Trinidad and Tobago Birding Tour
January 8, 2015
Bird of the Day
Scarlet Ibis
Flora/Fauna of the Day
What Bill did this morning:
• rose early to check the Motmot perch
tree (it wasn't there!) and to hike down to look for the Bearded
Bellbird. He did not see a bellbird, but did hear a couple making
their unique call , which he recorded.
Or check out this YouTube video made by a another lucky
birder at Asa Wright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgKe24-_G4
• returned to the verandah,
seeing the Trinidad Motmot and White-necked Thrush en route :-)
• birded from the verandah
before and after breakfast before the hike to the Oilbird Cave
• visited the famous Dunston Oilbird Cave to see the fascinating nocturnal Oilbirds
Our guide, Caleb, took us down the
steep trail to the Dunston Oilbird Cave where the fruit eating
nocturnal birds roost by day. The floor of the cave is littered
with germinating palm seedlings. The Oilbirds swallow the palm
fruit whole, and, after the pericarp is digested, regurgitate the
seeds. Oilbirds are very important for seed dispersal of a number
of tropical trees. Staff of the Centre have collected these seeds
and planted them around the estate to enrich the habitat. Two at
a time, we entered the mouth of the cave and observed the
Oilbirds by the light of Caleb's flashlight.
Caleb also pointed out some Orange-winged Parrots and a
White-bearded Manakin along the trail.
What Barbara did this morning:
• travelled with Roodol to visit the hospital in Arima for a
dressing change (by a pleasant Cuban nurse)
• met Roodol's wife, daughter and grandson
Scarlet Ibis afternoon
In the afternoon our birding group all travelled to the Caroni
Swamp National Park for a boat tour on the Blue River, also known
as No.9 Drain. We were really looking forward to visiting the
park to view the magnificent display of Scarlet Ibis coming in to
roost each night as the sun set.
On the way to the park, we made a roadside stop to scan a large
shallow pond. Chris used his scope to show us Blue-winged Teal,
Common Gallinule and an Osprey with fish.
At aother stop, at an electrical substation, we saw Saffron
Finch, Common Ground Dove and Ruddy Ground Dove.
Finally we arrived at the Caroni Swamp Visitor Centre. We birded
across the road where some got a glimpse of a Bicolored Conebill.
Then we boarded our boat and explored to the west down the Blue
River (or as Trinis call it, No 9 drain) where we saw a
Green-throated Mango, Eared Dove, an Anhinga, many Little Blue
Herons, and the spectacular Masked (Red-capped) Cardinal. We
finally got good looks at a Rufous-browed Peppershrike and we
even saw a Ruschenberger’s Tree Boa roosting in the
branches.
As we made our way towards the ibis roost area, we caught a
glimpse of a Striated Heron and a few Scarlet Ibisis back in the
mangroves. Our guide explained that they were feeding on
Tree-climbing Crabs, which he stopped to show us. He took us
through a narrow channel to show us a roosting Common Potoo,
which was a special treat.
The colourful Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and
Tobago. As the sun dropped low in the sky, we entered a widening
of the river and moored up, watching the mangrove forest,
awaiting the spectacle. White Snowy Egrets and a few Tricolored
Herons arrived first... then the impressive flight of many
Scarlet Ibis. They soared overhead in a brilliant array of
flashes of red, descending en masse to roost for the night.
We continued to watch the sectacle while we enjoyed our rum
punch. We took our memories of this amazing show back to Asa
Wright where we gathered at our dinner table to complete our
day's bird list.
Bird seen today:
DUCKS & GEESE
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
HERONS
Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Great Egret Ardea alba
Tricoloured Heron Egretta tricolor
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Snowy Egret Egretta thula
PELICAN
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
CORMORANT & ANHINGA
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
VULTURES
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
HAWKS & KITES
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus HEARD ONLY
Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
RAILS ETC
Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus
SHOREBIRDS
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
PIGEONS & DOVES
Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
Common Ground Dove Columbina passerina
Ruddy Ground Dove Columbina talpacoti
PARROTS
Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonica
CUCKOOS
Greater Ani Crotophaga major
Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
OWLS
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl Glaucidium brasilianum HEARD ONLY
OILBIRD
Oilbird Steatornis caripensis LIFER #51
NIGHTJARS
Common Potoo Nyctibius griseus
SWIFTS
Fork-tailed Palm Swift Tachornis squamata
HUMMINGBIRDS
White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora
Green-throated Mango Anthracothorax viridigula LIFER #52
Black-throated Mango Anthracothorax nigricollis
Tufted Coquette Lophornis ornatus
Blue-chinned Sapphire Chlorestes notata
White-chested Emerald Amazilia brevirostris
Copper-rumped Hummingbird Amazilia tobaci
Long-billed Starthroat Heliomaster longirostris
KINGFISHERS
American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea
Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana
MOTMOT
Trinidad Motmot Momotus bahamensis LIFER #53
(split from Blue-headed)
TOUCAN
Channel-billed Toucan Ramphastos vitellinus HEARD ONLY
WOODPECKERS
Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus HEARD ONLY
ANTBIRDS
Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus
Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis HEARD ONLY
FLYCATCHERS
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus
Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris LIFER
#54
Yellow-olive Flatbill Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis
BELLBIRDS
Bearded Bellbird Procnias averano HEARD ONLY
MANAKINS
White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus
Golden-headed Manakin Dixiphia erythrocephala
VIREOS
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis LIFER #55
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
White-necked Thrush Turdus albicollis
EUPHONIAS
Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea
WOOD WARBLERS
Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis HEARD ONLY
Tropical Parula Setophaga pitiayumi
BLACKBIRDS
Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus
Carib Grackle Quiscalus lugubris
BANANAQUIT & CARDINAL
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
Masked (Red-capped) Cardinal Paroaria gularis LIFER #56
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
Bicoloured Conebill Conirostrum bicolor
Saffron Finch (i) Sicalis flaveola
Grassland Yellow Finch Sicalis luteola