bonxie birder
Stirring the pot since 1965
Notes on Family Trip to Eastern Dominican Republic July 09
I have just returned from a family holiday in Bavaro/Punta Cana and given the lack of information I had before I went I thought it could be useful for others if I wrote down a few notes.
I was very aware this was not a great area and my birding time would be limited. I made contact with Kate Wallace and Steve Brauning before I went, but they were unable to offer much help and informed me that they knew of no one in the area who might be able to show me round for a day. Steve did recommend the Punta Cana Eco Park. This ended up being an $80 taxi ride followed by a $10 tour with a local guide who was very keen, but did not really know his birds. The lack of birds here was disappointing. In a four hour visit I only saw 10 species. We were staying at the Hotel Catalonia, which had lush grounds and a golf course. Looking on Google Earth the Laguna Bavaro looked very close, but on arrival the holiday rep told me it would impossible to get near. I also went on excursions with Outback Safaris and to Isla Saona.
My main target species were Palmchat and Broad-billed Tody, being the endemic families of that area.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – A suspicious pair in the pond in the middle of the hotel ground
White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) – A female and five young were seen on four separate days on the lakes around the golf course
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) – occasional singles flying high over the beach
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) – singles and pairs flying high over the beach. Many on boat trip to Isla Saona
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – one flew past the beach
Great White Egret (Ardea alba) – daily, in water features next to restaurant
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) – one, in a ditch by golf course
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) – common from the bus on both excursions
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) - daily, in water features next to restaurant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) – adult and young in a ditch by the golf course. Also one juv at Eco Park
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - common from the bus on both excursions
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) – two. One flying over beach and one at Punta Cana Eco Park
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) – several. One regularly in palm trees on the beach. Others seen on excursions
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) – five in the pond in the middle of the hotel ground
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – a vocal pair on the golf course
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) – several seen in flight on trip to Isla Saona
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) – singles seen flying by the beach, often very close
Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) – two singles in hotel grounds
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) – up to six seen in the remoter areas of the hotel
Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris) – one seen by hotel building, one seen at Eco Park
Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) – common around hotel
Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia) – the commonest bird. Everywhere.
Antillean Mango (Anthracothorax dominicus) – singles seen on three occasions in hotel grounds
Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) – one seen very briefly at Eco Park. Tiny
Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus) – lots, very vocal around hotel. Impossible to miss
Stolid Flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus) – one seen at Eco Park
Grey Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) – common around hotel
White-necked Crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) – pair seen on Isla Saona mobbing a kestrel sitting on a tree. Interesting calls
Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis) – one pair only in palm trees on beach
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) - one seen by hotel, one seen at Eco Park
Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) – everywhere you go. Though none seen on Saona
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)- common in hotel grounds
Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) – common in hotel grounds, initially foxed by unmarked young!
Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) – three regularly seen by restaurant. Also seen on golf course
Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) – up to six seen by restaurant
Greater Antillean Oriole (Icterus dominicensis) – one seen once by restaurant
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) – common around hotel
You will notice there is no tody on my list. Hoped to get one in grounds and did use tape recording. Supposed to be easy at Eco Park, maybe at a different time of year. Hope these notes will prove helpful for someone
Ian
I have just returned from a family holiday in Bavaro/Punta Cana and given the lack of information I had before I went I thought it could be useful for others if I wrote down a few notes.
I was very aware this was not a great area and my birding time would be limited. I made contact with Kate Wallace and Steve Brauning before I went, but they were unable to offer much help and informed me that they knew of no one in the area who might be able to show me round for a day. Steve did recommend the Punta Cana Eco Park. This ended up being an $80 taxi ride followed by a $10 tour with a local guide who was very keen, but did not really know his birds. The lack of birds here was disappointing. In a four hour visit I only saw 10 species. We were staying at the Hotel Catalonia, which had lush grounds and a golf course. Looking on Google Earth the Laguna Bavaro looked very close, but on arrival the holiday rep told me it would impossible to get near. I also went on excursions with Outback Safaris and to Isla Saona.
My main target species were Palmchat and Broad-billed Tody, being the endemic families of that area.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – A suspicious pair in the pond in the middle of the hotel ground
White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) – A female and five young were seen on four separate days on the lakes around the golf course
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) – occasional singles flying high over the beach
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) – singles and pairs flying high over the beach. Many on boat trip to Isla Saona
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – one flew past the beach
Great White Egret (Ardea alba) – daily, in water features next to restaurant
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) – one, in a ditch by golf course
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) – common from the bus on both excursions
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) - daily, in water features next to restaurant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) – adult and young in a ditch by the golf course. Also one juv at Eco Park
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - common from the bus on both excursions
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) – two. One flying over beach and one at Punta Cana Eco Park
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) – several. One regularly in palm trees on the beach. Others seen on excursions
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) – five in the pond in the middle of the hotel ground
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – a vocal pair on the golf course
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) – several seen in flight on trip to Isla Saona
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) – singles seen flying by the beach, often very close
Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) – two singles in hotel grounds
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) – up to six seen in the remoter areas of the hotel
Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris) – one seen by hotel building, one seen at Eco Park
Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) – common around hotel
Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia) – the commonest bird. Everywhere.
Antillean Mango (Anthracothorax dominicus) – singles seen on three occasions in hotel grounds
Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) – one seen very briefly at Eco Park. Tiny
Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus) – lots, very vocal around hotel. Impossible to miss
Stolid Flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus) – one seen at Eco Park
Grey Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) – common around hotel
White-necked Crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) – pair seen on Isla Saona mobbing a kestrel sitting on a tree. Interesting calls
Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis) – one pair only in palm trees on beach
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) - one seen by hotel, one seen at Eco Park
Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) – everywhere you go. Though none seen on Saona
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)- common in hotel grounds
Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) – common in hotel grounds, initially foxed by unmarked young!
Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) – three regularly seen by restaurant. Also seen on golf course
Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) – up to six seen by restaurant
Greater Antillean Oriole (Icterus dominicensis) – one seen once by restaurant
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) – common around hotel
You will notice there is no tody on my list. Hoped to get one in grounds and did use tape recording. Supposed to be easy at Eco Park, maybe at a different time of year. Hope these notes will prove helpful for someone
Ian
