A week has passed, so we are writing this trip report using seven days' worth of lost time! However, since there were 17 of us on the February 5, 2025, bird walk, and we all have excellent memories, please let us know if we have missed something!
A special thanks to those of you who joined us on a beautiful Wednesday to see the birds of Vieques! After meeting at the entrance to Sun Bay, just past the gate and kiosk, four members of the bird team (Olga, Marie, Chuck, and Mike) shared a little bit about the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, the role of Citizen Scientists, and the focus of our birding tour.
Speaking of Citizen Scientists, there is an excellent research article about crowdsourcing bird data using eBird. Below is a summary and link to the article.
“Birds are among the world’s best ecological indicators. eBird allows volunteers anywhere in the world to submit data about the birds they see at any time and in any location. The millions of observations recorded each month, logged into a central database at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, are building a global understanding of the distribution, abundance and movements of thousands of bird species. The information is used by scientists, land managers, and bird watchers to document changes in bird distributions, pinpoint bird populations in need of conservation, and locate places to find new birds.”
Discussions among birders and members of the VCHT Birding Team highlighted the global decline of bird populations, primarily attributed to habitat changes. Insects often vanish when exposed to excessive sunlight, insufficient water, or the absence of trees. Generally, when insects disappear, birds tend to follow suit.
Vieques is rich in habitat, and many parts of the island have some form of protected status. However, due to the recent wet weather, birds are found everywhere, not always where you want them to be. As such, birding anywhere can be a hit-and-miss proposition!
The birding team then pointed out some of the typical “high flyers” at the entrance to Sun Bay, including six Caribbean Martins on the radio tower; it’s nice to have them back for the first sighting (at the radio tower) this year. Also spotted were a Loggerhead Kingbird, a Northern Mockingbird, and six Greater Antillean Grackles. We found a large flock of Zenaida Doves, a few White-winged Doves, and a Gray Kingbird, and we heard several Scaly-naped Pigeons in the distance.
Moving toward the end of the beach, we were treated to a few Brown Pelicans, a few Zenaida Doves, one Gray Kingbird, and one Bananaquit.
After parking our cars and discussing the importance of Citizen Scientists, we headed to the lagoon.
At the lagoon, we are treated to 14 species, totaling (approximately) 278 individuals. In the distance were 150 unidentified short birds (peep sp.). Still, in the immediate vicinity, we found White Cheeked Pintails, a Clapper Rail, Black-necked Stilts, Black-bellied Plovers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpipers, a Magnificent Frigatebird, Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, as well as Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. We were also treated to a Belted Kingfisher, a Yellow Warbler, a Bananaquit, and last but not least, we heard a Mangrove Cuckoo. Everyone got good binocular and scope views, and the weather was beautiful, with few bugs.
After leaving the lagoon, we trekked to the freshwater pond, where we observed five species. There were eight Black-necked Stilts, two Lesser Yellowlegs, and two Bananaquits. An Osprey flew overhead, a Scaly-naped pigeon was heard in the distance, and there were three perching birds, unidentified, known as passerine sp. for counting purposes.
On the way back to the car, birders broke up into natural groups. They continued to talk about birds, the importance of Citizen Scientists, and the importance of the habitat we visited in Vieques.
All in all, it was a great morning!
If you would like to support the work of the VCHT Birding Team as we work to protect our birds and their habitat on Vieques, please donate today using the link below:
In closing, the VCHT Birding Team reminds you that our birds are in trouble. Nearly 3 billion birds have been lost since 1970, and habitat loss is at an all-time high. Read more using these links
Please do what you can to support bird conservation and donate to support our work in Vieques!
If you would like to become a member of the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, please follow this link:
Remaining Bird Walks This Season
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
All VCHT Bird Walks start at 7:30 a.m. and depart from Sun Bay, just inside the main gate. You will find us parked along the sidewalk on the right-hand side of the road!
The 126th Vieques Audubon Christmas Bird Count will occur on January 3, 2026. You are welcome to join us! Email vcht.birding.team@gmail.com to let us know you will be attending!
You are also welcome to check out our baby bird web presence at cbc.saldelmar.info and vcht.saldelmar.info. Please remember that these pages are ALWAYS a work in progress!
Announcing the 2025/2026 VCHT Birding Schedule:
VCHT BW #1 - Wednesday, December 17, 2025
CBC - Saturday, January 3, 2026, followed by a 5:00 p.m. Pot-luck at the Trust
VCHT BW #2 - Wednesday, January 7, 2026
VCHT BW #3 - Wednesday, January 21, 2026
VCHT BW #4 - Wednesday, February 4, 2026
VCHT BW #5 - Wednesday, February 18, 2026
VCHT BW #6 - Wednesday, March 4, 2026
All VCHT Bird Walks start at 7:30 a.m. and depart from Sun Bay, just inside the main gate. You will find us parked along the sidewalk on the right-hand side of the road!
Bird walks last approximately two hours and cover approximately .8 (TBD) miles on foot with minimal elevation gain. Sturdy shoes and good balance are necessary!
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