Sweet Little Rock(land) Roller - Chuck Berry

is undoubtedly the best bet if you have just a (final) day in Montego as we found on our last visit at the beginning of January this year. 

As on that occasion I was met at the gate by a sparkling

'endemic' RED-BILLED STREAMERTAIL (E)

which is very common throughout the property and the Island.

male

and female

ORANGEQUIT, also 'endemic', are regular visitors to the 

feeding station as are

male, drab from the back,

 

YELLOW-FACED GRASSQUIT

along with their 'femms', drab front and back!

The Feeding Station can be visited for a small fee, but to go further afield you must be accompanied by the Warden or his associates. The afore mentioned recognised me immediately he clapped eyes on me and looking a little sheepish surely remembered the last visit. Then, he taken the US$30 from both Peter Davis and I for the guided walk but halfway through heard the 'cash register' jingling from above, as a tourist bus pulled up,and completely abandoned us! On his return (never to complete our tour) he was told in no uncertain terms that he would only be receiving a proportion of the fee - end of story! Today he seemed happy to take me for free only becoming perplexed, and uttering the word 'Escargot' as he discovered dozens of these creatures damaging his precious forest. They would be consigned to the path later, where they would die, but in the meantime found yet another (E) high in the canopy.

This WHITE-EYED THRUSH (E) was elusive to say the least

with the occasional good views not coinciding with my camera skills.

 

JAMAICAN TODY (E)

more than made up for this as it simply sat there

more or less at touching distance

and the 6th we had seen in 2 days.

While regular readers perhaps don't want to see yet another

AMERICAN KESTREL,

this is though to be the same one of a pair, still feeding young

as they were in January, and rather liked the dangling legs of the Lizard.

Next, and showing far better than the only other this trip,

the close views of CARIBBEAN DOVE were very much welcomed.

male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER

male (top) and female BLACK-FACED GRASSQUIT

c6 more 'endemics' were then seen in quick succession

starting with

JAMAICAN MANGO

then RUFOUS-TAILED FLYCATCHER,

JAMAICAN WOODPECKER along with

JAMAICAN VIREO and
JAMAICAN EUPHONIA

However, the best was saved until last and despite no photograph

of this very active and tiny 'Flycatcher' what had more or less 

been consigned to the 'dipped list' was the latest addition to the World List

JAMAICAN ELAENIA

The day ended on a familiar note as both

LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD and

NORTHERN PARULA
With a further 6 'endemics' today, one being a World Lifer,

no fewer than 18 of the 'existing' 28 Jamaican Endemics and

8 World Lifers have been seen during the past 2 days.
The White Rasta Man is now leaving the Island! 

WHITE-WINGED DOVE, ZENAIDA DOVE, CATTLE EGRET, GREAT EGRET, LITTLE BLUE HERON, GREY KINGBIRD, TURKEY VULTURE, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, JAMAICAN WOODPECKER (E), AMERICAN REDSTRAT, NORTHERN PARULA, PRAIRIE WARBLER, BLACK-and-WHITE WARBLER, AMERICAN KESTRAL, BANANAQUIT, SAFFRON FINCH, SHINY COWBIRD, GREATER ANTILLEAN GRACKLE, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, WHITE-CHINNED THRUSH (E), YELLOW-BILLED PARROT* (E), VERVAIN HUMMINGBIRD, ANTILLEAN PALM SWIFT, RED-BILLED STREAMERTAIN (E), SMOOTH-BILLED ANI, OLIVE-THROATED PARAKEET, FERAL PIGEON, OSPREY, WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON*, MALLARD (?), MOORHEN, MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD, ROYAL TERN, BROWN PELICAN, GREEN HERON, INDIGO BUNTING*, JAMAICAN MANGO (E), BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, COMMON GROUND-DOVE, HOODED ORIOLE, JAMAICAN TODY* (E), RING-TAILED PIGEON* (E), JAMAICAN BECARD* (E), BLUE MOUNTAIN VIREO* (E), JAMACAIN SPINDALIS* (E), YELLOW-SHOULDERED GRASSQUIT* (E), JAMAICAN ELAENIA* (E), JAMAICAN BLACKBIRD* (E), SNOWY EGRET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BARN SWALLOW, KILLDEER, EUROPEAN STARLING, CAVE SWALLOW. ANTILLEAN NIGHTHAWK*.

Red = World Lifer    (E) = Endemic    * = Addition to Trip List     (?) = Of unknown provenance, Rare/Accidental on the Island