Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

Donate
  • About the CBT
    • Interpretive Guide Training
  • Countries
    • Countries A-I
      • Anguilla
        • Cove Pond
        • Dog Island
        • East End Pond
        • Forest Bay Pond
        • Katouche Canyon
        • Long Pond
        • Meads Bay Pond
        • Merrywing Pond System
        • Prickly Pear Cays
        • Road Salt Pond
        • Scrub Island
        • Sombrero
        • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
        • West End Pond
      • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Bethesda Dam
        • Christian Valley
        • Codrington Lagoon
        • McKinnon’s Salt Pond
        • Two Foot Bay National Park
      • Aruba
        • Spaans Lagoon
      • Bahamas
        • Abaco
        • Andros
        • Cat Island
        • Crooked Island and Acklins
        • Eleuthera
        • Exumas
        • Grand Bahama
        • Great Inagua
        • Long Island
        • Mayaguana
        • New Providence
        • San Salvador
      • Barbados
      • Bonaire
        • Dos Pos IBA
        • Gotomeer
      • British Virgin Islands
        • Josiahs Bay Salt Pond
        • Sandy Cay
      • Cuba
        • Guanahacabibes
        • Humboldt National Park
        • Mensura-Piloto National Park
        • Viñales
        • Zapata Swamp
      • Curaçao
        • Christoffel National Park
        • Salt Pans of Jan Thiel
      • Dominica
      • Dominican Republic
        • Central Mountain Range
          • Constanza and Valle Nuevo
          • Ebano Verde Reserve
          • Hatillo
          • Jarabacoa with Armando Bermúdez and José del Carmen Ramírez National Parks
          • La Joya de San Francisco
          • Loma Quita Espuela
          • Pico Diego de Ocampo, Santiago
        • Southeast
          • Bávaro
          • Cumayasa
          • Del Este National Park
            • Del Este National Park: Boca de Yuma
            • Del Este National Park: Guaraguao
            • Del Este National Park: Padre Nuestro Trail
            • Del Este National Park: Saona Island
          • Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana
          • Limón Lagoon
          • Los Haitises National Park
            • Los Haitises National Park: Caño Hondo
            • Los Haitises National Park: Los Limones
          • Monte Plata
        • Southwest
          • Aguacate and Zapotén
          • Cabo Rojo and Pedernales
          • Cabral Lagoon
          • Cachote, Eastern Bahoruco
          • Jimaní
          • Lake Enriquillo
          • Loma Charco Azul
          • Oviedo Lagoon, Jaragua National Park
          • Puerto Alejandro and Tortuguero
          • Rabo de Gato and Puerto Escondido
          • Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
            • Los Arroyos, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
        • North Coast
          • Cayos Siete Hermanos
          • El Choco National Park, Cabarete
          • El Limón, Samaná
          • Estero Hondo
          • Loma Guaconejo
          • Loma Isabel de Torres, Puerto Plata
          • Monte Cristi and Saladilla
          • Nalga de Maco National Park, Río Limpio
          • Samaná
        • Around Santo Domingo
          • Las Salinas de Baní
          • Mirador del Norte Park
          • National Botanical Garden
          • Ozama Wetlands
      • Grenada
        • Antoine Lake
        • Beausejour/Grenville Vale
        • Diamond Rock
        • Grand Etang National Park
        • Levera National Park
        • Mt. Hartman National Park
        • Telescope Pond
        • Woburn Bay MPA
      • Guadeloupe
        • Mountain Road
        • Pointe des Chateaux
    • Countries J-Z
      • Jamaica
        • Ahhh…Ras Natango Gallery and Garden
        • Barbecue Bottom Road
        • Black River Great Morass
        • Cockpit Country
        • Ecclesdown Road
        • Flagstaff
        • Green Hills Field Station
        • Hardwar Gap
        • Hope Gardens
        • Portland Bight Protected Area
        • Stewart Town
      • Martinique
        • Rocher du Diamant
      • Montserrat
      • Puerto Rico
        • Camuy Coastal Area
        • Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
        • Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge
      • Sint Eustatius
        • Pilot Hill
        • Quill/Boven National Park
        • Zeelandia Beach
      • St. Lucia
      • Sint Maarten
        • Great Salt Pond
        • Little Bay Pond
      • St. Martin
        • Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House
        • Étang Cimetière de Grand Case
        • Étang de la Barrière
        • Pic Paradis
      • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
        • Grenadines
          • Bird Sanctuary
          • Mustique Lagoon
          • Mustique Ponds Walk
        • Saint Vincent
          • Richmond Beach
      • Trinidad and Tobago
        • Tobago
          • Kilgwyn Swamp
          • Little Tobago
        • Trinidad
          • Asa Wright Nature Centre
          • Brasso Seco Paria Village
      • Turks and Caicos
        • Grand Turk
        • Middle Caicos
        • North Caicos
        • Providenciales
        • Salt Cay
        • South Caicos
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us

You are here: Home / Anguilla / West End By-the-Sea Ponds

West End By-the-Sea Ponds

  • About
  • The Birds
  • How to Get There
  • Tour Operators and Guides

Tucked away on the northwest coast of Anguilla is a small wetland area known as West End By-the-Sea Ponds. Located just past a small tourism property, these ponds, and the associated West End Bay, are in rich mangrove stands and bird life.

West End By-the-Sea Pond - Anguilla, BWI
West End By-the-Sea (Photo by Jacquenline A. Cestero)

Separated by a dirt road that leads to the beach favored by local fishermen, the western side of the pond often dries out. When the seas are high, the water washes over the sand and fills the pond with small fish—a delicacy for herons. It is not uncommon to see Yellow-crowned Night-herons and Green Herons feeding at this location.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Green Heron (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Green Heron (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Shorebirds such as Black-necked Stilts, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpipers, and Stilt Sandpipers are often seen on the eastern side of this wetland. Common waterfowl include: White-cheeked Pintails and Blue-winged Teals, along with an occasional Common Gallinule. You may even see a Green Iguana take a plunge in the waters.

Yellowlegs and White-cheeked Pintails (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

The Buttonwood surrounding the pond is an excellent place to see warblers, kestrels and all five of Anguilla’s Lesser Antilles Restricted Range species. During the summer months, seabirds frequent West End Bay to feed, and the beach is often covered in shells and sea glass. This small wetland ecosystem is a great location to visit year-round and an excellent location to watch local fishermen as they capture bait fish with their nets.

Caribbean Elaenia - West End By-the-Sea Ponds Anguilla, BWI
Caribbean Elaeina (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

There are also range restricted species such as Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, and Caribbean Elaenia

Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

From the airport roundabout, travel west on the main road for approximately 8 miles. You will see West End Pond on your left and a fork in the road heading to the right past West End Apartments. Take a right on the dirt road at Indigo Reef for about 100ft and West End Bay will be at the end of the road with the wetland on either side. This is a favored site of Nature Explorers Anguilla.

Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Nature Explorers Anguilla offers tours to this site!

West End By-the-Sea Ponds

Anguilla Sites

  • Cove Pond
  • Dog Island
  • East End Pond
  • Forest Bay Pond
  • Katouche Canyon
  • Long Pond
  • Meads Bay Pond
  • Merrywing Pond System
  • Prickly Pear Cays
  • Road Salt Pond
  • Scrub Island
  • Sombrero
  • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
  • West End Pond

Anguilla Partners

  • Anguilla National Trust


Anguilla Tour Operators

  • Nature Explorers Anguilla

Recommended Bird Guides

A Guide to the Birds of Anguilla by Steve H. Holliday, Karim V. D. Hodge, and Damien E. Hughes

Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis Raffaele

Birds of the Lesser Antilles by Ryan Chenery

 

Want to know how you can be involved?

Do you know of a place that should be part of the Caribbean Birding Trail? Are you the owner of a lodge or hotel and want to attract eco-tourists? Are you a guide interested in the birdwatching market? Then, get involved with our project!

Get Involved

The Latest from BirdsCaribbean.org

Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

The Barbados-based dynamic birding & #travel experts✈️, Ryan and Alex Chenery of Birding the Islands are crafting tailor-made, multi-island 🏝️ travel itineraries for individuals & small groups. Learn how you can build your own #birding holiday at: bit.ly/Build-your-ow… pic.twitter.com/yEbO…

reply retweet favorite
3:55 pm · June 12, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Endemic Bird of the Day, Day 126! 🦩🦜🦉 The small but feisty Flat-billed Vireo! 🇩🇴🇭🇹 For feathery facts and materials: bit.ly/FlatbilledVir… #CEBF2023 #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdLife @grupojaragua @accionverde @SOSAmbienteRD @TurismoRD @Trees4Haiti @LoopHaiti pic.twitter.com/XwpI…

reply retweet favorite
3:35 pm · June 11, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Join experienced tour guide Ernesto Reyes🇨🇺 on an extraordinary trip to #Colombia! For the detailed itinerary head over to: bit.ly/BirdTourColom… ✨For every BirdsCaribbean person that signs up for this trip, Ernesto will make a $100 donation to us! 📸Carlos Roberto Chavarria pic.twitter.com/Blco…

reply retweet favorite
7:52 pm · June 9, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

#ExpeditionDiablotin was a challenging search for the Black-capped Petrel in #Dominica. But also a rewarding experience connecting with locals to build support for its conservation. Learn more at: bit.ly/DiablotinOutr… @ABCbirds @EPICislands @SeabirdEcology @USFWS @jlkbrisbane pic.twitter.com/DBqF…

reply retweet favorite
2:25 pm · June 8, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Endemic Bird of the Day, Day 125! 🦉🦜🦩 A spectacularly colorful Cuban endemic: the Gray-fronted Quail-Dove! 🇨🇺 For feathery facts, puzzles, coloring page & more: bit.ly/GrayFrontedQu… #CEBF2023 #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdLife @BirdingEastCuba @AMA_CUBA pic.twitter.com/WgnQ…

reply retweet favorite
3:20 pm · June 7, 2023

Our Site

  • Home
  • About the CBT
  • Countries
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact

Search

Follow

Sign up for our Mailing List

Copyright © 2011–2025 Caribbean Birding Trail. A project of BirdsCaribbean.