Habaguanex hotel, Old Habana 21 Feb 2014 © Lynn Fomison
We spent our first night in the old quarter of Habana and after a quick visit to the bank in the morning we were on our way to Soroa. Actually it was a rather slow visit as the bank wasn’t open yet and despite this there was already a queue outside. When it did finally open there was a guard at the door letting one person in at a time. But it was a nice warm morning and there were our first endemic Cuban Martins visiting nesting sites on the church on the opposite side of the square.
Soroa - what a beautiful place. The two days that we spent here were not nearly enough to do it justice. We will have to come back here another time! A walk with local bird guide Yoannis produced a few of the commoner endemic birds including Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Blackbird and Cuban Grassquit. Butterflies too were starting to appear and were nectaring on the Ixora hedge although the only one that I managed to identify was Polydamas Swallowtail. When you arrive in a country for the first time it is always difficult to know where to look as there is so much new to see. Yoannis could do a fair impression of Cuban Pigmy-Owl which caused many of the North American warblers, that winter on the island, to show themselves including Black & White Warbler, American Redstart and Worm-eating Warbler.
Hotel Horizontes Villa Soroa 23 Feb 2014 © Tim Norriss
Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon Soroa 22 Feb 2014 © Tim Norriss
Soroa Orchidarium 22.02.2014 © Tim Norriss
Astraptes cassander Cuban Flasher 22.02.2014 Soroa © Tim Norriss
Our driver José and guide Adrian were great fun and good company during our stay. José was a very safe and careful driver and Adrian gave us lessons on Cuban history during our journey. He has studied several languages and English literature.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time to give the butterflies in this area our full attention and the following day the weather was cloudy and rather damp so although we saw some tantalising things like Mexican Sailor Dynamine postverta, Many-banded Daggerwing Marpesia chiron, Antillean Checkered Skipper Burnsius crisia and the endemic Cuban Flasher Astraptes cassander the photographs that I got of all these were far from satisfactory. Luckily Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon was rather more obliging.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time to give the butterflies in this area our full attention and the following day the weather was cloudy and rather damp so although we saw some tantalising things like Mexican Sailor Dynamine postverta, Many-banded Daggerwing Marpesia chiron, Antillean Checkered Skipper Burnsius crisia and the endemic Cuban Flasher Astraptes cassander the photographs that I got of all these were far from satisfactory. Luckily Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon was rather more obliging.
Our walk around the Orchidarium could have been so much better if the sun had shone but we cant wait to go back..
Cuban Peewee 22.02.2014 Soroa © Tim Norriss
Jose and Adrian © Lynn Fomison
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