Introduction:
Where
Both ornithologically and culturally, Cuba is a unique destination. Its dry deciduous forests, marshlands, and palm-fringed cays play host to no less than 27 endemic species, while its colonial towns and coastal fortifications give a fascinating insight into 15th Century Hispanic life. The snorkelling in crystal clear Caribbean waters is world-class and the array of magnificent 1950s American automobiles which still ply the dusty streets could be deemed worthy of a visit in their own right!
Our two-week trip was planned to encompass all elements of this fascinating island, at a time when political change threatens to re-paint the Cuban canvas. The visit easily lived up to all expectations, with every viable Cuban endemic and every possible Caribbean endemic species all being located, alongside some unmissable cultural experiences.
A brief summary of our highly successful itinerary is given below:
Day 1 Flight from Birmingham, via Amsterdam, to Havana, arriving late afternoon. Havana – San Diego de los Baños. Accom: Hotel Mirador, San Diego de los Baños.
Day 2 San Diego de los Baños – Cueva de los Portas – La Güira – Hacienda Cortina – San Diego de Los Baños. Accom: Hotel Mirador, San Diego de los Baños.
Day 3 San Diego de los Baños – Hacienda Cortina – Playa Larga. Accom: William and Yanina’s Casa Particulare, Playa Larga
Day 4 Playa Larga – Soplillar – Playa Larga. Accom: Kiki’s Casa Particulare, Playa Larga
Day 5 Playa Larga – La Turba – Playa Larga. Accom: Kiki’s Casa Particulare, Playa Larga
Day 6 Playa Larga – Los Hondones – Playa Larga - Cueva de los Peces – Playa Larga. Accom: Kiki’s Casa Particulare, Playa Larga
Day 7 Playa Larga – Los Hondones – Playa Larga - Cueva de los Peces – Playa Larga. Accom: Kiki’s Casa Particulare, Playa Larga
Day 8 Playa Larga – Los Hondones – Playa Larga - Trinidad. Accom: Osmary Alberto Casa Particulare, Trinidad
Day 9 Trinidad – Najasa. Accom: Finca La Belén, Najasa
Day 10 Finca La Belén. Accom: Finca La Belén, Najasa
Day 11 Finca La Belén – Cayo Coco – Cayo Guillermo – Cayo Coco. Accom: Hotel Playa Coco, Cayo Coco
Day 12 Cayo Coco – Cayo Paredon Grande – Cayo Coco. Accom: Hotel Playa Coco, Cayo Coco
Day 13 Cayo Coco – Havana. Accom: Hotel Raquel, Havana
Day 14 Havana. Accom: Hotel Raquel, Havana
Day 15 Havana, evening flight to Amsterdam and on to Birmingham
When
The peak birding season in Cuba runs from February through to May, with March through to early April generally regarded as the optimum slot. Our early March visit meant that Antillean Nighthawk and Grey Kingbird had not yet arrived from their wintering quarters, but these widespread species were not a high priority.
Later visits mean that many wintering species will have already departed and there is an increased risk of rainy weather, with the island experiencing a wet season from May through to October.
How
My advice to anyone planning a self-drive birding trip to Cuba is to look no further than the superb services offered by Andy Mitchell (andy@witsend.freeserve.co.uk). Andy has been visiting Cuba as a birder for 25 years, from his Orkney Islands base, and his ornithological and logistical knowledge of all things Cuban is second to none.
Andy’s services include the provision of all travel and birding site directions that are required to secure all available endemics, along with answers to any specific queries regarding birds and travel in Cuba (see www.cubabirdingtours.com for more information). To obtain these services from Andy, you will be required to sign up to a package of accommodation and car hire (plus flight if required) supplied by Havanatour UK. Although Andy receives a commission from Havanatur, I actually found that the company’s package undercut the cumulative individual rates I was quoted as a private individual.
I set out our draft itinerary around the desired birding and cultural requirements and Andy offered comments in terms of fine tuning, to give the final itinerary detailed above. Andy also booked the local bird guides used at La Güira, Zapata and Najasa. Although I have included their respective email addresses in the Daily Diary section below, I would recommend that all bird guide bookings are made through Andy as he has knowledge of expertise, availability and potential clashes.
Our flight to Cuba utilised the local convenience of KLM from Birmingham to Schiphol, and hence direct to Havana. Car hire choice is limited to a couple of government-run companies and as there is no commercial competition, one should be braced for car hire costs which will form a disproportionately high element of total trip costs. Rex Car Rentals provided us with a well-maintained Seat Cordoba, however the pick-up was marred by a time-consuming heap of bureaucratic form-filling and deposit levying. At our Havana drop-off we received some cutting comments about the state of the vehicle and an unrealised threat of the loss of our deposit due to the car being too dirty!
Driving in Cuba is relatively straightforward, with very light traffic on nearly all roads except in the largest towns and cities. Unexpected potholes can be a hazard, even on the main autopistas, as can unexpected animals and people! For this reason driving at night is not a good idea.
It is worth mentioning a corrupt police scam which we encountered, on the outskirts of Havana. We were waved over at a checkpoint and I was taken into an office to see a computer screen with a photo of my car number plate and a ‘110kmph’ notation beside it. I was told that I was exceeding the 100kmph limit, which I disputed, and was then given the opportunity to pay a bribe rather than a ticket fine. The 100CUC demand was soon haggled down to 20CUC, but I still felt very bitter about having been extorted by a policeman. Had the car hire expiry time not been close to running out (we returned it with just 15 minutes to spare before an extra day’s car hire was levied!) I could have stood my ground and tried to talk my way out of it; certainly a scam to be wary of.
Accommodation used in the course of our travels is referenced and commented upon in the Daily Diary section. Our conclusion was that Casa Particulares (effectively privately run bed-and-breakfasts) should be used wherever available (which does not include Cayo Coco and La Belén), as the standard of accommodation and particularly of cuisine is infinitely better than the government-run hotels.
A final piece of advice relates to the purchase of everyday ‘birding provisions’, bottled water, biscuits, crisps and the like. We soon came to realise that in a communist country such commodities are in short supply, so I would recommend stocking up whenever you find such requisites, or even bringing a few favourite nibbles from home.
Daily Diary:
Saturday 2nd March
Having read a succession of horror stories regarding the delays at Havana immigration, Victoria and I are delighted to breeze through passport control and take our place beside Jose Marti Airport’s single luggage carousel to await our bags. For a whole hour!
Being the last to collect our luggage means that we are at the end of the queue to exchange our currency and then at the end of the queue to pick up our hire car. By the time we take hold of the keys of our Seat Cordoba we have already been on the ground for 2 ½ hours; swings and roundabouts I suppose.
Employing our secret weapon, devised to address Victoria’s ‘map dyslexia’, we set off along the Havana highway system. Aided by Andy Mitchell, I have produced a complete, bound, colour set of Google Maps of every major town and intersection that we will need to navigate over the next two weeks, and it works a dream!
Soon we are on the main A4 Autopista, heading west in the direction of Pinar del Rio. Although we have been warned, the first sight of a horse and cart walking towards us in the slow lane of the motorway is still something of a shock. But soon we become accustomed to the everyday hazards of Cuban motorway travel, the potholes, the animals, the cyclists, the cheese sellers and the hitch-hikers. Although it can be entertaining at times, as the light begins to fail these unlit obstacles soon become a genuine hazard and we are greatly relieved to finally exit the Autopista at the designated 108km mark.
Our destination for the next two nights is the little town of San Diego de los Baños, which nestles in the shadow of the low limestone hills of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico. The Hotel Mirador is a typical government-run establishment, and although the reception staff speak good English and are very willing to please, the rooms are best described as clean but somewhat tired.
A quick telephone conversation with Cesar, our local bird guide, sets us up for the next morning and then its bedtime. Under normal circumstances the 100dB musical emissions from the on-site wedding party may have been inconvenient, but we are so tired that nothing can keep us from our long-overdue slumber and dreams of the array of endemic birds which await.
Sunday 3rd March
For me, few experiences rival the excitement of the first birding done in an entirely new faunal region. My half-hour of pre-breakfast wanderings in the hotel grounds and the adjacent streets produce no less than three new species, Cuban Emerald, Cuban Pewee and Tawny-shouldered Blackbird.
‘Breakfast’ is a term which must be applied rather loosely at the Hotel Mirador. The meal consists of a buffet selection comprising cold scrambled egg, sliced tomatoes and a token selection of fruit. Some stale bread and sub-standard coffee complete the line-up and we linger no longer than is absolutely necessary in the shabby hotel eatery.
At the allotted 08.00 we meet up with Julio Cesar Suarez Hernandez (carpeta@mirador.sandiego.co.cu) in the hotel lobby, our local guide booked in advance through Andy Mitchell. Cesar explains his plans for the morning in excellent English and we set off on a rather circuitous route to Cueva de los Portales, via the town of Entronque de Herradura. This detour is made as the road through La Güira is allegedly almost undrivable, though later we discover that this is not quite the case.
Our thirty minute journey takes us through a mosaic of small agricultural plots, with Cesar giving a fascinating running commentary on rural Cuban life. We learn how a farmer will have to toil for a whole day in order to earn enough to buy a bar of soap, how the standard government wage is on average just 1 CUC/day (less than 70 Pence) and that the local school children have to hitch hike 50km to their nearest high school. He also points out which leaves of a tobacco plant are used to make the finest Cuban cigars!
Cesar is a fantastic orator and we love his company, but he proves to be a highly accomplished bird guide too. Leaving the agricultural land and heading for the forests surrounding the karst limestone outcrops of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, our first stop is Cueva de los Portales, made famous as the concealed headquarters of Ché Guevara during the 1961 Missile Crisis. The latter fact has made this something of a pilgrimage site for Cubans as well as foreign tourists, but the birds clearly love the protected forest here too.
New birds come thick and fast in the early morning tropical heat. Small flocks of Cuban and Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds feed right above our heads in the nectar-rich flowering trees, while our first Cuban Martin hawks overhead. Several stout-billed Cuban Bullfinches flit through the undergrowth and a spanking Red-legged Thrush hops into view. It takes a while before we get a good perched view of Scaly-naped Pigeon, a handsome bird seen only at this single site in the course of our Cuban travels.
Our main target at this site is the Cuban Solitaire, which has been singing since our arrival. Eventually a bird is picked out high on one of the limestone pinnacles, to which the range of this highly localised species is tied. The spectacular Great Lizard Cuckoo, Loggerhead Kingbird and West Indian Woodpecker appear in rapid succession, making it difficult to know where to look next, always one of my favourite birding conundrums!
Paying a token entry fee to the guard and moving into the beautiful river-cut cave system we find wintering Louisiana Waterthrush plus the first of many Common Yellowthroats, and are then rewarded by eye-level views of a singing Cuban Solitaire, a subtly attractive bird when seen at close quarters and with an angelic voice typical of the genus. It would be rude to miss a tour of Ché’s headquarters while we are here, so Cesar shows us around and we secure a photo of Vic sitting on Ché Guevara’s bed!
Catching the tail end of a squally thunderstorm we resume the birding, enjoying the delights of the large numbers of Parulidae warblers wintering here, including American Redstart, Northern Parula, Yellow-throated, Palm and Black-throated Green Warblers. Our first pair of Cuban Trogons causes a stir, but not as much as an unpredicted Giant Kingbird, a species rarely reported away from Sierra de Najasa, on the standard birding circuit.
With a bulging notebook, we finally drag ourselves away from this fantastic site and head for the pine zone. A little further down the heavily potholed road, which ultimately leads to the Hacienda Cortina, we find ourselves amongst the endemic pine trees which are home to our next target bird species. After the shortest blast of recording, a pair of Olive-capped Warblers zoom into the pine needles above our heads, revealing blue-grey backs and pale underparts, with contrasting sulphur-yellow throat and a yellow-tinged-olive blaze over the crown; for me they are one of the smartest specialities on the island.
A pair of dazzling Red-legged Honeycreepers, bright orange Western Spindalis and a bonus Northern Flicker of the endemic chrysocaulosus race (split by some as ‘Cuban Flicker’) add to the listing frenzy, which is rounded off with our first La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Cuba’s ‘Myiarchus-of-choice’, and a lone Yellow-throated Vireo.
It’s now late morning and we slowly pick our way around the potholes and past the Hacienda Cortina gardens to emerge through the famous stone archway which was once the entrance to the grand house and its grounds. Our final destination is Cesar’s Cuban Grassquit stakeout, an unassuming plot of cultivation and scrub, close to San Diego de los Baños. Cuban Grassquit was once widespread throughout the island, but a fondness amongst Cubans to brighten their homes with these pretty little finches in tiny cages has led to a catastrophic collapse of the population. Trapping is banned by law but it seems that this is not enforced and Cuban Grassquit is now one of the most difficult endemics to locate.
We trudge through the scrub and cultivation for the best part of an hour, with a conclusion that the usual feeding flock of mixed grassquits has moved on. Palm Warblers abound in this more open habitat, but the only small finches bear the distinctive face pattern of the widespread Yellow-faced Grassquit and not their super-rare cousins. We return to the car and are about to leave when Cesar’s super-keen ears pick up a distant call. Moving to a weedy field on the north side of the road we flush several dozen grassquits into the adjacent bushes, where a large splash of bright yellow reveals the presence of at least one male and five female Cuban Grassquits. It is a huge relief to locate the gorgeous little black, green and yellow birds, and it means that with Cesar’s help we have found every target bird in a single morning!
The reward for our efforts is lunch back at the Hotel Mirador. The choice of food is very limited which, compounded by my less-than-fluent Spanish, results in a large plate of chips to tide us over. A siesta follows, then we meet up with Cesar again at 15.00 and head for the Hacienda Cortina.
As the story goes, in 1908 the estate’s wealthy Cuban owner hired a lawyer, Jose Manuel Cortina, to sue his wife. In payment he was given the property, on which he constructed a mediaeval-style fortified house, surrounded by sculptures, lakes, bridges and gardens on various levels. Although the mansion is now in ruins and the gardens are starting to revert to nature, the area retains a lonely charm and great aesthetic appeal.
While Cesar and I track down the interesting local birdlife, Victoria sets about recording the setting in her sketchpad, thus keeping all parties at their happiest! Cuban and Baltimore Orioles join the nectar-feeding blackbirds and a Cuban Green Woodpecker investigates an adjacent trunk. Our first Greater Antillean Grackles pace around the lake-side while a Broad-winged Hawk soars overhead.
The first of many diurnal Cuban Pygmy-Owls is enticed towards the iPod and, saving the best until last, our first Cuban Tody reveals itself close to the Hacienda ruins. Belonging to a unique family restricted to the Caribbean, the Cuban Tody is the smartest of them all and this little ball of feathers sports a colour scheme that has to be seen to be believed. An almost implausible shape and palette, it appears derived from an infant school ‘make-up-a-bird’ competition, a riot of bright lime-green, sky-blue, salmon-pink, bright-red and pure white. Cuban Tody actually proves to be one of the most regularly encountered birds in the land, with its rattled call emanating from almost every patch of forest we visit in the next two weeks, but its stunning visual impact never diminishes and it remains my favourite bird on the island.
And so ends the most amazing day in the field. We thank our new friend Cesar warmly, and promise to point many more clients in the direction of his expert skills. Back at the Hotel Mirador we while away an evening of beer, mojitos, live music and some surprisingly good local food.
Monday 4th March
With all target birds already bagged there is no need to rush out, but conversely the quality of the Hotel Mirador breakfast means that there is no reason to loiter! By 08.30 we are back at the Cuban Grassquit site, as I am keen to secure some better images. This time eight birds are counted, including at least three exquisite males, though they remain rather wary and far from frame-filling, which is perhaps a good thing in light of their propensity to end up behind bars?! Walking back to the car a large, low-flying Accipiter glides into view, on a direct route which takes it right over my head and onwards into the farmland. Most visiting birders seem to make a chance encounter with Gundlach’s Hawk somewhere on the circuit, but to get mine out of the way on the second morning is a massive bonus!
The next three hours is spent at the marvellous Hacienda Cortina, one of my favourite birding sites in the whole of Cuba. While Vic sketches I procure my first Black-whiskered Vireos and some fine images of Olive-capped Warbler, enticed into the lowest pine braches by playback. Cesar has shown me where he has located nesting Fernandina’s Flickers on our previous visit and this morning I am able to track down this beautifully marked endemic woodpecker, with a preference for palms.
The attractive Yellow-headed Warbler is the final of my ‘possibilities list’ to be collected in the splendid Hacienda grounds, where the likes of Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Trogon and Tody, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Belted Kingfisher and numerous wintering warblers abound. Vic and I do some final exploring amidst the vivid water lilies and hanging blossoms, winding pathways, quaint footbridges and ever-surprising statues, before the temperature starts to rise and we are forced to think about the journey to our next destination.
Our itinerary requires us to be in position on the Zapata Peninsular, Cuba’s premier birding location, by the end of the day and it is just gone noon when we set off on the three-hour drive. The first leg is a reverse run of the journey in from Havana, retracing our route past an agricultural landscape of fallow brown fields, huge swathes of green sugar cane and clumps of tall palms, as we eat up the miles on the A4 Autopista.
Andy Mitchell’s excellent directions allow us to negotiate Havana’s suburbs with ease, then we take the main A1 east, all the way to the oddly named town of Australia. From here it’s less than 30km to our destination, the coastal town of Playa Larga, with the route passing through stretches of marshland, dry forest and below several Antillean Palm Swifts. We also encounter a series of roadside memorials, paying tribute to the Cubans who were killed resisting the ill-fated 1961 Bay of Pigs landings, which took place a little to the west at Playa Giron.
Playa Larga is a wonderful spot, a very laid-back little town of bobbing fishing boats and waving palms, bounded by a silver-white beach and the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Casas Particulares abound here, and our chosen spot is Kiki’s (kikirentacz@gmail.com), located right on the seafront. We are somewhat disappointed to find that there has been some confusion around the reservation and that our first night is double booked. Kiki, our magnificent host, soon smoothes things over, however, and within minutes we are relocated at William and Yanina’s Casa Particulare, just a stones-throw away. It transpires that Angel, our bird guide here, has made the erroneous booking on our behalf and Kiki also contacts him to ensure his appearance the following morning.
Immediate problems resolved, Vic and I take our first sunset stroll on the idyllic Playa Larga beach, where palm leaves arch above us and clear water laps the deserted white sand. Returning to William and Yanina’s, we dine on some of the finest food of our entire trip, a wonderful meal of fresh bread, seafood soup, lobster and a mouth-watering dessert. This is more like it!
Final task of the day is a rather futile search for Stygian Owl within the grounds of the Hotel Playa Larga. I wander the various patches of trees getting some strange looks from the guests, but with not so much as a sniff or hoot of an owl.
Tuesday 5th March
Many months back Andy Mitchell has arranged for Angel Martinez Garcia (angelczcuba@yahoo.es) to be our bird guide at Zapata. Reputedly the man to show you the birds, so far he has managed to wrongly book himself plus our accommodation and then he is half an hour late in arriving on his first morning in our company; not a great start.
Angel directs us south, out of the town, and then inland to the village of Soplillar. This is a long-established birding site and we pass another large bird tour group en route to the dry woodland where we will spend the morning. We work our way down the tracks and out into an open grassy area, dotted with clumps of elegant palms, at the edge of which we are led to a patch of trees which is home to one of our big target species.
Immediately upon arrival a Bare-legged Owl is found, perched right out in the open; it seems that most folk have to make do with a pair of eyes peeking from a nest hole, but not this time. This species was originally a ‘Screech-Owl’ but is now in a genus of its own, and to my eyes he has the posture and structure of a mini-Strix rather than a Megascops, with bright yellow, scaly bare legs!
It’s a great start to our Zapata experience, and moving on through the dense undergrowth we catch up with Worm-eating, Swainson’s and Kentucky Warblers, plus Ovenbirds by the score. Cuban Vireo is another new endemic here, though once its ‘nice-to-meet-you’ call is learnt it proves to be a very widespread species.
Quail-doves are one of the main focuses of birding attention at Zapata, and the morning’s efforts produce no less than three attractive Grey-fronted Quail-Doves, with an iridescent purple shawl, which pace relentlessly across the dull forest floor. Departing as the temperature begins to rise, we make a final stop in the mangroves where Cuban Crow, with its mad, squealing calls, is the last new bird of the session.
Back in Playa Larga we transfer to Kiki’s Casa Particulare where, after a sandwich beside the lapping tide and compulsory siesta, snorkelling is the name of the game! We have both bought our first ever snorkel and masks for the trip, and from Kiki’s it is a simple matter of stepping off the veranda, walking across a few metres of fine white sand, and into the Bay of Pigs! Fifty metres from the shore brightly-coloured fish and an occasional mound of coral appear, adding to the appeal of this wonderful little town.
At 15.30 I have an afternoon appointment with Angel, and we head back to Soplillar where a slightly different location provides magnificent low-level photographic opportunities with Cuban Parrot, a beautiful Amazona, sporting a rose-pink throat and cheeks, contrasting with snowy-white crown. The remainder of the afternoon is less dramatic, and although Red-tailed and Broad-winged Hawks, plus Prairie and Magnolia Warblers brighten the proceedings, the hoped-for Key West Quail-Dove or roosting Stygian Owl fail to materialise.
Kiki’s evening meal experience, served at sunset and within touching distance of the lapping waves, is another meal to behold, consisting of a hearty serving of lobster and fresh fish fillets, with all the accompaniments. Following coffee and mojitos, Vic takes the sensible option of a relaxing novel while I return to the Hotel Playa Larga with spotlight and iPod. Angel has pointed out the favoured trees in the daylight, but again none of them produce the goods. A distant calling Stygian Owl is chased, but fails to respond, so again it’s a blank sheet at what was billed to be the premier Cuban spot for this elusive nightbird.
Wednesday 6th March
The prefix ‘Zapata’ sits before the names of two of Cuba’s most sought-after endemics, and this is the morning of my attempt to see them. Angel appears, on cue, in the 06.00 darkness, along with a rather battered 1950-something Chevy in which hide another couple of keen prefix-seekers.
A twenty-minute high-speed drive north, to La Turba, delivers us onto a narrow dirt side-road cutting through a patch of dense forest. At the allotted spot we spill from our vehicles into the mosquito-laden half-light, and Angel instantly hits ‘play’ on his MP3 machine. An immediate response to the churring call comes in the form of a Cuban Nightjar flypast, though the bird continues into the forest before alighting to call back. It takes several more minutes before a calling bird is located in the spotlight on a low branch, and it’s celebrations all round.
Only then are the introductions made, and I find that I will be spending the morning with a couple of West-Coast Aussies. Karin and Jeremy are not mad-keen birders, but are both enthusiastic and great company, making for a highly entertaining morning in the field.
Leaving the block of forest in the gathering light, we continue down a die-straight road which now cuts through a vast expanse of marshland, where a veil of mist hangs charismatically about the reeds. An ‘American’ Merlin is an early bonus, sitting in a roadside bush to allow some great images to be captured; I am keen to see this race as it is a likely future split from populations east of the Atlantic.
When we reach the Zapata Wren site we find that we have been forced into second place by a large ‘Rockjumper’ tour group and that there is already a wren responding to playback, but out of view on the far side of the canal. A few anxious minutes ensue, with some position-jostling for the best vantage points and craned necks as the reeds are scanned. I am happy with my couple of seconds on the long-tailed stripy-brown Zapata Wren and not being a fan of crowds I’m very pleased to leave the scene, in favour of a Zapata Sparrow search.
We follow the narrow track for several more kilometres, with herons, egrets, cormorants and waterfowl constantly in view overhead, and dozens of Northern Waterthrushes being flushed from our path. Stopping at another unassuming spot in the marshland we vacate the vehicles for target number three.
More appropriately named Cuban Sparrow, owing to the presence of two other populations/subspecies well beyond the Peninsular, it takes just a few minutes to chivvy a pair of these colourful birds into view. With a neat brown cap, bold black moustachial stripes and a vivid yellow breast, they have to be one of the best Emberizidae the New World has to offer. The pair exhibit a wonderful wing-flicking display, as they perch just metres away in the sunlit water-side saplings.
Fully content with our Zapata pair, we head back to the forest for an extended bout of pigeon-bashing. This is a good area for Key West Quail-Dove and several birds are calling. Karin and Jeremy limber up on Cuban Trogon and Tody, then we head off-piste for the kill. After half an hour of branch-snapping and mosquito-swatting, we have gained some satisfactory glimpses of Key West Quail-Dove and even a recognisable photograph, so are glad to return to the main track.
Final stop of the morning is at a recently burnt section of marshland adjacent to the main road where, after a short wait under the now-intense sun, a group of endemic Red-winged Blackbirds emerge; full house! It has been a highly successful morning, and after a few more minutes with the likes of Roseate Spoonbill, American Purple Gallinule and Wilson’s Snipe, we make tracks for Playa Larga.
Post-siesta sees an end to the birding and out come the snorkels again. Karin and Jeremy team up with us for a drive down the coast towards Playa Giron, our destination being Cueva de los Peces. The ‘cave of the fishes’ is actually a 70m deep sinkhole in the limestone, connected to the sea but providing a flat calm environment in which to practice snorkelling skills. It’s fascinating to gaze down into the murky depths and observe the resident fishes, but we have a feeling that the offshore coral is the real prize and make plans to return again, but earlier in the day when the Caribbean Sea will be calmer.
There is a café at Cueva de los Peces and the surrounding forest is quite a magnet for birds. Three species of woodpecker, the local set of Icterids, various warblers and numerous flyover Rose-throated Parrots are seen. The journey back also turns up our first mangrove-perched Cuban Black Hawk, concluding a very varied and enjoyable afternoon.
Our sunset dining experience at Kiki’s is as good as ever, then it’s time for Stygian Owl mission number three; I’m now on first name terms with the bemused security guard! The wind has abated a little, and last night’s calling bird has given me some confidence, but all is very quiet as I wander the Hotel Playa Larga grounds.
It seems like it’s the hundredth rendition of the iPod owl track, when I am suddenly aware of a silent presence above, as a huge owl glides over to check out the source of the call. Following the monster owl in the beam, it is tracked flying over the road and into the edge of the mangroves. A hasty chase ensues, and then several seconds of anxious searching before the beast is located, in full view, on the low mangrove crown.
Stygian Owl is huge, actually overlapping in size with Great Horned Owl, and a prize which has previously eluded me on a number of Neotropical visits. With a boldly-marked facial disk and underparts, fiery-orange eyes and menacingly-raised ear-tufts, this is undoubtedly one of the star birds of my trip. Single-handed nightbird photography is never easy, but by gripping the spotlight between my knees I can focus on the beast in the branches above me and secure the definitive flash-illuminated images. Third time lucky!
Thursday 7th March
Inspired by their morning with Angel, our new Aussie friends team up with us for another morning with our guide at a new site, Los Hondones, just east of Soplillar. The format is very much the same as Soplillar, with wide trails cut through low, dry forest, but now I only have two real target birds, Bee Hummingbird and Blue-headed Quail-Dove. The former occupies regular treetop territorial vantage points, while the latter is simply damned elusive!
The morning produces the normal Cuban forest fare, with a couple of Ruddy Quail-Doves being new to the trip list. A clatter of wings close to the track is apparently a pair of BHQDs, but that is as close as we come. Bee Hummingbird, which flies in to a known display post, is the undoubted highlight. The smallest bird in the whole world, this male displays an extended metallic strawberry-red gorget, though it would be much more obliging if he chose a spot which wasn’t 20m up in the canopy as his display post!
After lunch and a siesta I cannot resist a return visit to Los Hondones with Angel, as I had almost tasted the BHQD earlier in the day; surely a bird would oblige with a whole day devoted to him? Sadly not, and only Indigo Bunting is added to the list in another two hours pounding the trails. Angel is now busy for the next couple of days, so we part company for the last time and I am on my own to pit wits with Blue-headed Quail-Dove.
After another magnificent meal at Kiki’s, Vic and I wander a little way down the beach to Karin and Jeremy’s casa, for an evening of Crystal Beer, storytelling and great humour.
Friday 8th March
To ensure that the last couple of days at Zapata are not blighted by my quest to find the final target bird, I decide upon a strategy of allowing just two pre-breakfast slots to attempt to track down Blue-headed Quail-Dove. Soplillar has to be the chosen location for my efforts, as birds are clearly in the area, even if they have remained invisible thus far.
Not long after my dawn arrival at the site, a particularly close BHQD is heard belting out its deep cooing call and I set off on a scramble through the undergrowth to locate it. Twigs snap, curses echo through the trees and the bird inevitably falls silent. Very close, but no Cuban cigar, and so the theme is set for the next couple of hours. Three or four BHQDs and half a dozen GFQDs are heard in the course of my trail-bashing, but none can be pinned down. Plenty of trogons, todies and the like are on offer, but I return for my breakfast minus the major goal.
After breakfast Vic and I take a long walk along the idyllic Zapata beach, passing Cuban Black Hawks, palm trees and driftwood, with only a handful of human souls in sight. After a mid-morning cuppa we team up with Karin and Jeremy for another snorkelling expedition, again to Cueva de los Peces, but this time with our sights on the oceanic side of the road.
It is many years since I have witnessed really good snorkelling and the whole show is new to Vic, meaning that the full-on ‘swimming in a fish tank’ experience is absolutely jaw-dropping. Even our reef-hardened Aussie friends admit that this site offers some of the best snorkelling they have ever witnessed and our time at Cueva de los Peces is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Calm, crystal-clear water conditions allow full appreciation of the scene below, where coral in all shapes, sizes and hues clings to the limestone mounds just a few metres down. Fans, ‘brains’ and weird pipes are formed by the filter-feeding organisms, while dozens of fish of a multitude of shapes, sizes and the brightest of colours weave through this alternative universe. It is totally enthralling and very hard to leave, even when one’s fingers begin to turn deathly-pale and wrinkly!
Returning to Kiki’s we take a late siesta, then another beach-walk before our final Playa Larga seafood extravaganza. Karin and Jeremy depart for the far west tomorrow, as we head east, so the latter part of the evening is spent sampling Kiki’s superb cocktails on the veranda, celebrating Jeremy’s Birthday and ending a great couple of days with our new Antipodean friends.
Saturday 9th March
Same time, same place, last chance! At 06.30 I am on the Los Hondones trail, where I am now familiar with every fallen branch and pothole. After half an hour of walking and listening, a very close BHQD is heard, though it is hard to gauge whether it is at ground level or perched on a sub-canopy branch. Playback soon causes the calling to cease, and I am just pondering my next move when movement is detected in the undergrowth close to the track.
After all the previous Zenaida Dove scares I rather flippantly raise my bins, expecting to see twin, dark ear-patches and am gobsmacked to get a lens full of cobalt-blue! The ones which take the greatest effort are always the most highly prized and it’s hard to contain my excitement as I follow this little gem, as it relentlessly paces over the leaf litter. With a mouth-watering blue crown, a face boldly striped and black-and-white, bright red bill-base and an equally flamboyant bib-pattern, Blue-headed Quail-Dove really is as good as pigeons get!
It is soon apparent that all my efforts have been rewarded by not one, but three BHQDs, which are now heading for the track just fifteen metres away. They proceed to walk across, in conveniently staggered order, so that by the time the last one passes I have fumbled enough with my camera settings to capture a half-decent set of high-ISO images. Third time lucky, times two!
Free to do some proper, relaxed birding, I enjoy White-crowned Pigeons, Cuban Pygmy-Owls, Todies, Trogons, Vireos and Western Spindalis in the perfect early morning light. Vic is amazed when I return early for our final scrumptious breakfast, then we take our final long walk down our favourite beach in all of Cuba.
It is hard to drag ourselves away from Kiki’s and the laid-back little town on Playa Larga, which has made such an enjoyable retreat from the outside world for the last five days. We feel like we have experienced Zapata to the full, however, and it’s time to swap the beach for a little Hispanic colonial culture.
The three hour drive east to Trinidad is suitably uneventful, save the picking up of our first Cuban hitch-hiker, an interesting young fellow named Edgar. It transpires that Edgar is a trained English teacher, who has recently given up his job in a junior school due to the low levels of statutory government pay, and is now plying his entrepreneurial skills as the joint owner of a grocery shop in Trinidad. It really is a treat to get such insights into the workings of a communist state and find out some true opinions on how the system works, or doesn’t work, as the case may be.
Trinidad sits on a coastal plain, between the green hills of the Sierra del Escambray and the inviting blues of the Caribbean Sea. To blatantly quote from my travel guide, Trinidad was founded in 1514 and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988. The original cobblestone streets and pastel-coloured houses give the impression that time has scarcely moved on since Colonial times. From the 1600s to the 1800s, the city was a major centre for trade in sugar and slaves and the buildings around the Plaza Mayor, the heart of Trinidad, bear witness to the wealth of the landowners at the time. Trinidad certainly proves to be one of the highlights of our time in Cuba and should be included on any itinerary.
We have another casa particulare pre-booked for our single night in Trinidad, Casa Osmary Alberto (http://osmaryalberto.trinidadhostales.com/). Once located, on the gridded street system, it proves to be an absolute gem, with off-road parking and a tranquil hidden courtyard, shaded by shrubs and vines. After a quick nap and a freshen-up we are keen to hit the town, as it’s just fifteen minutes walk from the casa to the Plaza Mayor.
The cobbled streets, terracotta tiles and brightly painted walls of Trinidad are an artist and photographer’s dream, and the evening is spent exploring with camera and sketchpad. The smattering of classic American cars adds to the appeal, as does the constant music delivered by buskers or the live band in the square. And we even meet a couple of friends from an adjacent Leicestershire village, how’s that for the ‘small world’ philosophy?!
Our evening meal at Casa Osmary Alberto is another seafood experience to savour, as are the cocktails which follow, but despite our threats to enjoy some late night partying in the town centre we hit the sack after rather an action-packed Cuban day.
Sunday 10th March
An early breakfast allows us to make the most of the old heart of Trinidad before the heat and tourist numbers build up, and it proves to be a wise move. As the sun climbs and multiple tour buses arrive the colonial splendour loses some of its appeal, so after a compulsory visit to the Palacio Cantero tower, which affords impressive views over the town and beyond, plus a brief bout of souvenir-hunting at the bustling market stalls, we call it quits.
It is just after midday when we commence the five hour drive east to Najasa, a journey which leads us through kilometre-after-kilometre of parched, arable land, interspaced with busy towns and horse-drawn traffic. It’s quite a gruelling drive and we are very happy to leave the main road just east of Camagüey and pick our way down the potholed country road to Najasa. Although the surrounding arable land here looks very much like the rest we have been passing through for several hundred kilometres, the fact that we are approaching the Sierra de Najasa means that we are now in the Cuban Palm Crow zone, and miraculously Palm Crows appear!
Lacking the wild cries of the Cuban Crow and occurring in small groups on the ground, they are fair contenders for the least inspiring Cuban endemic. Dragging ourselves away from the Corvid spectacle, we pass through the one-horse-town of Najasa and track down the home of Pedro Regalado Ruiz (email: martha.regalada@reduc.edu.cu), one of the most influential Cuban ornithologists of modern times. A large hand-painted sign depicting a Giant Kingbird marks his residence, where we find Pedro to be the most genuine, welcoming and informative acquaintance we make in all our Cuban travels.
This is not the end of the road, however, and after arranging to call back in two days time we set off to find our accommodation. Finca La Belén is a working ranch combined with a government-run hotel. ‘Out on a limb’ is a term which aptly describes the finca, located off a deeply-potholed road south of Najasa town, and at the end of a dusty farm track.
The staff appear very surprised when we pull into the large empty car park though no-one, including the Tom Jones lookalike boss man speaks enough English to explain their predicament; presumably we have no reservation, as a flurry of activity around the dormitory would indicate. The first room which we are allocated is very large but very shabby, and when we find that the shower doesn’t seem to have functioned in recent history we ask for help. The receptionist (who we are to find also serves as barmaid and waitress) appears with a large adjustable wrench, but sadly she has limited plumbing skills and we settle for a change of room. Room number two is smaller, but actually much more refined, and we make ourselves at home for the two-night stay.
When we walk over to the spacious, open-sided dining room it is very apparent that we are the only guests. The staff are very willing to please, however, and when the waitress/receptionist/barmaid/plumber is asked for a bottle of wine she soon reappears with a nice looking ten-year-old Rioja. Sadly bottle opening is not her forte and a few minutes later she comes over to our table to explain that she has pushed the cork into the full bottle of wine whilst trying to open it. With a table fork! I ask for a replacement, but she seems anxious to rescue the situation, retires to the kitchen from where a little banging is heard, and returns with a bottle which now has a cork bobbing around in the wine within. At least we can now pour it, and it is damned good wine!
The cut of pork which we are served seems to have been something of a last-minute decision by the chef. It is rather tasty, however, and clearly smells good too, and it has soon attracted no less than five cats plus a large dog, which surround our table, salivating. After dessert we are presented with a bill and realise that the aged Spanish wine actually costs more than the rest of the meal in its entirety; it seems we have just consumed the most expensive bottle of wine in Cuba, no wonder the waitress was keen that we didn’t waste it! The Finca La Belén dining experience is certainly unique and leaves one with lots to talk about.
Monday 11th March
It’s my Birthday! It’s always good to get a tick on your Birthday and although I have already spoiled the fun in terms of Giant Kingbird and Cuban Palm Crow, I still have a couple of targets to go at. A pre-breakfast birding session is clearly in order, as the accommodation block is located within some fantastic forest habitat. So I stroll out onto the car park and the first birds I clap eyes on are a pair of Cuban Parakeets; Birthday tick!
Breakfast is palatable, but not really one to linger over, then Vic and I set off on a stroll back down the access road. The tall, dry forest is fantastic habitat and Finca La Belén has to rate as one of the most ‘birdy’ areas we visit in the whole of Cuba. Plain Pigeon is very appropriately named, but it is also a rather rare bird and therefore well received as Birthday tick number two.
At this point Tom Jones appears and introduces us to Jorge, who it transpires is the trainee bird guide at the finca. The main man, Camillo, is apparently tied up with a bird tour group, but seeing as we have already cleaned up the principal target birds it isn’t a problem. Although Jorge’s English is at a similar level to our rudimentary Spanish, we have a superb morning of birding and some great laughs as we try to make each other understood. Ornithological highlights include four pairs of Giant Kingbirds, three Cuban Pygmy-Owls, at least fifteen Cuban Parakeets and double that number of Rose-throated Parrots. Cuban Palm Crows and Cuban Crows are present in abundance, with the only absentee being the hippocrepis race of Eastern Meadowlark, widely mooted as a forthcoming split, ‘Cuban Meadowlark’.
Our lunchtime siesta includes the opening of a couple of Birthday cards and even a present, celebrated with a brew and the last of our contraband Hobnob biscuits. At 16.00 we return to the field with Jorge, this time concentrating on the grassland of the cattle fields which is favoured by ‘Cuban Meadowlark’. Even here they take some tracking down, but eventually we locate a pair of these striking birds with sulphur-yellow breasts. A couple more Plain Pigeons, several Giant Kingbirds and a Solitary Sandpiper round off the birding and we part company with our excellent young guide, presenting him with my Cuba field guide in honour of his services.
Our evening meal is a much improved rendition of roasted pork, served Cuban style with rice, beans and fried plantains. We skip the expensive wine this time around, but still share the meal with a close audience of six meowing cats, which are periodically chased off by the waitress; Finca La Belén is, in many ways, ‘Fawlty Towers Comes to Cuba’, sometimes frustrating, sometimes charming and often quite bizarre.
We are still the only guests and the service is correspondingly swift, leaving me time for a quick bout of owling before bedtime. A walk along the access road proves fruitless, however, with a couple of very angry dogs being all that I manage to lure in to the iPod.
Tuesday 12th March
Two days previously we arranged to meet Pedro pre-dawn, though our 06.00 arrival at his house turns out to be an hour early as the clocks have been put forward by an hour in the meantime! Pedro is an easy man to kill an hour with, however, and his wife makes a good brew, before we set out on foot as the first light illuminates the dry landscape.
Our destination is the large lake and surrounding marshland, twenty minute’s walk from Pedro’s house, and our single target is West Indian Whistling-Duck. Osprey, Plain Pigeon, Cuban Meadowlark and Cuban Palm Crow all oblige, but the duck does not, probably discouraged by the rapidly dropping water levels at the end of the dry season. It is still a great setting however, with low mist hanging over the water, and it is a real privilege to be able to spend a little time in Pedro’s company.
Back at his house we continue our discussions. Pedro is the last man to have seen the legendary Ivory-billed Woodpecker, back in 1987 at the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park; he talks with passion about the possibility that the bird may still survive, and of setting up an expedition to search for it. He shows me his black-and-white photograph of Zapata Rail, the only one in existence, and produces various published papers including his discovery of the varonai race of Cuban Sparrow which inhabits the cays.
We depart firm friends, and clutching a magnificent watercolour of a Cuban Tody, painted by the great man. It’s a three hour drive to Cayo Coco, our final birding destination, taking us first west to Ciego de Avila and then north, past Moron and on to the causeway which leads to the cays.
A passport check and toll booth announce our arrival at El Pedraplen, the 17 kilometre causeway linking the mainland with Cayo Coco. Until 1980 the islands were only accessible by boat, then the causeway was constructed, followed by an international airport and a succession of huge hotels which are still multiplying in number. The environment has clearly suffered as a result, but enough of the area remains undisturbed to make the cays one of the most interesting birding areas in Cuba.
The start of the causeway is marked by a huge mural of Fidel Castro and images of the construction of this great work of civil engineering; the causeway is actually so long that from this point it simply disappears over the blue horizon! Upon reaching Cayo Coco we follow directions to our residence for the next two nights, the Hotel Playa Coco, noting the abundance of flashy tourist coaches and huge numbers of hitch-hiking hotel staff as we travel.
The Hotel Playa Coco is a first for Vic and me, being an ‘all-inclusive’ establishment, where convention normally dictates that one eats and drinks oneself into oblivion for the duration of the stay, at no extra cost. The fantastically efficient check-in staff issue us with blue wrist bands which display our artery-busting all-inclusive status, then our bags and ourselves are loaded aboard an oversized golf buggy to be whisked to our room; one can only assume that many clients are simply too obese to walk.
Our third floor room is very luxurious, even possessing a balcony and a view of the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea. After a snack, drink and freshen up we make the most of the remaining daylight and head to Cayo Guillermo, the westernmost island in the chain. After crossing a bridge and another conglomeration of hotels we reach our birding site, which on our map is designated as a Parque Nacional. This status does not seem to hold any weight with the hotel developers, however, and the bulldozers have recently carved up huge swathes of the pristine coastal scrub to make way for yet another hotel.
Ironically it is immediately adjacent to the areas cleared of vegetation that the star birds are found, the first being a Mangrove Cuckoo, a very welcome addition to the list, which has eluded me on several previous trips. The next is Bahama Mockingbird, a superb songster, supremely obliging and a hundred percent more impressive than illustrated in the field guide; with a bold white eye-ring and double wing-bars, plus neat tear-drop markings on the flanks, he’s quite a charismatic revelation.
With the prize birds secured, we explore the wonderfully deserted, wave-lashed limestone headlands and then move down to a silver-white beach whose sand is the softest we’ve ever encountered. The sun is sinking below the sea to the west and not a soul is in sight, the perfect end to our first day on the cays.
Back at the Hotel Playa Coco we have some serious eating and drinking to do! Our chosen venue is the Japanese Restaurant, which proves to be excellent entertainment. Along with a small group of Canadian guests we have our own chef, Juan Carlos, who whips up a full Japanese meal before our eyes, along with an array of chopping, juggling and flaming party tricks. Pina Coladas round off the night, as we decline the glitzy on-site evening entertainment.
Wednesday 13th March
I think it would be fair to say that Vic and I are the only people in the entire complex to deliberately skip the all-inclusive breakfast. We manage to get hold of a brew and a bun from the twenty-four-hour bar, then head out to see the sites and the birds before the Caribbean heat cuts in.
First stop is actually about 300m from the hotel, at a small lagoon behind the site’s sewage treatment plant. The mangrove-fringed pool is alive with birds, Black-necked Stilts, Short-billed Dowitchers, both Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, Killdeer and Wilson’s Snipe. A lone Limpkin and large assemblage of Blue-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler complete the count, but sadly the hoped-for West Indian Whistling-Duck is distinctly lacking.
Our main destination for the morning is Cayo Paredon Grande, the next island to the east of Cayo Coco. It is reached by traversing the airport and passing over a small bridge beyond. At the checkpoint adjacent to the bridge an army officer joins us for a lift down to the lighthouse and military watchpoint complex, which I figure won’t do any harm to our chances of unrestricted access to the area.
The Cayo Paredon Grande lighthouse is actually something of an iconic structure. Built way back in 1859, it is constructed of cast iron and boldly painted in a black and yellow chequered pattern. This is clearly one of those perfect sites where Vic can settle down with her sketchbook while I set off in search of some tasty endemics.
Working my way back down the entrance road, the first target bird found in the taller mangrove bushes is the wonderful little Oriente Warbler, with subtle blue-grey upperparts, contrasting sulphur-yellow face and breast, plus an oddly decurved bill. Thick-billed Vireo is hot on the heels of the warbler, with at least three of these very scarce birds frequenting the mangrove bushes.
Moving on to the dirt track which cuts inland from the lighthouse, I don’t have to walk far through the low scrub before the first of several Cuban Gnatcatchers is located, neat little black-grey-and-white birds with a distinctive black crescent behind the eye. Cuban Bullfinches are relatively numerous here, a Cuban Nightjar is flushed from his roost-site and a dazzling ‘Mangrove’ Yellow Warbler sings from a treetop.
It is a superb birding area, but also highly scenic and devoid of any other visitors. Vic finishes her lighthouse sketch and then we wander along yet another beach of soft white sand, as Magnificent Frigatebirds harry the Royal Terns above our heads. A couple of distant fishermen, Wilson’s Plovers, Semi-palmated Plovers and Sanderling are the only other occupants of our beautiful beach; what more could one ask for?
As the sun gets high and our stomachs begin to rumble we head back to the Hotel Playa Coco for a buffet lunch and siesta until the temperature subsides. We don’t travel very far in the late afternoon, with Merlin and Willet the only birds of note, as we get some more coral sand between our toes. Today’s evening meal has an Italian theme, then several Pina Coladas see us to bed.
Thursday 14th March
With chances of completing my Cuban clean-sweep fading fast, due to the distinct absence of West Indian Whistling-Duck, my trump card has been played the previous day and local guide Odey Martinez (Tel: 52627287, email: inaroma@hgm.cav.sld.cu) has been summoned into action for the morning. The sewage lagoons opposite the hotel are briefly checked, to reveal the same occupants as on the previous day, then we scoot down to the petrol station where Odey awaits.
Our guide has set his alarm very early in order to hitch out from his home in Moron, but clearly knows the cays intimately and we set off in determined fashion with just two species on the hitlist; the fact that we need to drop off the car in Havana before 18.00 also means that our morning’s birding time is very limited.
First stop is the rather up-market Hotel Melia Cayo Coco, where Odey uses his charm to see us past the serious-looking security guard. The complex features some luxurious apartments set on stilts, around the fringes of a large lagoon, and it is beneath these buildings where we commence our search for the elusive ducks. We are on our fifth or sixth apartment when I spot a pair of webbed feet protruding below a facia board, drop to my knees and lay my bins on some wonderfully mottled flanks. Bingo!
As we try to get better views of the roosting bird I am astonished to see another eight West Indian Whistling-Ducks swim out from beneath the very pontoon on which we are standing. They proceed to feed, preen and bathe just metres from our vantage point, before ultimately disappearing under another apartment building. What an end to the quest, third time lucky for the third and final time! It has to be said that seeing all of Cuba’s most sought-after birds is not an easy task, but it is extremely rewarding when it all finally comes together.
On the way out of the Melia several Cuban Martins swoop overhead and I tick off Arturo Kirkconnell, author of Cuba’s bird field guide, who is leading a tour group. At a nearby reservoir Odey shows us a flock of thirty smart American Wigeon, the only sighting of the trip, which share the water with twenty American Coot and a small huddle of Killdeer.
The final bird on my hitlist is ‘Pedro’s Sparrow’, the varonai race of Cuban Sparrow which Mr Regalado discovered here back in 1981. Again Odey has a spot up his sleeve and a few minutes after our arrival at the forest track an extremely smart Cuban Sparrow is staring at us, eye-to-eye. Photos secured, we sadly have to depart. Breakfast and check-out beckon and it is a great shame we are not able to spend longer with the man who is perhaps the most professional bird guide we use in the course of our tour.
A quick circuit of the Hotel Playa Coco’s all-inclusive buffet sees us fit for the long journey back to Havana, then we set off with our kit for the final leg of our Cuban adventure. We have just enough time to make one final birding stop with Odey, just short of the causeway, where a couple more Cuban Sparrows and Oriente Warbler are the last formal birding entries in the trip notebook.
The causeway is re-crossed to the mainland and we take Odey back to Moron, thanking him warmly for the vital role he has played in assuring our Cuban clean-up. And then it’s just a matter of six hours at the wheel to get us back to Havana, before the car hire deadline expires. The journey is thankfully straightforward, save the very annoying police checkpoint scam described in the introduction to this report.
Our route into central Havana follows the main ring-road north, passing the Castillo del Morro and then diving through the tunnel which links to Havana Vieja, the historic heart of the city. We soon locate the Rex Car Hire office, when the keys of our trusty Seat Cordoba are handed back with an impressive 2323 additional kilometres on the clock since we took charge, two weeks previously.
Our hotel is just two blocks away from the Rex office, so we haul the bags down the cobbled streets, taking in our first experience of the Capital’s colonial splendour as we go. The Hotel Raquel (http://www.hotelraquel-cuba.com/) is a piece of Havana’s history in its own right, being a stunning example of Art Nouveau inspired architecture dating back to 1908. Its eclectic facade is well matched by an impressive interior of shining marble floors, polished columns and elegant period sofas. High above the lobby stained glass windows positioned over the atrium pour down yellow-toned light, all vindicating our decision to invest in something a little more refined for our final couple of nights in Cuba.
After being checked in by the helpful staff we are whisked to the top floor in the ‘birdcage’ elevator, admiring each marble level as we go. Our room is vast, and decorated in a style complementing the hotel’s era, with direct access to a rooftop veranda giving views across the city.
After a short period of recovery from our ‘car-lag’ we hit the town, very excited and keen to discover what the famed streets of Havana have to offer. The Hotel Raquel is perfectly situated in the centre of Havana Vieja, with visually stunning examples of colonial architecture at every turn. During the 16th and 17th Centuries, Havana was the most important port in the New World and served as a stepping stone for treasure-laden Spanish galleons crossing the Atlantic. The magnificent Plaza Vieja is just a stone’s throw from our hotel, and here it is easy to see how the wealth of this period was invested.
Most of the evening is spent in the Plaza, sipping mojitos and soaking in the detail of the elaborate fascias which surround us on all four sides. It is only after the sun has gone down, Victoria’s sketchbook entries are complete and a chill settles in the air that we move off to eat in one of the adjacent restaurants. It has been a fine introduction to a fascinating city and we can’t wait to explore further afield the following day.
Friday 15th March
At 07.30 it is surprisingly chilly on the streets of Havana, but it’s a great time to photograph city life and sketch the colonial splendour before the crowds descend. My wanderings of the back streets well away from the Plaza Vieja reveal another side of the Capital, where years of neglect and tropical decay has rendered once-grand facades as crumbling, algae-stained shells. Colourful paint and plaster flakes to reveal red brickwork behind, window frames rot and balcony railings rust. Fig plants climb from toe-holds in gutters, yet washing still hangs from window-tethered lines and pot plants dot balconies, as all available property remains very much in occupation.
Add the battered, dusty 1950s American cars, colourful street vendors and heavily-laden bicycle rickshaws and it’s a photographer’s dream, which could occupy one for hours. Breakfast eventually beckons, however, and I collect the resident artist to retire to the Raquel for our overdue sustenance.
No matter how grand and imposing a hotel may appear, if it is government run then the breakfasts will be woeful. This terminology may be a little unfair, but when compared with the ornate surroundings, the Hotel Raquel’s breakfast is certainly a disappointment, and although there is quite a varied spread of food on offer, very little appeals to the early morning palate.
The next stop on our Havana itinerary is the Plaza de la Catedral which, as the name suggests, is overlooked by the magnificent Baroque Catedral de San Cristóbal, which dates back to 1748. Vic is again in her sketching element, but there are only so many photographic angles on an old church and I stride out in search of the classic American automobiles for which the city is famed.
The old cars are not actually as numerous as one would imagine, however, certainly not cars in pristine condition and with suitably photogenic backdrops. I eventually find my salvation on the Calle Tacon, where taxis line up and car-proud owners meet to talk chrome and carburettors. Here there are thankfully few Ladas to distract from the American heavy metal and I discover a Baroque backdrop to show off the graceful lines and immaculate paintwork of the American monsters to full effect.
Before visiting Cuba I had never considered myself a connoisseur of such classic cars, but over the last couple of weeks these timeless machines have really struck a chord and I happily crop and angle shots of the Buicks, Fords and Chevys for the remainder of the morning. After a spot of lunch at an outdoor restaurant we procure a large box of very expensive Cuban cigars at a knock-down price in a decidedly dodgy back-room deal, take a short Raquel siesta, then set out again for the evening session.
Our destination is the Castillo del Morro, but to get there we need a taxi. At the nearby waterfront a selection of cars is on offer, but our measured choice is a gorgeous turquoise-blue 1953 Buick Special. It’s a mouth-watering machine, with acres of highly polished chrome and a rear bench seat wide enough to accommodate a football team. The Straight Eight engine roars into life and Javier cranks up ‘Hotel California’ on the hi-fi as we cruise around the bay, past the waving palms and unique Havana skyline; for me this short iconic journey is undoubtedly one of the high spots of the whole trip.
We spend the next couple of hours exploring the Castillo del Morro, whose ramparts date back to 1589, photographing and sketching its lighthouse, cannons and the views back across the bay to the City. A brisk offshore wind is dumping huge breakers onto the famous Malecon waterfront, as the sun nears the western horizon.
At dusk Javier delivers us back to the Havana Vieja in his magnificent automobile, then we ready ourselves for our last night in Cuba. Ten minutes from the Hotel Raquel and we are savouring mojitos in the Plaza de la Catedral, before taking our reserved table in the nearby Dona Eutimia Restaurant. This superb establishment proves to be the perfect location for our final meal, providing the finest food we have consumed in all Cuba; the seafood risotto is made in heaven!
Saturday 16th March
Although birds are largely forgotten during our time in Havana, a roost of thirty Cuban Martins on a tall radio antenna viewed from the hotel roof at sunrise is worthy of note, being the only large congregation of this species we see on the trip.
To make the most of our last day in this absorbing city we take an early breakfast and set off on a walk which takes us through the photogenically dilapidated outskirts of Havana Vieja to the Capitolio, the pre-revolution home of the government and a loose imitation of the Washington DC Capitol Building. From here we head north and make our way along the Paseo del Prado, hailed as the most picturesque boulevard in Havana, it is shaded by lines of tall trees and punctuated by statues and marble benches. It is on one of these benches that we encounter a young boy, proudly displaying a tiny bird cage in which sit a pair of Cuban Grassquits, a sad reminder of why this beautiful little finch has made such a dramatic decline.
The Paseo del Prado leads to the seafront, where fine views are afforded across to the Castillo del Morro and fishermen cast lines in search of lunch. The latter portion of the morning is spent around the Plaza de Armas, whose shaded gardens are actually frequented by a surprising array of birds and as Vic sketches I secure my definitive shots of both Cuban Blackbird and Red-legged Thrush.
And that is pretty much all that we have time for in Cuba. All that remains is a pizza lunch at our favoured restaurant and a battered 1953 Chevy Bel Air taxi-ride to the airport. Our two days in Havana have been sufficient to really get to know this uniquely fascinating city and our two week tour of Cuba has given a superb insight into the many idiosyncrasies of this wonderful country.
From an ornithological perspective the trip could not have been more successful, but there is so much more to this island than endemic wrens or sparrows, and to ignore the many other enthralling aspects of Cuba would have been sacrilegious. I would therefore conclude by encouraging any who follow in our footsteps to include as many of these magnificent distractions within the itinerary as time permits, and to ensure that they get there before the Chevys and Buicks are replaced by generic Japanese metal boxes adopted in the name of ‘progress’!
Notes on Key Target Species (E = Cuban Endemic, NE = Cuban Near-Endemic, shared with Bahamas, Turks and Caicos or Cayman Islands, CE = Caribbean Endemic)
West Indian Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arborea CE
Nine birds seen on the lagoons at Hotel Melia Cayo Coco on 14/03/13. This species seems to wander between favoured roost sites on Cayo Coco and some local knowledge is clearly helpful. Can sometimes be found roosting on a marsh close to Pedro Regalado’s house at Najasa, though clearly not guaranteed here as our search at this site was fruitless.
(Cuban Kite Chondrohierax wilsonii) E
Now restricted to a tiny area in the far east of Cuba, Critically Endangered and only seen a handful of times in the last forty years.
Gundlach’s Hawk Accipiter gundlachi E
A single bird close to San Diego de los Baños on 04/03/13. Widespread but thinly distributed and, by nature, something of an introvert raptor. Can be seen at La Güira, Soroa, Zapata, Najasa and Cayo Coco; worth asking local guides whether nest sites are known. Most trips seem to encounter one somewhere along the route, but certainly missable!
Cuban Black-Hawk Buteogallus gundlachii E
Seen on five days of our visit, whilst at Zapata and the cays; hard to miss in these areas.
(Zapata Rail Cyanolimnas cerverai) E
Critically Endangered and reliably seen maybe once every ten years. Inclusion of this species on your hitlist will result in disappointment!
Scaly-naped Pigeon Patagioenas squamosal CE
Two or three seen at Cueva los Portales, La Güira, on 03/03/13. La Güira and Soroa (not visited) in the west seem to be the prime sites, though others have had success at Sierra del Escambray (close to Trinidad) and Sierra de Cubitas (north of Camagüey).
Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata CE
Only seen at Sierra de Najasa, but relatively numerous here. 6 seen on 11/03/13 and 2 on 12/03/13, with plenty more calling.
Key West Quail-Dove Geotrygon chrysia CE
A single bird at the La Turba area of Zapata on 06/03/13. Can also be found at Cayo Coco, though we didn’t visit a specific site here.
Grey-fronted Quail-Dove Geotrygon caniceps E
A Zapata speciality, we saw three birds in one morning at Soplillar on 05/03/13, and heard calling birds on all five days in the area.
Blue-headed Quail-Dove Starnoenas cyanocephala E
Heard calling on three days in the Los Hondones area of Zapata, but it took an afternoon and three early mornings before a group of three birds were encountered crossing the track at close range at this site, on 09/03/13. Bermejas is reputedly a good site, while others have met with success at Soroa.
Cuban Parakeet Aratinga euops E
Although it can be seen at Zapata it is probably not worth wasting effort here as it is easy to see at Sierra de Najasa. We saw around fifteen birds during our day at Finca La Belén on 11/03/13.
Cuban Parrot Amazona leucocephala NE
Easy to find at both Zapata and Sierra de Najasa. My notebook states sixty plus at the former and thirty plus birds at the latter sites.
Mangrove Cuckoo Coccyzus minor
The cays are the only accessible sites for this species. Even here it is an elusive resident; I was lucky to steal a chance encounter on Cayo Guillermo on 12/03/13.
Great Lizard-Cuckoo Coccyzus merlini NE
Widespread and seen on ten days in all suitable areas visited; frequently heard.
Bare-legged Owl Gymnoglaux lawrencii E
Only recorded by visiting birders in Zapata and Sierra de Najasa, it seems that the guides have nest holes staked out every season. We were shown a pair at a nest site at Soplillar on 05/03/13.
Cuban Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium siju E
Eight birds seen, many more heard. Found in all suitably forest areas visited, and quite possibly the most regularly encountered Glaucidium I have ever known.
Stygian Owl Asio stygius
Although Stygian Owl has a vast Neotropical range, it is notoriously elusive throughout and Cuba remains one of the best places to track it down. On my third night of trying, I saw one close to the Hotel Playa Larga on 06/03/13, probably the most reliable site according to recent trip reports.
(Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii) CE
A summer visitor, arriving in Cuba in early to mid April the consequently not seen by us.
Cuban Nightjar Caprimulgus cubanensis E
Seemingly widespread, but surprisingly elusive. One taped in at La Turba, Zapata, on 06/03/13 and one flushed in the daytime at Cayo Paredon Grande on 13/03/13.
Antillean Palm-Swift Tachornis phoenicobia CE
Never specifically searched for, but encountered widely while travelling, usually single birds in rapid, erratic flight.
Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae E
Usually encountered at known territorial perches at canopy level and generally only seen by visiting birders at Zapata. We were taken to a couple of sites before being shown a male bird by our guide at Los Hondones on 07/03 13.
Cuban Emerald Chlorostilbon ricordii NE
Widespread and seen on almost every day of the trip.
Cuban Trogon Priotelus temnurus E
It is unusual to describe a trogon as common, but this is certainly true of this species. Seen or heard in every suitable patch of forest visited.
Cuban Tody Todus multicolor E
For me the smartest bird in Cuba, and just as regularly encountered as the above species.
West Indian Woodpecker Melanerpes superciliaris NE
Very widespread and seen or heard every day, except when in the towns.
Cuban Green Woodpecker Xiphidiopicus percussus E
My notes reveal that this species was recorded on six days of the trip, it is relatively easy to find at La Güira, Zapata and La Belén.
‘Cuban’ Flicker Colaptes auratus chrysocaulosus E
This bird has occasionally been regarded as a full species, but the current consensus lumps it firmly with Northern Flicker. Seen at La Güira and Cayo Coco, heard at Solpillar, Zapata.
Fernandina’s Flicker Colaptes fernandinae E
As far as the usual birding circuit goes, restricted to La Güira, Zapata and La Belén. We saw a pair at a nest site in the Hacienda Cortina on 04/03/13 and consequently did not target it elsewhere; the guides seem to have nest sites teed up every season.
Cuban Pewee Contopus caribaeus NE
Very widespread and seen every day, except when in the towns.
La Sagra’s Flycatcher Myiarchus sagrae NE
Very widespread and seen every day, except when in the towns.
(Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis)
A summer visitor, usually arriving in Cuba mid March; not seen by us.
Loggerhead Kingbird Tyrannus caudifasciatus CE
Very widespread and seen every day, except when in the towns.
Giant Kingbird Tyrannus cubensis E
A single bird seen at Cueva de los Portales, La Güira, on 03/03/13 was a real surprise. Proved to be numerous at Finca La Belén, where up to ten birds were seen on 11/03/13.
Thick-billed Vireo Vireo crassirostris NE
Restricted to the cays, we saw least three birds at Cayo Paredon Grande on 13/03/13. The birds seemed to prefer the taller bushes as opposed to low coastal scrub.
Cuban Vireo Vireo gundlachii E
Widespread and seen or heard in most suitable forest patches visited.
Palm Crow Corvus palmarum CE
Restricted to the Sierra de Najasa area, where it was found to be relatively common from the Najasa town turning all the way to Finca La Belén.
Cuban Crow Corvus nasicus NE
Regular around Zapata area and numerous at Sierra de Najasa.
Cuban Martin Progne cryptoleuca E
A handful at La Güira and the cays, with up to thirty seen above Havana.
Zapata Wren Ferminia cerverai E
Two birds were singing/calling from the reedbed at La Turba, Zapata, on 06/03/13, with one showing itself briefly. These birds are exposed to relentless playback during the peak birding season, which makes them very difficult to see well (or, in some cases, at all).
Cuban Gnatcatcher Polioptila lembeyei E
Only seen in the low coastal scrub at Cayo Paredon Grande, where three birds were seen on 13/03/13.
Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth E
Two birds seen on the limestone pinnacles at Cueva los Portales, La Güira, on 03/03/13. Can also be found at Soroa, but these are the only sites on the birding circuit.
Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus CE
Seen daily, even occurring in the tiny gardens of Plaza de Armas, in the centre of Havana.
Bahama Mockingbird Mimus gundlachii CE
Only seen in the dense coastal scrub at Cayo Guillermo, where a single bird took a little finding on 12/03/13. This seems to be the only site for this species in Cuba.
Olive-capped Warbler Setophaga pityophila NE
A pair were rapidly found in the pines just below Cueva los Portales, La Güira, on 03/03/13, with another pair seen in the Hacienda Cortina pines on 04/03/13. La Güira is the only site on the birding circuit.
Yellow-headed Warbler Teretistris fernandinae E
A pair in the Hacienda Cortina gardens, La Güira, on 04/03/13 and several more at various forested sites during our time in Zapata. Restricted to the western portion of the island.
Oriente Warbler Teretistris fornsi E
Only seen on the cays, with six birds noted at Cayo Paredon Grande on 13/03/13 and a single on Cayo Coco, close to the causeway, on 14/03/13; this is the eastern counterpart of Yellow-headed Warbler.
Western Spindalis Spindalis zena CE
My notes only refer to sightings on four days at widespread locations, though generally regarded as a numerous and widespread species.
Cuban Bullfinch Melopyrrha nigra CE
Seen at La Güira, Zapata and Cayo Paredon Grande, though only odd birds and not as numerous as some previous reports suggest. Many were seen caged, perhaps this is having an impact on wild populations?
Cuban Grassquit Tiaris canorus E
Once a widespread endemic, this beautiful little finch is now only seen by visiting birders in the vicinity of San Diego de los Baños and Soroa. Its beauty has been its demise and it seems that trapping for the local cagebird trade has all but wiped it out. We saw a male and five females on 03/03/13 and three males and five females on 04/03/13, all at Cesar’s site close to San Diego de los Baños. In Havana, we encountered a young boy proudly displaying a pair in a tiny cage.
Cuban Sparrow Torreornis inexpectata E
Two birds of the nominate race at La Turba, Zapata, on 06/04/13 and three of the varonai race on Cayo Coco on 14/03/13. A third race, sigmani, occurs in the far east of the Island.
Red-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius assimilis E
A flock of c25 adjacent to the main road, c10 km north of Playa Larga, on 06/03/13. Zapata is the only site for this species on the birding circuit.
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius humeralis CE
Widespread and seen in most suitable habitat visited.
‘Cuban’ Meadowlark Sturnella magna hippocrepis E
Although reputedly widespread on the island, in suitable grassland areas, we only saw five birds all in or around Finca La Belén, Najasa.
Cuban Blackbird Dives atroviolaceus E
Widespread and seen in most suitable habitat visited, though absent from the cays. The last bird seen was one photographed at close range in the Plaza de Armas, central Havana.
Greater Antillean Grackle Quiscalus niger CE
Commonly seen throughout.
Cuban Oriole Icterus melanopsis E
Only noted in La Güira and Zapata, though after the first few I wasn’t really looking too hard.