About a month after we went to Ecuador we went on a two-part trip down south to beat the cold of Chicago. We flew from Chicago to the U.S. Virgin Islands, then to Florida, and then back to Chicago. We’ve always wanted to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands so we booked an Air BandB on the island of St. Thomas. This was not a “birding” trip but we took time each day to go in search of birds there and ended up with six Lifers. Today I’ll share some pictures of two of the Lifers, the Green-throated Carib and the Antillean-crested Hummingbird.
We had a beautiful view from our Air BandB condo (more on that next week) but it was a condo complex perched on a steep hill so birding around it was difficult. Luckily, within walking distance of our place was a sprawling Margaritaville condo/time-share complex with lots of flowering plants for the enjoyment of its guests. While walking around the area we spotted a Green-throated Carib and two Antellean-crested Hummingbirds feeding on the bright red flowers right next to the sidewalk. I went back to the same spot a couple of times because the location was good for photographing these hummers. Here’s some of the Green-throated Carib:
One day we took our rental car on the car ferry to St. John’s Island (less than 30 minutes away) and drove to Saltpond Beach. It was a beautiful expanse of white sand along Saltpond Bay. Once there we took the Saltpond Trail (not very inventive in their names there) which led to a beach with very rough surf crashing on the rocky beach. On the trail back we spotted a Green-throated Carib and watched it fly into a bunch of reeds. When we peered inside, there was the hummer sitting on a nest! Look how delicate, yet well-formed the nest looks!
Back at Margaritaville (we ate there once for dinner and although they had music blaring the whole time, they didn’t play any Jimmy Buffet) the second hummingbird Lifer I saw there was an Antillean Crested. I saw a male and female there, but only saw it once. Lots of flowers to feed from on the grounds so they were probably making their rounds. First, a male with its beak fully inserted into the flower.
Next, we see the same male as it withdraws its bill from the flower with some pollen still clinging to it.
Off to the side, the female perches for a bit before going off again in search of food.
If you enjoy seeing beautiful pictures of birds from around the world and reading about them Click Here to sign up for our mailing list. Members can post their own GreatBirdPics and learn more about bird photography techniques.
Very nice array!