There was a fruiting tree just outside our room at the Luna y Mares hotel that was attracting lots of birds to feed both in the branches and on the ground below. There were Cuban Green Woodpeckers, Cuban Orioles and Cuban and Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds up in the branches as well as Black-throated Blue, Palm and Cape May Warblers on the ground. I spent twenty minutes just sitting on the ground and waited for the birds to come to me. And there was also Gray Catbird and Northern Waterthrush close by too neither of which I had seen in the gardens before.
Our last visit to the Luna y Mares had been marred slightly by the number of cats in the grounds and in the restaurants scrounging food. We had made strong representation to the staff (as did others) that we would seriously consider not coming here again if they didn't do something about them. It's good to know that they listened to common sense and while we did see just two while we were there they were keeping a very low profile! As a result it was great to see the Grackles, Blackbirds and sparrows back at the outdoor restaurants and that the number of anoles had increased too.
Cuban and Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds 02 Dec 2018 2018 Guardalavaca © Tim Norriss
We took a taxi back to the area near the Taino Indian village and saw lots of butterflies including three Silver Emperor Doxocopa laure, Lime Swallowtail Papilio demoleus, Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea, Mimosa Yellow Pyrisitia nise and a Potrillo Skipper Cabares potrillo.
Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea 02 Dec 2018 2018 Guardalavaca © Tim Norriss
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