TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Brian and Pat Wetton visited Trinidad and Tobago with Birdfinders in April 2007. The group consisted solely of them and David Helliar, an excellent companion. The leader was Martyn Kenefick who could not have been bettered and is highly recommended. Look out for his new field guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago due out in October 2007. We saw 234 species and heard another two; this was a record for a Birdfinders tour made more amazing because we virtually missed the North American migrants.

Itinerary :

The normal itinerary was reversed because of a jazz festival in Tobago so we did Tobago first. It all worked out brilliantly and I see no reason to always do Trinidad first.

14 April    Gatwick to Crown Point Tobago ( XL Airways).

                  Stayed 4 nights at excellent Mermaid Hotel on Old Store Road near Crown Point.

15 April    Bon Accord Lagoons(BA), Lowlands Estate(LW) and Grafton Sanctuary(GS).

16 April    Bon Accord, Gilpin Trace(GT) in Main Ridge, Smith's Island(SI) & 

                  Studley Park Bay(SP).

17 April    Crown Point(CP), Grafton, Adventure Farm(AF) (Arnos), Speyside(SY) & 

                  Little Tobago(LT).

18 April    Fly to Piarco, Galera Point(GP), Grande Riviere(GR) & Montevideo Trace(MT).

19 April    Montevideo Trace and Galera Point.

20 April    Montevideo Trace and transfer to Asa Wright Nature Centre(AW) for 8 nights.

21 April    Asa Wright (Discovery & Bellbird Trails and Entrance Road).

22 April    Soudama Steps(SS) (S Oropouche Marsh), Waterloo(WT) (inc Brickfields &  

                  Orange Valley), Carli Bay(CB), Valsayn Ricefields(VR) & Asa Wright. 

23 April    Morne Bleu(MB), Las Lapas Trace(LL) and Asa Wright.

24 April    Aripo Research Station(AP), Manzanilla(MZ), Cocos Bay(CC), Nariva 

                  Swamp(NV) and Waller Field(WF).

25 April    Waller Field and Asa Wright Centre (Chaconia, Discovery & Bellbird Trails).

26 April    Las Lapas Trace, Lalaja Trace(LJ) and Asa Wright.

27 April    Asa Wright (Entrance Road & Guacharo Trail) and Caroni Swamp(CS).

28 April    Asa Wright Centre & flights to Tobago and Gatwick (arriving 29 April).

Sites Profiles (Tobago):

Crown Point

At the end of the airport runway is a good sea-watching point during passage of terns.

Bon Accord Lagoons

Sewage lagoons, marsh and scrub just north of Crown Point. A good pre-breakfast venue for waterbirds and common Tobago species.

Lowlands Estate

A patchwork of different habitats round the Hilton Hotel, including sewage lagoons, ponds, grassland and coastal mangrove (with a boardwalk).

Grafton Sanctuary

A private estate of dry woodland with several trails and where birds are fed artificially twice a day at 8am and 4pm. Large numbers of Chachalacas.

Adventure Farm

This is a private garden between Plymouth and Arnos Vale where sugar water feeders attract many hummingbirds including Ruby Topaz. There is a charge for entry.

Gilpin Trace and Main Ridge Reserve

The highland ridge which runs along the spine of northern and central Tobago is covered with rain forest and has been protected as a Reserve since 1765. We explored two trails, Gilpin Trace and Niplig Trace (Gilpin backwards) on the other side of the road from Roxborough to Bloody Bay.

Studley Park Bay

This is one of a number of sandy bays on the east coast of Tobago where shorebirds are possible. Our visit was too late for the main wader migration.

Smith's Island

A rocky island off the east coast between Scarborough and Roxborough. Viewing is possible from a lay-by on the coast road to see Brown Noddies, Sooty and Bridled Terns which breed on the island.

Little Tobago

The island can be accessed by boats from Speyside. It is a Reserve for seabirds breeding on the steep cliffs. Red-billed Tropicbirds, Red-footed Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds are the main attractions viewable from two lookout points on the north of the island after a steep and humid climb from the landing quay in the south. En route in a glass-bottomed boat it is possible to see reefs with good corals, fish and turtles.

Site Profiles (Trinidad):

Grande Riviere

A small village with a beach on the north east coast of Trinidad. Large numbers of Leatherback Turtles nest on the beach where access is controlled after dark. The excellent Grand Almondier Hotel is situated on the beach front.

Montivideo and Esperanza Traces

These trails begin at Grande Riviere and ascend into secondary forest on the ridge behind the coast and the descend again to a river beyond which there are further trails into the forest not explored by us.

Galera Point

The most north-easterly point on the island and potentially good for sea-watching in the right conditions which unfortunately we did not have. Near the lighthouse car park are clusia apple trees where Lilac-tailed Parrotlets feed. Along the approach road is grassland and scrub. 

Asa Wright Nature Centre

The magnificent Asa Wright Centre is located at 1200 feet on the Arima to Blanchisseuse road in the forested Northern Range and at the head of the Arima Valley down which one has a wonderful view from the famous viewing gallery at the Centre. Several forest trails start at the Centre and go into the montane rain-forested estate whist one trail (Guacharo) goes down to the Dunstan Cave with its colony of Oilbirds. The estate was a former plantation now regenerated as forest. The Centre offers excellent accommodation and food and is a perfect place from which to explore the Northern Range forests.

Las Lapas

The road above Asa Wright Centre leads along the forested Las Lapas Ridge and near the Paria junction is a wide trail down the west side of the ridge into good forest with some good views across the southern slopes of the Range. Near the start of the trail there are also views down to the north coast.

Morne Bleu

The highest point (2200 feet) on the road above Asa Wright is Morne Bleu with its communications tower and nasty dog, all fortunately behind a high barbed wire fence. If the dog's growling disturbs you I suggest giving him sweets broken into the smallest possible pieces which take him a long time to find and consume. There are good views over the forest for perched birds and raptors and the area of the approach road is good forest for "Pawi".

Lalaja Trace

Up a road to the east of Asa Wright and before reaching the Centre is the Lalaja Trace, now well-surfaced, with good forested edges and good views over the Guanapo Valley for raptors.

Aripo Agricultural Research Station 

Located east of Arima and the entrance to the Arima Valley, this is an area of open grazed grassland with marshes and ponds in the wet season and with some savannah woodland and scrub at the foot of the Northern Range. A permit is needed for entry.

Waller Field 

This disused wartime airfield is a huge area of savannah woodland and grassland. There are areas of moriche palms favoured by Red-bellied Macaws, Sulphury Flycatchers and Moriche Orioles. Unfortunately the area is being ruined by development of a light industrial estate which instead of being confined to one part is being developed on a scale which would almost accommodate Milton Keynes!

Caroni Swamp

A huge area of mangrove swamp with canals and open areas of water. There is a visitor centre from which boat trips can be obtained to see the wildlife of the mangroves including the island "hammocks" used as roost sites for Scarlet Ibis and herons of various species. At low tide mud flats are exposed with numbers of waders and herons. 

Valsayn and Caroni Ricefields

Large areas of rice cultivation with good populations of birds. We only explored a small area where we saw big flocks of Dicksissels.

Soudama Steps

Located on the South Oropouche River and marshes, this area has riverine mangrove and extensive marshland which can be overlooked from a levee along the river from Soudama Steps. The area is accessed east from San Fernando. It holds several species at the northern edge of their range such as Spotted Tody Flycatcher and is good for hunting raptors as well as marsh birds.

Waterloo, Brickfields and Orange Valley 

These are located on the west coast of Trinidad on the Gulf of Paria, south of the Caroni Swamps. They are extensive coastal mudflats with large wader, tern, gull and skimmer roosts.

Carli Bay

Another area near the west coast where we stopped exclusively for Saffron Finches in an area of grassland with adjoining trees to which the birds go for shelter in the mid-day sun.

Manzanilla and Cocos Bay

On the east coast of Trinidad and washed by Atlantic breakers, this area can be good for seabirds but was disappointing when we visited. It is backed by miles of coconut palms and Heliconia psittacorum on which White-tailed Goldenthroat Hummingbirds feed. We did see several raptors.

Nariva Swamp

We visited at the end of the dry season when the area was not at its best but we did see in the mangroves by the Nariva River a Pearl Kite's nest and several Plumbeous Kites as well as American Pygmy Kingfisher. The Kernanam loop road into the swamp was an area of wet grassland and agricultural land which is flooded in the wet season. When we visited the only wet areas were along the dykes and there we did see some of the marshland birds.

Birds Recorded (see itinerary for site codes)

Mammals Recorded

Red-rumped Agouti, Small Indian Mongoose, Trinidad Red-backed Squirrel, Silky Anteater

Reptiles Recorded

Spectacled Cayman, Ground Lizard, Golden Tegu Lizard, Leatherback Turtle, Green Anole Lizard, Bushmaster