The COVID-19 protective measures which Bonaire has had in effect have limited the number of visiting birders.  However, Bonaire’s local birders have been out in force throughout 2020 and they have still logged an enviable number of rare bird sightings for the island.

Guest author Peter-Paul Schets already summarized the rare bird sightings for the first half of 2020, but today he speaks about the unusual sightings on Bonaire from July through December 2020.

Brown Noddy

On July 6, Susan took pictures of a Brown Noddy at the southern saltpans. The Brown Noddy is a seabird that is most often seen flying low over the waves of the sea, so it was rather unusual to see it perching in a tree. This individual was recorded until the end of the month and many great pictures were taken of it.

Long-billed Dowitcher

A really difficult one was the Long-billed Dowitcher recorded and photographed by Susan at Salina di Vlijt on August 1. Fortunately, she not only saw the bird but heard it calling as well.  As this bird looks so utterly identical to its short-billed family member, the call gives a much better clue for ID. American experts confirmed its ID, well done, Susan! Actually, there are only a very few confirmed records of this species in the ABC islands. My only one to date (more below) was back on March 24, 2016, an individual that was also calling at Lac.

Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Belted Kingfishers, and Striated Herons

As to be expected, the arrival of autumn meant more migratory birds showed up. On September 16, the first Belted Kingfisher was recorded by Rob Portielje. A nice find by Rob was four Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Lagun on September 18. The few prior records (October 2016 and November 2018) of this species were at the very same location.

A Striated Heron was recorded on several occasions and at different locations (salt pans, wastewater ponds) from September 18 through October 12.

Northern Shoveler

On September 25, Lia Avis found a male (eclipse plumage) Northern Shoveler at the wastewater ponds. This bird was recorded by several birders and stayed through at least October 19. This duck liked to swim together with Blue-winged Teals in Jerry’s Pond but was very wary. Often after being noticed by a birder, it soon flew up and disappeared somewhere into the main pond.

Soras, Bobolinks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and Fork-tailed Flycatchers

In the month of October, Soras were common at the wastewater ponds with sometimes up to ten birds in a loose grouping.

Bobolinks congregated in great numbers at the pond near Washington-Slagbaai National Park’s entrance. On October 13, I counted no less than 325 individuals in one dense flock, which is, as far as I know, the largest number recorded so far for the ABC islands. Normally we can find the highest amount of Bobolinks at the wastewater ponds, but this year only small numbers frequented those fields.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos were seen in small numbers at various locations starting on October 12, and on three different days in October, I saw one or two Fork-tailed Flycatchers at Lac.

The Warbler Hot Spot

Just beside the road to Lac Cai, there were some tiny freshwater pools that acted as magnets for many birds.  Plus, they provided great bird photography opportunities. Many ducks, waders, and passerines used these pools for feeding and bathing. On several days, dozens of Blackpoll Warblers took a bath in these pools together with a few Northern Waterthrushes and a beautiful Prothonotary Warbler. Especially towards dusk, the comings and goings of birds were spectacular. It was Steve Schnoll who had a great find in this spot in the late afternoon of October 17 when a Black-throated Blue Warbler flew in and fed for quite a time in the small bushes around these pools. Unfortunately, these small pools shrank quickly; once these had dried up the birds went somewhere else.

Another Long-billed Dowitcher and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Two other rare birds that I was able to record were another Long-billed Dowitcher on October 12 at Lagun and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Goto Lake on October 13. The dowitcher was resting far away and didn’t call, but I noticed an unusually long bill. The rather poor images which I could take of this bird persuaded American experts, and they confirmed it as the second Long-billed Dowitcher for Bonaire for 2020.