Cockpit Country

As we head west along the southern portion of Cockpit Country from Barbecue Bottom Road and Albert Town, we’re noticing a big difference in the amount of aerial insectivores we’re able to see while out hiking every day.

Justin and John on the trail from Windsor to Troy

During our initial excursions into the bush, we were taking densely wooded trails that required constant vigilance of the path in front of us due to shifting stones, twisting roots, and strong ground vines. In some of the worse areas we needed machetes to clear vegetation and big fallen trees, and even when we had time to look up at the skies they were often covered by thick canopy.

By contrast, some of the bigger “roads” we’ve been traveling lately on foot offer much broader views of open valleys and skies, have more sure footing, and are near less forested areas.

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From these types of vantage point we’ve seen many more aerial insectivores, and we think it’s a combination of better visibility and better hunting grounds for the three species we’ve observed: Cave Swallows, Antillean Palm Swifts, and White-collared Swifts.

All photos by Seth Inman