The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Spent two weeks holiday at the Melia Hotel on Cayo Coco Cuba. Managed to get out to do some birding each day but was unable to travel to Guillermo to see if I could find the Bahamas Mockingbird because of illness to Ann

All my birdwatching was dome within about 5 miles of our base. The habitat was generally wooded or inpenetrable mangrove. To wander off the beaten track was to offer yourself on a plate for the mosquitos. The beach was about four of five miles long and it didn't take long to be alone. There was a largish lagoon by our hotel which produced herons, egrets and birds of prey but only in small numbers. There was only one real viewing area so this area didn't really live up to its potential. Still 82 species were seen and several others that I couldn't identify

I did go on an organised birding trip which topped up my numbers. I did manage 16 lifers and saw 6 species seen at home tis year

In no particular order birds seen were

turkey vulture - virtually every day - 22 in one flock
cuban emerald (hummingbird) - most days in small numbers around the pool
northern mockingbird - everywhere in good numbers - unmissable
collared dove - lots of these around
loggerhead kingbird - small numbers most days
laughing gull - good numbers on the beautiful beach and on the lagoon by the hotel - confiding
black headed blue warbler - fairly common in the area
great white egret - in small numbers most days - one flock of 75
zenaida dove - singles seen twice
royal tern - every day over the beach and lagoon - confiding
turnstone - lots on the beach
sanderling - lots on the beach
wilsons plover - good numbers on the beach
piping plover - good numbers on the beach
grey plover - up to 4 seen on eight occasions
magnificent frigatebird - seen most days in small numbers but did see one flock of 15
common black hawk - lifer - most days giving close views
red legged thrush - seen every other day in small numbers. Unlike Dominican Republic - secretive
common ground dove - common
scarlet ibis - lifer - one flew over the lagoon
green heron - common around the lagoon and mangroves
northern waterthrush seen on three occasions
belted kingfisher fairly common
greater antillean grackle - noisy and common
spotted sandpiper - seen once on the lagoon, once on the beach and twice at a small reservoir
white crowned pigeon - seen once in the hotel gardens
yellow rumped warbler - twice at least around the hotel
yellow wabler seen twice around the area
great lizard cuckoo seen on my bird watching tour - showed well but not well enough to photograph
pine warbler just once on the birdwatching trip
cattle egret - only seen three times with the hotel not really in suitable habitat
nothern parula - another star of the birdwatching trip on a very rainy day
cuban (crescent eyed) peewee occasinal birds were not difficult to see
greater flamingos - distant view of thousands on the causeway from Cayo Coco to the Cuban mainland
cuban vireo - just seen once at the small reservoir on my bird watching trip
la sagras flycatcher - lifer - seen three times in woodland
palm warbler -lifer - fairly common
zapatta sparrow -lifer - (star of the show) just one on the bird watching tour which took some finding. thankfully my guide knew where to look
indigo bunting - lifer - two found by my guide at a cave which doubles up as a disco in the jungle
blue winged teal - seen twice and the only ducks I saw
willet - lifer - two seen on the beach on my first early morning walk
grey kingbird - seen twice
house sparrow - not noticed until late in the holiday but with good numbers near the hotel entrance
short billed dowitcher - lifer - with the willet on the beach on the same day I got a text from Katherine about the one at Frieston
grasshopper sparrow - around the hotel
nutmmeg manakin - two together just seen once
lesser yellowlegs - one seen at the small reservoir
cuban green woodpecker - one seen at the small reservoir
greater antillean oriel - seen once near the lagoon
cape may warbler - seen several times around the hotel grounds
black necked stilt seen twice at the small reservoir
yellow legged grassquit - seen around the hotel grounds regularly
killdeer - up to eight seen on three occasions
double crested cormorant - occasionly over the sea, 20/30 from the causeway and when looking in vain for a cuban gnatcatcher on my birdwatching trip
american kestrel - common around the hotel and the roads leading to it
western spindalis (westernern stripe headed tanager) - seen three times
northern flicker - lifer - heard before seen but fairly commom
great blue heron - fairly common aroud the lagoon and in the mangroves at the eastern end of the beach
oriente warbler - although elusive not difficult to see with patience
reddish egret - saw this attractive bird twicwe, once from the causeway and once at the lagoon
tricolored heron - one and twos common around the lagoon
baltimore oriel - lifer - this attractive bird was seen four times close to my bedroom
semi palmated sandpiper seen singles twice
yellow throated warbler seen twice
cuban tody lifer - seen twice. last time I went to Cuba I spent hours looking for these with no lock. This time I was walking down a road when four flew across the road. very attractive and unmistakeable. I saw another one a week later in a different location
cuban bullfinch - saw these on three consequtive days but not subsequently
prairie warbler - fairly common
bicknells thrush lifer - saw one skulking in the bushes close to where I saw the todys
american redstart - common one day absent the next - present in good numbers when you did see them
common yellowthroat - this attractive bird was fairly common in the hotel garden
crested caracara - this attractive bird of prey was fairly easy to see in the area
little blue heron - fairly common around the lagoon
scaly naped pigeon - saw one in the gardens near our room
smooth billed ani - this strange looking bird was fairly common and noisy
yellow crowned night heron - three differnt birds - with two juveniles giving superb views
brown pelican - several up and down the beach and many more on the causeway
black faced grassquit lifer - just seen once in the garden
snowy egret - around the lagoon and causeway