so hard! I do want to say, the only thing hurt by my fall in the bus was my pride and the airline accommodated very quickly. Neither of us is at all superstitious, but this did not seem good! Luckily, once we arrived in Puerto Rico, our luck took a dramatic turn to the better.

We started out early in the morning on January 30. We had spent the night in San Juan, but began our birding in the southwest part of the island. It was a pleasant surprise at how short a time it took to drive from one corner of the island to the other. The highway was every bit as good as any in the states. We did run into bad traffic in Ponce, but got through it fairly quickly with tempers intact. We turned north to the Maricao forest, where the roads narrowed, but were still quite good. The only problems we had were that the roads are not at all well marked in the smaller towns and we did have to ask for help a couple of times.

As we drove through Sabana Grande on our way to the forest, I got my first life bird, one I wanted very badly, Puerto Rican Woodpecker. This is a gorgeous bird, which looks like a cross between a Lewis's and an Acorn Woodpecker.  We also found an Antillean Mango, a hummingbird, which was new for Martin. I had seen several in the Dominican Republic, but who doesn't like hummingbirds?

We moved further up into the mountains. Martin had done a lot of research for this trip and knew of a spot 11 kilometers from Sabana Grande. We found the pullout and stopped. A Puerto Rican Vireo was singing loudly. Almost immediately Martin spotted one of our main target birds, Elfin-woods Warbler. This is an endemic species that wasn't discovered until 1971. It has a small population and can be hard to find. I didn't see it right away and started getting that panicky feeling. We worked really hard and finally I did see it and even got a poor photo. I found this bird one of the most difficult to photograph. It is unbelievably active and fast moving.

This spot wasn't just good for the warbler. Two Puerto Rican Tanagers were eating berries. We got good looks at the vireo. Pearly-eyed Thrashers zipped through. The tanager was joined by a Puerto Rican Spindalis. Then I found what was one of my favorite birds of our trip, Puerto Rican Tody. I do not care for the word cute, but I don't know any other way to describe todys. They are tiny little jewels, bright green, white and glowing dark pink. I had seen two species in the Domincan Republic, and was ecstatic to add a third.

It was hard to leave, but we had other spots to check. The headquarters of Maricao forest was nearby.  It is a lovely spot, with an amazing view of the Caribbean below. A Loggerhead Kingbird was singing on a tree branch just above eye level. His cooperation more than made up for the Elfin-woods Warbler camera shyness. We walked up the hill, but it had become really windy and the birds were all hunkered down.

We decided to drive up to the place we were staying at for the next two nights. In the past, most birders visiting this area stayed at Hacienda Juanita, just outside of the town of Maricao. We tried to book a room here, but discovered that the hotel was closed. This was disappointing for a couple of reason; first, the location was excellent for birding the forest. and second, it was a good birding place on its own, with Puerto Rican Screech-owls on the property. Maricao is a beautiful town, but it lacks hotels. I found a place called Maravilla Guest House, about a half hour north. It looked very interesting and had fabulous reviews on Trip Advisor. It is a very small facility, with a small cabin and a cottage, with a room. Margo, the owner, usually cooks vegetarian meals, but was not able to do that for us.  We booked the cabin and were anxious to see the property.

The drive from the main road to the guest house was a little bit rough, but doable in a regular car. We pulled in and were greeted by Elise, who was working on the property. She took us down the hill to the cabin. It could not have been better! Very isolated from the cottage and the other buildings, the cabin sat on a hillside in the midst of thick forest.  The top floor is still unfinished, with concrete walls, windows, but no roof. There are stairs up and an open porch. It put us right into the canopy.  Birds were singing all around us! The location is too low for the Elfin-woods Warbler and the Puerto Rican Tanager, but all of the other birds we had in the forest were there. 

The living level is extremely open, with a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bath. The cabin does not have electricity, but there are battery powered lanterns and a propane overhead light. A hot tub is right outside the door. There is hot water. We didn't need air conditioning, the temperature was actually very cool in the evening. We were very pleased that there were no mosquitoes. I spent a little time in the hammock, while a Puerto Rican Emerald fed in the flowering tree above me. I can not say enough good things about this place! There is a small building up the hill from the cabin, with a stove, microwave and fridge. I would suggest, if Margo is not cooking for you, pick up food supplies before you arrive. The selection at the super mercado in the nearest town is extremely limited.

As it got dark we had invisible visitors near the cabin. Several Puerto Rican Screech Owls started calling. They were quite close, and made some incredible sounds. Unfortunately, despite our searching with the spot lights we brought, they remained invisible. The every present "coquis", small frogs that loudly say their name, called all around us. It was so cool and breezy, I had to use two blankets. I slept better than I had in weeks!

I didn't take as many photos as usual on this trip, but here is a link to the ones I did take the first day-
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629209018791

And here is my bird list for the day -

Magnificent Frigatebird
Cattle Egret
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Rock Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Key West Quail-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Puerto Rican Screech-Owl
Antillean Mango
Puerto Rican Emerald
Puerto Rican Tody
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Gray Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
Puerto Rican Vireo
Cave Swallow
Red-legged Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Elfin-Woods Warbler
Bananaquit
Puerto Rican Tanager
Puerto Rican Spindalis
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Greater Antillean Grackle
Shiny Cowbird
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin- introduced species