| 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.
| Short-tailed Swift
| (2 zoomed in amongst the trees close to my
manakin stakeout, calling)
|
| Rufous-breasted Hermit
| (1 was followed with bin's typically close
to the ground during the stakeout)
|
| Blue-crowned Motmot
| (1 glided down the track on stiff, outstretched
wings as I walked back up on my return. It looked at me as it went past
1m away at shoulder height, almost said "good morning" and sailed on down
the slope, under a fallen trunk hanging over the track and disappeared round
the corner. It was carrying food to its nest; a brilliantly charismatic
bird. Another was watched doing its agitated "clock pendulum" tail switching
by the entrance track)
|
| Olivaceous Woodcreeper
| (1 silently appeared in front of me when it
flew onto a large tree trunk close to the stakeout. Delighted to see another
Tobago speciality (lacking in Trinidad) missed in the Main Ridge forest,
I watched the bird hop up the bark then suddenly flicker to a new spot with
the speed and flickering, languid agility of a flycatcher)
|
| Blue-backed Manakin
| (just 5 minutes after I'd set up the tripod-mounted
camera-scope a manakin called close by. He was quickly located gleaming
red, blue and black in sunny leaves halfway up a spreading tree nearby.
Another bird answered his explosive "chee choo" invitation and joined him
in the tree but before I knew it the two ad. males darted down to the display
site. For the next 15-20 minutes I was treated to a stunning view of the
full display. As before each dance started with the birds hopping, with
the aid of manically fluttered wings, between three points of a triangle
(c.0.5m side) this time however I could see all three points! Regardless
of very low light levels reducing shutter speed to 1/10s. despite 1000ASA
film, the birds moved so fast and continuously that everything was just
a blur of blue, black and red. Suddenly the mechanical whirring twanging
call started and the two males started leap-frogging each other on the central
branch in a cart-wheeling blur of blue and black fluttering. Incredibly
the speed of the cackling call accelerated as the speed of the leap-frogging
increased, the birds worked faster and faster until a loud, fruity click
call (I was skeptical of it being made by a bird's wings as stated in ffrench)
signaled the end of the dance and both birds dashed to nearby cover for
a rest. However, within seconds the dancers reconvened and started the whole
thing again. At one point a green imm. male, with tiny red crown patch,
joined the 2 ad.s, clearly learning the steps. I watched the Blue-backed's
perform c.10 dances before they retired. I then waited for an (expected)
hour for the manakins' return even though 1 was calling the subdued but
fruity "choo" note, unseen, nearby for much of the time. At 09.00 I decided
to give it 15 more minutes then leave hoping I'd got one or two unobscured,
reasonably focused shots. When 09.15 arrived a bird was calling close by
so I hung on. Suddenly a single ad. male appeared on the display perch and
proceeded to perform 3 separate dances as if to reward my patience. Between
them it paused momentarily on the low bowed branch in full view and I squeezed
off shots at every opportunity. It then flew fast and direct to a sunlit
branch at mid height, some way off, then disappeared. As I walked back I
could hear at least 1 manakin calling from far off up the gully, well off
the track; perhaps there was another display perch up there ).
|
One red Squirrel was also noted during the stakeout.
| 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) |
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
).
. 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:
)
)