Weather permitting, it's a good time to go to the beach (the weather has been fine and breezy, with rain showers gone and Hurricane Beryl becoming a rather more distant memory).
If you are heading to the coast, and if you do possess them, take a pair of binoculars! What is that little bird running up and down like a clockwork toy along the water's edge? What are those plump, blotchy brown and white birds, pecking away at a clump of sargassum seaweed? And that elegant, long-legged white bird, stirring up the mud with its feet as it looks for nice tasty crabs to eat?
I have hinted at a few bird species there! If you follow BirdLife Jamaica's programme of shorebird events this month (see below), you might well be able to identify them - and not only give them a name, but learn more about their amazing ways. For example, did you know that many of our shorebirds are migratory? Moreover, some - like the American Oystercatcher - may be just "passing through" on the way to or from Cuba or Florida. You may spot rarities, especially at this time of year when these fascinating birds are on the move. Others you will find year-round, but their numbers are usually increased during the winter months by migrants.
Shorebirds can be very tricky to identify. Is this a... Black-bellied Plover strolling on the beach at Port Royal? (Photo: Ian Gage)
And sometimes you may see them in odd places. Here's one photographed by Kahlil Francis: a Black-crowned Night-heron precariously perched on a wire, above a water gully. Wherever there is a temporary puddle or pool of water, you may find shorebirds like the Glossy Ibis, foraging for insects in the water - look out for them on the University of the West Indies campus in Mona. Yes, there are urban, or semi-urban shorebirds, too!
Video screenshot of the Black-crowned Night-heron doing a balancing act.
If you want to do some homework, there are excellent resources available from BirdsCaribbean - videos, downloadable ID cards, webinars, and more. While the official World Shorebirds Day (September 6) has passed, BirdLife Jamaica will keep the focus on this amazing and diverse group of birds throughout the month, with a fabulous coastal birding trip planned for Sunday, September 22. Please note in your diary and await further details!
There are many threats to shorebirds, right across the Caribbean, and these are the expected ones: destruction of habitats - the places where they live (wetlands and beaches, anywhere along the coast) through unplanned (or planned) development. Pollution of all kinds - including solid waste either dumped or washing up on the shore, and chemical runoff from agriculture and industry - is another existential threat for shorebirds.
So when you are going out to do a beach clean up later this month, you are cleaning up for the shorebirds, too! They will appreciate it.
Since many shorebirds are migratory, they will return to their regular spots every year, perhaps en route to somewhere else; many of these stop off points have been disturbed or disappeared altogether due to developments. It's like an airplane that regularly does a layover at a particular airport, only to find that the airport is closed and it has to move on somewhere else - perhaps in danger of running out of fuel.
Shorebirds can run out of fuel, too. Many fly very long distances. And on top of all that there are the rapidly evolving impacts of climate change.
Shorebirds come in different shapes and sizes. (My photo taken at Yallahs Salt Pond in 2019).
BirdLife Jamaica is planning three special events for September. Shorebirds are the focus! We do hope you will be able to join us, and learn more from our experts, both online and out in the field (warning: it may be muddy...) Further details on registration, etc. to follow but please mark your calendars! If any questions (or if you would like to become a member?) please email us!
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