|  Dominican Republic April 10 - 15, 2001
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Forming part of a wider West Indian trip (Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico),
this leg was the first and longest. The country is a great place to visit and, contrary to various sources, seemingly very safe with an extremely
friendly, if poor, people.
The trip was a success with twenty-four of the twenty-six island endemics being seen, the missing two being the critically endangered Ridgeway's
Hawk and Grey-crowned Palm-tanager (which is only very rarely seen outside of Haiti).
The trip was undertaken with Barry Reed and Mick Ilett.
Weather
Hot and sunny throughout although cool early morning at height. Too hot to bird after about 10am until about 4pm.
Places Visited
Sierra Bahoruco National Park
All of the islands endemics can be found at this one, mountainous, location. The nearest place to stay is in Barahona which is over and hour
away (or over two hours away from the high points). We stayed in the Hotel Guaracuya which was very expensive and of poor quality (but was the
only one that could book us in for four nights). Due to early mornings and late evenings (for Nightjars and Owls as well as La SelleThrush),
we had very little night-time sleep!Despite some confusing gen
, the site is actually quite easy to get to: From Barahona, take the 46 west until Duverge. In Duverge, take the only road south out of town,
which can be found by turning left immediately after a telecommunications office. This dirt road rapidly deteriorates as it gains height and
a four-wheel drive is recommended. Keep on this road, passing through El Aguacate village until you arrive at a T-junction. Turn right and go
past the army checkpoint. This point takes about an hour to reach from Barahona. Further along the road, on the right-hand side, is an obvious
yellow park sign and a small track. This is a good site for the lower elevation species. Continuing along the road you arrive at the village
(more or less just an army checkpoint) of Peurto Escondido near to the Haitian border. Another 4.5km from here, at a campsite, is a good site
for the higher elevation species. Continuing further will take you to a pine forest where the road levels off; we went no further than this.
Boca Chica
This pleasant resort was used as a convenient stop of point near to Santo Domingo airport and was stayed at during our first and last nights.
The last afternoon was spent relaxing on the beach here!
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Itinerary
| 10/4 |
Flight from Heathrow to San Santo Domingo via Madrid and San Juan; overnight at Boca Chica. |
| 11/4 |
Drive to Barahona; Bahoruco; overnight in Barahona. |
| 12/4 |
Bahoruco/Barahona. |
| 13/4 |
Bahoruco/Barahona. |
| 14/4 |
Bahoruco/Barahona. |
| 15/4 |
Barahona area; drive to and overnight at Boca Chica. |
| 16/4 |
Flight from Santo Domingo to Point-â-Pitre via San Juan. |
Birds (84 species, 69 ticks)
Brown Pelican - One at Boca Chica on 10th.
Magnificent Frigatebird - Common around the coast.
Great Blue Heron - One at Boca Chica on 10th.
Cattle Egret - Common.
Red-tailed Hawk - Common.
Swallow-tailed Kite - One whilst driving to Baharona on 11th.
American Kestrel - Common.
Merlin - Female at Bahoruco on 12th.
Helmeted Guineafowl - Four at Bahoruco lower slopes on 12th.
Snowy Plover - One at Bahoruco on 12th.
Willet - A flock at Boca Chica on 10th.
Least Sandpiper - One at Bahoruco on 12th.
Royal Tern - One at Boca Chica on 10th and several there on 15th.
Feral Pigeon - Common in towns etc.
Scaly-naped Pigeon - Common at Bahoruco.
White-crowned Pigeon - At Bahoruco (mid elevation), one on 11th and two on 14th.
Plain Pigeon - Two at Bahoruco lower slopes on 14th.
White-winged Dove - Common.
Zenaida Dove - Common.
Mourning Dove - Common.
Common Ground-dove - Common.
Key West Quail-dove - One at Bahoruco (mid elevation) on 13th.
Grey-headed Quail-dove - One at Bahoruco (mid elevation) on 13th and probably one the following day.
Ruddy Quail-dove - One at Bahoruco lower slopes on 12th.
Hispaniolan Parakeet - Two seen very briefly at Bahoruco on 13th.
Hispaniolan Parrot - Common at Bahoruco (lower to mid elevation).
Mangrove Cuckoo - A probable en-route to Bahoruco on 11th.
Hispaniolan Lizard-cuckoo - One at Bahoruco on 11th and three there on 13th (lower to mid elevation).
Bay-breasted Cuckoo - One heard at Bahoruco on 11th and one seen in flight on 14th (mid elevation).
Smooth-billed Ani - Two and four at Bahoruco on 11th and 14th (lower to mid elevation).
Ashy-faced Owl - One, about 10km south of Barahona on 12th.
Burrowing Owl - Nesting owls occasionally seen on road south of Duverge.
Antillean Nighthawk - Common at relatively easy to see at Barahona (lower to mid elevation).
Least Poorwill - Common at Barohona (lower to mid elevation) with singles seen on 11th and 14th.
Hispaniolan Nightjar - Common at Barohona (lower to mid elevation) with one probably seen on 13th and eventually seen on 14th.
Northern Potoo - One, about 10km south of Barahona on 12th.
White-collared Swift - A flock of around fifty, south of Barahona on 15th.
Antillean Palm Swift - Common.
Antillean Mango - A single female at Bahoruco (lower to mid elevation) on 14th.
Hispaniolan Emerald - Two seen daily at various locations at Barohona from 12th to 14th.
Vervain Hummingbird - Singles at Bahoruco (lower and mid elevation) on 13th and 14th.
Hispaniolan Trogon - Fairly common at high elevation at Bahoruco.
Broad-billed Tody - Common on lower slopes of Bahoruco.
Narrow-billed Tody - Common on upper slopes of Bahoruco.
Antillean Piculet - One seen on lower slopes of Bahoruco on 13th.
Hispaniolan Woodpecker - Common.
Greater Antillean Elaenia - Fairly common at Bahoruco.
Hispaniolan Pewee - Fairly common at Bahoruco.
Stolid Flycatcher - Common at Bahoruco.
Grey Kingbird - Common.
Caribbean Martin - Three at Boca Chica on 10th and several en-route to Barahona.
Golden Swallow - Several seen high up at Bahoruco between the 12th and 14th with a maximum of five birds.
Cave Swallow - Several probables near Santo Domingo on 15th.
Palmchat - Common.
Northern Mockingbird - Common.
Rufous-throated Solitaire - Common at Bahoruco (mid elevation) but elusive with only one bird actually seen on 13th.
La Selle Thrush - One seen at high elevation, Bahoruco, on 14th.
Red-legged Thrush - Common at Bahoruco.
Hispaniolan Palm Crow - A flock of around ten on the lower slopes at Bahoruco on 12th.
White-necked Crow - Two birds seen on the lower slopes at Bahoruco on 12th.
House Sparrow - Common in towns etc.
Village Weaver - One near a Palmchat nest, lower slopes, Bahoruco, on 13th.
Northern Parula - One at Bahoruco lower slopes on 11th.
Magnolia Warbler - One at Bahoruco lower slopes on 14th.
Cape May Warbler - A female at Bahoruco lower slopes on 13th.
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Fairly common on lower slopes of Bahoruco.
Pine Warbler - Common in the pines at the top of Bahoruco.
Prairie Warbler - Singles on 11th and 14th at Bahoruco.
Black-And-white Warbler - Fairly common on lower slopes of Bahoruco.
American Redstart - Singles (two males and a female) on lower slopes of Bahoruco on 11th, 13th and 14th.
Ovenbird - Fairly common on lower slopes of Bahoruco.
Green-tailed Ground Warbler - Fairly common at mid elevation, Bahoruco (though never on the ground!)
White-winged Warbler - Several at Bahoruco (mid elevation) on 12th.
Flat-billed Vireo - One at Bahoruco lower slopes on 13th.
Black-whiskered Vireo - Three and one at Bahoruco lower slopes on 13th and 14th.
Bananaquit - Common.
Antillean Siskin - A single on the 12th at Bahoruco (mid elevation).
Hispaniolan Crossbill - A family party (male, female and two juveniles) in the pines, Bahoruco, on 12th.
Hispaniolan Stripe-headed Tanager - Fairly common at mid elevation, Bahoruco.
Black-crowned Palm-tanager - Common at Bahoruco.
Chat Tanager - One seen at high elevation, Bahoruco, on 14th.
Antillean Euphonia - Singles on 12th and 14th at Bahoruco (mid to high elevation).
Yellow-Faced Grassquit - Two pairs on lower slopes at Bahoruco on 12th and 13th.
Greater Antillean Bullfinch - Two on 12th and singles the following two days, lower slopes, Bahoruco.
Greater Antillean Grackle - One at Bahoruco lower slopes on 14th.
Black-cowled Oriole - One, distantly, at Bahoruco lower slopes on 14th.
Other Wildlife
Bat sp. - Large (wingspan around 30cm) species seen whilst spot-lighting.
Hispaniolan boa - about 1.75m in length, in lowland forest, Bahoruco.
Butterfly sp. - Many sp. of butterfly seen at Baharona and some photographed, including, clockwise from top left: Anetia pantherata,
Aguna asander haitensis, Epargyreus zestos, and Adelpha gelania. Also see Anetia briarea above.
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