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PUERTO RICO
10 - 14 November 2002
by David Klauber
From October 29 to November 14 I birded the Lesser Antilles and Puerto
Rico.
This trip report is for the Puerto Rico only, from November 10 through
November
14. The Lesser Antilles report is written up separately.
I had worked in Puerto Rico for 2 weeks in March 1996, and saw all but
three
of the endemics in just a weekend plus one Saturday. The former Hilton
Hotel
in Mayaguez had several species when I was there in 1996. The idea was
to
try for the 3 endemics – PR Nightjar, PR Screech-Owl, and the difficult
PR
Parrot - as well as a few exotics for my North America list. I also
wanted
to see several birds again, especially the Elfin Woods Warbler. I did
not
visit very many sites since I was concentrating on finding the night
birds,
which required repeat visits to the same locations. I did not see the
parrot,
and was disappointed not to see the Lizard-Cuckoo this time.
If you want to try for the parrot, contact Jafet Velez who I think is
with
the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife at 787-887-8769. His boss is Fernando
Nunez.
They both speak English well. Jafet was very receptive, but Fernando
understandably
was not going to give one of his staff just to accompany me to see the
birds.
Unfortunately during my visit staff were working on aviary maintenance
for
the captive birds, and nobody was available to take me where the wild
parrots
are. On occasion they have taken birders there, which I believe
involves
meeting somewhere at 4 AM, then hiking for several hours.
Another possibility is Pedro Rios at the USDA Forest Service,
787-888-1810.
Try contacting them first, find out if and when they are visiting the
area,
then plan your trip around them. Otherwise the parrot is an extreme
long
shot, as there are now less than 30 wild birds, and in mostly
inaccessible
areas. They are declining in the wild. The parrot overlook on route 186
is
getting seriously overgrown, obscuring much of the view. Puerto
Rico
is very Americanized, not surprisingly, with many fast food chains and
stores
familiar to someone from the USA. What surprised me was that I did not
see
any of the ice cream chains, like Dairy Queen, which would seem to be a
logical
fit for a tropical climate.
Reference Material
Several trip reports taken from Birding The
Americas
trip reports site.
A very strong thank you to Mike Flieg who advanced me information from
his
forthcoming bird finding guide for the West Indies
Books
Lonely Planet Puerto Rico Oct 1999
A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies – Raffaele, Wiley, etc -
the
best around but very weak on subspecies, alternate plumages, and
specific
distributions. For the relatively small number of specialities they
should
have provided much more information
Puerto Rico Bird Guide – outdated and some poor artwork, but
with
more detail than the other books
Allan Sander & Mike Flieg – A Photographic Guide to the West
Indies
Birds of the West Indies – Bond, 5th edition, 1993 – virtually
useless
Names and Contacts
Jafet Velez or Fernando Nunez, US Dept of Fish & Wildlife –
787–887–8769
Pedro Rios USDA Forest Service – 787-888-1810
CARS
I rented from Hertz, arranged in the USA before arrival. Arranging car
rentals
in your country of origin is recommended, as you can often get better
deals
and unlimited mileage. There are many companies, so prices should be
competitive.
I think gas was about the same as the USA. Roads were generally quite
good,
noticeably improved since 1996. The toll highways are excellent except
for
the Puerto Ricans, who have no concept of the left lane, usually
cruising
well below the speed limit in the left lane and never moving aside.
MONEY MATTERS
The US dollar is the unit of currency. I brought traveler’s checks,
American
Express, US dollars, and some cash. ATMs are also available.
ACCOMMODATIONS & FOOD
Accomodations are not low budget, but decent lodging can be had for $40
-
$60. Food in local restaurants isn’t that costly. Water is safe to
drink
and I drank tap water everywhere.
BIRDS
I saw 92 species, and heard one more, with 5 lifers and 2 new for North
America.
These totals include 2 introduced species that are not countable, to
the
best of my knowledge – Hill Myna and Yellow-Crowned Amazon. I
missed
the PR Parrot and the lizard cuckoo, although I did not spend much time
looking
for the lizard-cuckoo. Most of my time was spent looking for the 2
nightbirds.
THE TRIP
November 10, Sunday – west coast and Guanica area
My flight arrived from St. Lucia around 9 AM. I picked up my car from
Hertz,
$185 for 4 days, including all taxes. I drove west towards Aguadilla on
the
fast highway 22 past Arecibo, then highway 2 to the house of Allen and
Laurie
Lewis. They gave me lunch and we chatted for a bit, seeing Nutmeg
Mannikins
and Antillean Mangos at their feeders. About 1:30 Allen and I set off
for
some ponds near Coloso, not far from a large (cement?) factory, where
Allen
had seen the whistling duck. We had just driven through a downpour, and
quickly
walked around the ponds before the rain hit us. Sure enough, there was
a
pair of West Indian Whistling-Ducks on the ponds, as well as
Pied-billed
Grebe, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Purple and Common
Gallinule.
In the tall grasses were more Nutmeg Mannikins and Orange Bishops, the
bishops
in drab plumage. We then drove to Cartagena lagoon, which unfortunately
is
very overgrown with tall vegetation, obscuring most of the lagoon.
The entrance road is the southern extension of route 306, just a dirt
cane
road that goes a few miles. Drive past a large ranch, then past a ditch
to
where there is a sign on the left. There is a gate, but on the right
side
of the gate is a passage into the area. Walk straight, then bear left
after
about 5 minutes, and you arrive at a small area of open water. On the
right
edge is a broken pier or boardwalk. You can just see a bit of the
lagoon
in the distance. The water level in the small area was high, with
little
edge for rails, and we saw nothing at all.
Allen drove home, and I checked in to the Villa Andujar Guest House in
Playa
Parguera, a bright pink building on the right as you first enter the
town,
about 3 blocks from the waterfront. The room was small and basic, but
had
AC and cost $45. This may be a cash only place. I then drove east
towards
Guanica, trying to find route 325, which Allen had said was better for
the
nightjar. I found the turnoff for 325, but after arriving in the small
town
of Ensenada got confused. After a few questions, I took the road for
Playa
Santa, and found a dirt track to the left, about half a mile before the
beach
town.
I drove 1 –2 miles, rough but doable, with care, in a regular car. I
heard
one or two nightjars, and saw a silhouette fly over, but couldn’t get
one
to come in to a tape. I heard a screech-owl call nearby and played my
tape.
A shadow nearly hit me, but I never saw or heard it again, except for
one
bird in the distance. I gave up about 7:30 and drove to Playa Parguera
for
dinner. Weather was hot and humid with showers in mid-afternoon.
November 11, Monday – Guanica area
I left the hotel about 4:15, this time going to route 334, arriving
around
4:45. It is only a mile from the turnoff on route 116 to the gate. I
parked
outside the closed gate and walked up the road. After a ¼ mile I
heard
a screech-owl reasonably close. I had a repeat performance of a shadow
nearly
hitting my head, then silence and no more activity. After walking
uphill
20 – 30 minutes I came to a chained path to the left, signed Camino Las
Cobanas.
This descended into the forest and after a few minutes walk I heard a
couple
of nightjars. One was close, and I saw it fly over me a few times in
the
starlit night. I never could see it perched, even though it called
quite
close to me. I heard another screech-owl, but it didn’t respond to the
tape.
Several nightjars were calling in the distance.
Eventually it became light and the nightjars stopped calling. I walked
out
slowly, seeing Adelaide’s Warbler and a brief PR Tody. I left Guanica
at
7:30 and drove to Maricao Forest, arriving at 8:30. I birded here until
10:45.
I started down a track past the power station at the top of the hill,
past
the park headquarters. I somehow did a loop arriving back near the park
headquarters.
Beware – the red packed mud/clay/rocks is EXTREMELY slippery, and it’s
quite
difficult to walk on some patches.
The best area was right by the entrance, near the stream that flows
under
the road. I had excellent looks at a pair of Elfin Woods Warblers, PR
Spindalis,
PR Tanager, and PR Bullfinch here. Also in the area were Black &
White
Warbler and American Redstart, and the dreaded mongoose. Around 10:45 I
drove
west to Hacienda Juanita, a very nice but pricey parador in a beautiful
location.
I had read the Euphonia could be seen here, but I had no luck. There is
small
loop trail that starts just by the entrance road, passing through
forest
that was shaded and active even at noon. I had Red-legged Thrush and a
few
migrant warblers. In the courtyard by the restaurant a small bird with
a
very long tail flew by, which must have been a Pin-tailed Wydah.
I had lunch there, then drove south to San German, and the
Interamerican
campus to look for introduced parrots. It’s a bit tricky to find the
entrance,
which is off a back road on the east side. It rained as I got lost
trying
to find the entrance, subsiding to a light rain when I arrived. I
quickly
found a tree of White-winged Parakeets, and a group of 3 large Amazons
flew
by. They later landed in a tree over my head, and I believe they were
Yellow-Crowned
Amazons, based on the picture in Raffaele and Juniper and Parr’s
Parrots
monograph. They had no yellow in the cheek or tail, with yellow
foreheads.
I thought it was a bit odd there were 3 birds, if they were escapes.
I had checked out of the Villa Andujar, and decided to return to Playa
Parguera
to secure the room for another night. Nobody was there, and nobody
answered
the phone, but my room was unlocked and not cleaned, although the key
was
gone. I parked and walked to the beachfront, quickly seeing a banded
Yellow-shouldered
Blackbird with the Grackles. Still no life at the hotel when I
returned,
so I left a note and set off back to Guanica. This time I took route
333
to the beach parking lot. I walked the 5-10 minutes to the lagoon on
the
north side of the path, but there were only a few shorebirds and
distant
ducks that I couldn’t identify. I drove back slowly, stopping a bit
before
the Copa Marina Hotel.
I heard an odd call which turned out to be the Troupial I was looking
for.
I drove to the gate on route 334, arriving in daylight about 5:45. I
walked
up the road to the stares of the local kids and again went down the
Camino
las Cobanas trail. This time I had a nightjar fly over while there was
enough
light to see, then repeated the previous morning’s experience with
silhouettes
flying over me in the moonlight. I never saw the PR Nightjar perched in
a
branch or the road, although it was frustratingly close at times. I
heard
many birds calling here, further up the road, and in the distance, so
it
seems to be common. I returned to the hotel with a light in the house
but
a locked gate, and I had dinner at the Parador. When I returned the
room
was cleaned, but I couldn’t contact the landlady. I went in, showered,
and
spent the night.
November 12, Tuesday – Cartagena Lagoon, Guanica, Humacao, El
Yunque
I decided to try Cartagena Lagoon early in a futile attempt for
Yellow-breasted
Crake. The landlady called out to me as I left, and I told her I left
money
in the drawer, but she didn’t seem very concerned. I drove the 20
minutes
to the lagoon, arriving at 6:15, staying until 9 AM. The lagoon was a
bust,
there was no response to the crake tape, and I wandered the paths in
the
area looking for exotics or anything. I did see PR Flycatcher, Prairie
Warblers,
and 2 PR Vireos were by the gate. I drove back to route 334, where the
gate
was now opened, for a quick try for the Lizard-Cuckoo.
I walked a loop trail to the left, past the office buildings, but
didn’t
see much during my 45 minute walk, about 9:45 to 10:30. It was
partially
wooded but hot, and I saw several Adelaide’s Warblers, a PR Flycatcher,
and
heard a Caribbean Elaenia. I drove east, stopping at Ponce airport to
look
for exotics, but only saw a lone House Sparrow. There are scrubby
fields
just before the airport, but I didn’t explore them as it was already
noon
and I was heading for El Yunque and Humacao.
I arrived at Humacao refuge at 2:30, and took the chained path that is
just
past the official headquarters, which close at 3:30. Walk up this
chained
path, surrounded by garbage at the entrance, veer left by the first
opening
by concrete structures, then right a hundred yards or so after that.
You
will be on a path that passes two large ponds or lagoons. There are
huge
iguanas here which make a racket as they scramble or fall into the
water.
More mongooses also, and Orange-cheeked Waxbills. It was very hot and
humid
until it rained, after which it cooled down considerably. With clever
foresight
I left my portable umbrella in the car, and was rained upon about 40
minutes
into my walk.
On the way back I saw White-cheeked Pintail, a Least Bittern, a
Blackpoll
Warbler, and a tree full of hummingbirds over the path with Antillean
Crested,
Green-throated Caribs, and PR Emeralds. It had been quiet an hour
earlier
before it rained. In 1996 I saw Caribbean Coot here, and this is
supposed
to be a spot for the WI Whistling Duck, better at dusk. I drove to
Fajardo,
staying at La Familia for the discounted rate of $60 with taxes. Rooms
here
are large and nice, but avoid those near the reception on the ground
floor,
as they’re noisy.
I drove to El Yunque. Note that driving north from Fajardo, the turnoff
is
route 968, which shortly takes you to 191. It does say El Yunque,
although
the sign isn’t big. I arrived at dusk and drove up hill. I went to km
12,
but was a bit nervous since they are supposed to lock the gates at 6
PM.
I tried the tape for the Screech-Owl with no luck, then descended
slowly
listening, and trying the owl tape where there were pullovers. At km
5.3
I pulled over and an owl called when I closed my door.
I tried the tape and saw the owl fly over my head, then heard another
call
nearby. I saw the owl fly over in the moonlight several times. Once it
was
in a tree within 50 feet, but the closest I got to seeing the sitting
bird
was 2 seconds in the flashlight before it flew. The owl has an
alternate
laughing call reminiscent of a kookaburra – a maniacal laugh. It seemed
to
do this when it stayed in one place for a while, probably deservedly
letting
me know his opinion of me and birders with tapes. I gave up and
returned
to Fajardo for dinner.
November 13, Wednesday – El Yunque, Old San Juan, Parque Central
There is a back road from near the large resort near La Familia which
puts
you on the main highway a few miles north of Fajardo. There is a shop
en
route, on the road of the left turn that occurs after the 3 speed
bumps,
on the left, that serves bakery items and breakfast, and was open at
4:40
in the morning. I left Fajardo at 4:30, arriving at km 5.3 at 5 AM for
a
rematch and more of the same – flying over, maniacal laugh, no good
look.
I conceded defeat and drove to km 12, arriving a bit before dawn. The
gate
was open. I tried the tape at the beginning of the trail near the
parking
lot, that goes to the right and quickly arrives at a pool. I didn’t
hear
anything and gave up, walking up 191. Returning 5 minutes later I heard
an
owl call in the forest, but never saw it.
I descended to the Sierra Palm parking lot and walked down the road,
looking
for the overgrown turnoff to the old restaurant, but could not find it.
I
returned to the parking lot and walked the Big Tree Trail, interesting
in
its own right for the plaques about trees, but densely forested and low
in
bird species. Red-legged Thrush and Louisiana Waterthrush were the only
birds
of note. I drove down to the tower, which was closed until 9 AM, and it
was
only 8. I stayed about 30 minutes, seeing Scaly-naped Pigeons and a
Mangrove
Cuckoo, then went down to Coco Falls in an unsuccessful attempt for the
Euphonia.
I saw the thrush again, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a large iguana
sunning
on a treetop, but no Euphonia during a 30-40 minute stop.
I decided to go to Old San Juan for the day, arriving at Fort
Cristobal,
thinking it was El Moro. I spent 30 minutes exploring the fort, then
went
to El Moro fortress. This is an interesting building, and I had read
Tropicbirds
could be seen flying around the walls. Not today – all I saw were a
couple
of Royal Terns over the water, and a Brown Booby perched on a buoy. I
left
the fort and explored the weedy edges of the perimeter, but there was
nothing
of interest. By the footpath entrance, near the college, a Myna flew
by,
which I guess was Hill Myna, but I couldn’t relocate the bird.
I was trying to get to the area near the Coast Guard station, which a
trip
report said was good for exotics, but driving the small streets at
lunchtime
is a nightmare, with no place to park. I wound up exiting the Old San
Juan
area, somehow arriving at nearby Parque Central at 12:45. I spent 45
minutes
walking around the perimeter, seeing a family of Saffron Finches just
past
the underpass, many Red-legged Thrushes, but nothing different, and no
Java
Sparrows.
I drove to route 186 on the western side of El Yunque, to the overlook
that
is 100 yards past the second waterfall, complete with benches. It’s
about
15-20 minutes drive along 186. Unfortunately this potential parrot
overlook
is overgrown, with a large patch of bamboo and a cecropia smack in the
middle,
taking out over half the view, leaving small vistas at either side. I
stayed
here until dusk, neither seeing nor hearing parrots. The weather was
overcast,
a bit windy, with the feel of impending rain, but it never did rain. PR
Tanager,
Red-legged Thrush, PR Woodpecker, and Scaly-naped Pigeons appeared at
times.
I decided to return to Fajardo, and this time stayed at the Anchor Inn
for
$60, a bit nicer than La Familia.
November 14, Thursday – El Yunque, Old San Juan, and flight
home
I left Fajardo at 5:30, arriving at the parrot overlook at 6:15. I
stayed
until 8:15, not seeing any parrots. My farewell present was 2 or 3
Antillean
Euphonias that flew into the treetop of the flowering tree to the left
of
the bamboo. I saw Mangrove Cuckoo, PR Emerald, Loggerhead Kingbird, PR
Flycatcher,
PR Bullfinch, PR Spindalis, and several migrant warblers –
Black-throated
Blue, Black-and-White, and Northern Parula. I made a brief trip to Old
San
Juan, visiting a park that was under construction a mile or so into the
area.
Prairie Warbler was the only bird of note. I left for the airport and
handed
in the rental car at 10:30
SPECIES ACCOUNTS
ENDEMICS are in capitals
L = lifer (5 species, including 1 introduction)
AOU = new for AOU area/North America (2 species)
- - - - -
Pied-Billed Grebe – One on the ponds near Coloso
Brown Booby – One on a buoy, seen from El Moro
Brown Pelican – Flybys in the Old San Juan area
Magnificent Frigatebird – Several seen by the shore in various places
Great Blue Heron – Ponds by Coloso
Great Egret – Several areas, fairly common
Snowy Egret – As above
Little Blue Heron – Parque Central
Tricolored Heron – Humacao
Cattle Egret – Common
Green Heron – Coloso ponds, Humacao, common
Least Bittern – Humacao, on left shore of first pond
West Indian Whistling Duck (L) – 2 or 3 birds on Coloso ponds; the
biggest
surprise of the trip
White-cheeked Pintail – Humacao
Blue-winged Teal – Coloso ponds and Humacao
Ring-necked Duck – Coloso ponds
Lesser Scaup – Coloso ponds
Ruddy Duck – Coloso ponds
Turkey Vulture – Common throughout
Osprey – Common
Red-tailed Hawk – Several in various places, common
American Kestrel – Several in various places, common
Merlin – Coloso ponds
Purple Gallinule – Coloso ponds
Common Moorhen – Coloso ponds, Humacao, Parque Central
American Coot – Coloso ponds
Ruddy Duck – Coloso ponds
Black-bellied Plover – Guanica lagoon, route 333
Killdeer – Humacao
Black-necked Stilt – Guanica lagoon, route 333
Greater Yellowlegs – Coloso ponds, Cartagena Lagoon
Lesser Yellowlegs – Coloso ponds
Spotted Sandpiper – Humacao
“Peep” Sandpiper sp – Guanica lagoon
Royal Tern – A couple flying by in the harbor by El Moro
Sandwich Tern – A couple flying by in the harbor by El Moro
Rock Dove – Too common
Scaly-naped Pigeon – Maricao, and common at El Yunque
White-crowned Pigeon – Interamericana University at San German
Zenaida Dove – Common
Mourning Dove – Several locations, fairly common
White-winged Dove – Several locations, fairly common
Common Ground-Dove – Common
White-winged Parakeet – A large flock in trees at the Interamericana
University,
San German
Yellow-crowned Amazon – 3 birds at the Interamericana, San German. This
species
is not listed in the Puerto Rico guide. I saw them well flying and
perched
in a tree. They had yellow foreheads, but no yellow on the cheek, and
no
yellow in the tail that I could see, and a red wing patch in flight. If
they
are escapes, it seems odd there were 3 birds. Not countable as far as I
know
Mangrove Cuckoo – Heard in several locations, seen at El Yunque
Smooth-billed Ani – Cartagena lagoon and lowlands
PUERTO RICAN SCREECH OWL (L) – Guanica route 334 and El Yunque at km
5.3
on route 191. I saw it flying by several times in the moonlight, but
only
got a brief glimpse at a perched bird. Seems fairly common along route
191.
PUERTO RICAN NIGHTJAR (L) – Another silhouette. I had a decent look at
a
flying bird in twilight, and also in moonlight along route 325 and 334.
Many
heard calling along route 334, Guanica. Maybe this bird does not sit in
the
road like some other nightjars.
PUERTO RICAN EMERALD – Common in several locations – El Yunque, Maricao
Antillean Mango – Aguadilla at Allen Lewis’ feeders
GREEN MANGO – Maricao
Green-throated Carib – Humacao
Antillean Crested Hummingbird – Humacao
PUERTO RICAN TODY – Guanica, Maricao. A neat little bird
PUERTO RICAN WOODPECKER – A few seen in a variety of habitats,
mountains
and lowlands – one of the prettier Melanerpes
Caribbean Elaenia – Heard only near headquarters on route 334, Guanica
PUERTO RICAN FLYCATCHER – Guanica, El Yunque parrot overlook. The
Raffaele
West Indies illustration has a few errors, the Puerto Rican guide
illustration
is terrible – just look for a Myiarchus
Gray Kingbird – Everywhere
Loggerhead Kingbird – El Yunque, parrot overlook on route 186, last day
only
Cave Swallow – Flying over Cartagena lagoon early morning; many small
flocks
Barn Swallow – As above
Red-legged Thrush – Fairly common in forests, Old San Juan, and Parque
Central
Northern Mockingbird – Common.
Pearly-eyed Thrasher – A few at route 186 parrot overlook
PUERTO RICAN VIREO – Heard at Maricao; a pair seen by the gates to
Cartagena
lagoon
Hill Myna – A flyby outside the El Moro area; I only saw a black bird
with
a white wing patch, and am assuming it was this species. Not countable,
I
believe
Yellow Warbler – Fairly common
Northern Parula Warbler – A couple in forested areas
Black and White Warbler – Maricao and the parrot overlook
Black-throated Blue Warbler – One male at the parrot overlook
Chestnut-sided Warbler – One by the parking lot at Coco Falls
Prairie Warbler – Common in the scrub at Cartagena Lagoon; one at park
in
Old San Juan
ADELAIDE’S WARBLER – Fairly common in Guanica and a few at Maricao
ELFIN WOODS WARBLER – A pair by the entrance at Maricao
Blackpoll Warbler – One bird at Humacao
American Redstart – A few females in forested areas
Louisiana Waterthrush – On the Big Tree Trail in El Yunque
Northern Waterthrush – One at Humacao
Bananaquit– Everywhere
Antillean Euphonia (L) – Finally saw at least 2 birds at the parrot
overlook
on route 186 on my last morning. They flew into the tops of a flowering
(mistletoe?)
tree
PUERTO RICAN SPINDALIS – One seen at Maricao forest, another at the
parrot
overlook
PUERTO RICAN TANAGER – Fairly common in forested areas
PUERTO RICAN BULLFINCH – Maricao, El Yunque
Black-faced Grassquit – Lowlands
Yellow-faced Grassquit – Lowlands, common at Cartagena Lagoon
Saffron Finch – A family group at Parque Central, in the woods just
past
the underpass
Greater Antillean Grackle – Common everywhere
Troupial (AOU) – One on route 333, Guanica, a few hundred yards past
the
Copa Marina Hotel. Allegedly common in the area, but I missed it in
1996
and only saw the one bird this time.
YELLOW-SHOULDERED BLACKBIRD – One banded bird at the mangroves in town
in
Playa Parguera
House Sparrow – One at Ponce airport in the parking lot
Pin-tailed Wydah – One flyby at Hacienda Juanita near Maricao
Orange (Red?) Bishop (L) – Several small flocks of female and
dull-plumaged
birds near Coloso
Orange-cheeked Waxbill – A small flock at Humacao, in the grassy areas
between
the two ponds. Also seen here in 1996
Nutmeg Mannikin (AOU) – Aguadilla at the Lewis’ house; also in grassy
areas
by Coloso ponds
MAMMALS
The dreaded mongoose, all too common
David Klauber"
<davehawkowl@msn.com>