Island Harbour Ball Field Welcomes Shorebirds
Several years ago, the low lying area next to the Island Harbour basketball court was infilled in an attempt to stop flooding of the road and surrounding properties during periods of intense rain. Storms like Hurricane Lenny in 1999, rendered the road impassable.
Since then, the area has been used as a Cricket Pitch and parking for local festivals. Unfortunately, it is often used as a dump spot for debris.
Although the concept was an interesting one at the time, it never totally stopped the accumulation of water at this location. Recently, I witnessed a young man trying to retrieve a wayward basketball from these waters without getting his shoes wet. It took time, but he managed it!
With the passing of two tropical storms over the last few weeks, the area has accumulated a large amount of water attracting a wide variety of birds. With the Fall Migration at its peak, shorebirds and waterbirds are arriving hungry and tired after their long journey along the Atlantic Flyway. This spot must be a site for sore eyes (and tired wings) as the birds arrive in Anguilla.
A quick stop in the early hours of September 23rd, yielded interesting results. The usual Fall cast of characters was present including Lesser & Greater Yellowlegs, Least, Semipalmated & Spotted Sandpipers, and Semipalmated Plovers. With its close proximity to the Island Harbour dock, a few seabirds flew over on their way to a tasty fish meal.
There are some species that we tend to see only during the Fall Migration, like this White-rumped Sandpiper. It was showing nicely as it fed along the edge of the water close to the road.
And it really wouldn’t be Fall in Anguilla without the arrival of our stunning Pectoral Sandpipers. Their visits are generally brief, but they add nice variety to our wetlands at this time of the year. On this morning, three were seen feeding in the grass.
The real action was happening at the back of the pond up against the trees. This is really no surprise, as the bush provides nice cover for birds. On any given day, this area is filled with Zenaida, White-winged and Common-Ground Doves. This day was no exception.
While trying to avoid the gushy parts of the area, I maneuvered into the back and came upon a group of birds feverishly feeding among some felled tree branches and debris. Of course they were facing right into the sun, but I got a few snaps and decided to call it a morning.
In the interest of full disclosure, it wasn’t until I was home processing photographs, that I realized that I had come across an amazing discovery. Two grainy photos showed a bird that was comperable in size to a nearby Lesser Yellowlegs, yet much smaller than the Greater Yellowlegs. It had a long bill, bold white eye ring, greenish-yellow legs and spotted wings. WOW!
I quickly sent the photos off to my eBird reviewer colleague in the USA, who confirmed what I suspected. This was in fact a Solitary Sandpiper!
The one and only time I recorded this bird on Anguilla was in 2011, and I was jealous of colleagues who reported them in St. Martin last year.
A review of eBird data revealed records in 2005 and 2006 by trusted sources. The most recent record was in Katouche in 2016 with no description or photograph. It would not be surprising to find one there, due to the remote location and habitat.
I returned to Island Harbour the next morning to see if I could get a better look. On that visit, I was lucky to find not one, but three, chasing each other and foraging. It was a great opportunity to observe this rare visitor. I settled in to enjoy their antics and interactions with the other species present. For the most part, they seemed pretty aggressive with each other, and all three were vocalizing constantly.
Content with the scene before me, a familiar sound came from behind my position. A beautiful Green Heron flew in and landed on a dead branch. After finding a suitable spot, it proceeded to hunt for prey with great success for about 15 minutes. Judging the size of its catch, it had a long day ahead.
Over the two visits to the Island Harbour Ball Field, I recorded 17 species. Not a bad number for a small seasonal spot.
The moral of the story is, never underestimate an impromptu stop at a seasonal wetland. It can yield big rewards in the birding world!
To see more of the live action, take a look at my YouTube Companion Reel at the following link:
Love the colours of the Green Heron! Great photography.