CAHOW PELAGICS & land birdsBermuda November 2013

Organised byBob Flood

ParticipantsAndrew Cleave, Alain Guillemont, Alan Hannington,

Paul Sterry, Mick Taylor, Rob Tizard, Kirk Zufelt

Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow (Kirk Zufelt).

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List of species1. Pied-billed Grebe2. Bermuda Petrel3. Leach’s Storm-petrel4. White-tailed Tropicbird5. Double-crested Cormorant6. Great Blue Heron7. Great Egret8. Little Blue Heron9. Tricoloured Heron10. Cattle Egret11. Green Heron12. Yellow-crowned Night Heron13. Glossy Ibis14. Gadwall15. American Wigeon16. Mallard17. Blue-winged Teal18. Northern Pintail19. Green-winged Teal20. Ring-necked Duck21. Lesser Scaup22. Osprey23. Northern Harrier24. Red-tailed Hawk25. American Kestrel26. Merlin27. Common Moorhen28. American Coot29. Grey Plover30. American Golden Plover31. Semi-palmated Plover

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32. Piping Plover33. Killdeer34. Greater Yellowlegs35. Lesser Yellowlegs36. Willet37. Spotted Sandpiper38. Upland Sandpiper39. Hudsonian Whimbrel40. Ruddy Turnstone41. Least Sandpiper42. Pectoral Sandpiper43. Dunlin44. Short-billed Dowitcher45. Wilson’s Snipe46. Laughing Gull47. Black-headed Gull48. Bonaparte’s Gull49. Ring-billed Gull50. American Herring Gull51. Lesser Black-backed Gull52. Great Black-backed Gull53. Caspian Tern54. Rock Dove55. Mourning Dove56. Common Ground Dove57. Belted Kingfisher58. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker59. Eastern Phoebe60. Great Kiskadee61. White-eyed Vireo62. Red-eyed Vireo63. American Crow

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64. Barn Swallow65. Eastern Bluebird66. Hermit Thrush67. Grey Catbird68. European Starling69. Tennessee Warbler70. Nashville Warbler71. Northern Paula72. Black-throated Blue Warbler73. Myrtle Warbler74. Black-throated Green Warbler75. Yellow-throated Warbler76. Pine Warbler77. Prairie Warbler78. Palm Warbler79. Blackpoll Warbler80. Black-and-white Warbler81. American Redstart82. Worm-eating Warbler83. Ovenbird84. Northern Waterthrush85. Common Yellowthroat86. Hooded Warbler87. Scarlet Tanager88. Chipping Sparrow89. Savannah Sparrow90. Dark-eyed Junco91. Snow Bunting92. Northern Cardinal93. Indigo Bunting94. Baltimore Oriole95. European Goldfinch96. House Sparrow

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Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow held by Jeremy Madeiros, Conservation Officer Bermuda Governent, at translocation colony on Nonsuch Island (Andrew Cleave). The group made a US$1,000 donation to the Cahow recovery project

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Sightings 6th to 18th NovemberBirding was relatively laid back.Widespread: Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Mallard, Moorhen, American Coot, Mourning Dove, Common Ground Dove, Great Kiskadee, White-eyed Vireo (ssp. bermudianus) Grey Catbird, American Crow, European Starling, European Goldfinch, and House Sparrow.Pied-billed Grebe Spittal Pond, four on 7th; Tuckers Point Golf Course, five on 17th; Port Royal Golf Course, four on 17th.Bermuda Petrel Pelagic trips: Five (possibly six) seen exceptionally well on 8th; up to 10 on 9th; at least four on 10th; five or six on 12th; six on 15th; about 10 on 16th. Nonsuch Island, five (one pair, 2f and 1m) in nest burrows on 12th.

Leach’s Petrel One or two on pelagic trip on 10th.White-tailed Tropicbird A juvenile released on Nonsuch on 12th, after being hand reared because of desertion by parents due to late nesting.Double-crested Cormorant One in Stocks Harbour on 9th.Great Blue Heron Coney Island, one on 8th, 11th and 13th; Stocks Harbour area, one on 8th, two on 9th, three on 15th; Ferry Point, four on 10th; Cooper’s Point, one on 15th; Coot Pond, one on 16th.Great Egret Coney Island, one on 8th; Stocks Harbour one on 15th, Tuckers Point Golf Course one on 17th.Little Blue Heron Spittal Pond, three on 7th; Coney Island, one on 8th and 13th; Coot Pond, one on 18th.

Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow (main photo, Kirk Zufelt); Leach’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa (inset photo, Rob Tizard).

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Tricoloured Heron Spittal Pond, one on 7th.Cattle Egret Pembroke Marsh, one on 17th; Port Royal Golf Course, three on 17th.Green Heron Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Coot Pond, one on 16th; Somerset Bay Marsh, three on 17th.Glossy Ibis Devonshire Marsh, one on 9th. This bird arrived with a second bird with colour rings that traced its origin to SpainGadwall Port Royal Golf Course, a male on 17th.American Wigeon Spittal Pond, a male on 7th; Devonshire Marsh, two males on 9th; Port Royal Golf Course, three males on 17th.Blue-winged Teal Spittal Pond, four on 7th.Northern Shoveler Devonshire Marsh, two on 9th.Green-winged Teal Spittal Pond, four on 7th; Devonshire Marsh, 10 plus on 9th.Ring-necked Duck Port Royal Golf Course, three (imm male and two females) on 17th.Lesser Scaup Port Royal Golf Course, a male on 17th.Osprey Arboretum, one on 14th; East End Dairy (coast), one on 18th; Airport/Castle Harbour, two on 18th and one on 19th.Northern Harrier Airport, one on 18th and 19th. Distant, but appeared to be an immature female.Red-tailed Hawk Little Sound area, two on 17th.American Kestrel Bailey’s Bay, one on 15th.Merlin Airport, one mobbing both Osprey and Northern Harrier on 18th; Grotto Bay, one flew through on 19th.Grey Plover Airport, 15 on 15th, c.10 on 17th; Grotto Bay, one on 19th.American Golden Plover Airport, two on 15th.Upland Sandpiper Airport, one on 11th.Semi-palmated Plover East End Dairy, one on 16th and 18th.Piping Plover One at Long Bay (Coopers Island) on 15th.

Piping Plover Charadrius melodus (Alain Guillemont).

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Killdeer Airport, 25 on 15th and one on 17th.Greater Yellowlegs Devonshire Marsh, two on 9th; Port Royal Golf Course, one on 17th.Lesser Yellowlegs Devonshire Marsh, three on 9th.Willet Stocks Harbour, one on 15th.Spotted Sandpiper Stocks Harbour, one on 9th; Coopers Island, two on 15th.Ruddy Turnstone Widely seen, maximum of c.30 at the Airport on 15th.Least Sandpiper Devonshire Marsh, one on 9th; East End Dairy, two on 16th and again on 18th.Pectoral Sandpiper East End Dairy, two on 16th, one on 18th.Dunlin Airport, two on 15th.Short-billed Dowitcher East End Dairy, two on 16th and again on 18th.

Wilson’s Snipe Devonshire Marsh, two on 9th; East End Dairy, three on 16th.Laughing Gull Grotto Bay, one 1W on 19th (attracted by fish gutting activities at causeway to Coney Island, mid-afternoon).Ring-billed Gull Widespread in small numbers, maximum of 15 together at Grotto Bay on 19th (also attracted by fish gutting).Lesser Black-backed Gull. As above, maximum of c. 25 at Grotto Bay on 19th.Great Black-backed Gull Seen occasionally in the vicinity of the Causeway and Grotto Bay.

Short-billed Dowitchers Limnodromus griseus (Kirk Zufelt).

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Caspian Tern Docks, one imm on 11th; and same Annies Bay (Coopers Island) on 15th.Belted Kingfisher Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Blue Hole Hill, one on 6th and 7th, Ferry Point & Railway Trail, four on 10th; Coopers Point, one on 11th; Coney Island, one on 13th; Grotto Bay, one on 19th.Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Arboretum, one on 9th; Ferry Point, two on 10th; Port Royal Golf Course; one on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Eastern Phoebe Ferry Point, one on 10th.Barn Swallow Coopers Island, one flew S on 11th.Eastern Bluebird Arboretum, c.15 on 9th and 14th; Port Royal Golf Course, c.10 on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, c.10 on 18th.Hermit Thrush Blue Hole Hill, a confiding 1W on 7th was our only thrush.Tennessee Warbler Coopers Island, one on 11th.Nashville Warbler Arboretum, one on 9th and two on 14th.Northern Parula Arboretum, c.five on 9th and 14th; Blue Hole Hill, one on 19th; Devonshire Marsh, one on 9th; Ferry Point & Railway Trail, c.six on 10th; 10 plus on ‘round island run’ on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, six on 18th.Black-throated Blue Warbler Coopers Island, a male on 11th.Yellow-rumped Warbler Arboretum, five on 9th; Devonshire Marsh/Vesey Street, 10 plus on 9th; Port Royal Golf Course, c.30 on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Black-throated Green Warbler Arboretum, two on 14th.Yellow-throated Warbler Arboretum, one on 9th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Pine Warbler Vesey Street, one on 9th; Arboretum, one on 14th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Prairie Warbler Arboretum, one on 9th and 14th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Palm Warbler Arboretum, two on 9th and three on 14th; Coney Island/Railway Trail, one on 13th; Port Royal Golf Course, four on 17th.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius (Rob Tizard).

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The Arboretum was the prime spot for North American warblers and other passerines. Top left to bottom right: Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum, Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum, Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla, Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor (all photos Rob Tizard). Other passerines included tanagers (we missed Summer Tanager), orioles, and vireos (mainly the local ssp. of White-eyed). Both patience and pishing paid off. Best to visit during the week as many recreational activities are enjoyed over the weekend (cycling, running, etc). There were also plenty of butterflies, including Monarchs.

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Blackpoll Warbler Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Coney Island, one on 8th.Black and white Warbler Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Coney Island, one on 8th; Arboretum, three on 9th and 14th; Blue Hole Hill, two on 12th and 19th.American Redstart Spittal Pond, two on 7th; Arboretum, two on 9th and one on 14th; Ferry Point, one on 10th; Blue Hole Hill, two on 12th and one on 19th; Paget Marsh, one on 17th.Worm-eating Warbler Arboretum, one on 9th.Ovenbird Spittal Pond, two on 7th; Ferry Point, two on 10th; Arboretum, one on 14th; Coopers Island, one on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th; Blue Hole Hill, one on 7th and 19th.Northern Waterthrush Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Blue Hole Hill, two on 7th, one on 12th, two on 19th; Arboretum, one on 9th on 13th; Coopers Island, one on 17th; Paget Marsh, one on 17th.Common Yellowthroat Blue Hole Hill, two on 7th, four on 12th; Coopers Point, five on 11th, two on 15th; Arboretum, one on 14th; several on ‘round island run’ on 17th; Coot Pond, two on 16th, one on 18th; St Georges Golf Course, three on 18th.Hooded Warbler Paget Marsh, one female on 17th.Scarlet Tanager Arboretum, two on 9th.Chipping Sparrow Victoria Hill (Coot Pond), one with House Sparrows on 16th.Savannah Sparrow Airport, three on 17th; Port Royal Golf Course, three on 17th.Dark-eyed Junco Coney Island, one on 8th.Snow Bunting Clearwater Beach, two on 15th.Northern Cardinal Spittal Pond, one on 7th; Arboretum, two on 9th and four on 14th; Devonshire Marsh, one on 9th; Blue Hole Hill, one on 12th; at least four seen on ‘round island run’ on 17th.Indigo Bunting Coney Island, two on 8th; Port Royal Golf Course, one on 17th; St Georges Golf Course, one on 18th.Baltimore Oriole Arboretum, one on 9th and 14th.

AcknowledgementsMany thanks to Jeremy Madeiros for allowing us to participate in banding studies of Bermuda Petrel on Nonsuch Island, and for joining us at The Swizzle Inn where he entertained us with numerous amusing stories from his time in Cahow conservation. Many thanks to David Wingate for joining us in the field and for coming to an evening at Tom Moore’s Tavern where he spoke about his most memorable birding moments. Many thanks to Andrew Dobson who accompanied us on three days and showed us birds that we would otherwise not have seen. Mick Taylor was our main recorder.

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We had one evening when the sea was calm (top left, photo Andrew Cleave). It made the trip comfortble, but the Cahows didn’t perform particularly well. Our best sightings were in windy conditions and on several evenings we had multiple Cahows flying at arms length around the boat. A surprise treat on our day visit to Nonsuch Island was witnessing the release of a juvenile White-tailed Tropicbird (top right, photo Andrew Cleave). A highlight of the trip was an evening at Tom Moore’s Tavern with Andrew Dobson and David Wingate (right-hand photo, bottom photos Andrew Dobson). Tom Moore’s Tavern was expensive, but offered 5* quality and we would highly recommend it.