Final Trini Blog

What a unique and wonderful experience.
This blog has a few more photos, a few more scenes, etc., but I must admit, no photo journal can do the flora and fauna of Trinidad and Tobago justice.  But I hope you've gotten some good memories, fellow travelers, of our ten days together, and I can't wait to see your photos. And I apologize for no Oilbird photo, one of the target birds of the trip.  I was just beyond exhaustion the day the group went down to the cave.
So, enjoy, and maybe dream of going back again.

And here is da group.  

Dana and Martha Swan, Barbara Silver, Marjorie Jane Generazzo, 

Linda Eyster, Robert Rotberg, Diane Freeman, Diana Talbot

Ah, the tropics

Trails followed, enjoyed

Red-breasted Meadowlark (Blackbird)

Grey Kingbird

Red-legged Honeycreeper

This is a Job-job.  He and two others invaded our breakfast, drumming and whistling, and hoping for

a donation.  A bit scary.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Rufous-breasted Hermit

The local cat at Blue Water Inn, sweet, untouchable

The vulture-covered field. Incredible

Female Barred Antshrike

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Mangrove Cuckoo

Smoot-billed Ani

Blue-grey Tanager

The Tobago version has more color.

Savanna Hawk

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

Striated Heron

Southern Lapwing

Green-rumped Parrotlet

Ferruginous Pygmy-owl

Plain-breasted Ground-dove

White-chested Emerald

Trini Blog 4 Tobago, Little Tobago

Flying the 12-minute flight to Tobago felt like starting a brand new adventure.  We moved from the fairly plain rooms at Ada Wright to the fairly luxurious Blue Waters Inn, right on the ocean.  And  air conditioning, ahhhh.   Not that I didn't sleep at Asa Wright, I was always so dog tired, that I could have slept anywhere, but the coolness of the Blue Waters room was so nice.  And I had a balcony looking out on the surf, with an occasional visit from a Chachalaca.
Here are more adventures.

I love it that Caribbean Airlines uses a hummingbird as their logo

We came to an abrupt halt, blocked by a Carnival celebration.  It was the kid's turn to dress up, 

and we were so delighted to at least see part of Carnival.  (There are two distinct Carnivals, one for

family and kids, and one very adult celebration. We only got to hear about the latter).

I have to say that I heard the loudest music amplification system it has ever been my misfortune to hear. 

The bass on the Roger'D sound truck was like Mt. Doom right outside the bus.  I thought the 

windows would blow out.  And I have heard some loud drummer in my time, but nothing like this. 

One of the views from the veranda of Blue Waters Inn.

What a great sight to see the ocean after five days in the jungle. 

Magnificent Frigatebird.

The group headed for the glass-bottomed boat for the 20-minute ride to Little Tobago.

That's  Mr. Z on the left, our guide. 

On the never-to-be-forgotten-slog-up-the-mountain, we saw the Chivi Oriole

We arrived at the overlook, and after gazing in wonder at all the bird life flying off in the distance, 

Mr. Z pointed out this female Red-billed Tropic Bird two feet in front of us!

Wonderful fliers, terrible landings.  They spend their entire lives out to see, and their legs become

very weak, so that when they land, its a crash landing.  

The Frigatebirds must not be that far removed from their dinosaur predecessors.

We were too far away to see much of the Boobies, but these shots were taken

on the trip back to the Inn. 

And here is my visiting Rufous-vented Chachalaca, sitting on my balcony. 

The loudest birds in the forest, and clumsy, like Hoatzins. 

Portuguese Man-of-War!

And finally, on Tobago, we got a great view of the Trinidad Mot-Mot. 

How beautiful can a bird be?

That land mass to the left in the distance is  Little Tobago. 

From our dining room table. 

The steak-and-lobster option.  

And a fairly (fairly) decent cabernet. 

Sue looks a little jealous. 

Trini Blog 3: Caroni Swamp

Some events are so unforgettable.  In Peru it was a salt lick in Manu.  In Costa Rica is was that first Resplendent Quetzal.  In Trinidad it was the Caroni Swamp and its Scarlet Ibis.  The whole boat trip was simply the most rewarding of experiences.  Here is my record of it, plus a few other shots.

I believe this is a bromeliad which is common in rain forests.

The plant subsists on moisture from the air.

A fire ant nest!

Green-throated Mango?

Great Kiskadee

Black Vulture

We visited a farm and livestock area, and both land and sky were covered by

thousands of Black Vultures, the most I have ever seen in one place. 

These are the vultures that are known to eat automobile tires in Florida

Yellow-hooded Blackbird

Wattled Jacana

Quite often called the "Jesus" bird because it appears to walk on water. 

What wonderful feet!

Purple Gallinule 

Pied Water-tyrant

Red-capped Cardinal

Grey-lined Hawk

First sighting from the boat

 Merlin

A tree-crawling crab!

A truly lovely tour.

Ruschenberger's Tree Boa

A small one, perhaps three feet long

A rare sighting, a Silky Anteater!

Streak-headed Treecreeper

At the lake, tied up and waiting.

A bit earlier

Another boatload of anticipation

First on the lake, American Flamingoes

And here they come!

To sit quietly on a boat, the weather perfect, a rum punch and cookies on hand, 

and have this show.

A day before, people came to the swamp and they got soaked!

The color is no exaggeration.

One of the great birding sights on Trinidad.