Summary
Josh Stone, Nicole Trimmer, Garrett Ridge, and I (Cameron Rutt) spent 7 days in Jamaica, excluding travel days, from 27 July to 2 August 2010. The sole purpose of our trip was certainly not birding, however it did comprise a significant chunk of our time. Otherwise, we enjoyed the relaxation, camaraderie, and Jamaican culture leaving pure, unadulterated birding to essentially two mornings in the mountains. But, of course, being bird-oriented, many a morning was spent looking for birds more casually, largely in and around our backyard, as well as nearby Port Antonio. We were based out of Port Antonio, where a relative of Josh’s owns a villa and cottage, an ideal location as all of the endemic species can be seen in the easternmost tip of the island. In fact, we didn’t travel farther west than Buff Bay in pursuit of birds.
Weather, Flights, Money, Literature
Emerging from a heat wave in the northeastern United States, we were all pleased to discover that Jamaica actually felt slightly cooler than home. The days were still very hot, so any birding in the lowlands outside of the early morning should be restricted. However, nighttime temperatures and mornings were mild and very manageable. Apparently we arrived at just the right time, as the weather was glorious, with almost no rain-affected plans. Short bouts of rain did occur some afternoons and our morning in the John Crow Mountains was cut short by persistent rain starting mid-morning.
We flew into and out of Montego Bay, a three-and-a-half hour’s drive west of Port Antonio. Although Kingston is closer, the rough road and hassle made Montego Bay preferable. Money was not an issue, once we found a Scotia Bank whose ATM worked for our cards. Bringing a decent amount of money to exchange might not be a bad idea though, just in case (I was unable to make a withdrawal at two other ATMs). The current exchange rate was 1.00 USD = 84.95 JMD.
We used both A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies (Raffaele et al.) and A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica (Haynes-Sutton et al.) during our time and enjoyed both books thoroughly. I had never used the Jamaican guide before and was very pleased both with its excellent photography and its coverage of the species. I would recommend this guide to anyone seeking a more specific, detailed coverage of the Jamaican birds.
Overview of the Birds
Late summer is not the typical season for birders timing a visit to Jamaica. It seems that most birders visit during the northern winter, which coincides with the dry season here. However atypical, we found our visit very productive, finding 24 of the 28 extant endemics (regarding streamertails as separate species), with many of the other Caribbean specialties to boot. In total, we found 64 species, a far cry from winter tallies, where residents are supplemented by northern migrants. The only endemics missed were Jamaican Owl, Jamaican Elaenia, Jamaican Pewee, and Jamaican Blackbird. Unfortunately, we lacked Jamaican Owl recordings (one might consider purchasing or otherwise downloading songs from the CD “Bird Songs in Jamaica” (Reynard and Sutton)) and so made little attempt for this bird. The other three misses are all montane species to some degree, so more time spent in the Blue Mountains or a visit to the Port Royal Mountains would have been useful (we were in the Blue Mountains for just a single morning). Overall, most of the endemics were quite common, very get-able and easily seen in the appropriate habitat. In fact, we saw 16 of the endemics and 42 species at Shotover Gardens, our place of residence for the week. The timing of our visit could have been better. At the end of the breeding season, with bird-song reduced, I imagine some species may have been more easily seen or attracted earlier in the year. We used playback only once, and then not successfully. The only other confusing miss was Antillean Palm-Swift, described in another trip report as hard-to-miss. Huh (!?).
Locations Visited
Shotover Gardens – We stayed at the residence of Derick Crump for the entirety of our stay. His property, named Shotover Gardens, is just south of Port Antonio and at a pleasant elevation of 1,000 ft. It is a beautiful property with a large three-bedroom house, a small one-bedroom cottage, extensive gardens, and a refreshing pool which we spent a great deal of time in. We stayed in both the cottage and house during our stay, and it was easy to base all of our birding from the property. We bought food in Port Antonio and cooked our own meals at Shotover Gardens. For our day-long birding trips, either Derick drove us, or we hired a taxi, which was very reasonably priced. The property itself is a secluded six acres, near the top of a hill overlooking the Blue Mountains. It was a fantastic spot to bird, and there was also good birding within walking distance of the property. In all, we were able to see 42 species at or near the property. Importantly, this location is within reasonable striking distance of both the John Crow and Blue Mountians and their essential birding locales. If interested in staying at this very affordable alternative to high-priced accommodations, please visit the following website:Trip Advisor
Port Antonio – Birding here was all but incidental and primarily added coastal species to our trip list (herons and egrets). The only two outings that were remotely bird-oriented were a hike and swim at the Rio Grande River (where we were served an excellent, riverside array of local Jamaican food) and a short hike around Dragon Point. We also spent recreational time at Boston Bay and swam in the famous Blue Lagoon, which is worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood. None of these destinations are essential birding stops.
Mockingbird Hill – I was disappointed by the birding here, although in its defense, we didn’t visit in the early morning. The sun’s heat was already feeling oppressive by the time we navigated around the area. In one trip report, however, Mockingbird Hill was described as “one of the birdiest sites…encountered,” but our experience fell way short of that. We saw no birds here that were not found elsewhere. Had we encountered Caribbean Dove, Ruddy Quail-Dove, or Jamaican Owl (all species mentioned for this location), I might have left with a sweeter perception of the place. If Black-billed Streamertail is your only goal, they are easily found elsewhere along Ecclesdown Road.
Ecclesdown Road – This destination was well worth a short trip from Port Antonio. We spent a single morning in the John Crow Mountians, before a steady rain commenced that put an end to our birding. Coming from the west, it was a bit challenging finding the correct road as locals don’t seem to recognize the name “Ecclesdown.” It seemed to make more sense getting off the coastal highway (A4) near Long Bay and asking for Reach Falls, which is accessible from Ecclesdown Road, simply closer to the Manchioneal side. In any case, once more pristine habitat is encountered, I would suggest getting dropped off and walking a good section of the road, keeping a keen eye/ear in the forest openings for flyby parrots. Looking back, I wish we would have spent additional time birding this forest road.
Hardwar Gap – Our only destination in the Blue Mountains, which is obviously a birding must for any visit to Jamaica. We hired a driver to pick us up early one morning and a single flat-tire later, were on our way up the mountains via Buff Bay. From Port Antonio, this took some time (approximately 1.5 hours), especially considering the road conditions, which deteriorated at points to barely passable. However, even without a four-wheel drive vehicle, we did eventually make it all the way up to the gap, a vantage that provides views of Kingston to the south. Eventually, we wound our way high enough to enter patches of good forest, where we stopped and walked, encountering a number of the montane specialties. After our now-empty vehicle passed the worst of the road damage, we continued up to the gap, and walked from there down past the Gap Café, a productive stretch of mountain road. As with Ecclesdown Road, more time here would have been much appreciated. I think perhaps just a single additional day in the Blue Mountains could have been enough to adequately bird the region, hopefully adding Jamaican Blackbird in the process.
1. Brown Pelican – Seen en route back to Montego Bay from Port Antonio.
2. Magnificent Frigatebird – Small numbers seen regularly along the north coast around Port Antonio and along our drive there from Montego Bay.
3. Great Blue Heron – One seen coastally around Port Antonio by a single observer 7/28.
4. Great Egret – Small numbers seen coastally around Port Antonio and along our drive there from Montego Bay.
5. Little Blue Heron – One adult seen on the Rio Grande River at Port Antonio 7/30.
6. Snowy Egret – Regular in moderate numbers along the north coast around Port Antonio and along our drive there from Montego Bay.
7. Cattle Egret – Common in small numbers at Shotover Gardens and seen along our drive from Montego Bay to Port Antonio.
8. Green Heron – Regular run-ins with this species in small numbers at Port Antonio, where seen along the coast and at freshwater sources.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – Singles seen two days along the coast in and around Port Antonio (7/28, 8/2).
10. Turkey Vulture – Commonly seen soaring over the countryside wherever we went. Interestingly, two partial albino birds were seen: a bird along Ecclesdown Road with 80% of its remiges and rectrices white along with a mosaic of white body feathers/wing coverts 7/29; a flyover at Shotover Gardens with black body feathers/wing coverts but largely white remiges (especially primaries) 7/31.
11. Red-tailed Hawk – Encountered a number of days in small numbers. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
12. American Kestrel – A common raptor with sightings everywhere except in the mountains. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Port Antonio.
13. Spotted Sandpiper – A single individual spotted at the Blue Lagoon, in Port Antonio 8/2.
14. Royal Tern – Seen en route back to Montego Bay from Port Antonio.
15. Rock Pigeon – Detected in small numbers around man-made establishments. Shotover Gardens and Port Antonio.
16. White-crowned Pigeon – A common pigeon with smaller numbers still found in our two visits to the mountains. Shotover Gardens, Port Antonio, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
17. Ring-tailed Pigeon – Endemic. Good numbers (15-20) were found below Hardwar Gap on the north side of the island with small numbers (1-5) at Shotover Gardens on multiple days.
18. Zenaida Dove – Common with smaller numbers found during our two mountain visits. Perennially present at Shotover Gardens. Also Ecclesdown Road and Hardwar Gap.
19. White-winged Dove – Seen in small numbers on our drive from Montego Bay to Port Antonio 7/26. A single bird flew past Shotover Gardens on 7/27.
20. Common Ground-Dove – Common. There seemed to be singles and pairs of these guys on roads wherever we went. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Hardwar Gap, Ecclesdown Road.
21. Caribbean Dove – Poor views of a single bird on a morning walk down from Shotover Gardens 7/30.
22. Crested Quail-Dove – Endemic. Poor views of a flyby were had along Ecclesdown Road 7/29. Better looks were had by all below Hardwar Gap on the north side of the island. A single bird flushed from the roadside at ~8:00 AM, landing upslope and not far-away in a streambed, where it proceeded to walk quickly out-of-sight. No calling birds were heard.
23. Green-rumped Parrotlet – Common only at Shotover Gardens, not seen elsewhere. Day lists of 10 were had on consecutive days 7/27 and 7/28. Unfortunately, almost all sightings consisted of small flyby flocks although a few were frustratingly flitting from one treetop to the next in the trees surrounding the swimming pool.
24. Olive-throated Parakeet – Regular sightings of small flyby flocks only at Shotover Gardens, where relatively common. Perched birds were enjoyed by all on a morning walk down the road 7/30.
25. Yellow-billed Parrot – Endemic. A flock of 6 birds were positively identified to this species along Ecclesdown Road. Without a scope, the numerous, raucous, and distant parrots along Ecclesdown Road were largely left unidentified, even when they perched in far-off treetops.
26. Black-billed Parrot – Endemic. As with Yellow-billed Parrot, only encountered along Ecclesdown Road. After parrots began flying close enough for identification, we saw this species almost exclusively, excluding one flock of Yellow-billeds. A single flyby Black- or Yellow-billed Parrot was not identified in the vicinity of Shotover Gardens.
27. Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo – Endemic. Singles at Mockingbird Hill and Ecclesdown Road, 7/28 and 7/29.
28. Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo – Endemic. Singles only at Shotover Gardens 7/27 and 7/28.
29. Smooth-billed Ani – Common, but seen in limited numbers and small flocks. Port Antonio, Shotover Gardens, and Hardwar Gap.
30. Antillean Nighthawk – Ones and twos on three nights (dusk) above Shotover Gardens, often foraging with flocks of swifts. No vocalizations were heard.
31. Black Swift – Only at Shotover Gardens where approximately 30 were counted in a pre-dusk feeding frenzy 7/27. In subsequent evenings, swift flocks were either absent or much reduced.
32. White-collared Swift – Common but in small numbers. Most sightings were at Shotover Gardens where swifts would seem to emerge just before dark (a handful of White-collareds mixed into the tens of Black Swifts 7/27). A pair was also seen from Hardwar Gap.
33. Jamaican Mango – Endemic. Common in small numbers, mostly at Shotover Gardens but a single was also at Mockingbird Hill.
34. Red-billed Streamertail – Endemic. Common, particularly in the Blue Mountains of Hardwar Gap, where a female on a nest was found. Red-billed birds were also found at Shotover Gardens in small numbers (<5). The current American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) checklist has lumped the two streamertails into a single species, Streamertail.
35. Black-billed Streamertail – Endemic. A common bird along Ecclesdown Road, where a half dozen were seen 7/29. Interestingly, 3 Black-billeds (and no red-billeds) were seen at Mockingbird Hill 7/28, a short distance from Shotover Gardens, where only Red-billleds were found. That said, Port Antonio is the known meeting point on the north side of the island for these two subspecies/species.
36. Vervain Hummingbird – Singles found at Mockingbird Hill, Hardwar Gap, and Shotover Gardens.
37. Jamaican Tody – Endemic. Small numbers readily found, particularly in the mountains (3-4 seen during our visits to Ecclesdown Road and Hardwar Gap). A single bird was also found in the vicinity of Shotover Gardens 7/30.
38. Jamaican Woodpecker – Endemic. A common, hard-to-miss species. Shotover Gardens, Hardwar Gap, Ecclesdown Road.
39. Greater Antillean Elaenia – Only a single individual was found along the road just below the gap to the south of Hardwar Gap 8/1.
40. Sad Flycatcher – Endemic. Common, found in small numbers throughout. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
41. Rufous-tailed Flycatcher – Endemic. Like the Sad Flycatcher, common in small numbers throughout. Shotover Gardens, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
42. Gray Kingbird – Common. Shotover Gardens, Montego Bay airport, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
43. Loggerhead Kingbird – Abundant, difficult-to-miss. Shotover Gardens, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap, Mockingbird Hill.
44. Jamaican Becard – Endemic. Found in small numbers primarily in the mountains but singles were had on separate days in and around Shotover Gardens. Otherwise, Ecclesdown Road and Hardwar Gap.
45. Cave Swallow – Four flyovers at Boston Bay, east of Port Antonio 7/29.
46. Northern Mockingbird – Regular only at Shotover Gardens, where a single/pair was present consistently next to the pool.
47. Rufous-throated Solitaire – Only found at Hardwar Gap, especially so in just a short roadside walk south of the gap. A half-dozen were seen and heard within a half-hour, including stunning views of birds immediately adjacent to the road.
48. White-eyed Thrush – Endemic. Only at Hardwar Gap, where common (6 seen 8/1). We were surprised not to encounter this species in the John Crow Mountains (Ecclesdown Road) or seemingly suitable habitat around Shotover Gardens.
49. White-chinned Thrush – Endemic. Common and easily seen. Shotover Gardens, Port Antonio, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
50. Jamaican Crow – Endemic. A single bird, noisily calling, flew over Ecclesdown Road, landing briefly in roadside vegetation. Easily detected by sound.
51. Jamaican Vireo – Endemic. Relatively common in the mountains, with small numbers seen at both Hardwar Gap and Ecclesdown Road. A single bird was also found on the road near Shotover Gardens 7/30.
52. Blue Mountain Vireo – Endemic. A single bird was found on the north side of Hardwar Gap, a few miles down from the top 8/1. Another bird, believed to be this species, was seen along Ecclesdown Road, but not well enough for satisfactory identification.
53. Black-whiskered Vireo – Common, particularly in the mountains. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
54. Arrowhead Warbler – Endemic. Common in the mountains where readily seen, including family groups, with birds in juvenile plumage. Ecclesdown Road and Hardwar Gap only. According to the AOU checklist, the common name of this species is now Arrowhead Warbler, in place of the old, frequently-used Arrow-headed Warbler.
55. Bananaquit – Common. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Port Antonio, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
56. Jamaican Spindalis – Endemic. Common, often seen in pairs at the tops of trees. Shotover Gardens, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
57. Jamaican Euphonia – Endemic. Common at Hardwar Gap and Shotover Gardens. A single bird was found along Ecclesdown Road.
58. Yellow-faced Grassquit – Common in small numbers at Shotover Gardens.
59. Black-faced Grassquit – Common, especially around Hardwar Gap. Interestingly, this was the only grassquit identified in the mountains. Also found in very small numbers at Shotover Gardens and Ecclesdown Road.
60. Yellow-shouldered Grassquit – Endemic. Commonly seen only at Shotover Gardens.
61. Orangequit – Endemic. Common throughout, but particularly so in the mountains. Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
62. Greater Antillean Bullfinch – Common but never seen in more than small numbers. Shotover Gardens, Ecclesdown Road, Hardwar Gap.
63. Greater Antillean Grackle – Common in small groups away from the real mountains. Port Antonio, Shotover Gardens, Mockingbird Hill.
64. Jamaican Oriole – Endemic. Common at Shotover Gardens, with very small numbers (1-2) in the mountains (Ecclesdown Road and Hardwar Gap). Also, Mockingbird Hill.