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With a great number of personal and professional changes over the past 20 or so months, I haven’t been birding for well, ever. Finally, however, the dust and smoke have cleared somewhat, and we were able to take a family trip to a dream destination, one we’ve wanted to visit for many years – the southern Caribbean, an ABC cruise itinerary to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Along the way, I took flight with birding again, with my best binoculars and the perfectly appropriate Birds of Aruba, Curacao, & Bonaire field guide that has sat unopened on my shelves for far too long (so long that it is, unfortunately, out of print).

While the cruise aboard Carnival Celebration wasn’t as enjoyable as we’d hoped (a very long story with 20+ years of cruising experience behind it), the destinations were phenomenal. Most phenomenal was the birding, which I wasn’t even planning. To be honest, I packed the binns and field guide more as an afterthought rather than an expectation.

Seven lifers later, I’m so glad I had packed both.

The excitement began on the second day of the cruise, as the ship rounded the eastern end of Cuba and headed further south. A flock of boobies was pacing the ship during dinner that evening, soaring and diving as they fished. While I’ve seen boobies regularly on cruises before, these birds were close and offered spectacular views between bites of warm chocolate melting cake. One view differed, however, and despite only a fast flash of a glimpse, the bird’s fully white body and black face were so distinctive – a masked booby, rather than a brown booby. What a treat to finish dessert!

Aruba was the first port of call, and while I was less than impressed with the destination – overhyped, I think, though admittedly lovely – I managed to snag a very bold and no-nonsense lifer, the tropical mockingbird. While the bird is more plain than its northern and Bahama cousins, this does complete my triad of the three most northern mockingbird species, so I felt very accomplished and satisfied with great views of a great bird.

The next day it was on to Bonaire, where we enjoyed a lovely historic walking tour of the capital as well as a local craft and art fair. Along the way, two more lifers flew onto my list – the eared dove, which if you didn’t know better, you’d easily mistake for a mourning dove, as well as the glorious ruby topaz, which I spent quite some time watching feed from flowering trees and bushes along the main streets. Such a looker, and well named for his fiery color!

Our last destination was Curacao, a lifelong dream of mine to visit thanks to the stunning book by Theodore Taylor, The Cay, which I first read over 35 years ago and continue to reread nearly every year. While birds weren’t as much on my mind for this beautiful island – I was much more enamored with the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, a key feature in the book – it was here I’d see three more lifers as we explored the city (after all, I had to cross that amazing bridge!) and visited a local nature preserve.

First, and most unexpected, the bare-eyed pigeon made a bold appearance in a tiny park. While pigeons are to be expected in any urban area, this bird’s astonishingly bold spectacles made it a simple and satisfying identification. Just moments later, another stunner zipped into an adjacent tree – the Venezuelan troupial, unmistakable in its bold orange, black, and white coloration. Finally, a little fluttering nearby highlighted yet another colorful bird, the saffron finch with its sunny yellow plumage dusted with a bit of gray.

Each lifer was a glorious find, unexpected treasures that have reminded me just how lucky we are to live in a world with so many beautiful birds to see, and how lucky I am to be able to travel to see them – even without plans to do so. And these aren’t even the only birds I was able to enjoy – there were positively hordes of noisy and precocious bananaquits (my favorite tropical species), stately brown pelicans, sneaky green herons, plentiful snowy egrets and cattle egrets, a non-plussed tricolored heron, some unidentified parrots, and gulls galore.

What a trip. A wonderful family getaway, and lifers to boot, despite not being a dedicated birding trip. This has so clearly reminded me of the firm universal truths of Be Your Own Birder – go birding in your own way, in your own time, and the birds will be there. Finally, after so long, I’m excited to fly again and see what other birds – familiar friends and new favorites – may await.

I hope you find your own wings, however they help uplift you.