To my baby twins, Max Cornish Radley Young and Rebecca Lucy
Radley Young, who, in March 2000, were born too early and
tragically died.
Sitting by Rebecca's incubator we had read Bill Oddie's latest
book to her. Gripping Yarns included a chapter on birding in
this Caribbean holiday destination. It sounded perfect for the
last-minute package holiday we suddenly needed; a comfortable
beach holiday with some good birding.
With basic gen on just a few sites in Trinidad and Tobago my
wife Penny and I booked a straightforward package holiday with
Kuoni via Wildwings to the holiday island of Tobago. However I
then planned a 3-4 day excursion of solid birding to
Trinidad. Three crucial species that had to be seen immediately
came to the fore: Red-billed Tropicbird on Tobago and Scarlet Ibis
and Oilbird in Trinidad. The latter was discussed at some length
in the chapter on Trinidad and Tobago in Oddie's Gripping Yarns.
Our hotel turned out to be Grafton Resort at the SE end of
Tobago on the Caribbean coast. With no immediately local gen
available I (rightly) thought that most decent sites on Tobago
would be fairly accessible and assumed that good birds at nearby
Arnos Vale would be present near our hotel. I soon discovered the
excellent Grafton Estate Sanctuary on the hotel doorstep.
Possibly for reasons of genuine security but probably as a
(fully justified) means of extracting revenue from eco-tourism, we
were advised not to bird the Main Ridge Forest without a guide. We
therefore listened to several touting for business on the hotel
beach and chose Kelton Thomas of Kelton Tours. He agreed to bird
the Main Ridge Forest for 2-3 hours then drive us to Speyside for
an afternoon trip out to Little Tobago. We had plenty of time to
do both and saw most of the targets for a reasonable $80US
each. This included transport in Kelton's car, breakfast in the
forest and the boat trip. He wanted to take me to Buccoo Marsh the
next day but I easily did this alone by hire car (once I'd
unravelled the vague directions in Murphy's guide).
In Trinidad, owner of Pax Guest House, Gerard Ramsawak, planned
our few days in Trinidad to achieve as many of my objectives as
possible. We made use of the resident guides at Asa Wright Nature
Centre (on a guided nature walk) and on the Caroni Swamp boat
trip. The former was good but he was hampered by having to do a
very slow paced general nature walk which was extremely
frustrating since Bearded Bellbirds were calling below us! The
Caroni boatman made a bit of an effort when I urged him to do so.
An ex-pat' English birder called Martyn Kenefick was called in
by Gerard to take us to the alternative Oilbird cave which is
exclusive to Pax Guest House and requires a resident guide. Martyn
was highly proficient at identification and found some great birds
including a lifer for himself.
The package holiday placed us in the Grafton Resort Hotel which
was very comfortable and convenient for the beach and local
birding.
Pax Guest House was recommended by Bill Oddie and is set up as
the much more affordable (and non-dude) alternative to Asa Wright,
for serious birders. We stayed in Room 20 (used by David
Attenborough and Bill) which has its own tiny verandah almost
amongst the hummingbird feeding plants. Be warned Pax didn't take
credit cards when we stayed there and with insufficient travelers
cheques to cover transport and guides on top of the accommodation,
we wasted hours getting cash in Tunapuna, twice!
I used a photo-adaptor on my straight Leica APO-Televid 77
scope providing a fixed focal length of c.800mm. Using standard
Kodak and Fuji ASA800 and 1000 film in a Pentax MZM manual focus
SLR I was able to get rapid shots in very low light level forest
floor without a flash.
Thanks to Bill Oddie for pointing us in the right
direction. Thanks to Kelton Thomas for a good day doing
Tobago. Thanks to Gerard Ramsawak and his wife Oda for a very
hospitable stay in great surroundings. Thanks also to Martyn
Kenefick for some great birding at Cumaca. And finally thanks to
my parents for helping with time and money to make the trip
possible.
From settling into our comfortable, air-conditioned room from
16.15 until leaving the beach in front of the hotel at about 17.30
I had noted the following:
A 30 minute walk from the hotel grounds a little way along the
shore road before dark from 17.45 until 18.15 produced a nice
flurry of birds:
| Magnificent Frigatebird | (40-50 drifted east in a loose line, high overhead, at dusk)
|
| Rufous-vented Chachalaca | (50-60 great noisy fumbling birds were clambering
everywhere  )
|
| Raptor sp. | (1 probable Broad-winged Hawk (common) perched silently)
|
| White-tipped Dove | (10-20 were at the feeder and in the forest)
|
| Eared Dove | (30+ at the feeder, others found lurking unobtrusively in the forest)
|
| Black-throated Mango | (1 male was watched at 5m perched over the higher trail for some time)
|
| White-necked Jacobin | (1 gorgeous male after sit-and-wait under high canopy in the gully)
|
| Rufous-breasted (Hairy) Hermit | (1 hanging in the air 3m from me)
|
| Ruby-topaz Hummingbird | (a black hummer' with ruby red cap and brief flash of orange throat)
|
| Blue-crowned Motmot | (1 was suddenly clocked as it fluttered out from its perch beneath the canopy in the gully to seize a large flying insect. Despite the magpie and bee-eater likenesses, the bird's size, heavy bill and relaxed marauding jizz made it "feel" more like a roller. It was seen twice more, when it flew off chuckling like a Blackbird of all things! As I walked back as dark approached I encountered a second motmot with nest material; a pair was clearly breeding in here)
|
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | (2 photographed along the entrance track. An easy Tobago speciality!)
|
| Buff-throated Woodcreeper | (incessant loud piping from an invisible bird. 1 creeping up vines from the ground)
|
| White-fringed Antwren | (a pair below the higher trail. Others were seen very well above the forest floor)
|
| Barred Antshrike | (1 large-looking, heavily striped male antshrike perched on a stem. Its pale eye made it look irate and aggressive as did the spiky crest. I noted stout, blunt bill and a warm brown wash over the wings and tail adding to my initial impression of a cross between Wryneck and d'Arnaud's Barbet. Later I watched a rich rufous and buff female in vines over the lower trail in the gully)
|
| House Wren | (1 found skulking on the forest floor with barred tail, mottled face and dull super' was initially assumed to be a dull Rufous-breasted purely because ffrench failed to illustrate the common wren)
|
| Scrub Greenlet | (2-3 vocal vireos were ID'd as this Tobago speciality)
|
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | (1 was calling raucously by the adjacent hotel on the walk back)
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | (2-3 surprisingly distinct solitary birds)
|
| Caribbean Martin | (1-2 drifted over)
|
| Bared-eyed Thrush | (2-3
were mewing "will you?" like squeaky cats )
|
| Bananaquit | (trilling everywhere, more numerous than House Sparrows)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (5-6 along entrance track)
|
| White-lined Tanager | (1-2 males and several rich chestnut)
|
I was not surprised not to have seen a Blue-backed Manakin but at
least I'd found out where the nearest Barred Antshrike and
Blue-crowned Motmot had been. I would return for another crack at
the manakin - if it was indeed there.
| Magnificent Frigatebird | (many cruising high and low over Sunset Point at dusk)
|
| Yellow-crowned Night-heron | (2 birds flew across the beach below Sunset Point)
|
| Rufous-vented Chachalaca | (many around the feeder)
|
| Eared Dove | (several)
|
| White-tipped Dove | (")
|
| Ruddy Ground Dove | (1 tiny rich chestnut-buff dove flew up from the entrance)
|
| Green-rumped Parrotlet | (1 superb tiny plain bright green bird perched near the feeder briefly)
|
| Short-tailed Swift | (3-4 overhead)
|
| Black-throated Mango | (1 incredibly dapper, quite lanky female at a sugar feeder)
|
| Copper-rumped Hum'bird | (1 at feeders)
|
| Ruby-topaz Hummingbird | (2-3 females at sugar feeders)
|
| Blue-crowned Motmot | (1 pair coming to the feeder were almost stupidly easy)
|
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | (2-3 were coming to the feeder, others along the trail to Sunset Point)
|
| Buff-throated Woodcreeper | (1 along the trail, others were calling)
|
| White-fringed Antwren | (1 female along the trail)
|
| Barred Antshrike | (1 male along trail)
|
| Rufous-breasted Wren | (1 seen well by the trail)
|
| House Wren | (1 distracted me from the Rufous-breasted)
|
| Fuscous Flycatcher | (1 below the trail)
|
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | (1 in gardens)
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | (1 along the trail)
|
| Caribbean Martin | (2 over the bay)
|
| Bare-eyed Thrush | (2-3 at the feeder, 1 singing by the trail at dusk)
|
| Shiny Cowbird | (1-2 gleaming purple/black, dark eyed birds came to the feeder)
|
| Bananaquit | ("thousands", I have never come across a more ubiquitous sp.)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (many
at the feeder )
|
| White-lined Tanager | (2-3 pairs at the feeder)
|
| Blue-black Grassquit | (1-2 jet black males along the trail in the thick)
|
| Black-faced Grassquit | (2-3 along the trail)
|
| Rufous-vented Chachalaca | (small no.s along the trail)
|
| Broad-winged Hawk | (1 flew below us as we drove down the southern slopes later)
|
| White-tipped Dove | (plenty along the trail)
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | (4-5 separate pairs were seen in flight over the forest from the road)
|
| Short-tailed Swift | (small numbers over the road at the entrance to the Gilpin Trace)
|
| White-necked Jacobin | (1 male along the trail)
|
| White-tailed Sabrewing | (Kelton located the first by its rapid, squeaky double
note call within five minutes of entering the forest. Fearing a
difficult job finding the large but fast moving hummer' in the
confusion of vegetation I followed the call and the bird was rapidly
located landing to rest on a liana. Although it was too dark to
photograph, the bird showed bright green body plumage merging into
rich blue throat and striking white undertail, rather like the closely
related jacobin. The sabrewing soon flew to feed at flowers but
remained in the area flashing its dazzling white tail as it
manouvred. Although nearly extirpated after the '63 hurricane and
still very rare, the cracking bird was not at all difficult to find
along the Top Hill Trace at least and in all 6-7 were seen. Because
the species feeds in low to middle storey (like the hermits) they were
often seen very well low over the trail. Also, being large the
sabrewing rested often for several minutes and when one perched right
by the trail for 3-4 minutes I was able to squeeze off several shots
yielding one in which the bird remained still as a shaft of sunlight
illuminated it in very low ambient light! )
|
| Rufous-breasted (Hairy) Hermit | (2-3 flew very close to us as seems to be their wont)
|
| Copper-rumped Hummingbird | (4-5 seen)
|
| Ruby-topaz Hummingbird | (10-15 were feeding in low flowering trees)
|
| Collared Trogon | (before we'd entered the forest at the start of the Top
Hill Trace Kelton pointed out the soft, plaintive call. The softness
of the notes, a soothing, understated "corr corr corr corr" implied
that the bird was much further off through the forest than it actually
was. Suddenly the trogon was close to us and soon the crippler, a
lovely male, was found sitting still and bolt upright in a tree by the
clearing. Scrabbling on my stomach to avoid obstructing foliage and
then aiming the scope/camera I noted the iridescent green upper's
extending down the long, square tail beautifully barred
beneath. Brilliant red undertail, belly and lower breast and
charismatic face were also noted. The trogon often flew very quickly
and directly between well concealed perches which made the gorgeously
colourful and characterful bird surprisingly hard to see and extremely
hard to photograph. A second male was soon discovered nearby. Along
the trail another male was picked up as it flew like an arrow through
the canopy to perch above us briefly while another called nearby and
several others were heard calling. The species was therefore not rare
but very easy to miss )
|
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar | (Kelton picked up 1 male perched motionless by the Gilpin Trace behind us as we looked for a calling spinetail. Further on a pair was encountered perching high above the trail near nest holes in the sandy bank above the trail)
|
| Buff-throated Woodcreeper | (only 1 seen and surprisingly few heard calling)
|
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | (1 male was heard tapping and then located on the Gilpin Trace)
|
| Stripe-breasted Spinetail | (this infuriating floor-dweller with sprightly "see-saw?" call eluded us a few times until 2 separate birds popped up in response to pishing)
|
| White-fringed Antwren | (1-2 only was surprising)
|
| Plain Antvireo | (1 stumpy plain grey bird feeding unobtrusively on the open but dark forest floor. 2 further males and 2 females were seen along the trail)
|
| Barred Antshrike | (2-3 males were seen)
|
| Blue-backed Manakin | (4-5 loose packs of males were encountered along the trails where they were clearly not hard to see. Several were seen very well. 1 green imm. male with red crown was seen near an (unseen) group of dancing adult males. The low mechanical whirring call of full display could be heard just over a vegetated ridge by the trail but we could not see! Although they seemed to display close to the trails they were certainly shy and no display was seen)
|
| Rufous-breasted Wren | (2)
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | (4-5)
|
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | (3-4 in one area. Incredibly weak illustrations in ffrench were just too poor to allow an ID at the time)
|
| Yellow-legged Thrush | (4-5 males were seen in thick mid and understorey but were generally very shy and elusive, flying off into forest as soon as they were seen)
|
| White-necked Thrush | (1 smart bird suddenly appeared perched below the first sabrewing. Several other very shy and elusive birds were seen dashing for cover - as bad as Zoothera!)
|
| Bare-eyed Thrush | (5-6)
|
| Crested Oropendola | (2 near the road at the start of the Top Hill Trace)
|
| Bananaquit | (several even in primary rainforest)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (a few)
|
| White-lined Tanager | (1 pair along Gilpin Trace)
|
One or two Red Squirrels were also noted, looking even smaller and
redder than European.
Unfortunately there was no sign of a Great Black Hawk at a nest
site two hours along Top Hill Trace. Penny had got onto a pair of
Red-legged Honeycreepers found by Kelton at the start of Top Hill
Trace while I was photographing the trogons.
| Anhinga | (1 flew over the main lagoon, turned and disappeared again)
|
| Great White Egret | (1 in marshy pasture area north of lagoon)
|
| Tricoloured Heron | (1 seen briefly but closely at the near side of the main lagoon)
|
| Green Heron | (up to 10 trundling about between prominent perches)
|
| Cattle Egret | (3-4 in the marshy pasture area north of main lagoon)
|
| Yellow-crowned Night-heron | (1 flew out of low thick woodland between the main lagoon and the small lagoon (marsh) to the south)
|
| Black-bellied Whistling-duck | (20-30 were on the main lagoon or flying over)
|
| White-cheeked Pintail | (50+ dabbling about amongst the near continuous Lilly pads)
|
| Osprey | (1 rather shabby bird swung over the small lagoon a couple of times)
|
| Common Moorhen | (30+ mainly on the main lagoon, several juv.s with all-yellow bills)
|
| Wattled Jacana | (30+ very attractive and active "Lilly-trotters" were busy doing just that on the main lagoon, others were in the marshy pasture to the north. Several juv.s also showed green wings, if slightly duller, whitish under's and prominent long whitish super' and dark eye-stripe, distinctive and bearing little relation to ad. plumage (see excellent photo in HBW 3 280)
|
| Southern Lapwing | (the
main target of the visit proved very easy. Several small groups of 2-3
were approached and latterly 15 were huddled at the near side of the
main lagoon )
|
| Semipalmated Plover | (3 ad. br. pl. birds)
|
| Lesser Yellowlegs | (1 elegant ad. br. pl.)
|
| Spotted Sandpiper | (5 ad. br. pl. birds)
|
| Green-rumped parrotlet | (2 pairs of these brilliant, manic, tiny parrots were racing between coconut palms in the area between the main lagoon and the northern marsh)
|
| Smooth-billed Ani | (1 seen briefly diving into cover in the open area)
|
| Copper-rumped Hum'bird | (several, clearly a common and widespread hummer')
|
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | (1 drumming on a dead coconut palm in the open area, just as Murphy had promised)
|
| Barred Antshrike | (1 pair in the open area,)
|
| Tropical Kingbird | (3 showed well in one open tree in a large area of scrub and light woodland beyond the small lagoon)
|
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | (2 in low trees by marshy pasture)
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | (1 in low trees by the mangroves beyond the small lagoon, responded to pishing)
|
| House Wren | (1-2 in the low trees)
|
| Tropical Mockingbird | (plenty)
|
| Scrub Greenlet | (2-3 in low trees by the mangroves beyond the small lagoon, responded immediately and vocally to pishing, quite elegant phyllos' warbler-like vireos)
|
| Carib Grackle | (1-2)
|
| Northern Waterthrush | (1 amongst mangroves at the southern edge of the main lagoon)
|
Rather surprised at the small extent of the wetland and the very
small number of waders (clearly it was now late in the spring) and
disappointed not to find a Prothonotary Warbler I left for
breakfast having nevertheless enjoyed some good birding.
| American Black Vulture | (3-5 were sailing about over the forest)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (10+ were soaring with the Black)
|
| Ruddy Ground-dove | (3-4 were noted scrabbling at a bird table below our verandah)
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | (1 pair flew over)
|
| Short-tailed Swift | (3 overhead)
|
| Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift | (1 seen briefly flying high up the valley opposite Pax. It was soon lost behind large trees in the foreground but I had seen enough. Murphy stated the sp. was rare but most often reported over Mt. St. Benedict)
|
| White-necked Jacobin | (1 lovely pair feeding at the verandahs, one of my favorites)
|
| Black-throated Mango | (1 pair present, the female posing nicely)
|
| Tufted Coquette | (4-5 minute, insect-like hummer's were immediately found quietly drifting around the flowers outside our bedroom window. All were females and Gerard stated that the males mainly appeared early in the morning)
|
| Blue-chinned Sapphire | (Penny found 1 male showing startling glistening sapphire in sunshine)
|
| White-chested Emerald | (5-6 showed very well at the feeders)
|
| Copper-rumped Hum'bird | (c.10 were noted)
|
| [Buff-throated Woodcreeper] | (1 calling in the forest below)
|
| Tropical Kingbird | (1 appeared in the eye-level trees)
|
| Streaked Flycatcher | (2
close to our verandah were breeding under the eaves )
|
| Great Kiskadee | (this charismatic flycatcher was everywhere from the airport onwards)
|
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | (2 noted)
|
| Tropical Mockingbird | (1-2 noted)
|
| Bare-eyed Thrush | (2-3 were at a couple of bird tables with Kiskadees)
|
| Yellow Oriole | (1
pair nesting in a fabulous hanging woven "sock" over the road below
Pax were visiting a feeder by the main verandah )
|
| Bananaquit | (many)
|
| Turquoise Tanager | (1 was found by Penny almost immediately. The speed with which the dapper bird was found implied that it was easy but we saw no more here)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (many)
|
| Palm Tanager | (many, like above, were dashing everywhere)
|
| Silver-beaked Tanager | (2 females were seen briefly)
|
| White-lined Tanager | (1 male)
|
Having spent an hour queuing for cash in Tunapuna it was
mid-afternoon before I managed to secure Gerard's attention on my
list of target species, transport and guides. It was only then
that I realized I needed three to four full days to properly do
the sites required for Scarlet Ibis (late afternoon until dusk),
Red-bellied Macaw (one day), Bearded Bellbird, Ornate Hawk-eagle,
Channel-billed Toucan, the two remaining trogons and the two
remaining manakins (one day) and Oilbird (one day). Since we
weren't staying at Asa Wright we would not "qualify" to see the
most accessible Oilbirds in the World so I needed Gerard's guide
for the site to which Pax has exclusive visiting rights. However
this was far from the mountain pass of Blanchisseuse Road/Asa
Wright where I had hoped to look for all the forest species. On
top of that it was just too late to get to Caroni Swamp that
afternoon to sort out the ibis. By now I had squandered the first
day despite arriving early! The reality had turned out rather
different to the theory, based on Murphy, and I'd hung about just
too long in the unrealistic expectation that Gerard would wave a
magic wand.
Now with just two full days to use I decided to trim Gerard's
proposed day in Caroni Swamp and the surrounding wetlands to the
evening boat trip, tagged onto the end of a truncated day at the
Asa Wright Centre, compromising the latter and jeopardizing
birding the Blanchisseuse Road itself. I had to abandon the macaw
and use the second day for the Oilbird and hope this produced
forest birds missed earlier. Resident guides at Asa Wright meant
that we would need just one (compulsory) guide for the Oilbird
trip.
| Black Vulture | (2-3 sailed low over Alben Ride on a warm breezy evening)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (")
|
| Ruddy Ground-dove | (1-2)
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | (1 pair flew over Alben Ride)
|
| Lineated Woodpecker | (1 pair was found climbing pines at the start of Alben Ride)
|
| Buff-throated Woodcreeper | (1 carrying food was seen briefly to have a mottled throat)
|
| Black-faced Antthrush | (a piercing yet slow and melancholy double note call exploding up from the gloomy open forest floor along the Old Donkey trail in the late afternoon tempted me to imitate it not knowing what to expect. Eventually I caught sight of the crake sized bird walking, like a crake, that was one of my key targets. I kept calling back as we tracked the superb antbird. Birds of Venezuela states "Although hard to see and secretive, it is not wary and responds to its easily imitated deep, melodious, ventriloquial whistle, consisting of a loud explosive note followed by 3 or 4 descending ones")
|
| White-bearded Manakin | (I found a dumpy green female manakin perched on a branch by the Old Donkey Trail. As I waited for the male Golden-headed or White-bearded to appear to claim our attention I decided the bright orange legs of the female implied the latter. Within seconds a bold snap had me looking round to find a superb black and white adult male perched still nearby)
|
| Tropical Kingbird | (1 by the monastery church above Pax)
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | (3-4 in total)
|
| House Wren | (2-3 singing beautifully along the start of Alben Ride at dusk)
|
| Long-billed Gnatwren | (1 silent and very unobtrusive bird was picked up in mid-storey foliage along the Old Donkey trail)
|
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | (1 seen along Alben Ride. The grey head, chunky bill and yellow under's, strongly reminded me of Africa's Grey-headed Bush-shrike even though it was a vireo)
|
| Golden-crowned Warbler | (4 along Alben Ride were easily detected by very high, thin call)
|
| Blue-black Grassquit | (1 pair in Razor Grass below the start to Alben Ride)
|
| Black Vulture | (3-5 soaring near and far)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (1-2 soaring, as often here, somewhat outnumbered by )
|
| American Swallow-tailed Kite | (while following a falcon over the valley side east of the verandah I suddenly saw an enormous "swallow" wheeling about over the carpet of trees. This wonderfully elegant raptor, one of my key targets, was indeed more like a swallow or a frigatebird than a bird of prey. In a moment it had swooped down to the trees and was lost to view. However, as the guided "nature walk" started 2 kites soared and wheeled rapidly over the centre itself, moving west fast)
|
| White Hawk | (1 ad. drifted out over the valley from below the centre)
|
| Common Black-hawk | (1 pair over the centre)
|
| Falcon sp. | (1 probable Peregrine flew east over the valley)
|
| Swift spp. | (both Band-rumped and Grey-rumped were feeding overhead according to "the walk" guide, but from below they all looked identical and I had other things in my mind)
|
| White-necked Jacobin | (1
male at the verandah feeders showed )
|
| Tufted Coquette | (1 female only at the verandah feeders, so much for crippling views of males!)
|
| White-chested Emerald | (1-2 at the verandah feeders)
|
| Copper-rumped Hum'bird | (1-2)
|
| Violaceous Trogon | (with
11/2 hours left we set off along the entrance road to try and locate
at least one trogon plus various other remaining targets. Incredibly
after 10-15 minutes I heard the low soft calling and succeeded in
locking onto a beautifully different yellow and purple trogon. A
lovely view of the distinctly small, characterful and gorgeously
coloured bird was ID'd as ad. male Violaceous from the small size and
undertail barring just visible from above on the outer tail
base. Although eyering colour on male White-tailed is not mentioned in
ffrench the yellow eyering of male Violaceous is and de Schauensee &
Phelps note this, and pale blue eyering in both sexes of
White-tailed. Later, in the Citrus orchard (see Murphy) a number of
trogons started calling. A pair of Violaceous were eventually found
high in the canopy, calling faster than another nearby bird (see
below) but seemingly faster than the first (clear) Violaceous )
|
| White-tailed Trogon | (at c.14.00 we were in the Citrus orchard, when a passing guide ID'd a trogon that had suddenly started calling. He stated that the slow, measured "chopping" was definitely White-tailed but views were obscured and I failed to note the eyering colour or get a clear view of the broadly white undertail)
|
| Blue-crowned Motmot | (1 appeared briefly at the verandah feeder)
|
| [Channel-billed Toucan] | (this "common" forest sp., one of my main targets, was heard calling only. To make matters worse the dozing taxi driver said he'd seen one in the "usual dawn feeding" nutmeg tree mentioned in Murphy, 100m below the centre!)
|
| Chestnut Woodpecker | (1 flew onto a huge tree trunk in front of me along the start of the Bellbird Trail in the last few minutes)
|
| White-flanked Antwren | (1 male showed briefly in mid storey vines along the Discovery Trail. Amazingly, this individual was the only antbird seen here)
|
| Bearded Bellbird | (from
the verandah I suddenly heard an abrupt call coming, one every 20-40
seconds, from the sea of forest filling the wide valley below the
centre; it had to be the definitive clanging of a bellbird. As I set
up the scope to scan the top of the canopy and emergent trees I was
told that Bearded was one of the few that called from mid-storey
rather than tree-tops (not strictly true). As the "guided nature walk"
started with all various children and non-birders my (unfounded) fear
that the bellbird would stop calling mushroomed. The walk proved to be
an excruciatingly slow-paced and very general nature stroll, on which
Penny and I found ourselves trapped. After trying not to be rude for
30 minutes as we edged down into the forest I finally snapped when a
bellbird "went off" even closer. I went ahead of the group down the
(main) Discovery Trail. Another bellbird suddenly called extremely
close to me. The loud blast stopped me dead in my tracks, trembling
with surprise and anticipation. Every 20-40s. a massively loud foghorn
"bock" call echoed through the canopy and mid-storey foliage like a
blast from an air horn. I was crazed with the need to see the author
of such a sound. I could see that the trees dropped away down a steep
valley just 75m from the trail and the bellbird had to be at the outer
edge of them. After a series of foghorn blasts the bellbird settled
down to a softer and faster clanking "tonk-tonk-tonk-tonk......" call,
as if marking time. This call was almost more remarkable because
although at a distance it had sounded like a slightly croaking
popping, at close range it sounded precisely like a blacksmith
pounding an anvil with a steel lump hammer, once every second. The
hard, metallic ringing sound was totally unbirdlike and enthralling. I
strained and struggled to scan straight through a number of
intervening trees as the bird continued to call. I moved up and down
the trail seeking vantage points and suddenly, incredibly, I caught
the stonker in my bin's, perched in a narrow window of visibility. I
stared at the huge starling-shaped bird and was amazed to see that the
"beard" was actually a mass of worm-like wattled tendrils dangling
from the entire throat. Having lugged all my optics for this
eventuality I swapped the camera for the eyepiece and actually scoped
the bellbird at c.100m noting the clean white plumage marked by
chocolate brown head and black wings. The totally non-camouflaged
plumage was typical of a tropical forest, polygamous, lekking species
that spent its whole life displaying and trying to mate - what a boy!
Soon the bellbird moved and I was left to savour the
achievement. After some minutes the group arrived and the guide asked
if I'd seen one. As I answered a second bellbird started calling just
along the trail so the guide set off to try and locate it. I reclined
in smug satisfaction only to hear him announce that this bird was
perched well under the canopy near the trail! I joined the others and
followed directions to another fabulous bird c.20m away! Now I
reassembled the camera-scope and put it to work. Although light levels
were low, I kept the motor wind busy as the bird looked about clanking
away. One decent picture from this set shows the full chest as if the
throat was preparing for another volley . As it turned the wattles swung like
strings of beads and although others thought they looked "nasty" I
relished this distinctive and peculiar characteristic of the family,
in one form or another. I was now able to watch the compact,
thrush-sized bird utter its call. With no effort the bill suddenly
sprang open, briefly making an obtuse angle between the mandibles and
the "bock" rang out. Head-on the neck could look quite slim but the
stockiness of the large-headed bird was clear. Eventually the bellbird
moved off As we returned I could not resist more bellbird photos. In
all 3-4 males were making up this "calling group" and one was soon
found low down and close to the trail. In good light I took more
shots. One photo virtually captures the classic obtuse angle between
mandibles at "full throat" . In retrospect I regarded this as "bird of the trip" - a fascinating looking and performing bird)
|
| Golden-headed Manakin | (The signposted "Golden Manakin Lek" down a side trail off the Discovery trail was now deserted and an increasingly desperate search for the third and final manakin ended with a 2s. sighting of a tiny black blob with a drop of gold at its front end hurtling through the Citrus orchard!)
|
| White-bearded Manakin | (the signposted "White-bearded Manakin Lek" was located
by the Discovery Trail. Just 3-4m beyond the wooden rails of the
"viewing gallery" were 3 male manakins sitting on the ground. As I
looked and listened I saw a fourth, then a fifth, sixth and seventh
until I realized that in-all, 10-15 ad. males were scattered all
around in the leaf litter and low on aerial roots, vines, fallen
sticks and stems. The crown was very flat and swept out neatly from
the small black bill so that, in some poses the manakins looked as if
they'd popped black baseball caps on . Every so often one bird would burst
into a rapid sequence of zapping from stem to stem via the ground in a
rough circuit around what was presumably his cleared "court". The tiny
black and white ball bounced and sprang like a firecracker an
impression accentuated by the loud snapping noise accompanying the
movements. As the bird posed horizontally on a stem before the next
bounce the throat feathers were often fluffed up to protrude in a
pointed ruff beyond the bill - clearly the white beard and most
distinctive. All the other males would sit around unmoved by the
displaying bird's antics until one of them would have a go. Since the
birds were so confiding or at least tolerant while at display I was
able to take a number of shots. One bird perched close to the viewing
area in a shaft of sunlight provided a nicely contrasting picture . Occasionally 1 or 2 birds would fly off on loudly whirring wings like a tiny, motor-driven toy. Later I found 2-3 more males displaying at another lek beyond the empty Golden-headed site. males were also seen and heard whirring about generally in the forest)
|
| Streaked Flycatcher | (1 noted near the centre)
|
| Great Kiskadee | (1 pair around the verandah)
|
| Tropical Pewee | (2 calling a shrill "pewee", were ID'd by the guide)
|
| Forest Elaenia | (1 small, wing-barred flycatcher showed pale crown patch contrasting with darker crown.)
|
| House Wren | (1-2 noted)
|
| Cocoa Thrush | (1-2 very bold, richly coloured thrushes at the feeders
below the verandah )
|
| Bare-eyed Thrush | (several around the centre)
|
| Golden-fronted Greenlet | (1 along a trail was my first of this warbler-like vireo)
|
| Shiny Cowbird | (1 by the verandah)
|
| Crested Oropendola | (3-4 were around several nests hanging near the centre)
|
| Yellow Oriole | (1 at the feeders)
|
| Bananaquit | (many at the feeders and scattered about the forests)
|
| Purple Honeycreeper | (1
male appeared in the top of the hedge by the feeders. Definitely the
New World equivalent of sunbird, this was my first and last Purple and
was most welcome )
|
| Green Honeycreeper | (1 pair
was coming to the feeders when we arrived )
|
| Violaceous Euphonia | (1 pair was located in a large tree below the centre by, not surprisingly, the musical call/song of varied bright notes)
|
| Bay-headed Tanager | (1 with the euphonias)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (several around the feeders)
|
| Palm Tanager | (")
|
| Silver-beaked Tanager | (1 pair was visiting the feeders and the male posed
perfectly )
|
| White-lined Tanager | (1-2 pairs were seen near the feeders and in the forest)
|
| Anhinga | (1 in flight)
|
| Great Egret | (5-6 were noted along quiet channels or flying over)
|
| Snowy Egret | (1 probable on the small ibis roosting island we looked at)
|
| Little Blue Heron | (10-15 along channels or flying over)
|
| Cattle Egret | (20+ in surrounding fields)
|
| Yellow-crowned Night-heron | (3 flushed from channels or in flight)
|
| Scarlet Ibis | (the
second of the top three trip targets was easily ticked when Penny
found 1-2 brilliant red birds fluttering over distant mangroves far to
the west of the jetty. One lone ibis was found perching mid-storey
within mangroves. By c.16.45 we were moving through wide stretches of
water over which ones and twos of ibis were regularly flying at fair
height and soon we halted in the middle of a large stretch, presumably
to wait for the dusk fly-in, such that it might be. Ones and twos
started flying in low over the mangroves to the south, crossing the
water and dropping over the mangroves to the north. Soon a flock of a
dozen or so ibises came in literally blazing scarlet with the lowering
sun on them in perfect light. From now on parties were flying in every
minute. Several ibises swung in on a flight course very close to our
boat enabling a very pleasing photo of one pair . A number of substantial flocks, of up to 50-60 birds came in, often largely of immature birds. At c.17.45 we moved on in the heightening sunset and motored round to a smaller stretch of water just to the north. In the middle was a small, heavily vegetated island that was literally lit up like a Christmas tree. With the evening sun on it, the dark green foliage was dabbed with Scarlet Ibises that actually appeared to be shining. The forms seemed to shimmer, detached from the foliage like an optical illusion. In all I estimated a mere 250-300 birds had been seen flying in but it had been a spectacle and most gratifying. A lone egret (presumed Snowy) perched amongst the dazzling neighbours.)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (2-3 seen)
|
| Long-winged Harrier | (A beautiful black, white and grey adult harrier flew in over the arable fields past the jetty at a mere 30-40m. The species is uncommon to rare here according to Murphy and a very pleasing bonus)
|
| Osprey | (2 singles drifted over the mangroves)
|
| Spotted Sandpiper | (6-7 ad. br. pl. along the sides of muddy mangrove channels)
|
| Common Potoo | (the boatman gave directions to a a superb, roosting potoo on the top of a tall, thin dead trunk rising out of the water. >From only 6-8m I noted oddly long, uneven little bill, hooked like a witches finger, protruding from the large head. During my attempts to take a photo the potoo woke up and opened its large eye (which looked dark in shadow) as it ruffled its feathers and moved about a little until it was comfy again)
|
| [Green Kingfisher] | (1 calling bird was ID'd by the boatman but my scanning of the mangroves was to no avail- horribly frustrating)
|
| Grey Kingbird | (1)
|
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | (1)
|
| [Rufous-browed Peppershrike] | (1 calling bird was ID'd by the boatman)
|
| Carib Grackle | (2-3 were noted)
|
| {Bicolored Conebill} | (as we were leaving the roosting ibises a small grey passerine dashed out of the mangroves calling as it flew across the channel and disappeared. It was ID'd by the boatman as this mangroves speciality but I decided my encounter was untickable)
|
| Red-capped Cardinal | (after I'd missed 1 male found near the jetty by the boatman he picked up another not far along the main access channel and I locked onto a stunning male in mangroves c.25m away. Soon a second male was seen so that Murphy's description as "rare and elusive" was put to the test. As with most other species, the birds were much better than in ffrench's plate. )
|
| [Little Tinamou] | (the plaintive, stepwise rising call of 2 individuals was ID'd by MK but the shy, forest floor birds never came close to being seen)
|
| Black Vulture | (2-3 were often in the sky)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (")
|
| Plumbeous Kite | (1 very distant bird far off over the forest was ID'd by MK. Due to the kite's long slender wings and smooth grey plumage it looked almost falcon-like)
|
| Short-tailed Hawk | (1 dark phase raptor circling over the road not far from the village caused us to stop and check it out. Although largely silhouetted the buteo showed distinctly truncated, broad tail (somewhat like an African Augur Buzzard))
|
| Grey Hawk | (1 ad. circling overhead)
|
| White Hawk | (1 noted)
|
| Common Black Hawk | (1 well marked, brown streaked imm. bird was watched circling low over the cave valley. 2 ad.s were also noted)
|
| {Scaled Pigeon} | (1 pigeon perched high on an exposed tree top at c.150m was silhouetted denying me a view of the heavily patterned plumage so that, although MK ID'd it from size and shape I felt unable to tick it off - frustrating as this was the only one of the trip)
|
| Blue-headed Parrot | (10 came hammering into a tree-top over the trail near the end of our return. These excellent smallish parrots were well hidden in the canopy but several showed wonderfully distinct vivid blue head contrasting with green body and crimson undertail coverts. After 4-5 minutes they dashed off again providing this target in the nick of time)
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | (6-8 in total were seen flying over along the trail)
|
| Smooth-billed Ani | (2-3 were fiddling about in the deep roadside vegetation where we parked)
|
| Ferruginous Pygmy-owl | (MK located 1 perched high in the thick tree next to the shack near the cave. The plaintive whistling call of this common species is often imitated by guides to pull in mobbing passerines but this time it was the mobbers that pulled MK onto the owl. The small, dumpy owl which down at us with outraged blazing yellow eyes. Round head complete with false eyebrows on the nape and length of tail the owl was not surprisingly reminiscent of the other Glaucidium I've seen, Pearl-spotted Owlet in Africa. Suddenly the little cracker bombed out of the tree and fluttered off into the dense forest like a manic Little Owl. Along the trail 2 others responded to MK's imitation while attracting passerines)
|
| Oilbird | (Our brisk pace had brought us to the well concealed entrance to a small cave surrounded by dense vegetation that had almost blocked the trail. Discarding our boots and socks and rolling our trousers up, the three of us waded ankle deep in refreshingly cool water that flowed out of the narrow cave. Beneath our feet squelched the regurgitated and/or defecated husks and seeds of the fruit eaten by the Oilbirds roosting within. MK had a small head-lamp on and I was armed with just the Pentax compact and a torch. We silently crept c.15m into the darkness until suddenly out of the pitch black silence exploded a cacophony of wailing, screaming and clicking that sounded like a vast colony of seabirds. The appalling sound echoed round the cave to make an incredible din as our eyes became accustomed to the dark and MK's small beam flashed about high in front of us. 10-15 Oilbirds were fluttering about in the gloom. Although I immediately recognized this long-familiar and unique "nightjar" I was enthralled to see them at last, surprised by their large size, accentuated by long, slim wings and tail and amazed by the wild spectacle of sight and sound. Incredibly, while most of the Oilbirds fluttered about in agitation coming towards us and then turning back into the darkness, one bird stayed motionless on a ledge towards the entrance in quite reasonable light. This bird was presumably on a nest and allowed good views. Looking basically like an enormous nightjar, the Oilbird showed the long, deep hooked bill, large dark eye, milk chocolate brown plumage, long broad tail, long primaries and bold white spots spangled all over the wings which I had seen in countless paintings and photos. I tried just two shots of my own but the flash was too weak for the full cave of flying Oilbirds and since I decided not to illuminate the perched bird with the torch (allowing the autofocus to see its object) this picture was also hopeless. Soon another Oilbird was detected right behind the first and then 1-2 more were picked out close by. Unlike the semi-dark gorge dwelling and much visited birds at Asa Wright these Oilbirds only rarely encountered humans and artificial light when an authorized guide brought Pax birders and after just 5-10 minutes MK decided they had been disturbed enough. We crept out into a heavy, yet pleasant downpour)
|
| Grey-rumped Swift | (1 was ID'd when it flew below us on the hillock at the shacks. Only slightly greyer rump was possibly more diffusely spread over the tiny swift's rump)
|
| Band-rumped Swift | (2 were buzzing about low around the shacks when fairly well cut-off and clean white rump band was noted, making this sp. reminiscent of Little Swift)
|
| Rufous-breasted | (Hairy)Hermit (1-2 zoomed about at waist height amongst dense vegetation)
|
| Green Hermit | (at least 1 probable was seen by the trail but as with all the hermits they moved so fast and were lost so quickly, good views were hard. I did find 1 feeding more sedately near the minibus when we returned)
|
| Little Hermit | (Penny found the only one of the trip)
|
| White-necked Jacobin | (1 cracking male)
|
| Blue-chinned Sapphire | (2-3)
|
| White-chested Emerald | (4-5)
|
| Copper-rumped Hummingbird | (many)
|
| White-tailed Trogon | (MK found a splendid male sitting in a large open tree next to the shack. As it perched in full view for 5-10 minutes I walked down the slope to face it and noted the diagnostic solid white outer undertail standing out against rich yellow belly and lovely mauve head and upper's. The bird was uttering a relaxed, slow-paced and soothing "cow - cow - cow - cow - cow - cow - cow - cow" call)
|
| Violaceous Trogon | (1 male was picked up high in the canopy overhead when I'd seen it fly in. Barred undertail was noted as was a faster "cop-cop-cop-cop-cop-cop-cop-cop" call)
|
| [Rufous-tailed Jacamar] | (as we wound our way through the low dense vegetation returning from the cave Penny saw 1, the only one of the Trinidad trip!)
|
| Channel-billed Toucan | (during our stop to scan a small beautifully forested
valley on the drive in MK picked up a fantastic toucan perched in a
broad tree top exactly where a bellbird had just been scoped calling
3-400m away. The great bird was sitting vertically with its enormous
black bill jutting out horizontally. The rest of the bird seemed to
flow out from behind this as a brightly coloured mount for the
bill. The bird sat surveying the forest around it for many minutes
like a splendid clown and was the only one of the trip )
|
| Lineated Woodpecker | (1 female was distinguished from Crimson-crested by narrow white moustacial stripe)
|
| Plain-brown Woodcreeper | (1 literally plain rich brown woodcreeper flew across the trail showing short bill)
|
| [Buff-throated Woodcreeper] | (several calling added a definite depth and vitality to the forests)
|
| Great Antshrike | (almost as soon as we'd left the minibus a large, stocky rufous female whirred low across the trail in front of me. The bird clambered through bamboo next to the trail calling an antshrike-like churr)
|
| Plain Antvireo | (1 male was seen on the trek)
|
| [Black-faced Antthrush] | (1 was calling not far from the road inside tall, dark forest on the drive in)
|
| Bearded Bellbird | (the foghorn blasts and anvil clanging of 3-4 males were echoing around the valley we stopped at on the drive in. After a while scanning for the mid-storey perching bellbirds MK found one perched right on the top a tree. A second more concealed bird was soon. Others were heard calling at points all along the trail, some near, some very distant. The sound added a crucial richness to the forests)
|
| Golden-headed Manakin | (after several had been heard by MK a male was at last found by the road while we stopped to look for a close bellbird. The call was again ID'd by MK and I rapidly located the tiny black manakin in a nearby tree. With bin's a decent view of the bird, perched momentarily, revealed that it was truly golden head. A brilliant gleaming yellow dome cap contrasted wildly with the dumpy silky black plumage elsewhere and the unusual pale yellow eye deliberately blended in with the crown. Soon the active bird dashed off and although a frustratingly brief and photo-free encounter compared with the other two manakins, I was relieved to have seen this well)
|
| Tropical Kingbird | (3-4 large, powerful flycatchers were noted)
|
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | (2 large, stocky Kiskadee-type were seen high in a bare tree on the drive in. Eventually the failure of the huge white supercilia to meet on the nape, broad bill and lack of rufous in plainer brown wings were noted. 2-3 were seen along the trail)
|
| Great Kiskadee | (3-4 were noted)
|
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | (1 high in a tree was ID'd by MK by much smaller size than Brown-crested, sooty head and brown tail)
|
| Tropical Pewee | (1 pair was seen well close to the trail when dainty jizz with large head and eye and obvious pink bill were noted)
|
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | (2 noted)
|
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | (1 was found feeding young along the overgrown trail to the cave. The bird was elusive but I soon realized it was the same vocal passerine we had been unable to ID in the Main Ridge forest of Tobago. MK ID'd it straight away and it all made sense. 1-2 others were also noted)
|
| Southern Rough-winged Swallow | (2-3 were seen along the road)
|
| Rufous-breasted Wren | (3-4 came in to the dense low bushes by the trail next to which MK stood whistling an imitation of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl)
|
| Long-billed Gnatwren | (1 came in to mob MK's Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitation)
|
| Cocoa Thrush | (1 was followed along the overgrown trail back from the cave)
|
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | (1 was seen near the shacks)
|
| Golden-fronted Greenlet | (2 appeared in the passerine gathering at MK's Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitation)
|
| Crested Oropendola | (1-2 were noted)
|
| Northern Waterthrush | (I found 1 feeding along a felled tree trunk at the edge of a disappointing patch of cleared forest along the trail)
|
| Golden-crowned Warbler | (1-2 were seen but I never got an impression of bright orange crown)
|
| Swallow-Tanager | (as
we were scanning the small valley on the drive in MK found 1 male
perched in a broad, open tree c.150m back down the road. The bird
remained still for a few minutes during which the distinctively broad,
deep-set bill and black face was seen to be subtly yet obviously
reminiscent of a wood-swallow. The unusually bright, light blue of the
crown, upper's and breast stood out against the dark foliage behind
and white belly cut up between blue flanks. The species is rare
according to Murphy and clearly hard to see as this was a lifer for
MK as well )
|
| Purple Honeycreeper | (1 joined in at MK's Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitation)
|
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | (my first of the trip was picked up in a tree near the road in the valley we stopped to bird. 2 appeared in the bird-filled bushes at MK's Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitation)
|
| Green Honeycreeper | (1 male was found feeding a young bird)
|
| Violaceous Euphonia | (2 pairs were seen low over the trail in large trees)
|
| Turquoise Tanager | (1 was seen in the valley on the drive in. This attractive little tanager was certainly much more elusive than its larger relatives)
|
| Bay-headed Tanager | (1 appeared at MK's Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitation)
|
| Blue-gray Tanager | (several seen along the trail)
|
| Palm Tanager | ( " )
|
| Silver-beaked Tanager | (2+ males were noted)
|
| Red-crowned Ant-tanager | (1 dull rufous immature bird was seen grubbing about near the start of the trail Soon a female appeared for comparison then the richly coloured male showed itself briefly)
|
| White-lined Tanager | (several nicely dissimilar males and females were noted, active as usual)
|
| White-shouldered Tanager | (2-3 males were encountered around the shacks. This welcome new tanager, my ninth of the trip (and all seen on this trek), was seen to be rather small, dainty and fine-billed)
|
The trek had thus produced the most important bird of the trip
plus 62 other forest species (four heard only) including several
crucial birds, in no more than 5 1/2 hours birding.
| [Little Tinamou] | (at least 2 were calling from deep in forest floor cover not far from the trail. The plaintive whistling wail rising in slow steps was most tantalizing and frustrating since we had no chance if seeing the shy (heavily hunted) bird)
|
| Black Vulture | (2-3 soared close overhead or actually below us when MK and I climbed the fire tower along Alben Ride for a tremendous view over the plains beyond Tunapuna and up the forested hillsides above Pax)
|
| Turkey Vulture | (several low overhead)
|
| White Hawk | (MK found an
obvious bird perched in a treetop 100m from us along the Parula
Trail. The very smart bird of prey allowed a reasonable photo but it
hardly deserved Murphy's accolade as "possibly the World's most
beautiful raptor")
|
| Ruddy Ground Dove | (1-2 by the monastery church allowed close approach)
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | (the usual couple of pairs flew over. Frustratingly MK had seen the also "usual" small flock of Lilac-tailed Parrotlets bomb past as he'd walked up to Pax earlier. Although they look superb in the field guide MK said the birds usually show as calling bullets offering little or no view of their tail or other finery)
|
| Squirrel Cuckoo | (1 c.25m away in trees down the slope calling. I saw why the lifer was so-named as it quickly scampered along the treetop branches in a horizontal posture with its chestnut tail streaming out behind, just like a huge red squirrel)
|
| Short-tailed Swift | (2-3)
|
| Lineated Woodpecker | (1 female found by Penny showed well on a trunk at 10m)
|
| [Barred Antshrike] | (1-2 calling)
|
| White-flanked Antwren | (1 female was pointed out by MK hanging on a vine)
|
| [White-bellied Antbird] | (MK ID'd rather too distant, very high, descending whistled notes in secondary forest along Parula trail as coming from my last target species. Both MK and GR regard this trail as one of the best antbird sites in the country and at least 2 birds were present and calling. MK advised against my bothering to stalk a bird that had been calling in the gully below as I'd flush it before I saw it. Unfortunately no bird emerged from the ground cover within view after a couple of hours. Incredibly, a month later, Penny "confessed" to having seen a brown thrush-sized bird with white underparts in flight along the Parula Trail. It was clearly a White-bellied Antbird - one of the less enjoyable instances of my wife gripping me off)
|
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | (1 ID'd by MK)
|
| Southern Beardless Tyrannulet | (MK located 1 over the Parula Trail by its high, thin "three blind mice" call)
|
| [Long-billed Gnatwren] | ( the surprisingly loud rattled trill call heard)
|
| Cocoa Thrush | (1 feeding very unobtrusively in leaf litter by Parula trail)
|
| Chivi Vireo | (3-4 "Red-eyed Vireos" were seen well along trail. Apparently common on both islands and clearly considered a separate sp. by ffrench yet not mentioned by de Schauensee et. al.)
|
| Golden-fronted Greenlet | (3-4 attractive, quite buff-headed birds were seen well)
|
| Crested Oropendola | (1-2 in flight over the trees)
|
| Tropical Parula | (practically the first bird we saw as we started along the Parula Trail was a gorgeous singing male Tropical Parula of the race elegans. The trilling song was very reminiscent of Wood Warbler. Another singing male and a few duller females made at least 2 pairs present)
|
| Golden-crowned Warbler | (1 more subtle but attractive warbler)
|
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | (1 male seen in virtual silhouette)
|
| Blue Dacnis | (MK found 1 bright turquoise/blue female with 1 imm. male by the road. Considered one of "the usual species" (responding to Ferruginous Pygmy Owl imitations) by Murphy, these were the first and last of our trip)
|
| Trinidad Euphonia | (MK ID'd the high thin call and I saw the author to be a pale bellied female euphonia in a treetop)
|
| Violaceous Euphonia | (1 pair)
|
| White-shouldered Tanager | (1 pair was seen, the female being a very dissimilar green and white to the male)
|
| Agouti | (1 small "hog" was seen ferreting about in the undergrowth)
|
| Red Squirrel | (1 richly coloured animal was seen briefly darting through branches)
|
At 11.00, 72 hours after arriving at Pax, we finished birding in
Trinidad with a surprisingly modest 104 species under the
belt. However, what the list lacked in quantity it made up for in
quality.
| [Little Tinamou] | Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Red-billed Tropicbird | Little Tobago
|
| Brown Booby | Little Tobago, Stonehaven Bay
|
| Red-footed Booby | Little Tobago
|
| Brown Pelican | Stonehaven Bay
|
| Anhinga | Buccoo Marsh, Caroni Swamp
|
| Magnificent Frigatebird | common (Tobago)
|
| Great Egret | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Snowy Egret | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Little Blue Heron | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Tricoloured Heron | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Green Heron | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Cattle Egret | common
|
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Tobago Atlantic coast
|
| Yellow-crowned Night-heron | Little Tobago, Arnos Vale, Caroni Swamp
|
| Scarlet Ibis | Caroni Swamp
|
| Black-bellied Whistling-duck | Buccoo Marsh
|
| White-cheeked Pintail | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Black Vulture | common (Trinidad)
|
| Turkey Vulture | common (Trinidad)
|
| American Swallow-tailed Kite | Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Grey-headed Kite | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Plumbeous Kite | Arima Valley, Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Broad-winged Hawk | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Main Ridge Forest
|
| Short-tailed Hawk | Cumaca
|
| Grey Hawk | Cumaca
|
| White Hawk |
Asa Wright Nature Centre, Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Common Black Hawk | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| {Great Black Hawk} | Speyside
|
| Long-winged Harrier | Caroni Swamp
|
| Osprey | Buccoo Marsh, Caroni Swamp
|
| Yellow-headed Caracara | Eastern Main Road (Trinidad)
|
| Rufous-vented Chachalaca | Stonehaven Bay, Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Arnos Vale, Main Ridge Forest
|
| Common Moorhen | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Wattled Jacana | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Southern Lapwing | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Grey Plover | Stonehaven Bay
|
| Semipalmated Plover | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Ruddy Turnstone | Stonehaven Bay
|
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Buccoo Marsh
|
| Spotted Sandpiper | Speyside, Buccoo Marsh, Caroni Swamp
|
| Laughing Gull | common
|
| Sooty Tern | Smith's Island (Tobago)
|
| Royal Tern | Stonehaven Bay, Pigeon Point
|
| Sandwich Tern | Stonehaven Bay
|
| {Scaled Pigeon} | Cumaca
|
| Pale-vented Pigeon | Little Tobago
|
| Eared Dove | common (Tobago)
|
| Ruddy Ground Dove | Arnos Vale, Mount St. Benedict
|
| White-tipped Dove | common (Tobago)
|
| Green-rumped Parrotlet | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Buccoo Marsh
|
| Blue-headed Parrot | Cumaca
|
| Orange-winged Parrot | common
|
| Squirrel Cuckoo | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Smooth-billed Ani | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Buccoo Marsh, Cumaca
|
| Ferruginous Pygmy-owl | Cumaca
|
| Oilbird | Cumaca
|
| Common Potoo | Caroni Swamp
|
| Grey-rumped Swift | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Band-rumped Swift | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Short-tailed Swift | common
|
| Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Rufous-breasted (Hairy) Hermit | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Cumaca
|
| Green Hermit | Pax Guest House, Cumaca
|
| Little Hermit | Cumaca
|
| White-tailed Sabrewing | Main Ridge Forest
|
| White-necked Jacobin | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Black-throated Mango | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Arnos Vale, Pax Guesthouse
|
| Ruby-topaz Hummingbird | common (Tobago)
|
| Tufted Coquette | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Blue-chinned Sapphire | Pax Guest House
|
| White-chested Emerald | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Copper-rumped Hummingbird | common
|
| White-tailed Trogon | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Violaceous Trogon | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Collared Trogon | Main Ridge Forest
|
| [Green Kingfisher] | Caroni Swamp
|
| Blue-crowned Motmot | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Arnos Vale, Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar | Main ridge Forest, Cumaca
|
| Channel-billed Toucan | Cumaca
|
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | Main ridge Forest
|
| Chestnut Woodpecker | Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Lineated Woodpecker | Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | common
|
| Plain-brown Woodcreeper | Cumaca
|
| Olivaceous Woodcreeper | Grafton Estate Sanctuary
|
| Buff-throated Woodcreeper | common
|
| Stripe-breasted Spinetail | Main Ridge Forest
|
| Great Antshrike | Cumaca
|
| Barred Antshrike | common
|
| Plain Antvireo | Main Ridge Forest, Cumaca
|
| White-flanked Antwren | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Mount St. Benedict
|
| White-fringed Antwren | common (Tobago)
|
| [White-bellied Antbird] | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Black-faced Antthrush | Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Bearded Bellbird | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Golden-headed Manakin | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| White-bearded Manakin | Mount St. Benedict, Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Blue-backed Manakin | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Main Ridge Forest
|
| {Fork-tailed Flycatcher} | Eastern Main Road (Trinidad)
|
| Tropical Kingbird | common
|
| Grey Kingbird | Main Ridge Forest, Caroni Swamp
|
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | Cumaca
|
| Streaked Flycatcher | Main Ridge Forest, Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Centre
|
| Great Kiskadee | common (Trinidad)
|
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | common (Tobago), Caroni Swamp, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Cumaca
|
| Tropical Pewee | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Fuscous Flycatcher | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Arnos Vale
|
| Yellow-breasted Flycatcher | common (Tobago), Mount St. Benedict
|
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | common
|
| Forest Elaenia | Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Southern Beardless-tyrannulet | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | Main Ridge Forest, Cumaca
|
| Caribbean Martin | common (Tobago)
|
| Southern Rough-winged Swallow | Arima Valley, Cumaca
|
| Rufous-breasted Wren | Arnos Vale, Main Ridge Forest, Cumaca
|
| House Wren | common
|
| Tropical Mockingbird | common
|
| Long-billed Gnatwren | Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Yellow-legged Thrush | Main Ridge Forest
|
| Cocoa Thrush | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Bare-eyed Thrush | common
|
| White-necked Thrush | Main Ridge Forest
|
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | Mount St. Benedict, Caroni Swamp, Cumaca
|
| Chivi Vireo | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Golden-fronted Greenlet | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Scrub Greenlet | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Buccoo Marsh
|
| Shiny Cowbird | common (Trinidad)
|
| Giant Cowbird | Main Ridge Forest
|
| Crested Oropendola | common
|
| Carib Grackle | common
|
| Yellow Oriole | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre
|
| Tropical Parula | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Northern Waterthrush | Buccoo Marsh, Cumaca
|
| Golden-crowned Warbler | Mount St. Benedict, Cumaca
|
| Bananaquit | common!
|
| Swallow-Tanager | Cumaca
|
| {Bicoloured Conebill} | Caroni Swamp
|
| Purple Honeycreeper | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict, Main Ridge Forest
|
| Green Honeycreeper | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Blue Dacnis | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Trinidad Euphonia | Mount St. Benedict
|
| Violaceous Euphonia | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Turquoise Tanager | Pax Guest House, Cumaca
|
| Bay-headed Tanager | Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Blue-grey Tanager | common
|
| Palm Tanager | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Silver-beaked Tanager | Pax Guest House, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Cumaca
|
| Red-crowned Ant-tanager | Cumaca
|
| White-lined Tanager | common
|
| White-shouldered Tanager | Cumaca, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Red-capped Cardinal | Caroni Swamp
|
| Blue-black Grassquit | Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Mount St. Benedict
|
| Black-faced Grassquit | Grafton Resort, Grafton Estate Sanctuary, Arnos Vale
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
).
.
While we waited to discuss my target list and the necessary trips
with Gerard we birded from various verandahs adjacent to lush
flowering gardens and sugar feeders. These looked onto the
panorama of steep hills, rising through dense secondary forest
into primary forest smothering the high ridges of the Northern
Range; the geological start, or end, of the Andes! The gardens
seemed to be one of the best hummingbird sites in the country with
Tufted Coquette a priority for me but also producing the only
recent records of Rufous-shafted Woodstar (from our verandah!). As
a raptor watchpoint the guest house was also as good as anywhere
in Trinidad. From 11.00 until 13.30 we noted the following:
)
)
)
)
. As it turned the wattles swung like
strings of beads and although others thought they looked "nasty" I
relished this distinctive and peculiar characteristic of the family,
in one form or another. I was now able to watch the compact,
thrush-sized bird utter its call. With no effort the bill suddenly
sprang open, briefly making an obtuse angle between the mandibles and
the "bock" rang out. Head-on the neck could look quite slim but the
stockiness of the large-headed bird was clear. Eventually the bellbird
moved off As we returned I could not resist more bellbird photos. In
all 3-4 males were making up this "calling group" and one was soon
found low down and close to the trail. In good light I took more
shots. One photo virtually captures the classic obtuse angle between
mandibles at "full throat" 
. In retrospect I regarded this as "bird of the trip" - a fascinating looking and performing bird)
. Every so often one bird would burst
into a rapid sequence of zapping from stem to stem via the ground in a
rough circuit around what was presumably his cleared "court". The tiny
black and white ball bounced and sprang like a firecracker an
impression accentuated by the loud snapping noise accompanying the
movements. As the bird posed horizontally on a stem before the next
bounce the throat feathers were often fluffed up to protrude in a
pointed ruff beyond the bill - clearly the white beard and most
distinctive. All the other males would sit around unmoved by the
displaying bird's antics until one of them would have a go. Since the
birds were so confiding or at least tolerant while at display I was
able to take a number of shots. One bird perched close to the viewing
area in a shaft of sunlight provided a nicely contrasting picture 
. Occasionally 1 or 2 birds would fly off on loudly whirring wings like a tiny, motor-driven toy. Later I found 2-3 more males displaying at another lek beyond the empty Golden-headed site. males were also seen and heard whirring about generally in the forest)
)
)
)
)
. A number of substantial flocks, of up to 50-60 birds came in, often largely of immature birds. At c.17.45 we moved on in the heightening sunset and motored round to a smaller stretch of water just to the north. In the middle was a small, heavily vegetated island that was literally lit up like a Christmas tree. With the evening sun on it, the dark green foliage was dabbed with Scarlet Ibises that actually appeared to be shining. The forms seemed to shimmer, detached from the foliage like an optical illusion. In all I estimated a mere 250-300 birds had been seen flying in but it had been a spectacle and most gratifying. A lone egret (presumed Snowy) perched amongst the dazzling neighbours.)
)
which
should provide a host of other forest species in addition to the
last of the three top targets - guaranteed. In addition I primed
Martyn for Channel-billed Toucan, Blue-headed Parrot,
White-bellied Antbird, Great Antshrike and Golden-headed Manakin.
We set off at c.08.00 in a minibus with driver, on the two hour
drive. Since the pot-holed road out to the remote village of
Cumaca was so treacherous as it wound along steep hillsides, time
was of the essence. The two hour each way trek to the cave would
have to be completed by 16.00 to allow us to drive out again
before dark.
Before we turned off the Eastern Main Road however, a potential
lifer was pointed out by MK:
)
)
but it
hardly deserved Murphy's accolade as "possibly the World's most
beautiful raptor")
