Bird of the Day
Ferrouginous Pygmy Owl
Flora/Fauna of the Day
It was another beautiful morning for early birds.
Ted showed us a tarantula he and Luke had captured - it was on the top of a wall in Chris' room.
More birding at breakfast...
Today our group travelled by bus with Roodal to the east side of Trinidad. Barbara decided she could go as she could rest in the van. We made a few road stops. As usual, Chris would spot birds and use his pointer to show us where to look. We had good looks at a Linneated Woodpecker and a Ferrouginous Pygmy Owl.
Then we visited the Aripo Agriculture Research Station which works primarily with livestock, breeding a cross of Water Buffalo and Brahma cattle.
We picked up a lot of new birds here, including Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Water Tyrant, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Red-breasted Backbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Savanna Hawk, Solitary Sandpiper, Blue-black Grassquit, Grassland Yellow-finch and Yellow-chinned Spinetail.
Back on the road, we checked out the local ice cream.
Both Barbara and Bill gave some Canada pencils to some happy young children.
We soon stopped at a beach resort at Manzanilla for a tasty picnic lunch. We enjoyed scanning the waves and watching a group of Ruddy Turnstones along the shore, Magificent Frigatebirds soaring overhead and Gray-breasted Martins on the wire.
In the early afternoon we drove slowly south through a million coconut palms looking for raptors sheltering from the midday sun. We saw Common Black-Hawk and Yellow-headed Caracara.
At a brief stop near some roadside mangroves we found Green-rumped Parrotlet, American Pygmy Kingfisher (brief view), Gray Kingbird, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Anhinga, Fiddler Crab and Spectacled Caiman.
Next we travelled to the Navira Swamp through the settlement of Kernaham, the largest herbaceous freshwater swamp on the island featuring palms and mangroves. Here we saw Limpkin and Black-bellied Whistling Duck, as well as many familiar birds.
We had to cut short our visit to the swamp in order to go to the grounds of Trinidad University (under construction) to be in time for the Red-bellied Macaws coming to roost. We were not disappointed and also got a couple of new birds, Sulphury Flycatcher and Moriche Oriole. While waiting for the Macaws, we were served rum punch out of the back of the van!
After our long trip we were happy to clean up and enjoy a relaxing dinner. We had seen many new birds - Bill is up to 50 lifers!
Birds seen today:
TINAMOU
Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui HEARD ONLY
HERONS
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi
Great Egret Ardea alba
PELICAN
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
FRIGATEBIRD
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens
CORMORANT & ANHINGA
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
VULTURES
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
HAWKS & KITES
Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis LIFER #36
White Hawk Pseudastur albicollis
Grey-lined Hawk Buteo nitidus
Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus
CARACARAS
Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima
FALCONS
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
RAILS ETC
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinicus
Limpkin Aramus guarauna
SHOREBIRDS
Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana
Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
PIGEONS & DOVES
Rock Dove (i) Columba livia feral
Ruddy Ground Dove Columbina talpacoti
PARROTS
Red-bellied Macaw Orthopsittaca manilata LIFER #37
Green-rumped Parrotlet Forpus passerinus LIFER #38
Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonica
CUCKOOS
Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
OWLS
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl Glaucidium brasilianum
SWIFTS
Fork-tailed Palm Swift Tachornis squamata
HUMMINGBIRDS
Rufous-breasted Hermit Glaucis hirsutus
Green Hermit Phaethornis guy
Little Hermit Phaethornis longuemareus
White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora
Black-throated Mango Anthracothorax nigricollis
Tufted Coquette Lophornis ornatus
Blue-chinned Sapphire Chlorestes notata
White-chested Emerald Amazilia brevirostris
Copper-rumped Hummingbird Amazilia tobaci
KINGFISHERS
American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea
MOTMOT
Trinidad Motmot Momotus bahamensis HEARD ONLY
WOODPECKERS
Red-rumped Woodpecker Veniliornis kirkii HEARD ONLY
Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus
SPINETAILS & WOODCREEPERS
Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamomeus LIFER #39
Cocoa Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus susurrans HEARD ONLY
ANTBIRDS
Great Antshrike Taraba major LIFER #40
ELAENIAS
Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster LIFER #41
FLYCATCHERS
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus
Yellow-olive Flatbill Tolmomyias sulphurescens LIFER #42
Pied Water Tyrant Fluvicola pica LIFER #43
White-headed Marsh Tyrant Arundinicola leucocephala LIFER #44
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua
Sulphury Flycatcher Tyrannopsis sulphurea LIFER #45
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis
BELLBIRDS
Bearded Bellbird Procnias averano HEARD ONLY
MANAKINS
White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus
GREENLETS
Golden-fronted Greenlet Hylophilus aurantiifrons
SWALLOWS
White-winged Swallow Tachycineta albiventer
Grey-breasted Martin Progne chalybea LIFER #46
Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
WRENS
Rufous-breasted Wren Pheugopedius rutilus HEARD ONLY
House Wren Troglodytes aedon HEARD ONLY
MOCKINGBIRD
Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus
THRUSHES
Cocoa Thrush Turdus fumigatus
Spectacled Thrush Turdus nudigenis
EUPHONIAS
Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea
WOOD WARBLERS
Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis HEARD ONLY
Tropical Parula Setophaga pitiayumi
BLACKBIRDS
Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus
Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela
Yellow-hooded Blackbird Chrysomus icterocephalus LIFER #47
Carib Grackle Quiscalus lugubris
Red-breasted Blackbird Sturnella militaris
Moriche (Epaulet) Oriole Icterus cayanensis LIFER #48
BANANAQUIT & CARDINAL
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
TANAGERS & HONEYCREEPERS
White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus
Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo
Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus
Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum
Turquoise Tanager Tangara mexicana
Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola
Purple Honeycreeper Cyanerpes caeruleus
Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza
FINCHES & SEEDEATERS
Grassland Yellow Finch Sicalis luteola LIFER #49
Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina LIFER #50