![fieldguides > Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions! [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-pr2fc2c/0/Ti/Bahamas-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions! [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Our small-group tour seeks out three Bahamian endemics, several Caribbean endemics, a few early migrants, Kirtland's Warbler, and a sampling of West Indian butterflies. Let's begin with one of the northern Caribbean endemics. Thick-billed Vireo, closely related to the mainland White-eyed, is a common (and vocal) resident of the Bahamas; this one was on Eleuthera. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-Gkt6jJ2/0/Ti/IMG_9732-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Our small-group tour seeks out three Bahamian endemics, several Caribbean endemics, a few early migrants, Kirtland's Warbler, and a sampling of West Indian butterflies. Let's begin with one of the northern Caribbean endemics. Thick-billed Vireo, closely related to the mainland White-eyed, is a common (and vocal) resident of the Bahamas; this one was on Eleuthera. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Bahama Yellowthroat is also closely related to a mainland counterpart, and most males, such as this beauty from Abaco Island, show extensive yellow below with a yellow border to the black mask. The border can often show bits of yellow or gray. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-MdVTHf4/0/Ti/IMG_9370-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Bahama Yellowthroat is also closely related to a mainland counterpart, and most males, such as this beauty from Abaco Island, show extensive yellow below with a yellow border to the black mask. The border can often show bits of yellow or gray. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Caribbean Pine woodland is an important habitat within Abaco Island National Park. These pines are found throughout the Caribbean but also in Belize and along the north coast of Honduras.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-Sdg72X8/0/Ti/IMG_9193-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Caribbean Pine woodland is an important habitat within Abaco Island National Park. These pines are found throughout the Caribbean but also in Belize and along the north coast of Honduras.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Another Bahamian endemic, the sleek and fork-tailed Bahama Swallow. In late March, this species had already returned to Abaco Island in good numbers. Its winter movements in the Bahamas are poorly known.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-KJf84j8/1/Ti/IMG_9198-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Another Bahamian endemic, the sleek and fork-tailed Bahama Swallow. In late March, this species had already returned to Abaco Island in good numbers. Its winter movements in the Bahamas are poorly known.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Our hotel on Abaco Island, Bahamas, a comfortable option with good birding nearby.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-HTndQpt/0/Ti/IMG_9044-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Our hotel on Abaco Island, Bahamas, a comfortable option with good birding nearby.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > The Red-legged Thrush, here of the nominate race plumbeus, is fairly common on Abaco Island. Note the solid black throat and uniform gray underparts which help separate it from other island populations; the species ranges widely in the Greater Antilles. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-kQCVCfP/0/Ti/IMG_9052-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > The Red-legged Thrush, here of the nominate race plumbeus, is fairly common on Abaco Island. Note the solid black throat and uniform gray underparts which help separate it from other island populations; the species ranges widely in the Greater Antilles. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > As is often the case with island populations of widespread continental birds, the resident American Kestrel (sparverioides) looks different on the Bahamas: it's much paler below than mainland birds, which are uncommon migrants to the Bahamas.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-f4sgqpC/1/Ti/IMG_9063-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > As is often the case with island populations of widespread continental birds, the resident American Kestrel (sparverioides) looks different on the Bahamas: it's much paler below than mainland birds, which are uncommon migrants to the Bahamas.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > A Cuban Pewee, shared with the Bahamas, on Abaco Island.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-NCtJ4fQ/0/Ti/IMG_9098-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > A Cuban Pewee, shared with the Bahamas, on Abaco Island.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > A major highlight of Bahamas birding is finding the Cuban Parrot, currently lumped into one species ranging from Cuba to the Caymans to the Bahamas. It will likely be split and, if so, the Bahamian subspecies will be called Bahama Parrot. These Bahamian birds have extensive white in the face and rose on the throat, and their calls are also the most distinctive among the different populations.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-PqLCrn8/1/Ti/IMG_9105-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > A major highlight of Bahamas birding is finding the Cuban Parrot, currently lumped into one species ranging from Cuba to the Caymans to the Bahamas. It will likely be split and, if so, the Bahamian subspecies will be called Bahama Parrot. These Bahamian birds have extensive white in the face and rose on the throat, and their calls are also the most distinctive among the different populations.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > Having seen the parrot, what better place for a group photo than below the big Bahama Parrot on Abaco Island!
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-wXzW8SP/0/Ti/IMG_9473-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > Having seen the parrot, what better place for a group photo than below the big Bahama Parrot on Abaco Island!
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > The Bahama Mockingbird is found both on Abaco and Eleuthera but prefers more wooded areas than the Northern Mockingbird, which is common in the Bahamas.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-fTGczBq/0/Ti/IMG_9160-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > The Bahama Mockingbird is found both on Abaco and Eleuthera but prefers more wooded areas than the Northern Mockingbird, which is common in the Bahamas.
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > In addition to the great variety of resident species, numerous migrants pass through or spend the winter in the Bahamas, including a variety of warblers, such as (clockwise from upper left): Northern Parula, "Western" Palm Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler (mainland subspecies)...
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-sR88WDV/0/Ti/Warblers2_JF-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > In addition to the great variety of resident species, numerous migrants pass through or spend the winter in the Bahamas, including a variety of warblers, such as (clockwise from upper left): Northern Parula, \"Western\" Palm Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler (mainland subspecies)...
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > ...and Cape May Warbler (female and male at top), Black-and-White Warbler, and American Redstart. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-xL64Bk6/0/Ti/Warblers1_JF-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > ...and Cape May Warbler (female and male at top), Black-and-White Warbler, and American Redstart. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
![fieldguides > A warbler highlight was again finding a wintering Kirtland's Warbler on Eleuthera Island. Here's our unbanded, female Kirtland's Warbler on Eleuthera Island in early April. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-kHKsjGc/1/Ti/IMG_9634-Ti.jpg "fieldguides > A warbler highlight was again finding a wintering Kirtland's Warbler on Eleuthera Island. Here's our unbanded, female Kirtland's Warbler on Eleuthera Island in early April. [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions!
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]
![fieldguides > Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions! [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]](http://fieldguides.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Bahamas-2010/i-pr2fc2c/0/M/Bahamas-M.jpg "fieldguides > Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions! [Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]")
Guide Jesse Fagan brought the Bahamas back into our schedule in 2009. Earlier this spring, he returned with our 2010 group for a tour around the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, key to seeing all the Bahamian birding highlights. Enjoy his photos and captions!
[Photo © guide Jesse Fagan]
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