Icacos Swamp 2009.07.12

Highlights: Muscovy Duck, Red-bellied Macaw

A last minute decision to make a trip to Icacos netted some unexpected results today. We left home relatively late, arriving at Icacos Swamp, Icacos at 6:45am just in time to see a flock of nine Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata) making their way deeper into the mangrove waterways.

The band of eight females/immatures was led by an adult male (red caruncles, crest/head shape and wing forewing, dark patch on bill noted). It is curious that I had previously seen 3 Muscovies here in Sept 08. Additionally, W. Murphy in his book “A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Trinidad and Tobago”, noted that Muscovy Ducks had been seen here as well. Perhaps the Icacos Swamp is a regular destination for these birds?

Another good sighting was of a flock of 8 Red-bellied macaws seen near the Los Blanquizales Swamp. I have on occasion seen wandering flocks of these small macaws as far south as Penal before, but this now becomes the furthest south I have seen them (and you can’t get much further south than Los Blanquizales). I assume this means that a population of macaws exists in the Los Blanquizales Swamp (where the Moriche Palm is present). Also of note were numerous breeding Black-necked Stilts, a yellow breasted crake and 4 White hawks.