August 2007
Muriel Horacek

 

Thanks for all your Internet info on the birds in Aruba, Jeff and Allison. I lived in Lago Colony 1951-56 when my late husband (Cornell '51) worked at the Exxon refinery. Two of my children were born there. I rented a house on Malmok Beach for the first two weeks of August for a family reunion, as my Aruba kids wanted to see where they were born - and my other two kids (born in Benghazi, Libya) wanted to see what they missed.  There were 19 of us, including three grandkids who are Cornell alums. (I'm a Cornell Lab of O donor.) I didn't really do much birding, since I was busy taking care of my 10-mo. old greatgranddaughter, but at least want to let you know what I saw.

 --kestrel 3 mornings on a lamp post across from our rented house; also saw one near Alto Vista Chapel

--Amer. oystercatcher near Dos Playas

--several ruddy turnstones on dirt road to Calif. lighthouse

--lots of bare-eyed pigeons

--many brown-throated parakeets (which I had also seen in Suriname )

--15 Carib grackles one morning near our house

--bananaquits all over the island

--troupials near our house daily

--black-faced grassquit (F or immature) near house

--2 crested caracara on road to Calif. lighthouse

--surprised to see house sparrows listed as Uncommon since 12-15 were at our house every day, and on the porch and even came on the table while we were eating

--also eared doves, ground doves, mockingbirds, etc. etc.

BTW, the tower at Bubali Sanctuary has some large holes in the platform, dangerous for young children to go up there.

Muriel Horacek, Volunteer Field Rep
Earthwatch Institute (www.earthwatch.org)
 

Jeff and Allison: Muriel, thank you for sharing this with us. We always enjoy hearing about connections such as these!