As we wanted an earlier start this morning we didn't run the moth trap last night. Instead we met up with Yasiel's friend Yanier, another guide, who knew the tree that the Escambray Bearded Anole Anolis guamuhaya was living in. We clambered up a steep bank next to the road and did manage to see it though it was quite wary and my pictures were pretty rubbish, so when Yanier said that he had got some good pictures week the before he agreed to let me have them for the website. Thank you Yanier. What fantastic creatures.
Anolis guamuhaya Escambray Bearded Anole 4 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Yanier González Marín
Anolis guamuhaya Escambray Bearded Anole 4 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Yanier González Marín
We pressed on toward the start of the Guanayara trail stopping by the road at 'butterfly corner' as usual. Once again there were lots of things nectaring on the Tournefortia flowers including Antillean Mapwing Hypanartia paullus, 2 Frosty Flasher Astraptes habana, Green Flasher Astraptes talus, Caribbean Sailor Dynamine serina, 2 Silver Emperor Doxocopa laure and a male Oviedo's Swallowtail Heraclides oviedo that spent five minutes chasing a female to no avail.
Oviedo's Swallowtail Heraclides oviedo 14 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
The Guanayara trail starts at the plantation of Campo el Mamey and goes down to a beautiful waterfall and follows the river along to a small restaurant where Chico was waiting for us with the vehicle. Northern Flicker is a permanent resident in the forested areas of Cuba and we watched one for a while as it fed around the base of a tree.
Northern Flicker 14 Jun 2018 Guanayara trail © Tim Norriss
We came across what I thought at the time were two Spanish Flag Anoles Anolis allogus which were amazingly tame and I took pictures with my small compact from a few inches away. But the current literature actually indicates that while A. allogus is fairly widespread across Cuba, it is replaced in the Escambray by a separate species called the Escambray Blue-eyed Anole Anolis ahli. Further study in this group is much needed to clarify the situation.
Escambray Blue-eyed Anole Anolis ahli male 14 Jun 2018 Guanayara trail © Tim Norriss
We have been seeing the Macrothemis regularly over the last few days but I still have to identify the other Odonata that we saw.
Apart from a couple of brief flight views we had only ever seen the Mosaic Colobura dirce once before, so great excitement when one flew and settled on a tree just in front of Yasiel. Further on next to the restaurant we watched another on the ground as it fed on the fallen fruits of a Mountain Apple Syzygium malaccense. This has red pear-shaped fruits and originates from Malaysia and Australia. The flesh is white and surrounds a large seed. The taste is bland but was quite refreshing after the walk. We timed it quite well as we just had time to reach the vehicle before the heavens opened with a big downpour.
Mosaic Colobura dirce 14 Jun 2018 Guanayara trail © Tim Norriss
At the hotel restaurant that evening there were two large Cuban Tree Frogs Osteopilus septentrionalis inside on the windows so Doug caught them and put them outside.
Cuban Tree Frog Osteopilus septentrionalis
RSS Feed