December '22 St Lucia birding update.

Crab plover at the St Lucia estuary mouth.

It’s been an exciting month’s birding in St Lucia with lots of surprises.

Forest birding has been excellent with regular sightings of Green malkoha, Buff-spotted flufftail, Livingstone’s turaco, Narina trogon, Woodward’s batis, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Scaly-throated honeyguide, African broadbill, Tambourine dove, Purple banded sunbird and Rudd’s apalis to name a few. At the forest edge we have enjoyed great sightings of Broadbilled roller, Grey waxbill, African emerald cuckoo, White-eared barbet etc.

The wetlands are still holding a nice variety of waterfowl with highlights being the odd African pygmy-goose, White-backed duck and Intermediate egret.

Highlights on the Eastern shores we have included good sightings of Rosy-throated longclaw, Secretary bird, Denham’s bustard and at night, Swamp nightjar, European nightjar and African Wood-owl. 

The estuary mouth has been on fire with highlights being Crab plover and African Skimmer which are both currently still present. Another local rarity which has been present in the dune scrub to the North of the mouth is a juv. capped wheatear. Other birds regularly seen at the mouth or vicinity of the mouth include Ruddy turnstone, Sanderling, Whimbrel, Greater crested, Caspian, Little, Common & Sandwich tern, African Black oystercatcher, Collared pratincole, Grey & White-fronted plover, Yellow-billed stork, Palm-nut vulture, Osprey, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Rufous-winged cisticola, Southern brown-throated weaver , Sand Martin to name a few.

African skimmer at the St Lucia estuary mouth.