Birding AdventuresPaddy Cunningham
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TrinidadAsa Wright Nature Center-Trinidad is going to be an amazing trips to a "MUST" birding destination. Join Me for the fun (rum punch and afternoon tea) and great tropical birds. |
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Trinidad March 28-April 2, 2010
Birding at Finest, with a Tropical British Flair!
This adventure is filled. We'll plan another as soon as possible.
Sunday, March 28 – Trinidad Here We Come
1:30 p.m.
Arrival at Piarco Airport and one hour transfer to the Asa Wright Nature Center. Flight leaves Miami at 9:50 a.m.-arrives
1:30 p.m. All meals are included during our stay at one of the top Ecolodges in the world and also include a daily British
style afternoon tea and rum punch happy hour.
Afternoon Tea Time
Meet on the veranda after check in and bring your binoculars to relax among Asa
Wright’s famous feeders. Check the fruit feeders for Blue-crowned Motmot, Cocoa
and Bare-eyed Thrushes. Hummingbirds will be buzzing among the flowers and
feeders including Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, White-crested
Emerald, Blue-chinned Sapphire and Copper-rumped Hummingbirds. If we are lucky
we might get a flash of a Tufted Coquette in it’s finery. Purple and Green
Honeycreepers in their neon iridescences can be seen among the feisty Bananaquits.
Calling out for our attention will be Great Kiskadees and the clacking of Crested
Oropendolas. The feeders and veranda will be a focus each morning early and during afternoon tea in that more than 20
species can be seen easily will relaxing on this legendary porch. Also keep an eye out for various mammals.
Monday, March 29– Orientation, Centre Grounds, Savannah and Night Birding
A.M.
Join the early morning on the veranda to search for a dawn view of Short-tailed Nighthawk and as the sun rises so will the
activity at the feeders. After breakfast and we will have an Orientation to this amazing natural wonderland. A guided walk
on the grounds along the entrance road we will look for Violaceous Trogons and a slew of Tanagers such as Turquoise, Bay-
Headed, and White-lined. Other possibilities could include Black-tailed Tityra, Red-rumped Woodpecker and Rufousbrowed
Peppershrike. Always looking up for raptors could bring a Ornate Hawk-eagle.
March 29 P.M.
An afternoon walk on a forest trail we hope to hear the loud “bok” of a Bearded Bellbird and see its long, black wattles. If
luck will find us, we might be able to see a lek group of White-bearded Manakins who bounce from limb to limb making
characteristic cracking sounds to attract females. Other possibilities could include Channel-billed Toucans, Chestnut
Woodpecker, White-tailed and Collared Trogons. Off to afternoon tea.
Night Birding
With a picnic supper in hand we will visit Aripo Savanna for sunset birding. Red bellied Macaws will screeched across the
sky on their way to the night roost. Our target birds will include White-tailed Nightjar, Common Potoo, Common
Pauraque, Tropical Screech Owl and Barn Owl. Back by 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 29-Blanchisseuse Road and Northern Range
Full day trip
The higher elevations should bring new habitats and new species of birds. The Trinidad Piping Guan, an endemic will be a
difficult target bird. Birds found in this area could include Scaled Pigeon, Blue-headed Parrots and Barred Antshrikes.
With everybody spotting we will search for Golden-olive Woodpeckers, Cocoa and Plain-brown Woodcreepers. Brilliant
colors might greet us with Speckled Tanagers, Blue Dacnis and Tropical Parulas. Along the road we will look for a variety
of birds such as Rufous-tailed Jacamars and Yellow-legged, White-necked and Cocoa Thrushes. Back for afternoon tea.
Wednesday, March 30-Nariva Swamp and Agriculture Station
Full day trip
At the Aripo Agricultural Station we hope to find White-headed March Tyrants and Pied Water-Tyrants. The crimson
flash of a Red-breasted Blackbirds along with Cocoi Herons who look similar to a Great Blue Heron might be seen. We
have lunch at Manzanilla beach and drive along the east coastline of the island searching for Savannah Hawk and Yellowheaded
Caracara. At the Nariva Sanctuary, which is a mangrove habitat a tiny American Pygmy Kingfisher may fly by.
Along the way marshy habitats might produce a Azure Gallinule, wading birds and possible Wattled Jacanas. Tea time.
Thursday, April 1-Oilbird Caves and Caroni Swamp
A.M.
After an early morning feeder watch and breakfast we will hike down to the Oilbird Caves. No April
Fools this will be one of the ugliest and unique birds you may ever see. The Oilbirds will be very
noisy and shriek loudly. Other birds we might see are Golden-headed Manakins who also dance.
P.M.
A boat tour of the Caroni mangrove estuary will be an amazing way to end our trip. Birding at it’s
best, with a rum punch happy hour, we will be amazed with the brilliant flashes of crimson of the
Scarlet Ibis. Flock after flock will fly in along with thousands of other common wading birds. A few other stops.
Friday, April 2-A Quick goodbye to our tropical paradise
Just enough time for feeder watching and breakfast. Be packed and ready to go for return to Miami.
Trinidad Tropical Adventure
Birding at Best with a British Tropical Flair!
This adventure is filled. We'll plan another as soon as possible.
Sunday, March 28-Friday, April 2, 2010
*Six days of Expert Birding in the Tropics of Trinidad*
*Expert Leader and Instructor-Paddy Cunningham*
*Daily field trips co-lead by Asa Wright Naturalists*
*5 nights in one of the top Ecolodges in the World (dbl. occup)*
*Three Meals per day while at the lodge*
*Boat trip to Caroni Marsh for Scarlet Ibis * *Night birding field trip*
*Field trips to Oilbird Cave, Blanchisseuse/Northern Range, Nariva Swamp, Savannah Birding, and Agricultural Station*
*Afternoon Tea* *Complimentary Rum Punch* *Airport Transfer in Trinidad*
*Service charges, tax, local guide and driver tips*
*Pre-trip orientation dinner and tropical birding workshop-3/25/09-Hollywood, Fl.*
FLIGHT NOT Included--$259- American Air out of Miami-9:50 am #1647-return-#1664
Cost-$1650 double occupancy. Single supplement-$325.
$150 deposit due immediately to hold your spot (4 spots still available) .
$750 due-by Dec. 20, 2009 Final payment-$750-Feb 1, 2010.
Contact Paddy Cunningham, birdpaddy@yahoo.com (754) 201-1141