Aruba 2015 - Day 2
Wednesday 11th November Day 2
Up and out again by 6.30am today I walked from the hotel South towards the next resort Eagle Beach. Hoping for some waders and to get into Bubali from a different point.
First bird of the day was a Magnificent Frigatebird (Makuaku) that drifted along the coast. A Brown Pelican (Rogans) was sat on a rock in a small fishing harbour. The area was very rocky and not much sand or any good areas for wading birds. I turned around and headed back towards Bubali Pond. I crossed the road to a small entrance into Bubali. In the middle of the carriageway was a small Pond here sat a very confiding Great Egret. The entrance into Bubali gave a very small window into the main lagoon sadly the only bird here was a Neotropic Cormorant (Dekla) sat drying on a pole. There were a few mosquitos here as well. Boom 1-0 to the Mosquitos. I really need to splash on the repellent!!! Just as I was leaving the area to head towards the viewing platform area 5 more Magnificent Frigatebirds flew around the main pond.
Great Egret
Neotropic Cormorant
Magnificent Frigatebird
I headed back down to the coast and headed back towards the viewing platform. As I hit the coast a Royal Tern (Sternchi di rey) flew along and gave great views of a new bird for me. Its said that you can see 9 species of Terns in the same view on Aruba. Fingers crossed.
Royal Tern
On arriving at Bubali a few Barn Swallows (Swalchi) flew around the reeds. The Open patch again had around 5 Sora a lot less then yesterday, 2 Wilson snipe and 3 Common Gallinule. There was a small patch of mud just out of view and I could see some kind of wader prodding around in the mud. Eventually it gave a good enough view to establish it was a Pectoral Sandpiper (Snepi pecho strepia). 3 White-cheeked Pintails were on the open water.
Sora
Wilson Snipe
Common Gallinule
Pectoral Sandpiper
Just before leaving a Great Egret did a flyby and the 2 Brown-throated Parakeets were sat chatting in the same tress as yesterday. The track to the entrance again had at least 5 Yellow Warblers and some Bare-eyed Pigeons.
Great Egret
The plan today was to visit the Butterfly Farm which was 2 minutes from our hotel and then to get a taxi to the Capital Oranjestad. The Butterfly farm is set within large meshed enclosures and you can see many Butterflies flying freely from all over the world. Aruba doesn't have to many Butterflies on the island it self. I managed to see 4 species flying around across the week. The only one i could identify was the Monarch. The Butterflies below are not native to Aruba and can only be found at the Butterfly farm.
Blue Morpho
Unknown
Blue Clipper
Unknown
Unknown
Tree Nymph
The Cydno
This was also a great place to see the 2 species of Humminbirds on the island the Blue-tailed Emerald (Blenchi berde) and the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Dornasol) sadly none were seen today. There was a great spot here though to see Bananaquits, as the butterfly farm had set up a sugar feeder and there must of been 30 plus visiting the feeder along with Black-faced Grassquits (Mofi).
Bananaquit
Bananaquits and Black-faced Grassquits
Oranjestad Literally means Orange Town I guess from its Dutch influences. This was a place for the Wife as it was full of Shops and a lot of them. As its on the Caribbean cruise route a lot of Tourist pass through. Today 2 massive ships were in port so it was pretty busy. Was great to see a Green Iguana just chilling on the street.
Oranjestad
Green Iguana
Late afternoon after spending a few hours in the Capital city of Oranjestad I paid a quick visit to Bubali to it was fairly clear at this time of day the area was pretty dead. A Brown-throated Parakeet gave a good view. Along with a Green Heron.
Brown-throated Parakeet
Green Heron