Puerto Rico Endemic Dash | January 2011 (Day 2)

Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo

 The second day of this trip was spectacular! A day full of endemics, we began in Cambalache with great views of a very close, cooperative Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo. We had (introduced) Monk Parakeet flyovers here as well. Red-legged Thrushes we quite common as were Puerto Rican Woodpeckers. We found several Puerto Rican Vireos and, always a crowd pleaser, Puerto Rican Todies.

Black-wiskered Vireo

 Off to the next location, a roadside pull-off, in search of our usual Antillean Euphonias in this location, we instead found a pair of singing Black-wiskered Vireos that came out and posed for us ever so briefly.

Lesser Antillean Peewee

 Our next location target was the Lesser Antillean Peeewee. We parked the van and I looked in my usual corner for the bird, but it was not there… however, we found three of them less than 100 feet down stream from the expected location!

Puerto Rican Bullfinch

 Our final location for the day was the Maricao State Forest with hopes of getting the Elfin Woods Warbler in the afternoon so we could devote morning hours to other locations and birds. As we stepped out of the van we heard a very close Puerto Rican Bullfinch. Before we were all out of the van, however, we also heard the soft chips of the Elfin Woods Warbler! It was in the tree right over our van!!! Everyone got spectacular looks, but I was so busy getting folks on the fidgety little birds that I did not get a photo. But the Bullfinch certainly cooperated!

Puerto Rican Emerald

Puerto Rican Tanager

We also had a very cooperative Puerto Rican Emerald feed over our heads, Antillean Euphonias zipped through and a flock of Puerto Rican Tanagers grabbed bugs above us. A pair of Puerto Rican Woodpeckers inspected the trees nearby and Scaly-naped Pigeons flew into the treetops. What a great way to end our day!