Puerto Riico in December

[Michael Pancier]

anyone know of any good spots there for birds / landscapes for possible late december visit?

[Raul Quinones]

My favorites birding spots in the Island are Guanica Dry Forest, Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, and Maricao State Forest. This places are great for endemics species,such as Antillean Euphonia and the Tody.
If you have time you may want to visit Vieques, beautiful place.

I normally visit the Island during the last portion of the year and the places mentioned above has been very productive on the past.

Just a warning, Guanica is known for the rough terrain and it could be hot during winter (PR actually has only two seasons wet and dry), be ready for couple miles hikes. The altitude in Maricao and the roads to get there could present a challenge.

For waterfalls El Yunque is a great place... again be ready for medium challenge hikes and rain.

Saludos,
Raul

[Michael Pancier]

My favorites birding spots in the Island are Guanica Dry Forest, Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, and Maricao State Forest. This places are great for endemics species,such as Antillean Euphonia and the Tody.
If you have time you may want to visit Vieques, beautiful place.

I normally visit the Island during the last portion of the year and the places mentioned above has been very productive on the past.

Just a warning, Guanica is known for the rough terrain and it could be hot during winter (PR actually has only two seasons wet and dry), be ready for couple miles hikes. The altitude in Maricao and the roads to get there could present a challenge.

For waterfalls El Yunque is a great place... again be ready for medium challenge hikes and rain.

Saludos,
Raul

Thanks Raul. Do you think I could get good bird shots with a 400? Hiking with a 500 is a bit too much for me.

I'm looking at the week between Xmas and New Year. Is it that hot?

[Raul Quinones]

Mike,
You should be able to get decent shots with a 400mm...
You have a couple factors working against you, birds are not as friendly as in Florida (but again not many places like Florida) and the vegetation is more dense.
During the winter it could be hot (mainly in Guanica), but sometimes I have been lucky due to a cold front.
Maricao normally is colder due to vegetation and high altitude, actually temperatures in winter could get into the high-mid 60 F (temperatures in the 40 has been recorded, but is not normal) on the morning.

There a few people on the Island that organize birding trips, if you interested you should be able to get a few hits from a quick google search ... I never use the services, so I will not be able to recommend one...

Good luck... If you are going to GTG October (Fort DeSoto) and you want more information let me know, I will try to dig more formal info.

Raul