Cruise Birding: Great Stirrup Cay
The itinerary of our Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Spirit called for a day at sea on December 31, 2015. A group of 12 Brown Boobies followed the ship for a while and we watched them hunt flying fish and loaf on the water between feeding. A lifer for us.
![Brown Booby](https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8599/28372626540_a2d3705d8a_z.jpg)
Brown Booby
The first day of 2016 found us on Norwegian Cruise Line’s private Bahamas island, Great Stirrup Cay. We walked the hiking trail a few times and found some birds and other creatures on the way. We added three lifers here: Bahama Woodstar (hummingbird); Bahama Swallow; and Black-faced Grassquit. There were gulls and terns loafing around the beaches and we even found a few overwintering songbirds: Gray Catbirds; Palm Warblers; Yellow-rumped Warblers; and an American Redstart.
![Bahama Woodstar on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8811/28550125912_d131ccf9ed_z.jpg)
Bahama Woodstar
![Black-faced Grassquit on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8582/28550126282_e9066d20ed_z.jpg)
Black-faced Grassquit
![Bananaquit on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8650/28550126492_15dee3a855_z.jpg)
Bananaquit
![Black Witch moth on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8835/28550123902_e5998b08ab_z.jpg)
Black Witch moth
![on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8548/28550128082_0f81c2762b_z.jpg)
unidentified little friend
![on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8818/28550128722_2d75548f19_z.jpg)
unidentified little friend
The hiking trail was overgrown in places and became hard to follow a few times. It’s really nice to have a nature trail to follow and we wish NCL would take better care of it.
![Hiking Trail on Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8600/28624507226_0b02c2229c_z.jpg)
Hiking Trail on Great Stirrup Cay
We brought along our own snorkeling gear and did a bit of underwater exploring as well.
![snorkeling Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8570/28624507666_43ed4b7f17_z.jpg)
Arthur snorkeling
![snorkeling Great Stirrup Cay](https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8793/28550125092_fb8cd30be0_z.jpg)
fishies
![snorkeling Great Stirrup Cay](https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8312/28550125602_f10a0714ec_z.jpg)
stingray sp.
The island can be crowded at the main beach but we found lots of places where we could relax in peace. It was a great, relaxing start to 2016.
![NCL Spirit from Great Stirrup Cay](https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8599/28550129172_3168640203_z.jpg)
NCL Spirit and giant Laughing Gulls
NCL Spirit Cruise eBird Checklists: day at sea & Great Stirrup Cay
Boobies following ship
Great Stirrup Cay