May 2009 was ‘Puerto Rico Month‘ here at 10,000 Birds, the celebration of which culminated in a giveaway of a free ‘Endemic Dash’ tour courtesy of Kevin Loughlin and Wildside Nature Tours. The fortunate recipient of that holiday was longtime friend Patrick Belardo of The Hawk Owl’s Nest. Now that he’s unpacked his adventure, we’re the fortunate ones. Here, Patrick provides a brief synopsis of his excellent Puerto Rican excursion with links to his more extensive trip reports:
Rewind back to last May when the 10,000 Birds crew captivated us with a month-long, in-depth look at the birds and nature of the island of Puerto Rico. As part of that month, Wildside Nature Tours generously donated two spaces aboard their Endemic Dash tour. Well, little ol’ me was the incredibly lucky winner of that trip and that trip happened at the end of January. And what a trip it was!
We spent 5 days exploring the island and seeking out the 16 Puerto Rican endemics including sought-after species like Elfin-Woods Warbler and Puerto Rican Spindalis. We also looked for the many Caribbean specialties that call Puerto Rico home like the Caribbean Coot and the splendid Antillean Euphonia. Along the way, we encountered breathtaking scenery, friendly people, and delicious food. It was a very well-planned and well-run tour and I can’t say enough good things about Wildside Nature Tours and our leaders, Kevin Loughlin and Lena Samsonenko. I have a series of posts with lots of photos detailing the great birds and sites we saw.
- Day 1 & 2: Caribbean Gems
- Day 3: Rare Birds and Bacalao Ice Cream
- Day 4: Mountains to the Coast
- Day 5: Finding What We Missed
- Day 6: Last Day and Final Thoughts
- Non-Avian Highlights
Enjoy! And again, a special thanks to 10,000 Birds for giving me the opportunity!
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Hi guys,
The latest news regarding the birds and biodiversity of Puerto Rico are these:
1. The Northeastern Ecological Corridor, a nature reserve between the municipalities of Luquillo and Fajardo and adjacent to the northern face of El Yunque National Forest, have been eliminated by the government. This zone has been recognized by local and federal agencies as an important ecological area since 1978. It is the habitat of over 50 critical elements of flora and fauna, including the endangered Leatherback Turtle.
2. The Planning Board of Puerto Rico recently approved the development of a wind turbine complex next to the Guanica State Forest, which is the reserve Patrick visited to see the Puerto Rican Nightjar, an endemic and endangered bird restricted to this dry forest zone at the south western side of the island. Although economically and technically viable, several NGOs and the community that lives in the area oppose the project, as it might pose an immediate harm to the nightjar and other elements of Puerto Rico’s Biodiversity.
Both these places are of extraordinary natural and scenic value. The writers of this blog (Charlie, Mike and Corey), as well as its readers, share in common a strong, genuine commitment with conservation. In my view, YOU (the readers and writers of this and other nature blogs), are essential in the decisional processes that are taking place in places far away from you, even here in Puerto Rico, that threaten to irremediably harm biodiversity and ecosystems.
I want to send special thanks to 10,000 birds for your commitment with conservation worldwide, specially for all the time and effort you have dedicated to raise awareness on Puerto Rico’s natural beauties. I also encourage you to continue in your efforts to protect life were you live and elsewhere.
Best regards,
Hector