Bonaire's leading naturalist and nature guide, Jerry Ligon, has kindly agreed to let us post a copy of his Bird List for Bonaire on BonaireTalk. It has a lot of information in it, and is therefore too much to include in a BonaireTalk message, but I've gone and created a Web page at http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/BonaireBirdList.html with this information, and the Word DOC file can be found below.

Bonaire Bird List DOC file birdlistmarch01.doc (114 k)

a BIG thanks to Jerry and to Ellen - they have helped make birding Bonaire better. And make us miss the Father that was a Bonaire birding fountain of information!

I did a bird watching trip with Jerry for the first time this trip...it was great! I highly recommend it for any birder visiting Bonaire, easpecially over the next month or so when the migratory birds will be passing thru. In addition for you life listers, he'll tell you where specific birds can be found (areas not covered in the trip).

Jake - Thanks for coordinating a presentation of Jerry's list and many thanks to Jerry for compiling a list and sharing it(for those of us who are not the listing type, but REALLY appreciate others who are :-)
And to Ellen and Linda for all of the great pictures - makes up for my sad little guide to the Birds of Bonaire with only line drawings to identify from...

I have the new "Our Birds" by Dr. Bart A. DeBoer that Ellen talks about. Pictures are in color. It doesn't cover all that the line drawing book does. BUT I have made my own Bonaire bird book using my scanner and a bunch of bird books. Now I have a few new pictures to put in it. I have the old book Ellen mentioned on another heading(but that book isn't always right either.....) Think Ellen should get together her pictures and make a CD or something!

Right on,Peggy.I keep telling her the same thing.

Ellen and others,

This isn't Bonaire based but might be interesting to
birders.

http://www
2.wbtv.com/eaglecam.html

Pretty baby. Thanks GR.

It turns out that the link above is actually to a family of
Barred Owls in a captive setting--thought they were
funny looking eaglets. The eagle eggs in the
nest in the wild did not hatch. The cam name will be
changed. The parent site is the Carolina Raptor Center:

http://www.birdsofpre
y.org/

It includes fascinating stuff about osprey migration that
goes by Bonaire just to the south. Birds from Martha's
Vineyard, MA, wintering on the Orinoco River.

For Kerri and Josie, in particular. The Canadian
Peregrine Foundation--with nest cams around Toronto
and atop the Kodak Tower in Rochester.

http://peregrine-fo
undation.ca/

Last one today--I must do something constructive. I
don't remember seeing a post from Ellen for some time.
????

Kerri,

Have you a new computer and email address?? Your
listed address bounced today.

GR. Nope,just W. being cute , I guess. Sometimes he says 'full', sometimes 'faulty'. Or did you get something still more original? Several other friends did. Think he wants to isolate me from the world. Got a letter going your way. Just was waiting for you to do your 'contructive' whatever. I'll clean his litter box, first.

Glen, thanks for the peregrin falcon link. You can also see the Kodak tower nest webcam at www.kodak.com. The eggs should be hatching anytime. It was absolutely FASCINATING watching the babies hatch and mature last year. It's a great site.

KF, got an 'undeliverable' from the 'Postman'. Tried
again today.

TKS, Josie.

Kerrie,

Getting 'full' today. Computer one of these days?

Thanks very much to Jerry for the birds list. I am visiting Bonaire for the first time next month, and although I plan to spend much of my time in the water, I hope to get in a little birding too. I have found it very difficult to find info on the birds of Bonaire, and this list will help greatly. Any birding suggestions from all of you out there?
Also, I read a couple of postings mentioning bird pictures from Ellen and Linda- are these available somewhere on the site?
Thanks, and I'm really looking forward to visiting.

Water birds - Lac Bai, back side and Cai side, early. Go towards Belnam, turn on the Sorobon road. Turn left at the small windmill (water) towards KonTiki. Go past KonTiki and all along there you can find great spots for birding. Best time? Be set up before sunrise.

Thanks for your info, Barry.

Thomas, read through the threads under the birds of Bonaire, and you will see all kinds of pictures. Lucky you - hope you have a fine time!

I posted a new version of the list on www.oldbonairetalk.com/BonaireBirdList.html. It still needs some adjustments (that will be taken care of in the next couple of days.