First New Bird for St.Kitts in 2022

FIRST NEW BIRD FOR ST. KITTS IN 2022 By Michael Ryan I received a report on February 1, 2022, originating from Glenroy Blanchette via Percy Hanley, that there was a unusual bird in the Cooling Pond on the Frigate Bay Golf Course. So that afternoon, off I went, traveled there after work to search for it. The Pond was absolutely full of birds! Dozens of Blue Winged Teals, American Widgeons, Ring-Necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, Red-shielded and White-shielded American Coots, Pied-Billed Grebes, several Egrets, Herons, Common Gallinules, AND …………. a female Hooded Merganser!!

Wow, that was a new bird for St. Kitts! It was swimming around mostly with the Ring-Necked Ducks, doing its stuff! The female Hooded Merganser is far less colorful than its male counterpart. It generally has a two-toned dark plumage, a slender hooked bill with dull yellow at the base of its beak. It has a very distinguishing crest behind its head. As it was getting dark, I was unable to get any clear pictures, so the following morning I returned to that Pond before 6:30 am and managed to get a few shots! This is an encouraging start to the New Year for first time birds, and hopefully, 2022 will be a great year after the restrictions caused by Covid in both 2020 and 2021!