Anchovy
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Rocklands Bird Feeding Station
Rocklands Bird Sanctuary - Off the main road to Anchovy (the road leading inland from Reading)Tel: ( 1 876 ) 952-2009
For most people the highlight of a visit to Rocklands is the chance to hand feed humming birds from the patio. Several species of hummingbird (including the doctor bird, Jamaica's national bird) are tame enough to fly down from the trees, perch on your finger and drink nectar from a bird feeder. Finches and quits will also come to eat millet seed from your hand. You can also taked a tour around the grounds where your knowledgeable guide, Fritz, will point out many species of bird and plant life.
Rocklands was established by Lisa Salmon, one of Jamaica's first environmentalists. Miss Salmon or "the bird lady" as she was affectionately known purchased the Rocklands property in 1954. She spent her time writing, painting and feeding birds. It didn't take long for the house to attract a wide variety of birds and by 1962 Miss Salmon opened Rocklands to the public. Lisa sadly died in 2000 at the age of 96 but her legacy lives on. Rocklands is now run by Lisa's nephew and managed by Fritz. Fritz has been working at Rocklands for over 15 years and has a gift for spotting and beckoning the birds which dwell in the surrounding trees.
The Rockland's Bird Feeding Sanctuary at Anchovy is approximately 30 minutes away from Montego Bay by car. Take the main road West of Montego Bay (towards Lucea and Negril), after about 3 miles you will come to a town called Reading where a clearly marked sign points to the road leading inland (left). Follow this inland road for about half a mile until you see signs to the bird sanctuary. The road is in need of repair but is traversable by a regular car.
It is believed that there are over 200 species of birds in Jamaica and many of them can be seen at the Rocklands Bird Feeding Sanctuary. Ornithologists have reported seeing the following species:
Red Billed Streamer-tail Hummingbird (aka Doctor Bird)Jamaican Mango
Vervain Hummingbird
Bee Hummingbird
Black-faced Grassquit
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Orangequit
Banaquit
Grassquit
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit
Greater Antillean Bullfinch
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Jamaican Woodpecker
White-chinned Thrush
Northern Parula
American Redstart
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Jamaican Tody
Jamaican Euphonia
Jamaican Vireo
Loggerhead Kingbird
Jamaican Orioles
Shiny Cowbird
Saffron Finch
Nightingale
Oriole
White-winged Dove
Northern Potoos
White-crowned Pigeon
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Jamaican Parakeet
Green-rumped Parrotlet
Jamaican Woodpecker
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Jamaican Crow
Jamaican Vireo
Jamaican Euphonia
Greater Antillean Bullfinch
Jamaican Elaenia
Arrow-headed Warbler
Becard
© 2008 Jamaica Travel and Culture .com
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