Birding in Cuba - November, 2023 - Part 1

     Following on the success of our trip to Cuba in February I was implored to organize a repeat trip. Ironically, the very people who pleaded with me to arrange it dropped out before the tour took place, but their replacements had an experience to be remembered.

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Participants: Trevor Lewis, Karl Malhotra, Stewart Monckton, Brian Smith, Mary Ann Vanden Elzen, Andrew Weslowski, Lorraine Weslowski

Tour Guide: Tania Piñeiro Cordero

19 November, 2023  

Waterloo - Pearson International Airport - Varadero - Viñales

     As before I arranged for ground transportation to the airport with everyone being picked up at their doorstep, and it worked perfectly. We were safely delivered to Pearson International Airport without the chore of driving the highway, parking and being shuttled to the terminal. Being dropped off right at the departures level is certainly the way to go!

    Our flight left on time and I ordered a turkey sandwich from the euphemistically named "Bistro Service." It was truly quite awful. Perhaps a turkey flew over it; that was about the only hint of turkey that I could detect, and half the bun was soggy, devolving rapidly into papier maché or the like! It might have been aptly named "Botulism on a Bun," but fortunately no such disaster ensued!

     We touched down in Varadero before 20h:00 and were at the gate by our scheduled arrival of 20h:05. The process through Cuban formalities was as smooth as silk, and soon we were outside the terminal where we were greeted by our good friend Tania, our excellent guide, and Jovany, clearly the most proficient driver in all of Cuba! It was wonderful to see them again.

     We had made the decision to make the long drive to Viñales and settled in for the journey. We detoured in Havana to pick up Mariana, Tania's daughter, an unexpected joy, and barreled on towards Viñales, stopping only for the pressing needs of nature!

Mariana

     We arrived at our accommodation at around 02h:00, but most of us had napped on the bus. 

     I felt right at home at Casa-Hostal Magdiel y Maydalis; familiar faces, broad smiles and warm hugs - even at two o'clock in the morning!

     Sleep was not hard to come by.

20 November, 2023

Viñales and Surrounding Area

     I was awake at 06h:00 and went outside to sit on the porch and watch the world go by. Ernesto Reyes, Tania's charming husband, and a birding guide of great distinction, was also leading a tour and we chatted as we watched American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) and a Merlin (Falco columbarius) hunt for their breakfast. Ours would be a little easier to obtain than theirs!

      Up and down the street, the sun shone brightly, and people went about their business.

     Our first morning back in Cuba was starting well, the very air redolent with promise.

     Our group gathered and we set off for the limestone karst of Los Mogotes, home of the endemic Cuban Solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth), whose preferred habitat is karstic woodland. 

     We were not long in finding our bird.

     Everyone was paying attention!

     The birds of Cuba were new to all the tour members except me and there was great excitement as a Cuban Green Woodpecker (Xiphidiopicus percussus) revealed itself right in front of us.

     It really is a spectacular bird.

     Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), bedecked in the colours of Cuba's flag is equally splendid and is aptly designated Cuba's national bird.

     There are two distinct colour morphs of American Kestrel on Cuba, white and red, both striking and both far more approachable than the skittish bird familiar to us at home.

     Other than during hours of darkness it was virtually impossible not to see Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) circling in the sky - and from time to time they were perched too.

     I think it was Trevor who made the point that we never encountered carrion, but all the vultures looked well fed, proof that they have better success than us!

     Olive-capped Warbler (Setophaga pityophila) is a captivating West Indian endemic.

     The literature indicates that it is found on Grand Bahama and Abaco in addition to the Cuban population, but recent hurricanes have destroyed much of its habitat there, and no doubt the birds also. Realistically, it may soon be classified as a Cuban endemic.

     Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica), a gob-smacking vagrant in Ontario, verges on commonplace on Cuba.

     A Cuban Vireo (Vireo gundlachii) was another exciting endemic for our group of merry birders.

     A Great Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus merlini) is an impressive bird and an exciting discovery for everyone.

     A Cuban Bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) does not have the cachet of a Great Lizard Cuckoo, but is no less appealing.

     Cuban Pewee (Contopus caribaeus) is an endearing little bird, that often perches in the open, and quickly became familiar to everyone.

     We all paid close attention to Tania - well, most of us, most of the time!

        Brian was focussed on the task at hand.

     You don't want to mess with Mariana when she is licking everyone into shape!

     We ate lunch at the Buena Vista restaurant, as we always do, and the food was plentiful and delicious, taken on the deck overlooking the valley - buena vista indeed.

     We returned to our accommodations for a siesta, meeting again at 15h:00 to visit a tobacco farm to see the process of making that most quintessential Cuban product, a hand-rolled cigar.

     

     Mary Ann was clearly the star of the show, smoking her stogie like an old pro.

     I think she has done this before! Maybe there's a whole secret life we don't know about!

     The ladies certainly showed no reticence when it came to cigars!

     We had enjoyed a great first day and looked forward to dinner together - a wonderful start to our Cuban odyssey.

     (A note about the pictures - on most trips I have Miriam with me and without her I am short of pictures, so everyone has kindly agreed to share their images. Thank you all. On this post there are contributions from Andrew, Lorraine, Brian and Tania - and even a few of my own!)