NINA BONITA RESERVOIR

CUBA

Havana, Artemisa (E)

Lat:  23°02′24′′N 82°29′36′′W, 00 ha, 42 m ()

Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit; anytime (December 2016)

Birding Site Guide

Cuba is a wonderful, cheap country with lovely people and great culture and food and the wildlife is excellent and accessible. This large reservoir: Embalse Nina Bonita, is located 13km W of Havana centre, immediately S of autopista Este-Oeste A4. The immediate towns/suburbs are Reparto Barbosa, Punta Brava and Machurrucutu. It is well worth a stop and the cafe provides huge portions of staple foods and beer for those not driving.

Here were huge numbers of waterbirds principally comprising of Ring-necked Ducks (c.4000), Lesser Scaup (c.2500), Ruddy Duck (c.400), Blue-winged Teal (c.150), American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Shoveler, American Moorhen and one male Cinnamon Teal (a national rarity). In the reeds were Great Blue Heron, American and Least Bittern and a Magnificent Frigatebird flew over.

Trips can be booked through the people I went with, my friends Nick and Lance who run Birding Abroad: Birding Abroad.

Author: BSG

www.birdingsiteguide.com