History

Many of you have heard the story, but just in case... 

It was years ago when Daphne Gemmill received an invitation to visit Vieques to look for a rare and endangered bird that might serve as an "anchor species" to help protect the island's bird population.

As the story goes, Daphne came, she looked, and she never found that rare and exotic bird. But 50 years later, she is still looking, and still hoping, to find that very special bird. Daphne's story has yet to be written, but in the meantime, let's meet the Puffers, the Doucette's, and a host of others.

Priscilla and Dale Doucette's involvement in the (very small) Vieques birding circle began with a chance meeting with Peggy Puffer at the San Juan Airport in February 2001. When Peggy learned that Priscilla and Dale were birders, she invited them to join her and her husband, Richard, on walks along their road. It was Dale and Priscilla's first introduction to birding in Vieques.

After retiring from teaching in 2002, Priscilla and Dale began spending January and February on the island and regularly birding with Peggy and Richard. In 2005, they bought a small but delightful home and extended their stays from New Year’s through early April, expanding their walks to Monte Carmelo, Kiana Lagoon, Playa Grande, Sun Bay, and the lagoon between Media Luna and Playa Navio.

Peggy and Richard were friends with Elizabeth Langhorne and Daphne Gemmill, and neighbors of Barbara Hyland, who was then President of the Board of the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (VCHT). Sometime between 2001 and 2008, Peggy and Richard began offering bird walks for VCHT—either at the invitation of Barbara Hyland or Daphne Gemmill, or as volunteers. Dale and Priscilla joined every walk and eventually were asked to help lead them. Together, they scouted routes, including the west end of Sun Bay Lagoon, which Peggy and Richard had explored with Daphne Gemmill. Although rich in shorebirds, access there was difficult, so they did not bring groups.

Their usual route ran from the Malecón to the area across from El Block, then to Sun Bay along a challenging path to the east end of Sun Bay Lagoon, on to Media Luna, and finally to the lagoon beyond. They later added the freshwater pond off Route 997. These walks raised funds for the VCHT and encouraged participants to visit and support the Trust, even though birding and bird conservation were not yet central to its mission.

In 2011, Dale joined the VCHT Board, and in 2012, as part of a fundraising effort, he published a newsletter with a calendar that included at least two bird walks each month. Sometime between 2011 and 2013, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) cleared a shorter path to the east end of Sun Bay Lagoon. Recognizing the lagoon’s importance for shorebirds, Dale and his team took care to limit disturbance and occasionally spoke at VCHT Board meetings about its ecological value in the hope that it might one day become a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site.

By 2014, Dale and Priscilla had refined their route: from the Malecon to Sun Bay and its lagoon, to the freshwater pond off Route 997, and to the entrance to Fish and Wildlife lands. They were grateful for the generous hospitality of John and Nancy Stoklosa, who welcomed groups for snacks, a garden tour, and opportunities to view hummingbirds and raptors.

Around 2011, Peggy and Richard entrusted them with leading the bird walks, and John Stoklosa began assisting regularly. They also benefited from the involvement of Mike and Marie Murphy, and later Chuck Sklar and Jeff Mendoza, who joined and supported the walks.

Over time, the effort grew into a shared community, and Dale and Priscilla remain deeply thankful to Peggy and Richard Puffer, Elizabeth Langhorne, Daphne Gemmill, Barbara Hyland, John and Nancy Stoklosa, Mike and Marie Murphy, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Mendoza, Olga Félix, Rob Roy, Teresa Voshell, and Pinto Soin for their roles in the history of the VCHT Birding Committee, Birding Team, and our community outreach efforts in birding.