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This pair of endemic Black-billed Parrots put on a real show for us in gorgeous light. (Photo by guide Eric Hynes)

It was a pleasure to lead the first run of our revised Jamaica tour after its prolonged absence from our schedule. Collectively we swept the 27 endemic species, with some individuals missing a few. We also encountered a number of the endemic subspecies and regional specialties to boot. Green Castle Estate (GCE) was our home base for this tour, and we enjoyed a refreshing pool, delicious local food, helpful staff, and more than half the endemics right on the property.

Our first full day birding was spent right on the grounds of the 1650-acre estate. After three different walks, we finished the day with almost half the endemics already tallied. The cooperative and elegant Red-billed Streamertails were certainly a highlight. Jamaican Woodpecker, Jamaican Tody, and a nest-building Jamaican Becard were standouts as well.

Hardwar Gap in the famous Blue Mountains was our destination on day two. We wound our way up for some higher-elevation habitat. Shortly after getting off the bus, we started picking up new species one after the other. A dramatic Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo was trumped by a rare Jamaican Blackbird. Ring-tailed Pigeon proved easier than when I scouted the tour last year, and Jamaican Pewee, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher, and Arrowhead Warbler all performed nicely. The hot porridge was a welcome reward for our early efforts. After refueling ourselves, we concentrated on Blue Mountain Vireo and eventually met with success. A descent and steep return at Woodside gave us good looks at Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Orangequit, White-chinned Thrush, and Jamaican Vireo. Another descending stroll from Hardwar Gap rounded out a rewarding field trip and scored a lifer for Dwayne: Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The most endemic-rich region of the island is the John Crow Mountains, so we headed there on day three. A Barn Owl held its fencepost perch long enough for us all to get point-blank views as we exited GCE predawn -- getting our trip off to a great start. Both Black-billed and Yellow-billed parrots were joined by Olive-throated Parakeets, White-crowned Pigeons, Ring-tailed Pigeons, and Jamaican Crows at our breakfast stop at the base of Ecclesdown Road. While walking up we spotted the Black-billed subspecies of Streamertail, White-eyed Thrush, Ruddy Quail-Dove, and our best look at Black-billed Parrot. A foraging Jamaican Blackbird barely above our heads trumped the fine look we had the day before. After our productive morning, we headed down to Boston Bay and enjoyed their famous Jamaican jerk for lunch. Stops at the mouth of the Swift and the Wag Water rivers padded our list with herons and shorebirds.

Day four we ventured up to Vinery to try and clean up a few species. Vehicle and memory limitations resulted in more hiking than any of us expected, but finally getting our eyes on the "Mountain Witch" or Crested Quail-Dove made the long hike worth it. Good looks at White-eyed Thrush and Jamaican Tody along the way helped pass the strides. We wrapped up our field breakfast just as the rain started to fall. A yummy soup awaited us back GCE, followed by a trip to the reservoir, where new species included regional specialties like Caribbean Coot and West Indian Whistling-Duck. A roosting Northern Potoo helped cap the day.

Our final day started with a full breakfast at GCE and heartfelt goodbyes to Miss Elaine and her wonderful staff. While making our way back west to Montego Bay, we stopped several times to add Northern Shoveler, Barn Swallow, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Greater Yellowlegs to our trip list.

On behalf of Dwayne Swaby, our outstanding local guide, and the rest of the Field Guides staff, I would like to thank you once again for joining me in Jamaica. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Your grace and understanding about a few hiccups on this maiden voyage were greatly appreciated. I hope to see all of you in the field somewhere else in the not too distant future.

Sincerely,

Eric

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 109 bird taxa and 1 mammal taxa