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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bird Talk - Erika Gates
Throughout the summer the Bahamas received increasing attention as a birding destination through a variety of events staged by people as well as birds! For the first time in 51 years Woodstorks were seen on Grand Bahama Island! Another rarity was the Roseate Spoonbill. Both species enjoyed the rain-filled wetlands at the Freeport Pine Ridge Landfill. They were first observed by Lou Carroll, the General Manager of the facility who is making sure that birds and their habitat are respected by his staff and given a wide berth by heavy equipment! Another first for Grand Bahama this summer was an Anhinga, a close relative of the Cormorant. The strikingly plumaged female has made its home at the Reef Golf Course, a birding site with the second largest number of species on the island. When the bird was initially observed, a blue piece of plastic trash was wrapped around her bill and our worst fear, that she would not be able to feed herself, was eliminated, when, days later, she had extricated herself of the plastic by rubbing her beak against branches and using her foot to pull it off! Another exciting sighting this fall at Westend Grand Bahama was a Whimbrel, seen by Linda Barry-Cooper. Linda not only observed this rare species but was lucky enough to get a picture! The last Whimbrel was seen by renowned birder, Dr. Elwood Bracey on Abaco 13 years ago. Another highlight “for the birds” in the Bahamas this summer was the Annual Board of Directors Meeting of BirdsCaribbean who had chosen the tranquil and “birdorable” setting of Garden of the Groves on Grand Bahama Island for their meeting. During the three day gathering, strategic planning, financial sustainability, education and habitat conservation were several of the many topics addressed. BirdsCaribbean, formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, is the largest regional organization, dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats in over 37 Caribbean countries, Bermuda and the Bahamas. Founded in 1988, BirdsCaribbean is a non-profit organization with over 1200 members and supporters from around the world. The organization assists in conservation by raising awareness, increasing human capacity and promoting sound science. By working together with its members and affiliated groups BirdsCaribbean influences environmental decision-making and conservation policies in the region.
Bahamian birds and their habitat also received wonderful exposure during BirdsCaribbean bi-annual International conference in Jamaica, where over 220 delegates gathered to share the latest Caribbean bird science, conservation and education. The Bahamas was well represented by former president of BirdsCaribbean and present Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust, Eric Carey, Carolyn Wardle of Bahamas Outdoors, Ancellino Davis, Nassau, Director of BC, Erika and Ed Gates of Grand Bahama Nature Tours and Christina and Pericles Maillis, attorney and conservationist from Nassau, Susan Krupica, Grand Bahama, Administration BC. Mr. Maillis was a keynote speaker and delighted the audience with a captivating presentation titled “Restoring our parts of earth for WE humans, for birds and for all life” In addition to over 120 presentations, workshops and panel discussions, the delegates enjoyed a variety of fieldtrips to explore Jamaica’s natural areas, especially the Blue and John Crow mountains that had been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO just weeks before the meeting.
And finally, our beautiful Bahamas birds and their habitats received exposure in Europe during the largest Bird and Nature Travel Show in the world, the British Bird Fair near London! This event showcases birding and nature destinations from around the world. Motmot Travel, a British tour operator that had been marketing birding tours to most Caribbean islands had never sold the Bahamas but upon a recent invitation by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, the owner of Motmot Travel, Mr. Gilbert Bastyra, birded on Grand Bahama and also on Abaco and New Providence. He was so impressed by our bird variety and theirnhabitats, that, upon his return to England he added the Bahamas into their program. He asked me to come to the Show and assist in launching the Bahamas at Motmot’s booth! Thousands of people visited the Bird and Travel Fair each day and I was amazed how many Europeans take several trips a year to birding destinations around the world! I was happy to be able to showcase our little corner of the world, my home, the Bahamas! Conservation community throughout the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas involving more than 100,000 local people that participate in many of its flagship programs such as International Migratory Bird Day, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, Caribbean Waterbird Census, West Indian Whistling - Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project and Caribbean Birding Trail.
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