Trinidad & Tobago

The friendly Caribbean island of Trinidad is only 16 kilometres from the coast of Venezuela and offers an ideal introduction to the colourful avifauna of South America. Its close proximity to the mainland is reflected in a remarkably diverse bird list featuring representatives from most Neotropical families but lacking the proliferation of species that can seem overwhelming elsewhere on the continent. We will begin at the supremely comfortable Asa Wright Nature Centre where the excellence of the service and facilities is matched by the quality and ease of the birdwatching.

This relaxed and easy-paced holiday concludes with a visit to neighbouring Tobago which offers a contrasting mix of rainforest, seabirds and underwater life around a pristine coral reef. Visitors to the Asa Wright Centre, whether human or avian, are always well fed! Hungry birdwatchers are served delicious meals in the gracious old plantation building which is now the headquarters of the centre and are soon introduced to the afternoon ritual of tea on the verandah followed by iced rum punch at sunset.  Sugar solution feeders are replenished at dawn for the various hummingbirds, honeycreepers and Bananaquits and bird tables heaped with fruit to attract a steady stream of forest birds within range of binoculars and cameras. The rather pleasant pastime of birdwatching from the verandah can produce 30 species in as many minutes; White-necked Jacobins and other hummingbirds hover within an arm’s length as Chestnut Woodpeckers, tanagers, thrushes and many other birds attack the fruit. This constantly changing scene ensures that the spectators on the verandah always have something to watch; but not all the visitors are birds ...  Trinidad Squirrels, Agoutis and giant Tegu Lizards also emerge to share the spoils! Neither will the more energetic members of our party be disappointed, for a network of trails facilitates access to the forested grounds of the centre where less confiding inhabitants await our discovery. As we explore these trails, trogons, Bearded   Bellbirds, Channel-billed Toucans and manakins are among the resident birds that can be seen with relative ease, but we will need the patience to glimpse the more skulking ant-thrushes and spinetails in the undergrowth. One of the highlights of our stay will be a visit to the world’s most accessible Oilbird colony and here we can observe these strange birds from the mouth of their cave, a privilege only granted to Asa Wright guests.  

During our stay, we will also travel by minibus to visit different areas of the island, each change of habitat bringing a fresh selection of new birds. Nariva   Swamp on the Atlantic coast, the central savannah, and the northern Caribbean coast will each occupy a full day and as a splendid finale we will spend the last afternoon in Trinidad witnessing the arrival of Scarlet Ibises at their roost in the heart of Caroni Swamp, the incoming birds gradually turning the mangroves a   fluorescent red as they take their places in the trees. There could hardly be a more appropriate way to end a week enriched by daily encounters with colourful and exotic birds.  

A 20-minute flight will take us to the neighbouring island of Tobago for the last three days of our holiday. This is a beautiful island, still largely unspoilt by tourism, and the Rain Forest Reserve which extends along the central spine of the island is rich in birds, plants and insects. We will stay at the Blue Waters Inn, tucked into a private cove just outside the village of Speyside on the north coast of Tobago. The swimming is excellent here, and a coral reef in the bay invites closer inspection for those interested in snorkelling.  We gain a little insight into this colourful underwater world from a glass-bottomed boat during a morning excursion to Little Tobago Island where many seabirds nest. Red-billed Tropicbirds obligingly fly within metres of photographers, Brown and Red-footed Boobies nest on the cliffs below a vantage point, and all three species run the gauntlet of the Magnificent   Frigatebirds that maintain a constant and menacing presence. Later we will pay several visits to the extensive Tobago Rain Forest Reserve, the oldest in the Caribbean, and should see most of the typical inhabitants including Great Black Hawk, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Whitetailed Sabrewing and Blue-backed Manakin. This short visit to Tobago ideally complements the earlier week on Trinidad and the combination of islands provides an unbeatable Caribbean experience enriched by an abundance of natural history treasures.