Jamaica Birding February 23 – March 4, 2014 with leader Bill Gette Jamaica ranks fifth in biodiversity among the world’s islands, and many of its animal and plant species are found nowhere else in the world. We can reasonably expect to find 24 (if not all 28!) of the island’s endemic bird species, as well as other Antillean specialties and Neotropical migrants and residents. These include the Jamaican Owl, Jamaican Mango, Jamaican Becard, Jamaican Blackbird, the spectacular Jamaican Spindalis (local name; also known as Jamaican Stripe-headed Tanager), and everyone’s favorite – the Jamaican Tody. In addition to its unique bird species, we will discover Jamaica’s flora – including a variety of ferns, orchids (66 endemic species), bromeliads, and other unusual species. We will also enjoy walks on mountain trails, mingle with the local culture, and find time to relax on the beach. This journey will be a great opportunity to combine tropical pleasures of a Caribbean vacation with exploration of an exceptional island. Jamaica: February 23 – March 4, 2014 DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY Day 1 – Feb 23. Arrival in Montego Bay Our journey begins in Montego Bay, where the local guide and driver will meet us at the airport in the afternoon. We will make a short 15-minute drive to the Satori Resort & Spa, which will be our accommodation for the evening. Situated just on the edge of the city, this quiet resort is the perfect place to relax after a long flight. If you are keen on looking around, some of the more common species will be visible on the property, such as the Loggerhead Kingbird, the Jamaican Oriole, and even the endemic Red-billed Streamertail. Depending on the group’s arrival time, we will have our welcome dinner either at the hotel or in town. Accommodations at Satori Resort & Spa www.satorijamaica.com Day 2 – Feb 24. Rocklands Bird Sanctuary/Black River Lower Morass This will be our first official day of birding, but there’s no need to be up at first light. Instead, we will enjoy a Jamaican breakfast before we make our way to the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary just 15 minutes into the hills of St. James. This is a very simple, relaxing rustic environment in the beautiful gardens of a country cottage. Here we will have up-close encounters with the many birds that are attracted to the feeders. But, the most spectacular moment will be to have Yellow-faced Grassquits feeding from your palm and a Red-billed Streamertail or Jamaican Mango sitting on your finger while you feed it nectar. There will be many more views of all these species throughout the trip. From Rocklands, we will travel to the historic town of Black River, which holds the honor of being the first town in Jamaica to receive electricity, in 1893. Lunch will be enjoyed at Riverside Dock where we might see a crocodile cruising along in the river before we move on to the Parottee Pond, which is part of the Black River Lower Morass, a wetland of global importance. More rare migrant birds have been recorded here than anywhere else on the island. We will see numerous wetland birds and shorebirds such as Blue-winged Teal, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Sandwich Terns. We may even see the threatened West Indian Whistling-Duck. Dinner and accommodations at Idler’s Rest Day 3 – Feb 25. Black River Upper Morass/Marshall’s Pen After an early breakfast at the resort, we will take a 30-minute trip to the Black River Upper Morass. This inland wetland system is the largest on the island and is home to a wide range of wetland birds. Caribbean Coots, Purple Gallinules, Limpkins, West Indian Whistling-Ducks, egrets, and herons are probable as well as the elusive Spotted Rail and Yellow-breasted Crake. Our day’s adventure will continue on to the bustling town of Santa Cruz where we will find a quiet spot for lunch at Miguel’s Café. The second half of the day will take us to Marshall’s Pen Estate, which is a designated National Heritage Site, originally a cattle estate and coffee factory dating back some 250 years. It is now owned by Dr. Ann Sutton, ornithologist and author of A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. The property is a birder’s haven as the lush gardens and surrounding woodlands support many of the 67 native landbirds that nest on the island. The Orangequit, White-chinned Thrush, Jamaican Woodpecker, and many other species will be seen. In the late evening, we will look for the Jamaican Owl, which is known to live on the property. The rich history, home style meals, and impressive birding opportunity will make this one of the highlights of the trip. Dinner and accommodations at Marshall’s Pen Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 Day 4 – Feb 26. Cockpit Country/ Marshall’s Pen With packed breakfast in bag, we will depart early for a unique part of the island, the Cockpit Country. We will be led by Dr. Ann Sutton for this leg of the trip. The Cockpit Country is one of the last remaining wilderness areas on the island. It is a wet limestone forest made up of small interlocking hills that resembles an inverted egg carton when viewed from the air. This makes the area almost impenetrable and hence teeming with wildlife. Prepare to be amazed by flocks of Yellow-billed and Black-billed Parrots, as they travel to their favorite feeding grounds. Rufous-tailed Flycatchers, Sad Flycatchers, and Jamaican Pewees are all present in these forests. The charming Jamaican Tody will be abundant. We will return to Marshall’s Pen for lunch and casual birding on the property. In the afternoon, Dr. Sutton will give a formal tour of the Marshall’s Pen Great House highlighting its rich history. Later that evening, if necessary, we will make another attempt at finding the Jamaican Owl Owl. Dinner and accommodations at Marshall’s Pen Day 5 – Feb 27. Portland Bight/Kingston After a day in the lush wet forests of the Cockpit Country, we will make our way to the other extreme. Portland Bight is the southern tip of Jamaica and is composed of very dry limestone forest. The vegetation is not all cacti, however, as Thatch Palms (Thrinax parviflora) and Red Birch (Bursera simaruba) dominate the landscape. These very dry limestone forests of southern Jamaica are the only places that the Bahama Mockingbird can be found on the island. Also present will be the Stolid Flycatcher, the sometimes hard-to-find Yellow-shouldered Grassquit, the Grasshopper Sparrow, Mangrove Cuckoo, Caribbean Dove, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch. We will say farewell to Dr. Sutton as we continue on a 3-hour journey to Kingston for the second half of the trip. After a brief stop for lunch at a restaurant en route, we will arrive at the Mona Visitor’s Lodge on the campus of the University of the West Indies in Kingston. Rest and recuperation will be in order. For dinner, we will travel to the famous Devon House. There, you can expect a selection of Jamaican, Caribbean, and international cuisine. The candle light setting and ambiance will give us an opportune time to reflect on the first 5 days of the trip and plan for the remaining 5 days ahead. Accommodations at Mona Visitor’s Lodge Day 6 – Feb 28. Blue Mountains We will say farewell to Kingston at 5:30 a.m. with packed breakfast in hand and head for the Blue Mountains, and more specifically, Hardwar Gap. The distance is shorter than it seems since the many twists and turns of the pothole-riddled road will keep us at a slow pace. After passing through the military training base of New Castle, the road stays level for the next 8 km. This is where the birding starts. At approximately 4000 ft above sea level, the climate and vegetation are quite different from what you have seen so far on the trip. The forest is lush and the trees are covered in lichen and water-collecting bromeliads (wild pine). This is where we will start our search for one of the most elusive Jamaican endemics, the Jamaican Blackbird, a.k.a. the Wild Pine Sergeant. It feeds almost exclusively on critters that live within the axels of the bromeliads. All morning, we will be hearing the melodious whistles of the Rufous-throated Solitaire as we try to get a glimpse of this rather shy bird. The prize for this area, however, will be the Crested Quail-Dove – our guide will be keeping a sharp eye out for this mysterious bird. The morning session will end with us unpacking at the cozy Starlight Chalet and settling in for some home- cooked lunch. In the afternoon, we will start birding on the property and make our way by foot along the road from where we came. Chances are we will not encounter a single vehicle, so expect more good birding. Dinner and accommodations at Starlight Chalet Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 Day 7 – Mar 1. Blue Mountains/Portland/Beach We may wake up to a rather misty morning, but this just adds to the beauty of the area. After an early breakfast, we will head to a different section of the 8 km Hardwar Gap road. We will be sure to get our fill of the spectacular Jamaican Spindalis, since this species gets much less common at lower elevations.