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BIRDING
JAMAICA
March
25-April 1, 2006
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SOLD OUT
February
24-March 3, 2007
Jamaica's geology,
vegetation and birds are diverse with more endemic species of birds than
any other Caribbean  island.
This colorful island noted for its music, foods and free-style lifestyle
is a wonderful fusion of varied landscapes, fragrant flowers, tropical
foods, and 28 endemic birds. The endemic birds can be seen in a typical
week of birding along with lizards, frogs, butterflies, other insects,
and maybe the crocodile.
Jamaican avifauna
is composed of over 200 species plus 50 vagrant winter visitors. These
include 28 endemic species, 17 subspecies, plus Caribbean breeding species
for a total of 113 breeding species. A visit in the February/March period
gives the best opportunity to see the winter vagrants and the breeding
birds singing at the first of the mating season, plus the summer visitors.
We have good chances to see most of the breeding species, including all
the 28 endemics.
On this eight-day
expedition, we offer a very special opportunity to bird Jamaica with popular
Bay Area naturalist and birder Ted Chandik. You will stay at the plantation
of Dr. Ann Sutton, which has been in the Sutton family since the British
first settled Jamaica in 1655. Her late husband, Robert Sutton, wrote
The Birds of Jamaica and co-produced Bird Songs in Jamaica. Ann is a bird
biologist and will co-lead with Brandon Hay, the Scientific Officer for
the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation.
Day 1 SAN
DIEGO TO MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA
Depart at 8:00 am on American Airlines from San Diego to Miami
connecting to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Arrive at 8:00 pm and transfer to
your hotel. Welcome dinner and trip orientation at the Wexford Hotel (1
night).
Day 2 ROCKLANDS
BIRD SANCTUARY & MARSHALL'S PEN
Begin the day with short stops in the coastal tropical lowlands
and Rocklands for coastal endemics, before heading inland. At the Rocklands
feeding stations you will get great looks at a number of endemics and
common birds of the lowlands. Some will perch on your finger! Lunch en
route. Arrive in Mandeville at about 2,000 feet in elevation and Marshall's
Pen, the historic Sutton plantation home,
formerly used for coffee production and now cattle. Introduction to the
historic house and surroundings. Afternoon walk to look for Jamaican Woodpeckers,
Vervain hummingbirds, and the national bird - the Red-billed Streamertail.
Dinner and an evening to relax and to listen to the sounds of frogs, insects,
and maybe hear the Jamaican Owl. Accommodations at Marshall's Pen (3 nights).
Day 3 MARSHALL'S
PEN AND BLACK RIVER UPPER MORASS
Awaken to the glorious song of the endemic White-eye Thrush and
the happy trilling of the Sad Flycatcher. After breakfast look for the
Jamaican Becard, Tody, Euphonia and the Spindalis. Later explore the Jamaican
coast along the Black River and Upper Morass. We will focus on
wetland birds like herons, egrets, and look overhead for the seven species
of swallows. Continue searching for the Northern Jacana, crocodiles, and
the West Indian whistling duck, one of the rarest ducks in the world.
Dinner and then an evening to catch up on our species lists, get ready
for tomorrow, and maybe look at the starry night sky at
18 degrees above the Equator.
Day 4 COCKPIT
COUNTRY
Depart early for the Cockpit Country to see the mist lift and
the morning flights of the Yellow-billed and Black-billed parrots. We
will continue to explore this unique natural area of wet limestone forests
and cool mountain air looking for the Blue Mountain Vireo, Jamaican Crow,
and listen for the rapid haunting call of the Jamaican
Lizard-Cuckoo. Additional endemic species should be seen before dinner
around Marshall's Pen. Look for the Greater Antillean Bullfinch, the Orangequit,
and the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo. Dinner at Marshall's Pen, then to catch
up on our species lists, and take a night walk to find the
Jamaican Owl and Northern Potoo.
Day 5 PORTLAND
RIDGE TO KINGSTON
The
habitat of Portland Ridge is a dry, uplifted limestone fringed with mangroves.
In the forests are tropical red birch, wild Bauhinia and agaves that often
attract Jamaican orioles and Red-billed Streamertail hummingbirds. We
will explore these areas to continue looking for endemics like the Bahama
Mockingbirds, Pewee, Elaenia, Rufous-tailed and Stolid flycatchers, and
the widespread Yellow-shouldered Grassquit. We will also look for the
secretive Crested Quail-dove. Lunch in the field. In the afternoon we
continue eastward stopping as new discoveries present themselves. Overnight
in Kingston, and recap our species lists at the Mayfair Hotel (3 nights).
Day 6 NEWCASTLE
AND HARDWAR GAP
The higher elevations of the eastern mountains provide habitat
of tall, open-canopied trees and thick undergrowth that makes secretive
birds hard to spot. We will first look for the Black-tailed Streamertail,
nymph of the deep forest, and the more elusive of the two long tailed
hummers. Then we will locate many of the flycatchers, vireos, Jamaican
Blackbird and Oriole, Crested Quail-dove, Rufous-throated Solitaire, and
Jamaican Mango - the last of the four hummer species. These hummers of
the tall forest are feeding in the upper reaches of trees. This makes
observation more difficult but also more gratifying when we do make the
identification. Our afternoon focus will be on any of the endemics we
have not seen and maybe some of the large flowers found in the mountains.
This is a good place to see the White-collared and Antillean Palm Swifts
above the forest. Recap of the day's species at the hotel.
Dinner on your own.
Day 7 HECTOR'S
RIVER AND THE JOHN CROW MOUNTAINS
Early
departure for a scenic drive along the southern coast to the eastern end
of the island to seek the Black-billed Streamertail in its forest habitat.
This rich birding habitat provides the opportunity to find other endemics
that we may have missed such as Black-billed and Yellow-billed parrots,
and Ring-tailed pigeons. In the afternoon our
focus will be on the shoreline near Hector's River to see the Brown Pelican,
White-tailed Tropicbird, Magnificent Frigatebird, and maybe other seabirds
missed previously. In the late afternoon visit a marsh for shorebirds
over-wintering in the tropical climate of Jamaica. Farewell dinner at
the hotel and final species list for the trip.
Day 8 KINGSTON
TO SAN DIEGO
After
breakfast we transfer to the airport for an American Airlines flight to
Miami and on to San Diego.
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