Wednesday 22 October 2014

Yellow-billed Cuckoo and little more...

In contrast with the past three weeks, the last two days were extremely calm on Corvo without any significant finding. Moreover, most long-stayers seem to have departed now with only the Black-and-white Warbler relocated today in Ribeira Da Ponte and a few waders still present at the reservoir (Lesser Yellowlegs and 5 White-rumped Sandpipers). The Black-throated Green from Poço de Agua was still seen yesterday morning but not thereafter.

A rather healthy-looking Yellow-billed Cuckoo was reported yesterday evening by Tom Francis in overgrown gardens above Vila Nova, but again it could not be relocated today. Interestingly, Tom's finding raised some hopes among birders that the exhausted bird found two days ago at the western end of the airstrip had recovered, but a comparison of close-up portraits obtained on both dates suggested that yesterday's bird was indeed a different individual.

After the massive departure of birders last Monday and today, the number of birders present on Corvo has now halved with only 10-15 remaining until the end of this week. The wind has been blowing from east over the last days without any change in direction predicted to occur until next Tuesday, so we do not expect any massive arrival of raritees before next week, at which time only a handful of birders will remain on the island.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), 21 October 2014 (Photo courtesy of David  Monticelli)

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