Welcome to Birdquest
THE LESSER ANTILLES
Thursday 29th July - Saturday 14th August 2004
Mark Beaman
The first Birdquest to the Lesser Antilles & The Bahamas was a great success. Amongst the 170 species recorded we managed to find 33 out of the 34 possible Lesser Antillean endemics (the 35th and final endemic, Barbuda Warbler, was not on this first tour’s itinerary), missing only the controversial St Lucia Nightjar, and between us we observed all three Bahamian endemics. In addition we had a great supporting cast, which included Masked and Red-footed Boobies, West Indian Whistling-Duck, Caribbean Coot, Scaly-naped and White-crowned Pigeons, Zenaida Dove, Bridled Quail-Dove, the Bahamian form of the Rose-throated Parrot, Antillean Nighthawk, Black Swift, Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Cuban Emerald, West Indian Woodpecker, Caribbean Elaenia, Crescent-eyed Pewee, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Loggerhead Kingbird, Caribbean Martin, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Red-legged Thrush, Bahama Mockingbird, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Thick-billed Vireo, Golden and Olive-capped Warblers, Antillean Euphonia and Western Stripe-headed Tanager.
