Local birding expert Rich Guthrie visited Cuba last March and likes to share what he learned locally. On Feb. 24, gave an armchair tour to a small but committed group at the Guilderland Public Library.

Guthrie spent 10 days in Cuba searching for birds. He and eight other birding experts and aficionados left Havana each day in a van with their binoculars, digital cameras, and birding books to examine the Cuban birds and their ecosystems.

The tour organizers, Birds Caribbean, attract serious birders and birding experts, many of whom are deeply committed to maintaining bird-friendly ecosystems in Caribbean islands.  Rich Guthrie’s talk, which he gives at local venues, is titled “Cuba: Birds, Cars & Cigars.”  

Guthrie began birding with his father through a bird club and he passed his passion on to his son.  From that frequent father-son activity he developed an expertise that drives him to regularly check particular habitats and for specific birds.

On Saturday, he was checking on the Great Cormorants that perch on the buoys in the Hudson River at Germantown in the later winter and early spring.  He photographed four visitors.

The Great Cormorant, or European Shag, is a relative newcomer to North America, having colonizing Labrador and the Canadian Maritimes over the past few decades.  Guthrie hopes that his camera picked up the birds clearly enough from nearly a mile away to post the photos on his blog with the Times Union.  

On one of his other recent outings, Guthrie confirmed the Clark’s Grebe that has been spotted in Oswego Harbor.  The Clark’s Grebe is a Pacific Coast bird and therefore is creating a bit of a stir in local birding circles.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the Clark’s Grebe as a white-faced version of the Western Grebe.

Guthrie offers his birding expertise on the radio, too. WAMC gives him air time at 2 p.m. monthly on Wednesday.  He is also an active member of the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club, which offers many educational and enjoyable family and group outings.

Guthrie enjoyed his 10 days in Cuba.  He flew from Miami to Havana, found music everywhere, including in the clubs; the accommodations superb; the food OK; and, as a surprise, many English-speaking Cubans; and as expected, fellow tourists from around the world.