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The fact that Scarlet Ibis tied for favorite species of the tour was not surprising. These breathtaking beauties poured into the roost in Caroni Swamp bathed in golden late-day light. It is truly a sight every birder needs to behold. (Photo by guide Eric Hynes)

Thanks everyone for choosing Field Guides for your Trinidad and Tobago adventure. We shared a lot of laughs, some great weather, uneventful travel, tons of cool sightings, lucked into some rarities, worked with some wonderful local guides, and got along famously. I am hopeful I will have the chance to bird and sip rum punch with all of you again someday.

Our first full day together was spent primarily at Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC). Waking up to the bird frenzy just beyond arm's reach on the veranda is truly special and a challenge to describe. We had hummingbirds, tanagers, honeycreepers, euphonias, flycatchers, thrushes, and more buzzing all around us. Our first walk after breakfast was down the Discovery Trail highlighted by a feeding Double-toothed Kite and the incredible cacophony of Bearded Bellbirds. Be sure to click on the audio clip and crank up the volume to relive the experience. We retraced our steps after lunch and soaked in the White-bearded Manakins at their lek. Later in the afternoon we descended out of the mountains and headed over to what used to be Waller Field and is now Intech Park. We picked up a fleeting Epaulet Oriole, Fork-tailed Palm-Swifts, and Sulphury Flycatchers before our night birding in Aripo Livestock Station. Our efforts after dark started with a bang as an indifferent Tropical Screech-Owl sat motionless for us at pointblank range. We went on to see numerous nightjars and several potoos.

The next morning we headed up the road to explore the Northern Range via the Blanchisseuse Road. We dipped on the previously reported Trinidad Piping-Guan but found plenty of other exciting species. Eventually we descended the north slope to the communities of Brasso Seco and Morne La Croix where we found Blue-headed Parrots and a bustling colony of Yellow-rumped Caciques.

First order of business on day three was back up into the Northern Range for another shot at the Trinidad Piping-Guan. Hope was fading and we were about to load back into the vans and head out... when the almost mythical beast started whistling! Mahase finally spied it up in the canopy and we scored one of the rarest birds in the world. The rest of the morning we explored the Aripo Savannah. Highlights from this open country were nesting Pearl Kites and a cooperative Striped Cuckoo before our picnic lunch in the Arena Forest Reserve. Later that day we hiked down to the gorge known as Dunston Cave and spent some quality time with the bizarre Oilbirds.

Day four was a long one as we cleaned up some species at Aripo Livestock Station before making our way over to the east coast. After lunch at Manzanilla Beach, we traveled to Nariva Swamp. Cantaloupe Hill at the end was a great turn around point after picking up Red-bellied Macaws, Giant Cowbirds, Yellow-crowned Parrots, and a locally rare Aplomado Falcon.

Our last full day on Trinidad was spent on the west coast of the island. We twitched Yellow-hooded Blackbird at Trincity sewage ponds, Long-winged Harrier in the Caroni rice fields, and ended up at the Waterloo Fish Depot, which was crawling with shorebirds, larids, and waders. Orange Valley added to the list. Carli Bay was our picnic lunch location where we tallied Saffron Finch, Common Tern, Bicolored Conebill, and Greater Ani. The grand finale on Trinidad is the boat cruise into Caroni Swamp National Park to watch all the Scarlet Ibis returning to roost. We found a Straight-billed Woodcreeper and a Green-throated Mango before boarding, an obstructed view of a Boat-billed Heron and a Silky Anteater on the way in, and a locally rare American Wigeon while waiting for the crimson spectacle to begin. Doug's careful estimate was just over 5500 Scarlet Ibis!

Gladwyn James, our local guide on Tobago, was waiting with his big smile and hearty laugh at the Crown Point airport. We birded the Bon Accord sewage ponds and Grafton Caledonia Wildlife Sanctuary before heading into Tobago Plantations. Finding a Masked Duck was a real bonus and the splendid buffet lunch was a delight at Magdalena Grand. Our afternoon was spent driving up to the northeast corner of the island to Speyside and the tranquil Blue Waters Inn.

Gilpin Trace was the focus of our birding in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve the next day. We did well with a number of island specific targets like: Yellow-legged Thrush, White-tailed Sabrewing, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Blue-backed Manakin, and Scrub Greenlet. Finally seeing Trinidad Motmot was a relief and more looks at Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Common Potoo were welcomed.

Red is the theme when it comes to grand finales in T&T. Our last morning of birding was spent at the seabird colony overlook on Little Tobago Island with local guide Zolani studying the marvelous Red-billed Tropicbirds and Red-footed Boobies. Before hopping a brief flight back to Trinidad, we successfully chased a Black-headed Gull and picked up three more species.

While not exactly as much fun as the adventure we shared, I hope the following report brings back many fond memories. Thanks again for choosing Field Guides and I hope our birding paths cross again someday.

Sincerely,

Eric a.k.a. Eagle

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Harlequin Beetle (Acrocinus longimanus): This was the spectacularly large and colorful beetle that clung to the wall of the gazebo at AWNC.

Totals for the tour: 225 bird taxa and 4 mammal taxa