Trinidad with optional extension to Guyana
Saturday 28th November to Sunday 6th December 2009
(extension to Sunday 13th December 2009)
AA09040
As
a result of its proximity to South America, Trinidad boasts an impressive
diversity ofNeotropical 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, Channel-billed Toucan, Bearded Bellbird, Violaceous Trogon, 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 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 but Trinidad has many other excellent locations on offer including the island’s largest freshwater swamp at Nariva which holds, amongst others, Pygmy Kingfisher, Wattled Jacana, Pied Water Tyrant and perhaps a Pinnated Bittern. 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. 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 - a memorable climax to our stay at Asa Wright. Guyana, formerly British Guiana, is a small country located on the South American mainland and bordered by Brazil and Venezuela. Guyana has a superb landscape, containing a mosaic of habitats and wonderful topographical features, including pristine rainforest, magnificent waterfalls, freshwater marshes, rivers, coastline and savanna. In this timeless paradise birds and mammals abound. Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Harpy Eagle, Red-shouldered Macaws, Sungrebe and Sunbittern are jewels amongst a diverse avifauna, Jaguars still roam the forests. Giant River Otters and Caiman are present on the rivers and the roar of the Red Howler Monkey greets the dawn. This tour offers a superb combination of the Caribbean and mainland South America while at the same time is the perfect introduction to the birdlife of the Neotropics. What better way to start than with 7 nights at the wonderful Asa Wright Nature Centre on Trinidad and then to finish at the magnificent Kaieteur Falls in Guyana!
Day 1: We leave London by scheduled flight to
Trinidad and then transfer to Asa Wright for a 7 night stay.
Overnight - Asa Wright Centre
Days 2 - 7: 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
Day 8:
Depart for UK or join the Optional Extension to Guyana and transfer (fly) to
Georgetown.
Overnight - Cara Lodge
Days 9 & 10: We will make an early morning visit to the beautiful
Botanical Gardens. If we are lucky, the trip’s ornithological first
highlight will be the Blood-colored Woodpecker - an extremely colourful
species found only in the Guianas. After breakfast we’ll go to Ogle Airstrip
for a flight to Karanambu Ranch, the home of Diane McTurk, widely known for
her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. We’ll
explore the Rupununi River in search of wild Giant River Otters, Black
Caiman and Arapaima. A visit to Crane Pond to witness Jabiru, Boat-billed
Heron, hundreds of Ibis, herons & egrets, should be a memorable highlight.
Overnights - Karanambu Ranch
Day 11: After breakfast, we transfer by boat to Ginep Landing and then by
road to Wowetta - a Macushi Amerindian community. A morning trek on a virgin
rainforest trail to a lekking site of Guianan Cock-of-the–rock, may enable
us to observe these unique cotingas. In the late afternoon we’ll transfer to
Rock View Lodge at Annai. With its tropical gardens and flowering trees, our
lodge resembles an oasis in the savanna, and attracts many species of birds,
particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Nearby patches of light forest
are home to a number of antbirds & flycatchers, and the savanna supports a
very different avifauna. We’ll explore the area fully and as the afternoon
cools we’ll travel a short distance for birdwatching in the Pakaraima
foothills.
Overnight - Rock View Lodge
Day 12: Some birding in the grounds of the lodge before driving by 4x4
vehicle into the rainforest. The Iwokrama rainforest is rapidly gaining an
international reputation for its healthy Jaguar populations that seem not to
be troubled by the appearance of curious humans. Viewing the mid and upper
canopy rainforest from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway - 30 meters above the
forest floor, is simply amazing. Amongst a wonderful selection of resident
fauna are Harpy Eagle, Scarlet, Blue-and-Yellow & Red-and-Green Macaws,
toucans, Jaguar, Black Red Howler & Spider Monkeys and Banded Tamandua. We
will also stay up on the walkway to experience the canopy at night.
Overnight - Atta Rainforest Lodge
Day 13: This morning we’ll experience the dawn chorus from the Iwokrama
Canopy Walkway. Then we will travel by 4x4 to a locality known as Mori
Scrub, characterized by an unusual low, sandy forest. This supports an
interesting assemblage of bird species, among them Rufouscrowned Elaenia,
Black Manakin and Red-shouldered Tanager. We continue slowly birding along
the road and eventually we reach the Essequibo River and the Iwokrama Field
Station. In late afternoon we’ll walk the Screaming Piha Trail near the
Field Station.
Overnight - Iwokrama Field Station
Day 14: Making another early start, we’ll embark on the Essequibo River
and circumnavigate nearby Indian House Island, before returning to the Field
Station for breakfast and more birding in the forest. After lunch we take a
flight to Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s natural wonders and being five
times higher than Niagara, is a magnificent spectacle. Later we fly to
Georgetown.
Overnight - Cara Lodge
Day 15: Transfer to Georgetown airport for our flight to UK.