Tues 17th April with an early start which while not quite futile didn't bring a quickened pulse in fact all the throbbers turned up after breakfast. I got about 6 Red-legged Thrush and similar Grassquit plus 3/4 Ground Dove for my effort, oh and a Neotropic Cormorant.
I met a couple of Brit birders fresh in; not only had they seen 3/4 species that I'd not had in a week, one of em was telling me this that and the other. Now the other guy was a grand chap who knew less about birds than I do (who said that's easily done?) he can be on my friends list anytime he choses.
Back again after solids I had trouble with a Killdeer wot wouldn't get off the concrete path; perhaps it thought I was after it's nest nearby.
Then I got a belting hummingbird, a Cuban Emerald. It got better: a pair of Cuban Green Woodpecker flew onto a tree next to the hotel security staff station and started climbing up giving excellent views. One of the guards told me this bird, a lifer, is known as a 'Carpenter'.
I met the new incomers again and one of them, first time in Cuba, excitedly pointed out a perched American Kestrel a more colourful raptor than ours if smaller. I must point out that Mr Big redeemed himself somewhat; I clocked a Vireo atop a tree, he immediately said it was a Black-whiskered Vireo. My bird book is in agreement; another lifer.
Lifer no.3 for the session came shortly after, I got a singing Western stripe-headed Tanager, photos too.
I'm dreading having to process and publish all the good photos I've taken (about 9) on return home. Doing it out here would not only reduce time out in the field, it's fiddly and WiFi is charged by the hour and limited to the immediate Hotel reception area.
