BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:701fbf583019b981b17279661256310a CATEGORIES:Caribbean CREATED:20170802T120143 SUMMARY:The Bahamas DESCRIPTION:
Located in the glass-clear, chalcedony waters of the Caribbean just 50 miles east of Miami, the Bahamas are an archipelago of o ver 700 islands, islets, and cays where approximately 385,000 people subsis t primarily on tourism. This has led to an infrastructure of hotels, lodges , and transportation that will facilitate our week exploring Abaco, Eleuthe ra, and Andros in search of over 20 birds that do not occur in the United S tates. We’ll begin in the pine and coppice—or broadleaf—forests of Abaco Na tional Park in search of Cuban Parrot, Cuban Pewee, and La Sagra’s Flycatch ers, Thick-billed Vireo, Bahama Swallow, Red-legged Thrush, the big Bahama Mockingbird, Bahama Yellowthroat (with its gray cap offset by yellow), Oliv e-capped Warbler, and the newly-minted Bahama Warbler, a split from Yellow- throated with a noticeably longer bill. Here, too, is Western Spindalis, a day-glow tanager with a striped face and green back. The subspecies of Spin dalis we’ll find on the next island south, Eleuthera, has an almost black b ack. One of the possibilities on Eleuthera is Kirkland’s Warbler. Although difficult to see, this 110-mile-long and often only one-mile-wide island su pports a large percentage of the world population of perhaps 5,000 birds. T here are no pines on Eleuthera, but there are White-crowned Pigeons in the plentiful palms that fringe its pink sand beaches, as well as Key West Quai l-Doves, and the rose-gorgeted Bahama Woodstar. To conclude our island hops we’ll fly to Andros, the largest landfall in the Bahamas. Andros represent s the last stronghold for the endemic black-hooded Bahama Oriole. There are only estimated to be 250 remaining in the world. Here, too, we might find the charismatic Great Lizard-Cuckoo, Cuban Emerald, endemic Bahama Swallow, and the black-bodied, red-accented Greater Antillean Bullfinch. If launchi ng spring birding in an island paradise appeals, the Bahamas offer some of the loveliest beaches in the world for a backdrop.
Leaders: Ann Sutton & Rick Taylor
Cost of The Bahamas i ncludes all accommodations, all meals, all transportation, and all entrance fees beginning in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island and ending in Nassau— $3995.
TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form, call us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaS cript enabled to view it..
Photo: Bahama Warbler
Phot
o by: Rick Taylor