Central America - January 2012

A two-week cruise aboard the MV Queen Victoria from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal promised lots of good birding as well as relaxation and fine dining. However, apart from the various stop-off ports, I have to say that there were relatively few birds to be seen. All of the pelagics occurred on the first leg of the journey as we made our way south along the Pacific coast of Central America and, indeed, unlike our previous Caribbean cruise two years ago, not a single bird was seen at sea between our exit from the Canal until we reached our destination in Fort Lauderdale.

Weather wise, we had calm seas and generally sunny days with a limited swell as we made our way south whereas once into the Caribbean Sea the weather deteriorated with cloudy days and choppy seas.

Leaving Los Angeles for a two-day sea cruise to the Mexican port of Manzanillo, we soon had the occasional company of Pacific Brown Boobies and Brown Pelicans. Then, as we approached the port, the first of the many Magnificent Frigate Birds. Indeed, along with Turkey Vultures, these were to be the most common birds seen during the fortnight. This report, therefore, mainly covers the birds seen during the respective stops during the cruise plus the day-time passage of the Panama Canal. Other than the Pink-footed Shearwaters (*), all species were seen at one or more of the cruise stops so will be recorded as such.

Bird lists that follow are not in scientific order but may, at a later time, be reorganised when I am able to bring out the appropriate Field Guide to Spain.

Manzanillo, Mexico

Our first stop and, possibly, the best birding of the cruise. From the port we were able to take a local bus inland and then made a stop on the return journey having noticed a large inland water with what seemed like good numbers of feeding and resting birds. It proved so and also included a large basking crocodile in a small side pool albeit it was difficult to get a photograph of the complete reptile.

Birds:

Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck Least Grebe Yellow-crowned Night Heron Great White Egret Snowy Egret Great Blue Heron Tri-colored Heron Green Heron Brown Booby Cormorant White Ibis

White Pelican Brown Pelican Magnificent Frigate Bird Turkey Vulture Broad-winged Hawk Moorhen American Coot Black-necked Stilt Willet Whimbrel Western Gull Royal Tern Common Grackle

Huatulco, Mexico

At this resort we took a taxi to the nearby river where we encountered egrets and a variety of unidentified flycatchers plus birds that we were able to photograph and identify.

Birds:

Red-headed Duck (*) Cattle Egret Great White Egret Snowy Egret Cormorant Green Heron White Ibis Turkey Vulture

Magnificent Frigate Bird Pink-footed Shearwater Moorhen Sandpiper (Calidris) species (*) Inka Dove Rufous-backed Robin Common Grackle Great Grackle (*)

Guatamala

More of a tourist exploration here and only one new bird recorded, the White-winged Dove.

Nicaragua

Again, other than the usual Magnificent Frigate Birds and Turkey Vultures no additions.

Costa Rica

The promise of wonderful birding here and, perhaps, the only country visited that I would probably want to re-visit for some serious birding. This was the only stop that we took an organised tour choosing the mangrove swamps rather than the distant rain forest. In addition to the birds, we had close sightings of and Iguana, Crocodiles and White-faced Monkeys.

Birds:

Anhinga Great White Egret Snowy Egret Great Blue Heron Little Blue Heron Green Heron Brown Pelican Magnificent Frigate Bird Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Whimbrel

Royal Tern Least Tern Belted Kingfisher Amazon Kingfisher Pygmy Kingfisher Ruddy Ground Dove Red & Blue Macaw Orange-chinned Parakeet Mangrove Swallow Common Grackle Great Grackle

Panama Canal

Other than birds seen on the entrance to t

he Canal and at the locks, there was very little bird life as we travelled the Canal and main lake other than the occasional Turkey and Black Vulture. A couple of sightings of basking crocodiles on the eastern bank but very little else. In and around the locks we had the usual birds as below:

Birds:

Great White Egret Brown Pelican Magnificent Frigate Bird Turkey Vulture Black Vulture

Osprey Laughin g Gull Royal Tern Mangrove Swallow

Aruba

Again, this small island in the extreme west of the Caribbean promised much but offered relatively little. Taking a bus to the local, and well-documented, Birding Centre near the hotel area we f

ound the site virtually deserted. The odd Moorhen, a good-sized group of resting Cormorants and the occasional passing Brown Pelican seemed to be the total until a Crested Caracara flew over. Then, walking to a neighbouring small pool, we had views of a few American Coots, Great White Egret, Mourning Doves and a rather strange looking black bird with a huge beak that seemed to start a the op of its head. We thought some type of grosbeak but using the reference book available I now suspect that we were observing a Groove-billed Ani (*).

Earlier we had stopped by the lighthouse and small chapel and were able to record that our common House Sparrow was alive and well and really prospering out west! In the nearby rocky garden area we also recorded Tropical Mockingbird and a striking red Troupial, a colourful, local, member of the Oriole family.

Birds:

Cormorant Great White Egret Green Heron Brown Pelican Moorhen American Coot Mgnificent Frigate Bird

Laughing Gull Royal Tern Parakeet species Groove-billed Ani (*) House Sparrow Tropical Mockingbird Troupial

A full range of photographs can be found by CLICKING HERE.

(*) Photographs were taken of these birds but I am currently awaiting confirmation of identity.