At the end of 2009 we had 10,000 Birds founder Mike Bergin stay at Hotel Mockingbird Hill spending some time discovering how good birding in Jamaica actually is! It is always a pleasure to host guests that have an unquenchable thirst for travel and an insatiable desire to learn more about the natural world. If you are still undecided about whether birding in Portland is for you, we’d like to share some of the links to the various posts that he has written about his stay with us – be careful, they may make you hop on the next plane away from the winter chill!
- Hotel Mocking Bird Hil – Birding in Eco Luxury – “Hotel Mockingbird Hill is undoubtedly one of the finest lodges I’ve had the pleasure to visit. It is also one of the most sustainably-operated. Barbara and Shireen’s commitment to the smallest carbon footprint possible is unimpeachable.”
- The Doctor Bird – “The site is stupendous for Doctor Birds”
- Birding In Jamaica’s Blue Mountains – “When you visit Jamaica (staying at Hotel Mockingbird Hill of course), don’t just stick to the coast; the mountains will truly amaze you.”
- Rafting Down the Rio Grande – “The Rio Grande, wide and shallow with rocky banks, is an ideal location to spy the local waders. Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons appeared around every bend, often intent on spearing a piscine snack.”
- Eager for Ecclesdown Road – “In Jamaica, the birding may very well be best in Portland Parish, the northeastern corner of this gorgeous island. Narrowing our focus even further, the best birding in Portland is reputed to be found on Ecclesdown Road”
- Headman John Crow – “How long has the Headman been ruling the John Crow Mountains?”
- Butterflies & Moths of Jamaica – “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I liked its leps. Jamaica offers predictably potent butterfly watching.”
- The Jamaican Croaking Lizard – “Visiting Jamaica is truly a sensory experience. Not only does one see astounding beauty and feel that warm Caribbean sun, but one also hears every night a collection of chirps, croaks, and hoots that fairly falls between a symphony and a cacophony.”
- Birds of the West Indies – “A superior field guide, with a form factor that lends itself to use in the field while still suitable for untold hours of pleasurable study in anticipation of visits to blue-water beaches attended by Antillean avifauna!”
- Top 10 Birding Moments 2009 – “November“
