Birding Vieques's East Side

This little bird has a sunny yellow belly and sings a sweet trilling song. On the wildlife refuge you may see a male drawn to car windows, polished clear coats, and side-view mirrors. No, its not admiring its lovely colors. Its actually trying to chase away what it thinks is an intruder. Once endemic only to Puerto Rico, Adelaide's Warbler have been found breeding in the Virgin Islands.

Another commonly found bird both on the wildlife refuge and throughout the island is the Bananaquit. This little bird with a light grey throat and bright yellow belly loves to eat flower nectar and can often be found fluttering around flowering shrubs. Their population was impacted after Hurricane Maria as plants took many weeks to regrow their leaves and flowering parts.

Puerto Rican woodpeckers like to nest in wooden telephone/ electric poles. Although Vieques is switching over to concrete poles, the wildlife refuge has left the wooden poles to provide habitat for these fascinating birds. As you drive along the east refuge's main road, see if you can spot a woodpecker peeking out of its nest hole or climbing up (or hanging upside down on) the wooden poles.

A large shorebird, the American Oystercatcher is unmistakable for its black and white body with highly visible red/orange beak. The peeping sound of these shy birds will let you know you've come too close, often without you realizing it. Snorkelers off la Chiva beaches captured this photo of the Oystercatchers flying by.

Primarily due to the effects of the pesticide DDT, the Brown Pelican was once listed as an endangered species, but due to conservation efforts, it has made a comeback and is now frequently seen from many of the wildlife refuge shorelines. Weighing around 8lbs, but with a 4ft wingspan, this marvel of engineering and amazing fisher dives head first to capture its lunch. Watching the pelicans dive is a favorite activity while enjoying the VNWR beaches.

These little shore birds can sometimes be found scurrying along sandy or rocky beaches of the wildlife refuge (such as this shore below the Berdiales Lighthouse) searching for food swept along with the sargassum onto the shorelines facing the ocean current.