This is the SOUTH EASTERN CARIBBEAN BIRD ALERT (2002- 45) for 22nd November 2002 Sponsored by the T&T Field Naturalist Club, our aim is to promote birding and ornithology in the southeastern Caribbean by fostering communication among resident and visiting birders regarding the study of birds in the region. The SCBA and information about the TTFNC, T&T Rare Birds Committee and Photo Gallery are accessible at http://www.wow.net/ttfnc. Reports should be sent to Martyn Kenefick by phone at 674-7609 or by Email at “martynkenefick@hotmail.com” The TTRBC requests details for species indicated with an asterisk (see website above and RARE BIRD REPORTING below).

In east Trinidad, on 9th Nov, an adult male LESSON’S SEEDEATER was found close to the coastal road near the mouth of the Nariva river. On 16th Nov, birding by boat in eastern Nariva swamp produced 1 possibly 2 adult RUFESCENT TIGER-HERONS,2 BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS, 2 GREATER ANI’S and a SILVERED ANTBIRD. On ricefields between Plum Mitan and Biche, a mixed party of perhaps 30 GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS included 7 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 2 STILT SANDPIPERS.

In the Caroni plain of Trinidad, at Caroni ricefields, much of the area is still inaccessible due to flood waters. However 5 (and perhaps as many as 8) MASKED DUCK * were still present on 17th Nov as were both adult and juvenile PIED BILLED GREBES. A BANK SWALLOW also passed through with about 50 BARN SWALLOWS. On 19th Nov, the first SORA RAIL appeared together with a WHITE RUMPED SANDPIPER and upwards of 20 BOBOLINK. On 22nd Nov 5 PINNATED BITTERNS we seen together with the subadult male SNAIL KITE, an immature female PEREGRINE, and another BANK SWALLOW.

Further east, a LEAST BITTERN and a late YELLOW BILLED TERN were seen at Trincity Ponds on 17th Nov.

At Valsayn, on the newly sewn ricefield, a GREAT BLUE HERON and 3 WHITE CHEEKED PINTAILS were present on 19th Nov, and on the 22nd, a GLOSSY IBIS * was seen together with a shorebird flock comprising 35 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 4 BLACK BELLIED PLOVER, 15 STILT SANDPIPER, 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER.

In the northern range of Trinidad on 17th Nov, a male HEPATIC TANAGER and several SPECKLED TANAGERS were seen on Morne Bleu on 17th Nov. Nearby single BLACK FACED ANT-THRUSH, PLAIN ANT-VIREO, COLLARED TROGON and a feeding party of at least 8 YELLOW LEGGED THRUSHES were found by the road between Morne Bleu and Las Lapas.

In Barbados, On 16th Nov the BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS with 10 ducklings were still at The Hope Pond together with 4 LESSER SCAUP. On 17th Nov an AMERICAN COOT joined the resident Caribbean Coots at Marshall's Pond, and in the Oil Fields an immature PURPLE GALLINULE was found with 'good numbers' of SORA. No further sign of either the TREE SWALLOW nor the NORTHERN ROUGHWING.

In St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, twelve species of Nearctic warbler migrants were tallied at Magens Bay over the weekend, with ten on 16 November and eight on 17 November. These include: the immature female BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (1st for St. Thomas, 4th for VI) still present on 16 November but absent the following day; a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER both days; a female HOODED WARBLER both days; two CAPE MAY WARBLERS (adult male and adult female) on 16 November; up to four AMERICAN REDSTARTS (one male, three females) on 16 November; an OVENBIRD on 16 November; a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER on 17 November; a BLACKPOLL WARBLER on 16 November; two PRAIRIE WARBLERS each day; up to three NORTHERN PARULAS on 17 November; and up to four waterthrushes, including at least one LOUISIANA WATERHTHRUSH on 17 November (possibly on 16 November as well) and a few NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES both days.

Elsewhere in St. Thomas, the male RING-NECKED DUCK and AMERICAN COOT were still present at Turpentine Run on 19 November. At Compass Point Pond, 25 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, six WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS and two lingering LEAST SANDPIPERS were noted on 17 November. At Sugar Bay, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL and 48 WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS (including six downy chick) were counted on 17 November, while another 45 WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS were at Sapphire Beach.

ORNITHOLOGICAL TIDBIT: The following abstract is from: Hayes, F. E. 2002. Sabre rattling at the lek: morphological variation and its significance in the White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis). Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper 11:23-36.
The White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis) occurs in three disjunct populations: (1) the Cordillera de Caripe and (2) Peninsula de Paria of Venezuela; and (3) the island of Tobago, where a population bottleneck occurred after a hurricane in 1963. The three populations are chromatically indistinguishable, but bill length was greatest in the Peninsula de Paria and tail length shortest in the Cordillera de Caripe. The sexes are chromatically dimorphic, with wing length, tail length and body mass greatest for males. Bill length is shorter for males, which typically hawk for arthropods whereas females typically glean arthropods from foliage. Breeding occurs during January-April, and moult during March-July. The proportion of immatures on post-huricane Tobago during 1996-2001 was significantly higher than in all pre-hurricane populations combined, suggesting an increasing population. Adult male Campylopterus hummingbirds possess a widened and sharply bent rachis or ‘‘sabre’’ in the outermost primary feathers, which appears related to sexual selection. Lek polygyny is widespread in the genus. I evaluate three hypotheses of sabre function: (1) wide sabres confer an advantage during male-male conflicts (sabre-rattling hypothesis); (2) females prefer to mate with wide sabred males (sabre-flashing hypothesis); and (3) wide sabres may enhance aerial foraging on arthropods (sabre-sickle hypothesis). However, the evidence supporting each hypothesis is meagre.

RARE BIRD REPORTING:- Do we believe what you see ? We want to ! Many of the identifications reported in the SCBA are tentative. The T&T Rare Birds Committee, formed in 1995, requests details for all rare birds observed (see Species Review List at our website). Please submit details to the TTRBC Secretary : Martyn Kenefick, 36 Newalloville Ave, San Juan, Trinidad & Tobago - email :- martynkenefick@hotmail.com