Birding in Cuba - February, 2024 - Part 11 (Final)

28 February, 2024

Havana

     As is customary at the end of our Cuban adventure, we spent a day touring the old city of Havana, one of the most interesting and remarkable cities in the world.  It is a microcosm of the Caribbean, yet unique too, with stories of love and war, success and failure, soaring ambition and crashing disappointment, dreams come true and dreams broken, but most of all it represents a triumph of the human spirit. 

     As always our beautiful Mariana was our superb guide and bonne vivante, bringing pleasure to every moment.

     How fortunate we are to enjoy her company.

     I should caution you now that this post will have many pictures, but there is a great deal to show you. Even at that, I had to make choices from the multitude of photographs submitted by my fellow travellers. There are more - many more!

     There are always colourful street scenes to amuse passers-by.

     Cuban street art, and art for sale, is on display throughout the city.

     I have no doubt that Che will remain an inspiration for the people of Cuba, for all time. In fact his stature as an iconic Hero of the Revolution will only be enhanced with the passage of years. 

     Interesting streets meandered and crisscrossed. We walked them all, fascinated by throbbing life in all its varied manifestations.

     Sometimes high tech security was deemed necessary to protect valuables.

     Mostly the city was extremely clean, even in those neighbourhoods where people were struggling.

     Music seems to be a component of the very life blood of Cuba, and street musicians were everywhere, charming us with their joyful, addictive rhythm.

     I think we all learned to walk and tap our toes at the same time!

      Indoors there were musicians too.

     Fresh fruit and vegetables anyone?

     Do you think this wiring would pass inspection in Canada?

     There are grand squares and impressive buildings.

     Some of the walls contain fossils, a reminder of the distant past.

      There was a perfumery where the science and the cosmetic nature of scents came together, and if I am not mistaken Kathy made a purchase there.

      Beth and Linda appeared curious about something.

      Alan took a break and Kathy strolled by.

     Simón Bolívar is equally a hero in Cuba as in South America.

     The main square was used by children doing their morning calisthenics under the watchful eye of their teacher.

     Mariana was seeking good fortune from El Caballero de Paris, and hedged her bets by tugging on both his beard and his hand.

     A group shot is always good.

     Mariana ensured that we got a glimpse of every aspect of Cuban life.

      Ernest Hemingway, arguably the grandest of all American authors, has a long association with Havana, and for the most part resided at the Ambos Mundos Hotel. On previous visits we have viewed the exterior but on this occasion we ventured inside.

     In the lobby a pianist was playing Chopin nocturnes with a good level of sensitivity. It seemed a shame that such talent was reduced to playing for tourists willing to toss a little money his way.

      I know that Tania and I were generous and no doubt some of the others were too.  

     There was an imposing elevator, of the style that used to be common in department stores, staffed by an attendant who called out the contents of the floors at each stop.

 

     It was fun to ride to the top of the building.

     It was quite a view looking down from the top.

     I think it was Virgil who pondered wistfully whether the elevator had been serviced since Hemingway stumbled into it from the bar up the street! We did not let such thoughts spoil the pleasure of our experience!

     The views from the roof were impressive and we had Mariana to point out the landmarks.

     Lunch was taken at a very agreeable outdoor café.

     A cold beer was the choice of several thirsty tourists!

     It had been a very enjoyable morning and we returned to our hotel to relax before embarking on our tour of the city in vintage convertibles.

     Mike was particularly taken with this red car.

         Linda enjoyed chatting to her driver.

     At the Plaza de la Revolucíon we were able to switch cars for the ride back.

     Gasoline was in short supply and limited to 40 litres per vehicle, and long lines were a standard part of life in the city.

     We took dinner at the same restaurant where we had eaten lunch, and it was very agreeable indeed.

     A seat along the Champs Elysée in Paris could not have been more pleasant.

     A brief excursion to experience Havana at night was an entirely satisfactory end to a very satisfying day.

     The following image seems to portray a contest - my bumpers are bigger than yours, and certainly reinforces the reasons for generally referring to a car as "her!"

     Havana sparkled.

     The air was balmy; the city was alive.

     A blissful night's sleep was all that remained - and we knew exactly where to get that!

29 February, 2024

National Botanic Garden - Varadero - Pearson International Airport - Home

     A narrow spiral staircase took us up to the rooftop where we had breakfast.

     It was a great way to welcome the day.

     Soon we were off to visit the National Botanic Garden where I hoped to find Gundlach's Hawk (Accipiter gundlachi), a species that had eluded me on all my visits to Cuba.

     What would a botanic garden be without flowers?

     Or palms?

     As you might expect, a group of birders was often gazing upwards.

     A Loggerhead Kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus) was the object of our adoration on this occasion!

     Our Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) du jour was faithful, as always.

     A West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes supercilliaris) conducted a home-building workshop for us all to enjoy.

     I am grateful to Virgil for this excellent shot of what I am pretty sure is an endemic Cuban butterfly, Calisto herophile.

     And now we come to the object of our search, the aim of our mission - Gundlach's Hawk. Tania and Ernesto knew that a pair had been reported breeding in the Botanic Garden, and suddenly there they were.

     For the most part the pair was flying to and from the nest and generally well hidden when perched, but patience and persistence paid of for Kathy when she achieved this great shot.

     To give you a sense of how significant this sighting is, let me quote from Graeme Gibson's experience of the bird, taken from his exquisite work The Bedside Book of Birds (2005).

"Later that morning, just off an old logging road, Garrido pointed to a tangle of sticks about twelve metres up in a nondescript tree. It was the nest of a Gundlach's Hawk, with the white and wooly shape of a nestling on its edge. Discovered just two days earlier, it was only the fourth official nesting site in the twentieth century. 

As we circled to the other side we saw the adult's rounded tail, then the whole bird. Watching us out of a cautious red eye, she'd frozen completely. Although her throat trembled, she didn't even blink.

The Gundlach's is a fine strong bird, much like our Cooper's Hawk. It is an endangered species endemic to Cuba, and only a handful of other people had ever seen one on the nest. All of us I think were sobered; certainly we were quiet."

     A memorable encounter with the endemic subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) was a suitable conclusion to a very successful visit.

     We drove back into central Havana and had lunch. Tania had arranged a late checkout for us, so we were able to enjoy siesta before leaving for Varadero.

      Goodbyes were difficult, but we had had a fine trip, and were leaving with memories for a life time.

      Jovany did his usual masterful job of driving and in no time at all it seemed we were at the airport.

     Time to go home!

     This ends the account of our Cuban odyssey and it would be a grave omission if I did not express my appreciation to an outstanding group of travelling companions who made each day a pleasure. Thank you all for joining me on this trip. Thanks are due also to Tania, Mariana, Ernesto, Rocío, Jovany, and all the other Cubans who took such good care of us, and left us with nothing but warmth and affection for them and their country.

     It would be the gravest omission of all were I not to thank my dear wife, Miriam, for cheerfully taking care of things at home while I was off having fun. She has done it more than once.

     Photo credits: Beth, Kathy, Tania, Virgil.