The Bellbird Newsletter THE ASA WRIGHT NATURE CENTRE www.asawright.org Tel: (868) 667-5162 Email: [email protected] JULY 2010 An Asa Wright Farewell Blue Waters for Jason In this issue we bid farewell to one of our Asa Wright staff stalwarts – Jason Radix. Jason left us in July to take up the position of Operations Manager at the Blue Waters Inn, Speyside, Tobago, and we congratulate him on this move, but look forward to cooperating with him on an JASON RADIX, former Marketing Manager of the Asa Wright Nature Centre, ongoing basis. photographed at the Centre by Conservation Officer Atkin Isaac. Many of the overseas visitors to Spring Hill also include a visit to Blue Waters as part soon Jason was helping two other tour guides the ranks of Tour Guide, Front Desk of their visit to Trinidad and Tobago, so we will with tours of Spring Hill. Supervisor, Marketing Assistant to eventually continue to be in touch with Jason. He finished school and returned to become Marketing Manager. One of his Jason first came to Asa Wright during work at Asa Wright as a tour guide and also responsibilities was the preparation and the August school vacation of 1992. He enrolled at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality production of the BellBird Newsletter, and it is says that his aunt, who was working as a and Tourism Institute where he acquired an here that he will be especially missed! kitchen supervisor, brought him here, and associate degree in Tourism Management. He We all wish Jason the very best in his he immediately fell in love with the place. then entered the University of the West Indies new position, and look forward to sharing Spending time on the verandah he learned to get his full degree in Tourism Hospitality guests with him in the future. the names of the birds and the flowers and and Management, and then continued And, for those who may not know, the plants upon which they fed, and then began postgraduate studies in this field. aunt who first brought him to Spring Hill to help identifying these to guests. This While at university he continued to is Ann Sealey, now Lodge Manager of the “help” got him recruited by the manager, and work at Asa Wright, progressing through Centre! THE TROPICAL SCREECH OWL (Otus choliba) The Tropical Screech Owl or cross-streaks. However, perhaps and orchards as evidenced by Otus choliba (also known as Spix’s the easiest way of identifying their calls. They commonly nest Screech Owl) is one of the six this owl is by its call. One can in tree cavities or woodpecker species across T&T that gets much hear screech-like hoots in quick holes during the February to May less attention than it merits. It succession leading up to a loud period. At this time, a bird would belongs to the genus Otus, which single or double note. lay between one and four eggs. exists in both the Tropical and Tropical Screech Owls After being incubated by the Temperate regions of the world normally forage alone for a variety female, they hatch and 30 days excluding the Australian region. It of small and large invertebrates, later are ready for flight. ranks as the second smallest owl including grasshoppers, beetles, Recently, staff at the Asa in T&T, measuring 7.8 -9.5 inches spiders, moths and leaf-cutting Wright Nature Centre had the in length and is strictly nocturnal. ants. Sometimes there may even fortune of hosting an injured In addition to Trinidad & Tobago, it be a small bird on the menu! Tropical Screech Owl for a few ranges from Costa Rica to North Foraging often takes place on days. The poor fellow was too weak Argentina, Paraguay, Southern roadsides, resulting in roadside to even fly, but after three days of Brazil and parts of Venezuela. casualties. They, like many other close monitoring and care, he was This owl can be identified by owls, play an important role in as animated as one can imagine. its short ear tufts, greyish-brown controlling the population of many Lovingly named “Frank,” he was head and dark streaks on the types of invertebrates. released on the Spring Hill Estate, Show us your photography crown and upper part of the body. Although these owls are after his exclusive photo shoot skills by sending any such Its facial disc is brown and outlined mainly found in forests and the of course. How many species interesting photos to asawright1@ in white. The under part of this forest edge, they can also be of owls have you seen in your gmail.com. Your photo may be owl is pale grey with fine dark found living in coffee plantations neighbourhood? selected for a future issue! Celebrating ‘e’! BellBird Newsletter JULY 2010 Page 2 With this issue of the Newsletter we are celebratingBellbird 12 months of the The Bellbird Newsletter T H E A S A W R I G H T N A T U R E C E N T R E Internet. The decision to share receive from the good people at www.asawright.org September 2009 Bellbird our information on the World on Wide the Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi who UTC clears trails at Web rather than mailing out lots pull all the graphics together for Asa Wright The Bearded Bellbird of printed paper was a natural us before we send it off to you. (Procnias averano) Staff of the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), in a continuing effort to exercise their Corp orate Social Responsibility, perform ed volunteer Listen for the Bellbird trail-clearing work on the Asa Wright Spring Hill By far one of the loudest a nd most step for a conservation-oriented Estate during the weekends from May 31 to peculiar forest bird species one is July 25, 2009. likely to see, the Bearded Bellbird And did you ever wonder: – also called t he Mossy Throated An estimated 250 UTC staff members (just Bellbird or Campanaro because of its under half of the company’s entire staff) beard-like wattles and metallic sound organisation. And our first e-edition participated in this year’s programme. All – can easily be heard and recognised Why the branch offices (except from Toba go) were during forest excursions. represented, with most participants having visited before on private trips, some havin g These pigeon-sized Bellbird s are of Bellbird made their first visit during the company’s first a small group of fo ur species which volunteer programme in 2008. form part of the C otinga family and was sent out in August 2009. hout most of the can read in the September 2009 are distributed throug During the clean-up sessions, groups averaging American t ropics. All Cotingas are ? Well, as you 30 persons were lead into the fo rest and done with some volunteers commenting that it adorned with strange ap pendages, overseen by Mr. Winston Rojas, who they all was their first time in the rainforest. colours and/or have odd behaviours. claimed was very informative, professiona l Unlike other Cotingas, Bellbird males issue posted on the Asa Wright and helpful. His assistance was ess ential to UTC’s Marketing Assista nt Ms. Denise are raucous bird s (heard over great the programme’s overall succes s. Clearance Artherton, who coordin ated the programme, distances), pe rforming explosively The decision was also of the Centre’s ten -mile network of trails was was in high praise of the work conducted at loud croaks or be ll-like sounds used the Centre and communicated that it was a mainly to advertise their territories. rewarding experience for everyone involved. contingent upon the upgrade This exercise, she said, is just one of a series of These forest b irds can be heard website UTC’s Corporate Social programmes pu rsued and observed disp laying within the around the country, sub-canopy reg ions of the forest (30-80 feet up). W hile the Bearded (www.asawright.org) Management and Staff of the Asa Wrigh t Bellbird is the only resident species in Nature Centre are exceedingly grate ful to the Trinidad, it is often heard rather than done by our Internet provider, the Bellb Unit Trust Corporation and thank them for the seen. Am ong the best places to see tremendous volun teer work done over the this speci al bird is along the nature programme’s last two cycles, and look forward trails of Asa Wright Nature Centre. ird has the loudest call to hosting them again in the future. TSTT! Thanks to their support, our in the forest, so we chose that CENTRE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS , The Asa Wright Nature Centre & Lodge will be closed to the visiting public for renovations from Thursday 3rd – Wednesday 16th September 2009. sometimes problematic service name to send out our message! Tel: (868) 667-5162 Email: [email protected] The Bellbird Newsletter was sorted out early last year and This e-newsletter is we have enjoyed reliable service distributed via direct email, From THE ASA WRIGHT NATURE CENTRE Asa WrightNew inZealand to LEAVING HIS JOB • March 2010 and posted on our website as December 2009, Courtney Van B since then, so this e-edition set out as an explorer in search of his El Dorado – the As and homeland in Centre, Trinidad. Still in his earl Courtney recently completed well as our personal Facebook undergraduate training ain Wright Natureeek Trinidad depends upon TSTT as well! We graphic design at Massey University, New Zealand, y 20s, and is an enthusiastic amateur wildlife www.asawright.org account and fan page.