Great Lizard Cuckoo Sighting

On Jamie's last full day on Eleuthera, he saw a white cheeked pintail and a pair of great lizard cuckoos here at Calypso. They were within a few feet of us, and as usual quite tame. The GLC gave us a very nice specimen of his almost human call. And at one point he caught and ate...  a lizard. Jamie agrees with me that this is a really unusual, fascinating bird. Then after this early morning success, he went up to Surfer's Beach (the wind has shifted offshore) and caught some nice, though rather small waves.

Here is his list for today. Note that "south pond refers to Calypso Pond (i.e. the pond south of our causeway) and north pond to the larger pond north of the causeway (not fully visible from Calypso).  Overall in 7 days he saw 61 different species, 15 of them new!

Comments:     Around calypso
23 species

Blue-winged Teal  50     mostly south pond.
White-cheeked Pintail  3
Lesser Scaup  3
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Little Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  1
White Ibis  1     This bird has been associating with glossy ibis for past week on south pond.
Glossy Ibis  1
American Coot  65     Mostly north pond
White-crowned Pigeon  3
Common Ground-Dove  1
Great Lizard-Cuckoo  2
Smooth-billed Ani  5
Gray Catbird  3
Northern Mockingbird  1
Louisiana Waterthrush  1
Common Yellowthroat  1
American Redstart  1
Palm Warbler  4
Prairie Warbler  1
Bananaquit  1
Greater Antillean Bullfinch  1
Indigo Bunting  3

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13180559

Jamie's list for today, almost all seen on or near the ponds around Calypso.

American Wigeon  15     Seen with scope at north side pond at Calypso,  have seen similar numbers past several days.
Blue-winged Teal  75     By far the most plentiful bird on trip so far.
Least Grebe  10     These birds are plentiful, and I was able to get some good shots.
Pied-billed Grebe  4
Great Egret  4     Mostly at ponds on Banks road north of settlement
Little Blue Heron  2     blue morph and white morph
Tricolored Heron  1
Green Heron  3
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  1     Calypso in buttonwood
Glossy Ibis  1     This same bird has been in South pond Calypso 3 days straight.
Common Gallinule  4     Both ponds at Calypso
American Coot  50
Killdeer  10
Ruddy Turnstone  1     seen later at Double Bay
Rock Pigeon  2     In settlement - Palmetto point.
White-crowned Pigeon  3
Eurasian Collared-Dove  3
Common Ground-Dove  2
Smooth-billed Ani  12
Bahama Woodstar  5
Belted Kingfisher  1
Thick-billed Vireo  8     Extremely plentiful and tame. Probably more but this is best estimate as it seems these birds will follow a birder around.  Some would come within feet of me, responded to pishing.
Gray Catbird  2
Northern Mockingbird  3
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Bahama Yellowthroat  2     These seem to love the buttonwood around ponds.  Two birds is not high.
Palm Warbler  7     These can be seen anywhere on Eleuthera, see on beach, around ponds, in villages.
Yellow-rumped Warbler  7     Seen numbers like this consistently for past several days.
Prairie Warbler  1
Bananaquit  8
Black-faced Grassquit  2
Greater Antillean Bullfinch  3
Indigo Bunting  2     Male still not fully blue but almost there.  Hangs out next to Woodstar.

Birding and Fishing at Calypso

My son Jamie is here for the week. He recently became an avid and expert birder. Here is his list for the first full day. Most of these were seen on the grounds of Calypso, but a few were seen along the Banks Rd and at the entrance to the Levy Preserve. See also our old list at http://calypsocalypso.com/birds.htm

In previous stays he has focussed more on fishing. The above image shows a giant bonefish he caught.

American Wigeon  X
Blue-winged Teal  X
Ring-necked Duck  X
Least Grebe  X
Pied-billed Grebe  X
Great Egret  X
Little Blue Heron  X     White morph
Tricolored Heron  X
Green Heron  X
Glossy Ibis  X
Osprey  X
American Coot  X
White-crowned Pigeon  X
Eurasian Collared-Dove  X
Bahama Woodstar  X
Belted Kingfisher  X
Thick-billed Vireo  X
Northern Mockingbird  X
Palm Warbler  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler  X
Prairie Warbler  X
Bananaquit  X     several at hummingbird feeders.
Black-faced Grassquit  X
Greater Antillean Bullfinch  X     Leon Levy pavilion
Indigo Bunting  X