Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico Thursday 5 March to Monday 15 March 2009 with Gavin Bieber as leader Cost: £TBA Maximum group size: 6 with 1 leader. |
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Site of the oldest European city in the New World, the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. Dominated by the highest mountains in the Caribbean and ringed by a startlingly beautiful coastline, this varied landscape is home to thirty endemic bird species, including Palmchat, the single representative of the monotypic family Dulidae. Our search for the endemics and regional specialties will take us to the cloud forest and thorn scrub of the rugged Sierra de Bahoruco, as well as to the bizarre cactus forest of the Lago Enriquillo basin. That lake itself is home to flocks of flamingos, herons, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Our visit to the Dominican Republic will be enriched by the gracious hospitality of its people and their excellent Spanish-style cuisine. A short flight to the east lies Puerto Rico, once a Spanish colony and now a U.S. territory and popular holiday destination. With an excellent road system providing convenient access to its many forest reserves, Puerto Rico offers some of the easiest and most enjoyable birdwatching in the tropics. In our quest for the island’s 14 endemics and more than two dozen Caribbean specialties, we’ll visit every habitat, from the windswept elfin woods of Maricao to the bird-rich thorn scrub of the Guanica Dry Forest. Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. Our hotel garden is the location of Santo Domingo’s main roost of Hispaniolan Parakeets, so we’ll start the evening with excellent views of one of the scarcer endemics. Night in Santo Domingo. Day 2: We’ll begin with a visit to the extensive and beautifully maintained botanical garden, centered on a densely forested canyon. A morning walk here provides an excellent introduction to the island’s birds. In addition to the ubiquitous Hispaniolan Woodpecker, we should find Vervain Hummingbird (one of the world’s smallest birds), Antillean Palm-Swift, the adorable Broad-billed Tody, Red-legged Thrush, Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, and Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo. We can also expect to see the bizarre Palmchat, in a family unto itself, which builds enormous communal nests in palm trees. With great fortune we may happen upon West Indian Whistling-Duck, which are sometimes found in the canyon. After lunch we’ll make the long drive to Barahona on the southwestern coast. Night near Barahona. Day 3: We’ll make a very early start over an astonishingly rough road to visit the northern slopes of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park. Our main target just after dawn will be the very local La Selle Thrush, which lives in a beautiful but restricted patch of cloud forest. Other highlights might include Hispaniolan Emerald, Hispaniolan Parrot, Hispaniolan Trogon, Narrow-billed Tody, Green-tailed Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Western Chat-Tanager, Hispaniolan Spindalis, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch. We’ll gradually work our way back downhill into drier forest, where we’ll search for the peculiar Antillean Piculet - the only member of its genus - as well as Flat-billed Vireo and the rare and endemic Bay-breasted Cuckoo. Night near Barahona. Day 4: Today we’ll focus on the south side of the Sierra de Bahoruco. Our morning will begin with a leisurely breakfast beside the Lagoon of Oviedo, complete with views of flamingos, Roseate Spoonbills, and other wading birds. From here we’ll head to the Alcoa Road and extensive pine forest, where we hope to find the endemic Hispaniolan Crossbill, Golden Swallow (now found only on Hispaniola), and Antillean Siskin. Night near Barahona. Day 5: We’ll leave early once again for a second visit to the north slope of Sierra de Baoruco, arriving before dawn to try for Greater Antillean Nightjar and other nightbirds. We’ll then search for any dry forest species missed during our previous visit, and have lunch in Rabo de Gato. We’ll also visit Lago Enriquillo. Lying more than 120 feet below sea level, this intensely saline lake is the remnant of a channel that once divided Hispaniola into two islands. Our primary goal is Hispaniolan Palm Crow, but we may also see an interesting assortment of migrant warblers and possibly Plain Pigeon. In the afternoon we’ll return to our hotel near Barahona. Night near Barahona. Day 6: Depending on road conditions, this morning we’ll make a short trip to look for Eastern Chat-Tanager in the mountains near our hotel. After breakfast we’ll head to Sabana del Mar, pausing in Santo Domingo for lunch. Sabana del Mar will give us our only chance for the enchanting Ashy-faced Owl, which we’ll look for this evening. Night in Sabana del Mar. Day 7: Today we plan to search for the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk. This formerly widespread species is now extremely local and infrequently seen. By this time of year, adults are usually engaged in nest building, and we hope to have a nest site pinned down. Getting there will likely involve a relatively easy but sometimes steep walk - well worth it for the chance of seeing this wonderful raptor at its nest! From here we’ll return to Santo Domingo, where we’ll go sightseeing in the Colonial Zone of the oldest “European” city in the New World. We’ll spend the night at a charming hotel in the old city. Night in Santo Domingo. Day 8: This morning we’ll take a short flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then travel west. Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, and Puerto Rican Emerald are just a few of the endemics we’ll search for during an afternoon visit to Cambalache State Forest. Nearby coastal and wetland areas will offer additional opportunities for species we may not have seen in the Dominican Republic. Night in Hatillo. Days 9-10: The southwestern sector of Puerto Rico offers a diversity of coastal, forest, and wetland habitats, each with its own distinctive birdlife. A morning stop close to Hatillo will provide close views of White-tailed Tropicbird. While birding coastal areas around Cabo Rojo, we’ll seek the endemic and scarce Yellow-shouldered Blackbird as well as migrant shorebirds. Many of Puerto Rico’s endemics are to be found in the Guanica Dry Forest, including Puerto Rican Tody and the stunning and vocal Adelaide’s Warbler. The lush montane forest of Maricao State Forest and other protected areas near our hotel base will keep us entertained for hours as we search for Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Emerald, Puerto Rican Vireo, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Puerto Rican Tanager, and Greater Antillean Oriole. The star attraction in the mountain region, however, is Elfin Woods Warbler, discovered in 1971. We’ll also make some nighttime excursions to search for the local Puerto Rican Nightjar and Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, as well as Antillean Nighthawk. Back at our comfortable hotel, birding is always excellent around the superb grounds. Nights in Maricao. Day 11: We’ll leave early to return to San Juan, allowing time to search for Green-throated Carib along the coast. We’ll arrive about midday at San Juan airport, where the trip concludes.
The ground arrangements for this tour are organized by our American associates WINGS.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
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