Trinidad and Tobago
Birding Tour
January 9, 2015
Bird of the Day
White-cheeked Pintail
Flora/Fauna of the Day
It was hard to leave Asa Wright. Goodbye verandah... Goodbye
Oropendula nests. Goodbye hummingbird feeders. Goodbye fruit
trays dancing with birds. We took advantage of a few hours in the
morning to have a last look through our binoculars...
Asa Wright gave us each a packed lunch (ham and cheese sandwiches
and a banana). Roodal drove us to the airport - we were on were
on our way to Tobago. Aaugun, a very experienced traveller,
advised Barbara to request a wheelchair to get faster service and
to avoid being pushed in a crowd. Barbara's foot and leg had
swollen and were sore so she decided to try the wheelchair
option. It was very restful.
Goodbye Trinidad.
Hello Tobago.
After our 30 minute flight, our birding guide, Gladwyn James, met
us at Crown Point, the small Tobago airport. We hopped on his
comfortable bus and he explained some of the geography and
history of his small island. Gladwyn entertained us with stories,
including a description of the February carnival - the largest
street party in the world.
He took us to some interesting birding spots close to the
airport, including a residential area and the Tobago Plantations
Beach and Golf Resort. In spite of the dubious-sounding names for
these spots, the birding was excellent. Bill was thrilled to see
the lifer White-cheeked Pintails. We also saw our first Green
Herons (Tobago has Green and Trinidad has Striated), a nice
Tricolored Heron and a Greater Yellowlegs, one of only a few
shorebirds on the trip. The Sphinx Moth Caterpillar was enormous!
At the Tobago Plantations Beach and Golf Resort we were
entertained by many Anhingas, two Black-crowned Night-Herons and
a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. In the ponds we found several Least
Grebes, including one with a nest containing an egg. There were
also quite a few Common Gallinules, formerly called Common
Moorhens - but Ted called them Mudhens! As well there were the
ever-present Spectacled Caimans and Wattled Jacanas with chicks.
From the airport to Blue Waters Inn at Speyside it is about an
hour and a half. We stopped at a grocery to buy some water and
drinks. Gladwyn and Barbara waited in the bus. Bill reported
slooow lineups - Trinidadians like to chat with each other.
Someone suggested an express lineup would be a good idea but the
clerk said it wouldn't make any difference.
Along the route we spotted a Yellow-bellied Elaenia and a couple
of Red-crowned Woodpeckers. As we neared our destination we saw a
few Royal Terns, which was nice, because our gull and tern list
was sadly lacking.
The Blue Waters Inn has a beautiful beach, pool and hot tub. We
quickly settled in.
We enjoyed dinner and working on our bird list.
Birds seen today:
DUCKS & GEESE
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis LIFER #57
GREBES
Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus
GUANS & CHACHALACAS
Rufous-vented Chachalaca Ortalis ruficauda
HERONS
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea
Green Heron Butorides virescens
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Great Egret Ardea alba
Tricoloured Heron Egretta tricolor
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Snowy Egret Egretta thula
PELICAN
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
FRIGATEBIRD
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens
CORMORANT & ANHINGA
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
VULTURES
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
HAWKS & KITES
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
FALCONS
Merlin Falco columbarius
RAILS ETC
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinicus
Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus
SHOREBIRDS
Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
GULLS & TERNS
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
PIGEONS & DOVES
Rock Dove (i) Columba livia feral
Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis LIFER #58
Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
PARROTS
Green-rumped Parrotlet Forpus passerinus
Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonica
CUCKOOS
Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
OWLS
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl Glaucidium brasilianum HEARD ONLY
SWIFTS
Fork-tailed Palm Swift Tachornis squamata
HUMMINGBIRDS
Rufous-breasted Hermit Glaucis hirsutus
Green Hermit Phaethornis guy
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
Long-billed Starthroat Heliomaster longirostris
MOTMOT
Trinidad Motmot Momotus bahamensis
WOODPECKERS
Red-crowned Woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus
ANTBIRDS
Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus
Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis
ELAENIAS
Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster
FLYCATCHERS
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis
Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus LIFER #59
BELLBIRDS
Bearded Bellbird Procnias averano HEARD ONLY
GREENLETS
Scrub Greenlet Hylophilus flavipes LIFER #60
THRUSHES
Cocoa Thrush Turdus fumigatus
Spectacled Thrush Turdus nudigenis
White-necked Thrush Turdus albicollis
EUPHONIAS
Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea
BLACKBIRDS
Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus
Carib Grackle Quiscalus lugubris
BANANAQUIT & CARDINAL
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
TANAGERS & HONEYCREEPERS
White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus
Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus
Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum
Turquoise Tanager Tangara mexicana
Purple Honeycreeper Cyanerpes caeruleus
Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza
FINCHES & SEEDEATERS
Black-faced Grassquit Tiaris bicolor LIFER #61
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