Trinidad & Tobago The Asa Wright Experience
Monday 1st to Saturday 13th December 2008
AA8040
As a
result of its proximity to South America, Trinidad boasts an impressive
diversity of Neotropical bird species and can prove to be an excellent, but
gentle, introduction to the colourful, but sometimes bewildering avifauna
found in such abundance on the mainland to the south. The world famous Asa
Wright Nature Centre, situated deep in the Arima Valley rainforest, is
justly renowned for its stunning location, fabulous bird life and excellent
quality of service. Imagine sitting on the verandah as the rainforest
awakes, sipping home-grown coffee and enjoying the various hummingbirds,
Bananaquits, honeycreepers and motmots which seem ever present around the
sugar feeders and fruit laden bird tables. The grounds around the Centre are
full of birds and walks along the trails regularly produce exquisite birds
like Tufted Coquette, White-chested Emerald, Blue-chinned Sapphire, Purple
Honeycreeper and the diminutive White-bearded Manakins. A visit to another
Asa Wright gem (and only granted to Asa Wright guests) is a must - its
famous Oilbird cave, home to a colony of this strange nocturnal bird,
affords visitors the chance to observe and perhaps photograph, the birds as
they roost in the cave. We return to the Asa Wright verandah each evening to
sip our sundowners as we sample the excellent twilight birding. Although it
is difficult to leave such a wonderful bird habitat, Trinidad has many more
to offer. The island’s largest freshwater swamp at Nariva holds, amongst
others, Pygmy Kingfisher, Wattled Jacana, Pied Water Tyrant and perhaps a
Pinnated Bittern. At Caroni a late afternoon boat trip amongst the mangrove
swamps will reward us with the magical sight of vividly coloured Scarlet
Ibises, their brilliant plumage illuminated by the rays of the evening sun
as they fly in to roost amongst the mangroves. Then as the light fades the
growing darkness is punctuated by the calls of Common Potoo and Spectacled
Owl. In contrast, the Blanchisseuse Road in the north provides forest
birding at it’s best - from the mixed feeding flocks that can suddenly
appear to the noisy parrots, woodpeckers and orioles that congregate in the
fruiting trees. The Aripo Savannah and Wallerfield areas support a profusion
of birds including antshrikes, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Southern Lapwing and,
not forgetting to look skyward, Yellow-headed Caracara and Zone-tailed
Hawks. Lying just a twenty-minute flight from Trinidad, the neighbouring
island of Tobago is an island paradise largely unspoilt by tourism. It
boasts the oldest rainforest reserve in the Caribbean, which is home to
Blue-backed Manakins and the rare White-tailed Sabrewing. Our base was
formally a thriving sugar plantation; these days Arnos Vale is a tranquil
retreat. Like Tobago itself, this elegant resort is a place of quiet charm
and unspoiled natural wonder. Nestled against the gentle slopes of a 450
acre tropical paradise teeming with rare and beautiful birds, the Arnos Vale
Hotel itself is set into the hillside overlooking the Caribbean Sea, whilst
the beautifully landscaped gardens slope gently down to a secluded, sandy
beach. Just off-shore a pristine coral reef boasts some of the best
snorkelling on the island and a trip on a glass bottom boat affords us the
best chance of seeing the many seabirds as they fly by.Day 1: We leave London by scheduled flight to Trinidad and then transfer to Asa Wright for an 8-night stay.
Overnight - Asa Wright Centre
Days 2 - 8: From the moment you awake at Asa Wright you will be surrounded by the sounds of the forest. The dawn chorus that greets you will soon become familiar as will the morning ritual of coffee on the verandah. From this pleasant vantagepoint many of the Centre’s birds can be viewed as they take advantage of the sugar feeders and fruit laden tables. Over the next few days we will explore the extensive gardens and excellent trails in order to see the wonderful array of bird species that are typical of the Neotropic region: trogons, woodcreepers, toucans, parrots, antbirds, honeycreepers, oropendolas, manakins and tanagers. And we will of course visit the world’s most accessible Oilbird cave, venturing far enough into the gloom to see this most bizarre bird as it roosts. We will make several excursions to different habitats around the island – Blanchisseuse, Aripo Savannah, Wallerfeld, Nariva and Caroni Swamps in search of herons, bitterns, ibises, raptors, waders and much more.
Overnights – Asa Wright Centre
Days 9 - 12: Depart Asa Wright and take a domestic flight to Tobago. Two of these days will be devoted to exploring the island’s excellent birdwatching sites of Buccoo Marsh, Gilpin Trace, Hillsborough Dam and the Grafton Estate. Here there are many splendid birds, including some species that do not occur on Trinidad. We shall hope to observe White-cheeked Pintail, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-tailed Sabrewing, Yellow-legged Thrush, Blue-backed Manakin and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater. There will also be a boat trip to Little Tobago Island. Little Tobago is problems seeing Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby and the elegant Red-billed Tropicbird. There may also be an opportunity for us to do some snorkelling!
Overnights - Arnos Vale, Tobago
Day 13: We catch our return flight from Port of Spain to London, where we arrive on the morning of Day 14.