Aruba Day 3 - Eagle Beach (3/6)

The next morning we got up and headed into Oranjestad to do some shopping. It really was an experience to drive down Main St and see not one but two humongous cruise ships anchored at the dock. The street was lined with dozens of high end boutiques all looking to cash in on the cruise ship tourists but the smaller novelty shops off Main St. We looked around a bit and picked up some small mementos before heading back home for lunch. Before we left town, I spotted a Magnificent Frigatebird (a lifer for me) as it soared over the water.

After lunch we headed over to Eagle Beach which is just to the south of Palm Beach. There are still hotels near the beach but since the were built a bit further back from the water its a bit less congested. This ended up being Shannon and my favorite beach on the island. We found a divi divi tree that offered some shade and laid out our blanket. The water was clear blue and the beach was beautiful. We both took a dip to cool off before heading back to relax in the shade. Shannon met a woman who was also from Connecticut. She explained that she came to the island every winter and the weather had been particularly strange the past few days. As they chatted I left to explore the area.

The first thing that I found was a small flock of Ruddy Turnstones. They seemed at ease with all the people around and didn't immediately spook when I approached. This allowed me to take a few nice shots. I watched them for quite a while before headed along the beach toward Palm Beach.

Surprisingly the area between the two beaches was really rocky. And this wasn't the granite rocks that make up the New England shoreline. It was sharp coral. The waves were really strong on this day and every time one hit the rocks, spray was thrown everywhere. I spotted dozens of crabs that held on for their life as the waves hit. Their camoflauge perfectly matched the color and texture of the rocks. There were also some snails and a lizard or two. I brought Shannon to the area and then mugged for some photos.

Aruba Day 2 - Arikok National Park (3/6)

It was such a nice day our first full day in Aruba that we decided to get in the car and head to Arikok National Park. It was early afternoon when we left and we got a bit lost on the way but we eventually found what I'll call the west entrance to the park. A park ranger met us at the gate and offered to take us around the park but, a bit wary due to the area, we declined. After telling us we'd hike at our own risk, he told us to follow another group of hikers since they knew the trails.

We parked our car in a small lot and made our way into the park. As we entered the park, I noticed a half dozen or so Gray Kingbirds perched along the power lines. We didn't have time to stop and get a good look though since our "guides" were hitting the trails.

Once we were out of view, Shannon and I went on our own way and never saw another person in the park. It was still a bit overcast from the off and on rain which made for the perfect temperature for hiking. The trails were absolutely beautiful, carefully maintained, and well marked. The desert was much greener than I expected. The landscape was covered with woody bushes and short grasses but the star of the show were the cacti. They were prevalent in every shape and size... small ones poking thru the rock wall, round ones with tiny pink blossoms, and tall ones you just wanted to hug.

And there was lots of wildlife. All around us were these small black moths. We saw lots of butterflies too. In addition to the Monarchs, we spotted more of the little blue ones, a large orange one, and one which looked a bit like a Queen or Soldier.

The lizards were there too. There were some larger ones but the most prevalent species was this small brown lizard. These guys love to climb... especially on the aloe plants.

But the animal of the trip were the feral goats. They grouped together in large herds and spent most of the time grazing. But we did spy a few of them relaxing on an immense boulder. The picture doesn't do it justice. I just don't know how they managed to get to the top. As we watched the goats a large bird swooped down close to the ground headed right to left. As it circled back, I caught it in my binauculars and was able to identify it as a Crested Caracara. We watched as it flew up the ridge and then proceeded to perch near another bird. Unfortunately it was too far away for me to tell if it was another Caracara or some other bird of prey.

We continued on our hike until we came to a small house in the middle of the park. It looked to have been made of some earthen material like clay and was whitewashed inside and out. It made of a photo op that I couldn't pass up.

By this time it was getting to be late afternoon and neither of us wanted to get lost in the dark in an unfamiliar area so we headed back. But, the great sightings kept coming. First we saw a Troupial perched on a large cactus. These birds remind me of our Orioles back in the US but they may be even more beautiful. The light blue eye patch is particularly stunning. I was able to get a few shots of this bird, but the low light made quality photos very difficult. We also happened upon a Tropical Mockingbird perched in a similar fashion. We saw these guys everywhere we went but they were always fun to watch.

We found our way completely out of the park and headed back to the car. Watching the roadside flowers as we walked, I found this spiny caterpillar. It was a great way to end a fantastic day in Aruba.

Aruba Day 2 - California Lighthouse (3/6)

After lunch Shannon and I headed to the northern tip of the island to see California Lighthouse. This lighthouse was apparently named after a vessel which shipwrecked just offshore. The view from this vantage point was outstanding and we spent some time admiring the ocean and the golf course. We walked behind the restaurant at the point and looked down on the golf course below. There were lots of feral goats grazing on the vegetation. We also saw more parakeets and a solitary butterfly nectaring in the restaurant's flower garden.

But the best sighting was an American Kestrel which buzzed by us in a wind aided dive. When I first saw him, I thought that he was a captive bird because I saw what appeared to be a strap attached to his talons. Only after thinking about it for a minute or two did I realize it wasn't a strap.... but rather the tail of his lunch, a small lizard.

Aruba Day 2 - Babali Bird Sanctuary (3/6)

The next morning came and I was raring to go. While Shannon slept a few more minutes, I got up and took a hike around the complex we were staying at. There were small flocks of Eared Doves all around and I happened upon a male Black-faced Grassquit fighting with his reflection in an SUV's rear view mirror. This really got me excited for the day.

The weather was warm but overcast and the sky threatened rain. So, we decided to head over to the Babali Bird Sanctuary which was only a short 5 minute drive away. We had a little trouble finding the place even though it was shown on the map. But, eventually we did find the dirt road that led to the small park.

I'm not sure that "park" is the right word for the place. It basically consisted of a short road which ended at a very nice observation tower. The park doesn't have any trails (that we could find at least) but the tower more than made up for it. We climbed to the top of the tower and were wowed by the sight. The tower was just over the tops of the trees providing views of the ocean to the west and the high rise hotels to the north. But the nicest views were of the large holding pond below.

There were birds everywhere. The trees on the west side of the pond were a roost for Neotropical Cormorants and all sorts of egrets. That portion of the pond was open water so White-cheeked Pintails, Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls floated at the surface. Closer to the tower, the water was covered with leafy green vegetation which was home for a Common Moorhen with her two chicks, a Caribbean Coot, and a Pie-billed Greebe. Right below us, a Green Heron stood frozen on the vegetation hoping that we wouldn't notice him. I scooted down the tower to pick up my camera for a picture but, when I stopped to shoot a Bananaquit, the heron moved further out.

As I climbed back up the tower, the weather turned bad. It started to pour heavily and Shannon and I moved to the center of the platform to avoid getting drenched. This was one of those moments in nature when everything just feels magical. The rains came and went in short bursts and when the rains stopped, the birds came out. The first was a Smooth-billed Ani who perched at eye level and proceeded to spread out in an attempt to dry his soaked feathers. We also saw a Tropical Mockingbird and a Bare-eyed Pigeon. As the rains started again, Shannon spotted a pair of Brown-throated Parakeets through the blowing tree branches. They appeared huddled together to weather the storm. While we were on top of the tower, another car pulled into the parking area. A young German couple came up and joined us on the platform. We loaned them my binauculars and pointed out all the the birds we had found. They shared stories of the places they had visited on the island and gave us some tips of where to go to see wildlife. It was fun to share the moment with someone from half-way around the world.

After about an hour of so of fantastic sightings, the rains subsided and we descended out of the tower. Before heading home for some lunch, we looked around the area a bit. The cacti were in bloom and they were being pollinated by lots of small blue butterflies. As I watched them, we saw our first lizard as he crawled through the briar patch. He had the most brilliant blue spots and seemed to be at home amongst the thorns. I took a closeup before letting him get back to his meal (we never did figure out what he was eating).

The last sighting of the morning was maybe the most memorable. I peeked around the bush to see a Sora walking on top of the vegetation. It was probably the best view I'd ever gotten of this bird. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a shot of it.

Welcome to Aruba (3/5)

It took us over six months but Shannon and I finally got to take our honeymoon. We didn't have enough time to plan the vacation while we were getting ready for the wedding. Then we had to sell my old house. Then it was the holidays and we just didn't have the time to look for someplace to go.

Once the holidays were over, I started seriously researching different places. On the recommendation of one of Shannon's friends, we chose to go to Aruba. This small island, a former Dutch colony, is just 15 miles or so off the coast of Venezuela. It has beautiful beaches on the west side of the island but most of the interior is desert.

Being so close to South America I thought that there would be more birds that I hadn't seen before. But, around 60% of the species on the country list I had seen before in my trips around the US. But, there were enough new birds to make it intriguing. Plus, they claim that half the know species of lizards are native to Aruba.

Our direct flight left Boston at 8:00 and we were on the ground in Aruba by 1:45 local time. We picked up our rental car and headed up route 1 toward Noord. Somehow we took a wrong turn and spent about 30 minutes trying to get back on the main road. After going the wrong way down a one way street, and getting yelled at by some locals, we eventually got back on 1 and found our condo.

Our first destination was the high rise hotels to get look at the ocean. It was spectacular with fine sandy beaches and water that transitioned from turquoise to deep blue just a hundred yards off shore. Shannon laid out on the beach and took in the last of the day's sunshine but the water called to me and I jumped in for a quick swim. As the Brown Pelicans and Laughing gulls circled overhead, it was hard for me to believe that we we in the cold weather of Massachusetts just hours before.

Glastonbury Meadows (2/28)

Yesterday morning I dragged myself out of bed and went on the hunt for a new place to bird. I had seen posts about Glastonbury Meadows on the CT birds forum so I found the basic location and headed out. I made a few wrong turns but eventually found the town owned property. While birding the brush by the road my attention was drawn to a large bird circling above. I immediately trained my binoculars on the bird and to my surprise it was an adult Bald Eagle. This was one of my best views of this bird and I was actually able to take some pictures as well.

Other than that, the birding was sparse. The property isn't large and I'm guessing that any birds which were out may have been scared away.

Glastonbury, CT (2/21)

I got up early last Saturday morning and took my normal walk around the neighborhood to see what birds were up and about. Here's my list:

Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch

Hartford County (2/15)

My Dad came down to visit with us on the 15th and he and I decided to spend the morning hiking. We started at the Laurel Marsh Trail in Manchester. The bird activity was a bit reserved but we did spot a couple of Northern Mockingbirds on our walk. We made it about 1/4 of the way around the loop before stopping and heading back. On our return trip we spotted a nice Red-tailed Hawk and tracked it as it flew from perch to perch.

From there we continued on to Maj. Michael Donnolly park in South Windsor. Again there wasn't many birds (we were rushing the season a bit) but we had a couple of nice sitings. I found a bird perch high on a tree and after trudging thru the brush for a better view, was able to identify it as a Northern Flicker. From the observation platform we spied a Cooper's Hawk fly quickly into the woods and also heard a Red-winged Blackbird (our first of the season) as it flew by.

West Hartford Reservoir (2/8)

On Sunday Shannon and went to West Hartford Reservoir for a hike. The weather was great with temperatures in the low 50's. So, everyone who had been cooped up for the winter was out enjoying the pre-spring weather.

Hiking was a bit tough through the mushy snow. We walked abut a mile or so until we got to a small portion of open water. There were a couple hundred ducks and geese taking advantage of this area. The vast majority were Canada Geese, Black Ducks, Mallards, and various gull species. But we did spot two Ring-necked Ducks and two Pintail. They were nice finds this time of year.

On the way home I spotted the first Turkey Vulture of the year. Spring is coming.