Error during command authentication.

This seems to have become my annual midwinter post from the Caribbean, which I rationalize here only because it features a migrant familiar to all of us. I'm wrapping up an extended trip, first to Puerto Rico, now the Dominican Republic. On Puerto Rico, VCE is midway through Year 2 of islandwide surveys for Bicknell's Thrush, attempting to clarify the species' status there. I had the privilege of spending 10 days with several of PR's top birders: José Salguero, Julio Salgado, Alcides Morales and Fabio Tarazona. Unlike a year ago, we actually scared up a few thrushes, and (of course) had some memorable birding in the process. For anyone interested in more detail, check out this blog post:

http://vtecostudies.org/blog/puerto-rico-scorecard-endemics-17-bicknells-thrush-7/

My week in the DR has been limited to Santo Domingo, where I have few exciting birds to report (a lone Hispaniolan Parrot and a male Cape May Warbler in a city park were notable). I've participated in a series of meetings and discussions with local partners. VCE's efforts in the country continue to focus on Sierra de Bahoruco, a biodiversity-rich mountain range in southwestern DR that provides critical overwintering habitat for Bicknell's Thrushes and is fast losing ground to illegal charcoal production and commercial agriculture. We've reported on this situation numerous times in recent years, as the complex ecological crisis has intensified. We're working closely with a consortium of local conservationists who are determined to turn things around, and I'm pleased to report that momentum appears to be shifting in a positive direction. Increased scrutiny from the international conservation community and the Dominican public (thanks to local media attention) has spurred the Dominican government to undertake a facilitated, collaborative strategic planning process for Bahoruco. The battle is uphill, to say the least - words are cheap, actions too often elusive. But, this represents an encouraging turn of events, and we're all feeling a tempered optimism. I expect to have more positive news to report in the months ahead!

Chris