Well I can honestly say that the day up in the Sierra de Bahorucco at Zapoten lived up to all expectations from the hell-ride up the most uncomfortable trail most of us had ever experienced to the plethora of amazing specialities we layed eyes on. What a day! It began in darkness at 4am when we were picked up in a couple of 4-whell drive vehicles and headed up the horrible road that was more like a dry riverbed littered with boulders and jagged rocks. Not nice! After a couple of hours we stopped when Raphael, our local guide, heard an Ashy-faced Owl calling and we jumped out of the cars and found our second owl devouring a large furry creature in a tree below the track. It didn’t take long from here to get to La Selle Corner and we parked just uphill from that spot. The day had just turned and the horizon was getting slowly lighter but looking down the track in the gloom we waited for any sign of movement. After what seemed like an eternity a bird hopped out into the middle of the track….. “La Selle Thrush” Raphael said but we couldn’t see any details, even through the scope. A few minutes passed and the light got better and we could see an orange-rufous colour on the underparts, and so La Selle Thrush was added to our life lists. But then a second bird appeared on the track – Bicknell’s Thrush. Brilliant!
We started walking down the track but didn’t get far before a burst of activity in the trees next to us revealed itself as Hispaniolan Trogon. Not one. Not two but at least 3 individuals. As we watched these, a Rufous-throated Solitaire was found and the scope views were superb. At one point a La Selle Thrush appeared right next to the solitaire, and then a Hispaniolan/Antillean Euphonia was found, followed by a Greater Antillean Pewee that literally seemed to follow us up and down the track. Returning to the cars we had our picnic breakfast and were entertained with our first Green-tailed Warbler, Hispaniolan Emerald, several Hispaniolan Woodpeckers, and a few previously seen American wood warblers.
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| Green-tailed Warbler |
So continuing our walk uphill we quickly nailed one of our most wanted species, Western Chat-Tanager with a pair moving across the hillside above us. They never came out into the open but we were able to watch them for a couple of minutes. We’d already had brief views before breakfast but they weren’t really tickable so these views were superb. Then the first of a few White-winged Warblers decided to cross the track and skulk close by, allowing everyone to enjoy perfect views eventually, more Green-tailed Warblers showed before we had our first decent looks at Narrow-billed Tody. In fact we saw the tody several times along this section of the track and as we tracked one of them down a Hispaniolan Spindalis was spotted above us – this was one of only two sightings of this species during the whole trip here in Dominican republic. We also saw Antillean Piculet, Black-crowned Palm Tanager, Hispaniolan Pewee, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler and several Cape May Warblers.
But we still had a few birds to find so drove lower to an area of pines where Hispaniolan Crossbill usually resides. We didn’t get any response to the call here so began walking lower, finding our only Antillean Siskin of the trip right beside the road, a brief Hispaniolan Emerald, and eventually we found 3 Hispaniolan Crossbills. Phew!
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| Antillean Siskin |
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| Hispaniolan Crossbill |
Several Pine Warblers were feeding very close to the ground and yet more American wood warblers were seen, with a Loggerhead Kingbird calling in the distance.
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| Pine Warbler |
So we drove lower, targeting Bay-breasted Cuckoo. We stopped numerous times, played the call but failed to get a response. A pair of Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoos came in one time I was playing the other cuckoo’s call, and we did get mind-blowing views of a male Hispaniolan Euphonia and a Loggerhead Kingbird as well but not a lot else. So we decided to return to Villa Barrancoli and walk along the Rabo de Gato trail once again.
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| 'Hispaniolan' Loggerhead Kingbird |
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| Antillean or Hispaniolan Euphonia - you decide...! |
This was a good move as it turned out as we found a few Hispaniolan Orioles feeding in a large flowering tree. Further on a few Hispaniolan Parakeets were spotted feeding nearby, and there was also Stolid Flycatcher, Flat-billed Vireo, Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Broad-billed Tody, Mangrove Cuckoo, Palm Warbler (and several other American wood warblers we’d seen numerous times), and a White-necked Crow. David T also saw a Key West Quail Dove too.
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| Flat-billed Vireo |
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| Greater Antillean Bullfinch |
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| Stolid Flycatcher |
In the evening we headed out to look for Least Poorwill and Hispaniolan Nightjar. In windy conditions we heard both species, and saw a Northern Potoo and a Burrowing Owl.
At the end of the day we’d seen 22 Hispaniolan endemics. Wow!
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