August 1997

by Tony White

I just returned from the Society of Caribbean Ornithology meeting in Aruba.  While most days were spent listening to papers in a conference room, I did get in some interesting birding.  Aruba is a fascinating island.  It is dry and windy.  The predominant plants were prickly pear, organ-pipe cactus and other desert plants.  The wind blew all day every day at fifteen knots or better.  The beaches on the leeward side were wonderful and full of tourists.  The island is prosperous and multilingual so it is not hard to get around.  August is the quiet time of the year both bird- and tourist-wise.  There were few migrants, so we had to concentrate on the breeders.  Here is a list of what I saw.  This was an ornithological convention not a birding tour so there was no consolidated checklist.

The best birding spots were:

Bubali a large fresh water lake created from the treated sewage of the hotels.  There is an observation platform directly across from the old Dutch windmill.

Arikok National Park in the south central part of the island.  This magnificent patch of rocks and cactus had the most interesting birding.  Loaded with birds.

Spanish Lagoon - A refuge on the west shore opposite Arikok.  Mangrove swamp, salt flats (dry in August), and thick scrub.  Good birding in summer, should be even better in winter.

Salt flats inland from Route 1 north of the hotels had nesting Least Terns and numerous roosting terns.  Shorebirds were beginning to show up as well.  San Nicolas Islands off the oil refinery - I did not get here, but there are reports of large tern colonies on the islands.  You would probably have to rent a boat to get near.  Do not land on these islands.

Field Guides:

Voous: 1983, Birds of the Netherlands Antilles;

de Schaunesee and Phelps: 1978, Birds of Venezuela.

There is also a photograpic "Nature Guide to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba" by Karl Beylevelt sold in local shops.  It is published in Dutch and in English.

They aren't birds, but the blausana lizards are well worth seeing.  The males are a brilliant cobalt blue, and the females are brown blue spots.

Species list:
 
 

Pied-billed Grebe	Common at Bubali.
Brown Booby	Seen once flying by the beach.
Brown Pelican	Common along beaches and at Bubali.
Neotropic Cormorant	Common at Bubali, uncommon along beaches.
Magnificent Frigatebird	Very common. There were almost always a few in view.
Great Blue Heron	Seen once at Bubali.
Tricolored Heron	Fairly common at Bubali.
Great Egret	Common at Bubali.
Snowy Egret	Less common than previous species.
Striated Heron	Common at Bubali and Spanish Lagoon.
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Common at Bubali.
White-cheeked Pintail	Common at Bubali.
Blue-winged Teal	One in female plumage at Bubali.
Osprey	Seen twice well inland.
Crested Caracara	Fairly common. Often seen over Bubali.
American Kestrel	Fairly common.
Crested Bobwhite.	Pair seen at Seroe Colorado. Said to be common there.
Common Moorhen	Fairly common at Bubali.
Caribbean Coot	Fairly common at Bubali.
American Oystercatcher	One pair seen on beach.
Collared Plover	Seen on salt flats north of hotel.
Semipalmated Plover.	One seen on beach.
Killdeer	Fairly common on salt flats north of hotel.
Lesser Yellowlegs	Seen daily at Bubali.
Ruddy Turnstone	Fairly common.
Semipalmated Sandpiper	A few seen at Bubali and on salt flats.
Least Sandpiper	More common than Semipalmateds.
Stilt Sandpiper	One seen on salt flats.
Short-billed Dowitcher	One seen at Bubali.
Laughing Gull	Common along beaches.
Gull-billed Tern	Uncommon. Three at Spanish Lagoon.
Sandwich/Cayenne Tern	Common, along beaches, roosting on rocks and salt flats.
Royal Tern	Fairly common along beaches and on salt flats.
Common Tern	Common at Bubali and along beaches.
Least Tern	Fairly common, nesting on salt flats north of hotels.
Bare-eyed Pigeon	Common, has wing markings like a White-winged dove.
Eared Dove	Abundant seen everywhere.
White-tipped Dove	Fairly common at Spanish Lagoon and Arikok.
Common Ground-Dove	Abundant, seen everywhere.
Caribbean Parakeet	Common around hotels, very common at Arikok and Spanish Lagoon. Endemic race.
Groove-billed Ani	Fairly common, usually ssen at Bubali.
Burrowing Owl	Fairly common. Pairs near hotel and at Spanish Lagoon. Endemic race.
Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird	Uncommon. Several seen at Spanish Lagoon, one at Arikok.
Common Emerald	Fairly common. More widespread than the previous species.
Smooth (Scrub) Flycatcher	Uncommon at Arikok and Spanish Lagoon.
Brown-crested Flycatcher	Uncommon at Arikok and Spanish Lagoon.
Gray Kingbird	Very uncommon. Only seen at Spanish Lagoon.
Barn Swallow.	Several flying along beach.
Tropical Mockingbird	Abundant seen everywhere.
Yellow Warbler	Common, Bubali, Spanish Lagoon and Arikok. Not confined to mangroves.
Bananaquit	Common especially around hotels.
Black-faced Grassquit	Common.
Carib Grackle	Seen only in cities and towns.
Shiny Cowbird	One seen at Bubali.
Troupial	Common at Arikok, fairly common elswhere.
Yellow Oriole	Threatened. Seen only at Arikok.

Tony White
Bethesda, MD
cdrawhite@aol.com