Trinidad and Grenada Birding in the southern Caribbean Trinidad is situated just a few miles off the coast of Venezuela in South America and offers an ideal introduction to the birdlife of South America. The secret of the island's varied avifauna lies in the wide range of habitats, which includes high mountains, rainforests, marshes, agricultural lands and abandoned cocoa plantations. These diverse areas attract a wide range of birds from North and South America. Our base in Trinidad is the world-famous Asa Wright Nature Centre, which is located within tropical rainforest habitats. Grenada in contrast is a tiny island famous for the production of spices, notably nutmeg. The island has several interesting areas for birds, including the Mount Harman Estate which is home to the critically endangered Grenada Dove. Day 1: Fly to Port of Spain, the capital of Tr inidad and Tobago, and transfer to the Dates Asa Wright Nature Centre, which will be Friday November 19th – Tuesday our base for the holiday. November 30th 2021 Leader: Simon Papps and local Days 2-8: Today is spent in and around guides the centre, which is situated on a ridge at Group Size 7 360 metres in the grounds of an old cocoa Birds: 200-250 plantation. The view from the veranda is over a rainforest valley with the lowlands of the island visible in the distance. The high- itself has many hummingbird feeders er trees often give views of Channel-billed attracting Bananaquit, White-necked Toucan and Bearded Bellbird giving their Jacobin, Black-throated Mango, Blue- hammer-and-anvil-like calls. The veranda chinned Sapphire, White-chested Emerald Tufted Coquette Trinidad Motmot Photo: Mukesh Ramdass Photo: by Barry Lancaster 100 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com ☎ 01381 610495 Trinidad and Grenada Purple Honeycreeper Photo: Peg Abbott and Copper-rumped Hummingbird. The Blanchisseuse Road, which has many hair- grounds have extensive areas of shrubs pin bends as it winds its way towards the attracting Spectacled, Cocoa and White- Atlantic Ocean. The roadside vegetation necked Thrushes, Barred and Great and luxuriant jungle habitats offer us Antshrikes, Squirrel Cuckoo and North Guianan and Green-backed Trogons and American warblers including American Golden-headed Manakin. The higher parts Redstart and Northern Waterthrush. The of the road are home to many of the lower gardens have lekking grounds of island’s 29 tanager species including Golden-headed and White-bearded Speckled Tanager. The lower valleys often Manakins and it is possible to find the have Lilac-tailed Parrotlet and Blue-headed secretive Little Tinamou. Parrot whilst overlooks can be good for rap- The trails lead to lower elevations fes- tors including Bat Falcon and Grey-headed tooned with creepers which are home to Kite. Andrews Trace is the highest point on Rufous-breasted Hermit and Red-crowned the road and this area attracts Tropical Ant Tanager. A major attraction is a cave Parula and Golden-crowned Warbler. housing Oilbirds – an extremely rare and Brasso Seco is an area with plenty of ants, nocturnal species which finds a daytime which in turn attract Plain-brown and roost here. A check of bamboo thickets Cocoa Woodcreepers, Great Antshrike and may produce Ferruginous Pygmy and Plain Antvireo. Today we head towards the Tropical Screech Owls. Secondary forest Nariva Swamp, which is the largest herba- has the rail-like Black-faced Antthrush, ceous swamp in Trinidad. Along the vege- Grey-throated Leaftosser and Streaked tated banks we may find Black-crested Xenops. Above the valley White Hawk, Antshrike, Silvered Antbird and Green- Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Common Black throated Mango, plus a chance of the rare Hawk are regularly observed. Limpkin. The swamp itself usually hosts a On another day we explore the few waders, Pinnated Bittern, American ☎ 01381 610495 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com 101 Trinidad and Grenada Large-billed Terns Photo: Simon Papps Purple Gallinule and possibly the rare es with typical species being Greater and Azure Gallinule, Wattled Jacana and Lesser Yellowlegs and White-flanked migrant herons and egrets. The drier parts Antwren. of the marsh have Red-breasted On one afternoon a boat trip will be taken Meadowlark, Southern Lapwing, White- into the world-famous Caroni Swamp. The headed Marsh Tyrant and overhead extensive mangroves and tidal mudflats Savannah Hawk and Pearl Kite. attract hundreds of Scarlet Ibis to roost. An early start to visit the village of Other species include Masked Cardinal, Grande Riviere on the north-east Bicoloured Conebill, Northern Waterthrush Caribbean coast of Trinidad. Our main and Green-throated Mango. The mud objective is to find one of the island’s attracts Yellow-crowned Night Heron and endemic bird species, the scarce and North American shorebirds. As dusk falls localised Trinidad Piping Guan which has a we have a good chance of Boat-billed small and stable population in the area. Heron and Common Potoo, which are two Other species include Chestnut-collared nocturnal species. The Aripo Livestock and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts, Crimson- Farm is situated in the lowland plains of crested Woodpecker, White-bellied Antbird, Tr inidad. Habitats include wet pastures, Black-tailed Tityra, Greyish Saltator and hedgerows and a few isolated trees attract- Tr inidad Euphonia. The old airfield at ing Savannah Hawk. Anywhere where the Wallerfield and Aripo Savannah have cattle are fed lures Shiny Cowbirds and grassland habitats attracting Yellow-head- Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, Blue-black ed Caracara, Orange-winged Parrot, Grassquit and Pied Water Tyrant. The pas- Squirrel and Striped Cuckoos, Fork-tailed ture land is dotted with seasonal ponds Palm Swift, Sulphury and Bran-coloured which are attractive to Least Grebe, Flycatchers, Yellow-rumped Cacique and Wattled Jacana, Least and Pectoral the rare Moriche Oriole. Aripo is dominated Sandpipers. Raptors use the area on a reg- by palm trees, wet areas and cattle ranch- ular basis including wintering Peregrine 102 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com ☎ 01381 610495 Trinidad and Grenada Wattled Jacana Photo: Simon Papps Falcon and Merlin alongside resident Yellow-bellied Seedeater and Shiny Zone-tailed Hawk. Arena Forest is a low- Cowbird. Grenada has around 35 resident land rainforest with a dam of the same land birds. Other range-restricted species name. In the forest and environs we expect include Grenada Flycatcher, Lesser to locate White Hawk, Blue-headed Parrot, Antillean Tanager and Lesser Antillean Crimson-crested Woodpecker, woodcreep- Bullfinch. ers, Pale-breasted and Stripe-breasted Spinetails and Greyish Saltator. It may be Day 12: Early morning flight to Trinidad possible to visit the Arena Dam where and onward connections to the UK. Cocoi Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, and other waterbirds occur. Prices Day 9: Today has been set aside to revisit Ground Price:£4,495 areas mentioned on Days 2-8. Single room: £500 Deposit: £250 Days 10-11: This morning we fly to *Air Fare: £675 Grenada, the most southerly of the Lesser Antilles, for a two-night stay. Grenada is This holiday is fully inclusive of also known as the spice island and is accommodation, meals, transport, famous for the production of nutmeg. Our permit fees, guidance, tips and taxes. target species here is the highly endan- gered Grenada Dove which has a popula- Not included: drinks, insurance, tion numbering around 60 birds and occurs items of a personal nature. in the dry forest woodlands along with the critically endangered Grenada Hook-billed *Please refer to our terms and Kite. Other species present include Rufous- conditions relating to flights breasted Hermit, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, ☎ 01381 610495 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com 103.