I just returned from a fantastic two week trip to Cuba with the New Mexico Ornithological Association and the Caribbean Conservation Trust to survey / photograph the avian fauna of Cuba. It will take some time to edit the images from the trip, but overall, the trip was a smashing success, as shown by this image of an endemic Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world!
Travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba is currently difficult, and it was certainly a privilege for me to join the NMOS and the CCT on this trip to Cuba. The U.S. Department of Treasury has provided a license for conducting bird conservation work in Cuba to the Caribbean Conservation Trust, Inc. (CCT), a U.S. based organization committed to the conservation of endemic and migratory birds and their habitats in the greater Caribbean region. The primary objective of the CCT is to enhance the ability of North American and Caribbean ornithologists, naturalists, resource managers, conservation organizations, institutions, and local citizens to conduct research and initiate programs to help conserve the birds of the Caribbean and their habitats. The CCT is dedicated to bird and habitat conservation through education and relationship building and, as a result of its work and research findings, is in compliance with a U.S. Treasury licensure for travel to Cuba. Gary Markowski runs the CCT, and his 16 years of experience in organizing trips to Cuba resulted in a flawless trip and a remarkable experience for all participants.