Most of the vagrants occurring along the west coast of Trinidad were already present by the time the storm struck. Others, such as the Wilson's Phalaropes and Bobolinks, were migrants from the north. The female Ruff, a Eurasian vagrant, may have flown across the Atlantic ahead of the storm, but it appeared to be an adult rather than an immature, so it also could have migrated southward from North America. Birders eagerly searching for storm-blown vagrants on Barbados were likewise disappointed. Such vagrants should be searched for during the upcoming months.
Transect methods involve counting birds while moving along a line of known length.
Birds may be counted by walking, or from a car, boat or plane. The line should be relatively straight, but this may not be possible, such as along a river, shoreline, or preexisting trail. A consistent speed should be maintained along the transect. Transect methods may be subdivided into three categories, which will be the subject of the next several tidbits. Many of the identifications reported in the SCBA are tentative in nature.