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Cuba |
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These photos are from a two week survey trip to Cuba 13-25 Feb, 2009 with
the Caribbean
Conservation Trust led by Gary Markowski. The trip covered all of the major
habitat types, and we found 26 of the 27 or so currently extant endemics.
Note all images are thumbnails, click for larger version, and all are marked
with name of species and date. |
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A couple maps of Cuba and the Caribbean from WorldAtlas.Com,
you can check out this site
here. |
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This is the van we used for the trip, being held in place by
Bruce Hallett. It was pretty comfortable, and we had a few days we had to
cover a lot of ground... We spent most of our time in the west, and
then went as far east as Camaguey to get the eastern endemics. |
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Here are a few of the spots we birded...
The top row is a trail at the Maria la Gorda Hotel and a trail at Guanahacabibes National Park 2/16.
The second row are both from the La Guira area up in the limestone
mountains 2/18.
The third row is La Turba at the Zapata Swamp 2/19
The fourth row is Bermejas Preserve in Zapata National Park and Guama Crocodile Farm on
2/19.
The fifth row is Las Salinas 2/20 and Sierra de Cubita 2/22.
The sixth row is habitat shots from Zapata Swamp at Rio Hatiguanico 2/24. |
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Old Havana was pretty cool... a lot of neat
buildings and old 50s era cars. We spent a few hours with Orlando Garrido on
our first day, 2/14, Cuban ornithologist and amazing guy (top row). The USS
Maine Memorial (bottom right) used to have a big eagle on top but that got
removed sometime recently and is reportedly now in a building occupied by
the US "Interest" Section. |
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Our group. Back row L-R Nora Schwab, me, driver Palacio,
Cooby Greenway, Ivan Schwab, Bruce Hallett. Middle row Larry Schwab, Jeannie Wright,
Tony White, Cuban trip leader William Suarez, Judith O'Neale, Carol Foil, Cuban leader
Jesus Garcia, front row kneeling local guide Frank Medina, Ed Harper, US Trip Leader/Coordinator
Gary Markowski. William was our primary bird guide and he was fantastic! One
of our members, Nora, created a blog you can check out
here. |
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THE BIRDS |
Endemics are bolded. |
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Greater Flamingo |
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Snail Kite |
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Cuban Black-Hawk |
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American Kestrel Local residents come in two
color forms, rufous and white. Both can be separated from N American
migrants by plumage. |
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Limpkin |
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Plain Pigeon |
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Gray-fronted Quail-Dove Right side is waiting for
the dove to hopefully cross the trail (which it never did!) |
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Blue-headed Quail-Dove Bad photo through the
windshield... but a great find crossing the road! |
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Cuban Parakeet |
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Great Lizard-Cuckoo |
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Bare-legged Owl Also called Cuban Screech-Owl in
some books. |
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Cuban Pygmy-Owl |
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Stygian Owl |
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Cuban Emerald |
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Bee Hummingbird Smallest bird in the
world. |
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Cuban Trogon |
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Cuban Tody |
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West Indian Woodpecker |
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Cuban Green Woodpecker |
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Fernandina's Flicker |
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Cuban Pewee |
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La Sagra's Flycatcher |
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Loggerhead Kingbird |
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Giant Kingbird |
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Cuban Vireo |
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Palm Crow |
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Cuban Solitaire |
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Wood Warblers If you want to see more North
American Wood Warblers this page has all the Eastern species:
Giff's Warblers |
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"Golden" Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
gundlachi (resident). Note how dull the female at bottom is. |
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Yellow-headed Warbler |
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Oriente Warbler |
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Western Spindalis |
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Red-legged Honeycreeper |
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Cuban Bullfinch |
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Yellow-faced Grassquit |
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Zapata Sparrow |
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Cuban Blackbird |
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Cuban Black-cowled Oriole |
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Non Birds |
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Two odonates, we saw few due to the dry season. The
dragonfly is a skimmer of uncertain taxonomy,
Orthemis cf schmidti . The damselfly is Rambur's Forktail (Ischnura
ramburii), even
though the pattern of West Indian ramburii on s9 is unlike the mainland US versions. If you like
dragonflies check out my odonate site here. |
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Cuban satyr, not sure the species yet. |
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Osteopilus septentrionalis,
the Cuban Treefrog (thanks for ID from Dennis Paulson) |
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