Puerto Rico Cliffs

Florida provided me with a great starting destination for many tropical vacations.  During my 6 years in the state I jet-setted to the Bahamas, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica but Puerto Rico was something special.  It's an easy to visit destination without the need of passports and you don't see the military presence that many other vacation destinations provide.  I know they were keeping the peace but having armed military patrolling the park with an AK-47 put a damper on the relaxing part of vacation.  Also the people in Puerto Rico are friendly, the food is pretty delicious, and there's Puerto Rican rum everywhere.  I would love to have a Painkiller on Vieques about now.  Let's not forget the great birding opportunities.  And if a Puerto Rican Tody isn't enough to bring you there, check out the scenery:

I guess you could say I'm missing Florida a little right now but Colorado isn't so bad. Later this week I'll post some photos of Rocky Mountain National Park and it definitely rivals Puerto Rican cliffs for beauty.

Puerto Rico Dreaming

It seems like yesterday that we were in Puerto Rico.  I have grown rather fond of the island and next time I do want to explore more of the western area.  Of course I can't imagine visiting without a little trip to the rainforest and the waterfall pools.  I hope you've enjoyed the PR posts, my next trip up is to visit my mom in the North Carolina mountains at the end of the month.  Until then, may the migration goddesses bless us in South Florida.  I have Bird A Day pursuits to continue!

Taking Mom to the Waterfalls

My mother is one of my biggest supporters, a dear friend, and someone whom I love very much.  So when I invited her to join Emily and I in Puerto Rico this year I was delighted when she said yes.  Of course I was a little apprehensive of her hiking but I had faith that she could get down the mountain and enjoy the waterfalls.

My mom was in a car accident a couple of years ago that has left her with a few nuts, bolts, and a metal plate which restricts her foot mobility but she navigated the switch backs with her trusty cane.  I thought she was quite inventive and I'm glad to say didn't suffer any injuries on the way up or down.

It was great to travel with my mom and I'm proud that she made it down to the falls.  It's always nice when you can share a beautiful place with someone you care for and admire.  Mom, you're my hero.  Thanks for being a great travel companion. 

Puerto Rican Spindalis

From our balcony we had splendid views of many of the Puerto Rican endemics.  I was very lucky to take a few shots between a parent and young Puerto Rican Spindalis.  The parent bird caught some sort of insect and offered it to its young.  In the photo below you can see the exchange.
 

The Puerto Rican Spindalis is a striking bird and considered by many Puerto Ricans as their national bird.  It can be found in the mountains of the rainforest to the plantations.  Last year I saw it only once so this time around I really enjoyed getting a much closer inspection.  If you're thinking of a quick trip (2 hour flight from Miami) to see some nice tropical birds then I highly suggest giving Puerto Rico a try.  The people are friendly, the rainforest is lush and beautiful, and the birds will delight you.
 

Birding in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Tody

A year ago I went to Puerto Rico for the first time with Emily Lark. We spent time birding with a local, couchsurfing, spending a few nights in the rainforest, exploring Vieques, and roaming the streets of San Juan. It was a perfect trip but out of everything, we really wished that we had more time at El Yunque, the rainforest.

Flash forward to a year later, and here we are on our second trip to the tropical island. This time we decided to spend all of our time in El Yunque and we would invite guests. My mom and her friend Ms. Sylvia joined us for the adventure. It was great being back at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge. They have the best breakfast spread of fresh fruit and the views are perfect. Mountains and waterfalls and tropical birds, I couldn't ask for more.

Puerto Rican Bullfinch

Each morning we would bird off the deck from our room. Some pretty spectacular birds showed up there like the Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, and a very friendly pair of Puerto Rican Emeralds. On one occasion the emerald flew right into our bedroom while Emily was reading on the bed.

We also had some nice birds while exploring the area. On the road into the National Park we got killer looks of the PR Bullfinch. I managed to catch a quick photo seen above. We also had great looks at the Puerto Rican Tanager and Puerto Rican Tody on this road as well.

Scaly-naped Pigeon seen from the deck.

The only bird we missed this time around was the Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo. Such a cool bird but we'll see it again I'm sure.

It was great to be back birding on familiar ground but also be excited by the common birds. I spent countless hours watching Scaly-naped Pigeons this trip. They literally seemed to be everywhere in El Yunque. And even though I only squeaked out one lifer this time around, Plain Pigeon, the birding was awesome.

More Puerto Rican posts to come, once I'm done editing hundreds of photos.

Coqui!

One of my favorite parts of Puerto Rico is the incessant call of the Coqui each night. As soon as dusk falls the coqui come out of hiding and give a full chorus, even in the city. But at the rainforest, they are loud and comforting and perfect.


The Coqui give an enchanting call and round out the perfect Puerto Rican experience. If you're visiting the island, you will never forget the little Coqui with the big sound.

Puerto Rico Mornings

I love waking up in a rainforest on a tropical island.  Unfortunately, vacation is over. A full trip report will be up soon.

Puerto Rico, Here I Come!

In just a couple of days I will be heading back to Puerto Rico. As some of you may remember, I visited the island just last year, this same week for spring break. If you haven't checked out the posts they can be found here. They detail my 26 lifers and all the places we visited.

This time around I am just going back to El Yunque to the lovely Casa Cubuy to swim in waterfalls and enjoy the cool air of the cloud forest. I really loved that portion of the trip and now I'm heading back with EmilyLark and this time with my mother and her friend. We are going to have a grand adventure. I can't wait what birds I will discover and what new sights we will see. I wish it was an all week trip, but I have to save my days for this summer when we head to Panama. Check back in another week to see the highlights of El Yunque.

Last year, this Bannaquit serenaded us each day outside our window.

Goodbye Puerto Rico

This concludes the series of Puerto Rico posts. I want to thank EmilyLark for inspiring me to go on this trip and being an excellent travel partner. Also, I want to thank the people in Puerto Rico. Everyone we met across the island was very kind and generous.  Special thanks to our hosts at Casa de Amistad for giving us a car to explore Vieques, our Couchsurfing hosts while in San Juan, and of course for all the fine accommodations at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge.  I hope to return to Puerto Rico one day and continue my adventures there.

Puerto Rico Bird Tally

 

Above are a couple of photos taken by Emily while we were birding with Ana in Puerto Rico.  Our complete bird tally is below in order of seen on the trip (repeats for common species will be found on the lists).  Each day has my species total.  Life birds are in bold.

17April2011

Great Egret, White-winged Dove, Greater Antillean Grackle, Bannaquit, Gray Kingbird, House Sparrow, Zenaida Dove, Rock Pigeon, Shiny Cowbird, Pin-tailed Wydah, Black-faced Grassquit, Carribean Martin, White-crowned Pigeon, Killdear, Northern Mockingbird, Red-legged Thrasher, Troupial, Common Ground-dove, Puerto Rican Tody, Northern Parula, Adeleide's Warbler, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo, Antillean Mango, Puerto Rican Vireo, Smooth-billed Ani, Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Oriole, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Brown Pelican, Ruddy Turnstone, Roseate Tern, Bridled Tern, Cattle Egret, White-tailed Tropicbird, Snowy Egret, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tricolored Heron, Common Moorhen, Great Blue Heron, Cave Swallow, Pearly-eyed Thrasher

18April2011

Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Banaquit, Rock Pigeon, Black-faced Grassquit, Red-tailed Hawk, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto-rican Screech-owl, Shiny Cowbird

19April2011

Scaly-naped Pigeon, Puerto Rican Oriole, Banaquit, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Emerald, Gray Kingbird, Puerto Rican Tanager

20April2011

Green Mango, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Oriole, Banaquit, SNPI, Gray Kingbird, Shiny Cowbird, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Laughing Gull, Greater Antillean Grackle, Great Egret, House Sparrow

21April2011

Rock Pigeon, Brown Pelican, Greater Antillean Gracke, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Roseate Tern, Banaquit, Magnificent Frigatebird, Great Blue Heron, Antillean Nighthawk, Black-faced Grassquit, Gray Kingbird, Nutmeg Manniken, Carribean Elania

For a non-birding trip I had a few lifers each day and many repeat looks at some of the endemic species.  A total of 26 lifers, and yes I am counting those exotics that are breeding there.  It was a perfect trip and I would go back in a heartbeat, especially to Casa Cubuy Ecolodge.  I would love to swim in the waterfalls again and see endemic Puerto Rican specialities while doing it!

Puerto Rican Parrot

The endangered Puerto Rican Parrot, eluded me in the rainforest but honestly, I didn't search very hard.  I went on this vacation for a little relaxation and fun, so birding was just the icing on the cake.  I must admit, many of my hours were spent looking at birds or for them but the main agenda was to have fun swimming, hiking, and taking in the new sights with EmilyLark.

I did however learn a few things about the Puerto Rican Parrot while on my tropical vacation.  Amazona vittata is the only parrot species to still be found on the island and it's endemic to Puerto Rico.  In 2006 the population was estimated at 40 individuals.  The widespread loss of the species was mostly due to habitat destruction and other human associated issues.  A captive breeding program has helped replenish the small stocks.  The poster above that I found in San Juan discusses the successes of the program so far. 

This U.S. endangered species and IUCN critically endangered species seems to be in a battle for its survival.  While I know that the Luquillo Avairy and Iguaca Aviary are doing all it can to re-establish the population, it's still a fact that only a small number remain in the wild.  One day I hope to return to Puerto Rico and find my lifer parrot thriving but until then, I do hope that this species is given another chance to survive in our human-altered world.

Dungeon Art

Down in the depths of El Morro were the dungeons.  The dark, damp walls were etched with prisoners names but more impressive was the art left behind.  In this cell, a long narrow stretch of a prison, a captive drew ships on the walls.  They were intricate and beautiful.  I marveled how time seemed to stand still in the confines of this dark fort.  I am sure the dungeons hold many tales that we will never know.

Puerto Rico is full of life and history and beautiful landscapes.  If you have never been I urge you to go and see for yourself. 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan to me was clean streets and colorful buildings,

flags of our country and of the island,

and vistas that made me think I was in the perfect tropical location.

Even the forts and towers were a mixing of worlds

with some parts built hundreds of years ago and others added during new wars and conflicts.

The people of Puerto Rico were so welcoming and happy.  The old and young could be found flying kites in the crosswinds. I wanted to join them.

And around every corner of San Juan I was dazzled by the architecture, the people, and even in this urban setting, the birds like the Gray Kingbird below that blends perfectly in with the slate gray walls of the castle.

Puerto Rican Food and Beverage Tour

Many vacations center around the destinations: the beach, the rainforest, the birding spots, but one of my favorite parts of traveling to a new place is trying the new foods and drinks.  We sampled all that Puerto Rico had to offer and we came away with a lot of winners and only a handful of items that we didn't like very much.  I'll outline a few of the highlights below:  

The beer in Puerto Rico was always cold and delicous.  Now I can't say that it was some special microbrew or anything exotic but it always did the trick and satisfied a thirsty traveler.  In our hotel we had little micro cans of Coors, the national drink of the Puerto Rican olympic partner but mostly we drank Medalla while we were out.  Medalla is a good beer if you're looking for something simple and cold, this is like the light lagers of most Caribbean islands.  

The food was hearty and delicious.  I was always happy with the rice and meats but the beans were where the magic was at.  Those slow cooked beans that seemed like they had simmered for days were the best part of each meal.

The Mayo Ketchup condiment was found at every table.  Strangely I do not like mayo or ketchup but when combined it was like heaven on every meal.  I don't know what happened to me and once I found out that this delicious condiment was a combination of two things I disliked I was mortified.  Plus, who wants to admit that they put this on every meal.  Emily and I ate this condiment readily until one day we were at the grocery store and learned the truth about the pinkish sauce.  Oh Mayo Ketchup, it was nice knowing you but we can't be friends anymore, even if you do add garlic and make things taste better.

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was the drink you see below, yes that's a Painkiller and while on Vieques Emily and I consumed our fill of them.  Do you see that brown grated material on top, that's nutmeg and let me tell you, it's soooo delicious.  I could drink these every day of my life. 

Yuca chips and beer, I think this was our lunch one day on the beach.  It was better than you can imagine.  I've had chips like this before but never were they so crunchy and salty and perfect with an ice cold one.  Just seeing the photo below reminds me of blue ocean waves lapping on the shoreline and the taste of salt in my mouth.

When everything is going peachy you feel like you can try anything and it will be perfect but the Coco Rico was far from perfect, it was down right terrible and after 3 sips I sadly threw it away.  I know, a perfect waste of money but you couldn't pay me to drink this super sweet concoction.  Luckily, this was one of the few misses of the trip.

On our last day in San Juan I may have taken a few years off of my life by consuming the super-meaty tripleta sandwich.  It was divine and horrible all at once.  With each bite I thought my arteries were clogging but oh, I loved the triple meat sandwich with crunchy little shoestring chips ON the sandwich.  Yes, it was an extravagance but worth every morsel.  

The Horses of Vieques

While at Sun Bay in Vieques we were delighted to have a horse trot along the shoreline.  Behind her a young colt was following behind.  At some point the adult walked ahead and left the colt.  I'm not sure what the colt was doing but once it realized it was left it ran by in a dash.  I could only catch a glimpse at the young horse struggled to keep up with its parent. 

The horses are descendents of earlier European settlers and roam the island freely.  We saw them on the sides of the road, on the beach, and even eating on the small mountain slopes.  I'm sure these feral horses do have a negative environmental impact but I will say it's interesting to see them while traveling around the island.  Even though I am not a big fan of exotic species taking over, I am sure these horses have been around for many generations and somehow they have fit into the landscape.  Plus, the locals do use them for transportation.  Emily and I saw at least 2 or 3 guys riding horses that looked like they must have been wild at some point. 

The small island off of Puerto Rico is a nice place if you're looking for quiet beaches and little commercialization.  The island doesn't have any red lights and only a few traffic laws that we could tell.  I will admit that the roads are a bit bumpy and many of them are unpaved so an adventuresome spirit is needed when driving around.  Maybe one of these days I'll even tell you about how we almost took our vehicle off the side of a little cliff.

Vieques Panorama

Sun Bay Beach, Vieques

On the first full day on Vieques Emily and I hailed a cab, by a sassy lady driver, and headed to the opposite side of the island.  Once in Esperanza we walked to Sun Bay Beach where we enjoyed a day swimming and basking in the perfect hot weather.  Click on the photo above to get a better view of the beach!

Birding El Yunque and Beyond

Our next stop in our Puerto Rican journey took us to El Yunque, the rainforest.  On the way we stopped at the Farjardo Inn to catch a glimpse of a hummingbird or two.  We were lucky to catch a very messy Antillean Crested Hummingbird in the parking lot.  After our hummer we drove up, up, and up into the cloud forests of El Yunque where we found our accomodations at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge to be just the thing for two road weary travelers.

El Yunque is a beautiful oasis in Puerto Rico.  We were lucky to be staying on the northern side of the island and away from the masses of people at the National Park entrance.  Instead we found quiet and solitude.  We spent our days swimming in beautiful pools near the waterfalls of two rivers Rio Sabana and Rio Cubuy. 

We also found a few birds along the way.  While eating at the local Casa Cubuy resturant we heard the Puerto Rican Screech-owl.  The next day we watched Scaly-naped Pigeons fly around the mountains as we ate our breakfast.  Below is a very rough photo of my lifer Puerto Rican Emerald that Emily and I found near the waterfalls.  Can you find it?  It's just a dark shape in the green foilage but it was a nice hummer and it gave it great looks.

Another Puerto Rican specialty, the Puerto Rican Tody came within feet  of us each day as we descended the switchback trails that led to the waterfalls below our ecolodge.  In the photo below you can see the bright green back of this cute endemic bird.  This little lollipop of a bird has a bright red throat and a white belly. 

Outside of our door each morning we were serenaded by Bannaquits.  This one was trying to find a mate.  We even had the chance to watch some nest building while we were there.  Needless to say, I could've stayed at Casa Cubuy forever.

Our time at El Yunque came to a close and we skipped a plane to Vieques.  Here we picked up two more lifers for my trip: Carribean Elania and Nutmeg Manniken.  More posts are coming about Vieques.  This was our beach portion of the trip and you better believe I will have a few posts about the tropcial blue-green waters.

From Vieques we stopped once more at the main entrance of El Yunque but the crowds of people and cars lined up was not the cloud forest that we had remembered so we only stayed a short time.  We did have more looks at the Pearly-eyed Thrasher (seen above).

On our last day in Puerto Rico we toured the two national parks inside the city, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal.  At El Morro we found a very cooperative Caribbean Martin.  I had seen this bird on the power lines my first full day birding but it was nice to get looks at it without a freeway of cars zooming by.   

San Juan was a beautiful walking city and despite the heat it was lovely spending the day taking in the sights and sounds.  Plus those Martins cruising outside El Morro didn't hurt either.  I'll have more photos of San Juan if you're interested in the historical side of things. 

Next week I'll post a full list of all the birds we found in Puerto Rico!