Aruba Day 3
Thursday 13th November
Last morning without a Hire Car as of 9am today we have some wheels which means a) we get to see some more of the Island and its amazing beaches and b) i can get a further afield in the 2 hours i am aloud of the leash. Win Win.
This morning I walked North towards the Salina near the Skydiving centre. There was a few others I had noticed to check out first. The First one Had a few Whimbrel and what looked like Yellowlegs on the far side. A s I moved towards the shore I spooked 3 White-cheeked Pintail, 2 Killdeers and a Little Blue Heron (Garsa blou chikito) that were in a tiny pool just off the main Salina. Little Blue Heron was a new tick so hopefully I will get another opportunity to photograph this bird. There are 9 species of Herons recorded on the Island. 3 down 6 to go.
The Main Salina was linked to a marsh area and a creek. I think all the Salina and Bubali in the Palm Beach area are probably all linked. The Marsh area was good for Great Egrets, Yellowlegs and today there was a small flock of waders. Not sure which but probably Least Sandpipers (Snepi chikito)
At the end of the creek I was just about to cross the road to the area by the Boardwalk Hotel when a large wader caught my Eye. It looked like a Hudsonian Godwit (Lopi cora). I am no Godwit Expert but according to my guidebook only Hudsonian have been recorded on Aruba and thats only from 3 records. I guess by Aruba standards this was a Mega!!!! I have tried to contact a few people via Facebook to see if this is as rare as the guidebook suggests but to no avail. Please put me straight if I am wrong with my ID. You can also see in the first picture a nice plastic cup. I did wait a while for the Godwit to find a more photogenic position. Issue was it was moving further round and I was then shooting into the sun. Cant win them all!!!!!!
Hudsonian Godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
Whilst watching the Godwit a Great Egret flew overhead and Landed in the creek on the opposite side of the road. Also in this creek was a Spotted Sandpiper and a Lesser Yellowlegs. The sun was still pretty low so the light wasn't great.
Great Egret
Great Egret
Spotted Sandpiper
I was now back in the Sandy area near to the Skydive Centre Salina. Sadly the area looks like its used as a motorbike rally track and there were lots of jumps and evidence that the area is probably not a good spot for Borrowing Owls as I had hoped. A male Black-faced Grassquit was sat in a tree about the only bird i had came across. In true tv style fashion i was about to gave up on the area when I could see a distant blob which could be an owl. I moved in a little closer and it moved so I put the bins on it and boom it was what I was looking for. The endemic Aruban Species of the Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia arubensis. (Choco)
Burrowing Owl
It let me move in pretty close but I didn't push it to far as I didn't want to flush it out. I am also not sure how their burrows work and I certainly didn't want to collapse a burrow. There must have been another one nearby but I couldn't see it. It could of course been down the burrow. Where I was low to the ground I couldn't see into the burrow. I am sure I will be back!!! I left them in peace to check out the main Salina.
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
The Salina was pretty quite. There was a Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs on the near shore in the North corner there was a Black-bellied Plover or what we Europeans call a Grey Plover. The flock of Black-necked Stilts were in a bit closer so managed a few shots although not brilliant as I was shooting into the sun. A small wader which I believe to be a Least Sandpiper was in and around the Yellowlegs. On the back shore of the Salina sat a Great Blue Heron and a Snowy Egret
Least Sandpiper
Black-necked Stilt
There was a small pool just South of the main Salina. Here there was another Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Killdeers and another Least Sandpiper.
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
On the way back to the hotel I stopped to see if the Little Blue Heron was around. It wasn't but a Glossy Ibis was fishing the creek
Glossy Ibis
On arrival back at the hotel we picked up our Hire car and after brekkie we set off to see some more of the Island we first headed north to the California Lighthouse
California Lighthouse
View from the California Lighthouse
We later hit the coast and found a great beach (Arashi Beach) it was stunning and pretty quite. Best of all there was a lot of sea birds about. No Sooner had I sat down I noticed a Gull 50metres down the beach. The only regular gulls found on Aruba are Laughing Gulls.
Laughing Gull
Brown Pelican and Terns were fishing just of the shore. The perfect beach!! I left hannah relaxing on the beach and walked further along to see what other stuff I could find. There were terns everywhere Common and Royal were about and i picked out what looked like a few Cabot Terns. I believe Cabot Terns along with Cayenne Terns have recently been separated from the Sandwich Tern. Both Cabot and Cayenne are recorded on the Island. Cayenne are the South American relatives of the Cabot terns.
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
Laughing Gull
The Pelicans were diving ungainly into the water and it was quite funny to watch. As they reappeared on the surface they were mobbed by the Laughing Gulls who were trying to steal some of their catch. I carried on down the beach until I came to a rocky area. Here there were good numbers of Terns, Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans resting on the rocks. There was an area along the shoreline covered in rotting seaweed with lots of insects perfect for waders and bingo there was a good selection of them. 1 Spotted Sandpiper 7 Ruddy Turnstones, 1 Sanderling 2 Semipalmated Plover 3 Least Sandpipers and an unknown Sandpiper. A great place to come back to tomorrow morning.
Sanderling
After leaving the beach we drove towards one of the Tourist traps the Alto Vista Chapel. On route we passed the Tierra del Salina Golf course. On the Golf course is a protected Salina and with permission you can look around this wetland area. This is a good place for Least and Pied billed Grebes and also Southern Lapwings. The Bunkers are also meant to be good for Burrowing Owls. Were weren't going onto the course today. As we drove passed I noticed a Yellow type Wagtail bird and the lawns at the front of the course so I politely!!!!!! (Shit me i think i just found something rare ) asked Hannah to stop and drive back. If it was what I was thinking this would be a massive bonus and a very rare bird to the Island. In 2012 a Cattle Tyrant was found at the Golf Course it stayed for about a year. I am not sure what happened to it from there but if I was not mistaken we had just drove past a Cattle Tyrant. As we pulled up alongside it, it could only be a Cattle Tyrant it was like nothing else in the Guide book. Wow what a result. I nervously got my camera out and managed to take some pics of it. The bird was a very confiding and actual came so close to the car I could no longer focus on the it. What makes these rare on Aruba is that they associate with Cattle, hence the name. There is no Cattle on Aruba!!!! I could of stayed here all day but sadly Hannah was having none of it and we carried on towards the Chapel.
Cattle Tyrant
Cattle Tyrant
Cattle Tyrant
Cattle Tyrant
Cattle Tyrant
Alto Vista Chapel
Around the chapel were a few Aruban Whiptail Lizards, I had tried a few times to get some pictures of these around the resort by failed I managed to find one in a Cactus of the grounds of the church. This was a male as the females are Brown. The males being this bright turquoise blue.
Aruban Whiptail Lizard
Aruban Whiptail Lizard
Aruban Whiptail Lizard
On the way back to the Hotel I had a quick stop at Arashi Beach usual suspects again but I forgot about the position of the Sun useless for photography as everything was into the sun. Good job a showy Tropical Mockingbird landed the other side of the car. At least i had something to photograph. Will be a good place to come back for a sunset.
Tropical Mockingbird
Tropical Mockingbird
The Burrowing Owls were still around the Skydive Salina giving the best views yet. Whilst watching these a Whimbrel flew overhead. The usual Greater Yellowlegs was on the creek.
Burrowing Owls
Greater Yellowlegs
Best day birding so far!!!!!!!
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Jeff
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