Science: it’s even better when everyone can join in. The Caribbean Waterbird Census is a regional effort to learn more about a wide variety of waterbirds, and you could take part in it in a few weeks:
Category: Bird Watch SXM
Bird Watch SXM: The Soggy Season
Bird Watch SXM: Mangrove Mystery
Bird Watch SXM: Checking in with an Icon
Bird Watch SXM: Four Twenty-eight
Bird Watch SXM: More Than Birds
This week we take a broader look at how birds unite us and inspire us to protect entire ecosystems. I think this is important to understanding why it is worthwhile to spend so much energy on birds, and although this is a more encompassing look at birds and their conservation, hopefully it won’t seem too…extreme:
Bird Watch SXM: Living History
Bird Watch SXM: Between Land and Sea
Bird Watch SXM: Changing of the Guard
Our summer migrant is getting ready to depart and our winter visitors are arriving day by day. It’s the perfect time to see what’s new on our ponds and shores, and a special event to celebrate these amazing birds is just around the corner.
Bird Watch SXM: Strange Sights on the Pond
On St. Martin, there’s no better place to do a little birdwatching than your local pond, whichever one that may be. Late summer and early fall is also the best time to see a surprise visitor or two.
On St. Martin, we’re blessed with an abundance of ponds. Over the years, we’ve chipped away at the edges, filling them in to make land for buildings and roads. They may be smaller today, and quite a few are gone entirely, but they still perform many valuable functions. They reduce the potential for floods during storms, they capture sediment before it runs out into the sea and they’re home to loads of animals, from snails and crabs to fish and birds.
In August, the migratory season is just beginning. Some birds from far in the north are already making their way down to the island. Spending time on your local pond between now and October will be richly rewarded as you watch the progression of species arriving in greater and greater numbers.
On a recent day at the airport pond in Grand Case, an infrequent migratory visitor was dabbling in the shallow water near the bridge. The Green-winged Teal is a small duck that spends its winters everywhere from the southern United States and Mexico to the Caribbean. It was first recorded here in 2012, when a handful of ducks spent the winter. The presence of this species is doubly surprising, because arrival in August is very early for ducks, which usually stay further north until the fall or even early winter.
In addition to the tiny Green-winged Teal, a bulky pair of birds stood out from the dozen species that are usually on the pond. This time, they weren’t migrants or Caribbean natives. The Helmeted Guinea Fowl is an African species that has been introduced to many places. Somewhat related to chickens and turkeys, they are often raised for their meat.
Although guineafowl can be seen in quite a few locations on St. Martin, it was odd to see this savannah dwelling bird foraging on the mudflats near the water’s edge. Although it probably wouldn’t be considered an exciting sighting for a bird enthusiast, there’s always something exciting about encountering the unexpected.
Bird Watch SXM: Natural Misfortunes
Bird Watch SXM: Learning with the Locals
Can birds help Caribbean youth learn science and develop a passion for conservation? Can adapting lesson plans and activities to be Caribbean-specific improve their effectiveness? Learn a little bit about BirdSleuth Caribbean, a groundbreaking program being introduced throughout the Caribbean. If you like what you read, consider helping us bring this program to the French-speaking students throughout the region.
Bird Watch SXM: Egret Against the Odds
Bird Watch SXM: 100 Stories
Bird Watch SXM: Bound by Water
Bird Watch: Worth a Thousand Words?
Bird Watch SXM: The Great Gamble
Bird Watch SXM: A Caribbean Story
With the 2016 Endemic Animal Festival coming up tomorrow morning, what better time to take a closer look at on the of the best Caribbean stories of all time:
Bird Watch SXM: Ready for Study
Bird Watch: Almost Human?
Bird Watch SXM: Where are they now?
Bird Watch: Love is in the Air
Bird Watch SXM – My Resolution
Bird Watch – Balancing Act
The force is not the only thing that needs balancing. The recent drought and subsequent rains have brought the return of the caterpillars and a great disturbance in the trees, as if millions of leaves were suddenly eaten. Will they rule the island and turn it into a barren wasteland? There are some birds that might find your lack of faith disturbing.
Birds & Bands
In this week’s Bird Watch SXM article, we give some background on one of the most important techniques scientists use to study birds, their life cycle and their migratory habits. This also happens to be a technique you can see in person at Birds & Bugs tomorrow, December 6th from 9am-noon at Loterie Farm. Read more and invite your friends.
Bird Watch SXM – Birds Ahoy!
Bird Watch SXM: The Duck of Discord
Bird Watch SXM – Sharing the Magic
Bird Watch SXM – The Annual Miracle
Bird Watch SXM: Bouncing Back
Bird Watch SXM: What’s in a name?
Bird Watch SXM: A Window into the Past
Bird Watch SXM: The Deadliest Island?
Bird Watch: Black-faced Grassquit
Bird Watch: Green-throated Carib
Bird Watch – Caribbean Elaenia
Is there a better time to keep an eye on endemics than the month Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival? In this week’s Bird Watch SXM column we take a look at a sweet-singing Caribbean endemic, the Caribbean Elaenia. Also, don’t forget to download the Eye on Endemics ebook.
Bird Watch SXM: The Dry Time
Bird Watch SXM: Bird TEK
Traditional Ecological Knowledge is a term used to describe information about nature that comes from local populations. It is typically different from scientific research in many ways, but also complementary to it. Should TEK be an important part of how we understand and document birds on St. Martin?