TIBA in Saint Lucia

by Jo Ann MacKenzie

During the last week of November, 2007, a Taiwan International Birding Association delegation traveled to Saint Lucia, West Indies, on a mission of “eco-diplomacy.”  The government of Taiwan will assist the government of St. Lucia in producing a bird book specific to St. Lucia.  At present, the birds of St. Lucia are only illustrated in books on the West Indies.  A Birding in St. Lucia website will be developed to encourage and enhance ecotourism for birding.  Other initiatives will also be undertaken.

            While in St. Lucia, the team, along with Mr. Tom Chou, Taiwan’s Ambassador to St. Lucia, and local guide, Mr. Adams Toussaint, Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, met with the Prime Minister, the Honorable Stephenson King, at his residence in Castries, the capital city of St. Lucia.  Productive meetings were also held with the Hon. Ezechiel Joseph, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Forestry, and Mr. Louie Lewis, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism.

             The team found time for birding lovely St. Lucia under the excellent guidance of Adams Toussaint. The first bird we saw on arrival at Hewanorra International Airport at the south end of the island, late in the afternoon of Nov. 25, was Carib Grackle — we would see many more!  The drive from Hewanorra airport to our base for the week, in Rodney Bay at the northern and more populated end of the island, took 1 ½ hours. 

            The next day, after breakfast at the hotel (Village Inn) where Lesser Antillean Bullfinches foraged in the shrubbery and sometimes on the open-air restraurant tables, we began by visiting the Union Nature Reserve, not far from Castries, the capital city.  Among our first birds there were St. Lucia Warbler, St. Lucia Pewee and St. Lucia Black Finch — three endemics almost immediately.  A large hummingbird, Purple-throated Carib, perched in a tree.  Gray Trembler, Brown Trembler, Black-whiskered Vireo, Scaly-breasted and Pearly-eyed Thrashers, were also observed. Our photographers were kept busy.  Leaving the reserve, we drove into the hills above Desbarras village, where we watched for forest birds at an informal roadside over-look.  Continuing eastward across the island toward Grand Anse, we stopped to coax a House Wren out of the forest.  This wren, the endemic subspecies Troglocytes aedon mesoleucus, is a pale bird and perhaps a candidate for ‘splitting.’  The last stop of the day was at a pond where Masked Duck can sometimes be found, but not that day.

            Very early the next morning, we departed for the Quilesse Forest Reserve, a rainforest that was true to its “rainforest” description, with heavy 10-minute rain squalls about every half-hour.  These mountains offered our best chance for seeing the colourfull, endemic St. Lucia Parrot, and we did — several vocal birds in flight. The parrot represents a conservation success story.  By 1975, as few as 100 individuals survived in the wild, their numbers dwindling due to combined pressures from deforestation and hunting.  The St. Lucia Forestry Department began a nation-wide education program while protecting substantial areas of rainforest, and banning hunting.  The parrot became the National Bird in 1979, the year of St. Lucia’s independence from Britain. St. Lucia Parrot numbers have increased to about 800 since then.   We also saw another endemic in the Quilesse Reserve, St. Lucia Oriole; a Merlin (rare, and a Life bird for our guide, Adams), Crested Antillean Hummingbird, and many Lesser Antillean Swifts.  We walked part of the Des Cartier Trail, where a St. Lucia Parrot perched in a tree overhead, preening after yet another rain squall.  Farther along the trail, we found a Rufous-throated Solitaire.  We ended the day in dry habitat at the south end of the island, where the critically endangered White-beasted Thrasher maintains a precarious existence in shrinking habitat.  That particular spot is near Praslin Bay, just across the road from where the huge Le Paradis Beach and Golf Resort is being constructed.  Unfortunately for some of St. Lucia’s most endangered wildlife, resort and residential development is a major threat.

            We went to Soufrière, on the southwest coast near the Pitons, two ancient volcanic plugs that rise dramatically from the sea.  The Pitons are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  For those with the time and energy, there is a steep hiking trail up Gros Piton, the larger of the two.  At lunch, we watched resident Broadwinged Hawks circle on thermals between the two peaks.  Much nearer to us, two Carib Grackles attacked a large Black Witch moth. The tattered moth escaped and took refuge on a wall beneath some vines where it became almost invisible, blending in with the stones of the wall.  Not far away is Sulphur Springs Park, a “drive-in” volcano, with steaming, bubbling volcanic mud.

            East of Castries and about half-way across the island, near Babonneau village, is Rainforest Skyrides Park. Adventurous folk can hike up a mountain, then ride down on zip lines between forest trees.  We preferred the Aerial Tram, both going up and coming down.  The open-air gondolas seat 8 to10 passengers on a slow, quiet journey 130 feet above the ground, with opportunities for birdwatching and photography, through the oldest mature rainforest in St. Lucia.  When our two goldolas reached the top (elevation about 2,000 feet), we found a network of hiking trails through the forest.  On the ride back down, in beautiful clear weather, we could see the island of Martinique to the north.

            Near the end of our time on St. Lucia, we visited Pigeon Island National Landmark, a cultural monument of international civil, military and maritime events of West Indian historical change, in a natural setting.  Small Caribbean Hermit Crabs Coenobita clypeatus, scuttled about, over rocks and up trees.  Gray Kingbirds, Zenaida Doves, Bananaquits. Tropical Mockingbirds, Carib Grackles and Lesser Antillean Bullfinches were everywhere.  Offshore, Brown Boobies and Brown Pelicans could be seen, and overhead, Magnificent Frigatebirds soared.

            St. Lucian endemic birds can be seen without a great deal of difficulty, except for Semper’s Warbler.  This is (was?) a plain-looking bird of the undergrowth of moist forests at mid-elevations.  It is believed that the introduction of mongooses in 1884, compounded by habitat loss may be responsible for the drastic reduction, perhaps extinction, of the species. Although there have been scattered reports over the past 45 years, here have been no confirmed sightings since 1961. 

            Our visit to St. Lucia was very productive.  Certainly, the island nation has much to offer besides sun, sand and sea.

            The TIBA delegation to St. Lucia was headed by Legislator Tien Chiu-chin.  Other team members included Liao Shih-ching Simon; Tseng Chiu-wen Hank and Wu Ten-di (bird photographers); Jo Ann MacKenzie and Hue MacKenzie (Canada); Tsai Mu-chi, Hsueh Chi-lien, Ross Tsai; Tseng Shu-kai (Liberty Times, Taiwan) and Chun Chin-kan (Formosa TV).  The two photographers stayed in St. Lucia for four weeks, photographing as many bird species as possible.  Writing for the book will be undertaken by Adams Toussaint.

 

 

Text of message by Legislator Tien Chiu-chin to Hon. Stephenson King, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, November 29, 2007, Castries, St. Lucia, W.I.

            “Honorable Stephenson King, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Mr. Jeff Fedee, Press Secretary, friends of the media;

            “First of all, allow me to introduce myself.  I am a parliamentary leader of an environmental NGO in Taiwan.  Nowadays, the issues of global warming and ecology are drawing more and more attention.  As members of the “global village,” I firmly believe that bilateral relations, laying the foundation of environment and ecology, are the best way to reach the next generation.

            “According to the survey conducted by the World Bank, the most booming area of tourism is ecotourism.  It is not necessary to spend a great deal of money on construction.  What is needed is only to preserve the beautiful resource created by God.  It is a gift that there are six endemic species of birds in your beautiful country.

            “The world knows that over the years, Saint Lucia has been successful in increasing the Saint Lucia Parrot (your National Bird since independence from Britain in 1979), from approximately150 individuals in 1976, to 1,000 now.  In Taiwan, we also have had a similar successful experience with some endangered species.  We would like to share our positive experience with our good friend, Saint Lucia.  The purpose of our visit is to collect information for publishing a birding book for Saint Lucia; to build a birding website; to assist Saint Lucia in participation of the Birdwatching Fair in the United Kingdom; and also to arrange advertising to promote Saint Lucia ecotourism in the U.S.A., Canada, and the U.K.  Moreover, we would like to leave one set of birding equipment for a volunteer in Saint Lucia.

            “I firmly believe that this is only the beginning of our cooperation.  It will create a better environment and future for our children.

 

            “Thank you.”

 

 

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TAIWAN JOURNAL

 

Vol. XXIV                     No. 47               November 30, 2007

 

By Edwin Hsiao

 

            A delegation consisting of Taiwanese and Canadian birders left for Saint Lucia Nov. 24, intending to assist the island nation in developing its ecotourism industry.  The team will help Saint Lucia, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, catalog its birdlife, train guides and set up relevant websites.

            A Nov. 24 report by the Chinese-language Liberty Times pointed out that so far, around 170 different kinds of birds have been discovered on Saint Lucia’s 600-square-kilometer island.  Due to such a biological diversity, the government in Castries has embraced the idea of promoting its natural treasures through environmentally sustainable ventures, the report said.

            Phoebe Yeh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Nov. 27 that the ministry’s Non-Governmental Organizations Affairs Committee and Taiwan’s embassy in Saint Lucia have provided some assistance to the group, including helping to arrange its schedule.

            Yeh pointed out that although Saint Lucia is a beautiful country, there is still definitely a lot of room for improvement in the country’s ecotourism industry.  “This is a trend we are advocating, with the idea of helping our allies develop eco-tours to promote their tourism industries,” she said, adding that Taiwan is hopeful that its “ecological diplomacy” will bear fruit for many generations of Saint Lucians to come.

            Legislator Tien Chiu-chin, who is also the chairperson of the Taiwan Sustainable Ecology Society, led the 10-member delegation that included Simon Liao, chairman of the Taiwan International Birding Association (Canada) and Jo Ann MacKenzie, executive secretary of TIBA (Canada).  According to TIBA, MacKenzie is Canada’s bird-watching record holder, having spotted a total of 4,500 species in different regions of the world.

            The origins of TIBA stretch back to July 2003 in British Columbia, Canada, when an association called the International Taiwan Birding Association was founded.  Not until May 2005 was TIBA itself formally registered with the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture in Taiwan as a non-profit organization.  The two associations existed in tandem until March 17, 2007, when they finally merged, with the objective of encouraging ecotourism in Taiwan.

            As part of its efforts to make people aware of the variety of indigenous birds in Taiwan, TIBA launched a campaign this January to get people to vote for a national bird.  Over a four-month period, more than one million votes were cast and it was determined that the Formosan magpie had come out on top, followed by the Mikado pheasant.  The results were forwarded to Taiwan’s lawmakers for consideration.

            Liao and MacKenzie also offer tours around Taiwan, taking birders to numerous locations in the hope of being able to see endemic species, such as the Yellow Tit and the Flamecrest.  In May 2008, they will be leading a tour to the Taiwanese island of Lanyu.

            Diplomatic ties between the ROC (Taiwan) and Saint Lucia were first established in 1984.  Nevertheless, the Caribbean country switched diplomatic recognition from the ROC to the PRC in 1997, eventually deciding to restore ties with the ROC in April 2007.

           

 

聖露西亞賞鳥行     聖露西亞St. Lucia是一個既遙遠又陌生的國度，在期待前往賞鳥的地點名單中，從不曾在腦海裡閃過一絲念頭，即使在報刊或地圖上見過她的名子，也會被歸類成到不了的地方而隨即忘懷；這次能前往賞鳥，算是個不可思議的因緣。     緣於10月18日野柳因橙腹仙鶲及琉球歌鴝而發燒，攝影者的大砲及鳥人在廁所附近擠得水泄不通，我們也前往湊熱鬧，不期遇見多年鳥友廖老師，告知外交部有一協助聖露西亞生態旅遊計畫的外交團，詢問有興趣參加否? 加勒比海地區是一個擁有眾多特有種且個人賞鳥從未觸及的區域，雖然路途遙遠且在當地僅停留五天，還是高高興興的，當場加入賞鳥為主的生態外交團。兩天內聯絡旅行社並刷卡敲定機票。     接下來翻地圖查資料，她位於南北美洲間分隔大西洋與加勒比海的一長串小島-小安地列斯群島的南段，該區有三個我們的邦交國：聖露西亞Saint Lucia、聖文森Saint Vincent and Grenadines及聖克里斯多福Saint Kitts and Nevis。三個邦交國中聖露西亞最大，島嶼面積有616平方公里約台北市的1.5倍大，人口16萬。約在北緯12度屬熱帶海洋性氣候，全年的氣溫均在22~30度(攝氏)之間，分乾濕兩季，冬半年是乾季。     該島於17、18世紀間曾為英法兩強互奪易手達14次之多，19世紀初由英國完全佔領。於1979年宣布脫離英國獨立，為大英國協的一員。與台灣及中國的外交關係亦數度易手，去年聯合工人黨選舉獲勝，今年4月30日再與我恢復邦交。 國家主要財源來自觀光及農產外銷(農產50%以上為銷歐盟及美國的香蕉)。來自台灣的僑胞僅兩位，農技團留下的屏東邱姓夫婦。     本團原本成員六名：由田秋堇立委率團、自由時報及民視記者各一名、廖世卿、曾秋文及吳添地三位(後兩位將停留至12月18日，協助當地鳥類攝影