Tuesday, November 17 Tobago: Grounds of Cuffie River Nature Retreat Tobago is much more laid back than is Trinidad. I do not think anyone was out birding before first light. Before breakfast, however, Terry and Jerry picked out an adult Broad-winged Hawk perched atop a tree across the valley, the only one of its species we saw on Tobago. They also picked up our first Streaked Flycatcher. Streaked Flycatcher. Photo by Debby Harriman. The day started with fog and a brief rain shower, followed by clearing skies and a strong breeze. The hummingbird feeders in front of the lodge merited much attention, with the very rare White-tailed Sabrewing being the species of greatest interest. Our hostess, Regina, greeted us again at breakfast, which consisted of toast with butter and guava jelly, muesli, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Regina Dumas, architect, owner, and manager of the Cuffie River Nature Retreat. Photo by Joan Cwi. What a fabulous place this is! Here's a quick tour of the property. Front. Photo by Debby Harriman. Open-air bedrooms with porch or balcony. Photo by Debby Harriman. Typical bedroom. Photo by Debby Harriman. Entrance area. Photo by Debby Harriman. Gathering area. Photo by Debby Harriman. Dining area. Photo by Debby Harriman. Entertainment center. Photo by Debby Harriman. Elevated swimming pool. Photo by Debby Harriman. At 8:30 a.m. we gathered at the entrance to begin a birding hike with Cuffie River resident birder, Desmond Wright, along the entrance drive, where we found the first of half a dozen Bananaquit nests, with entrances opening to the side. We also saw more Rufous-tailed Jacamars on this hike than the total of all we had seen in Trinidad. Gathering for the hike. Photo by Debby Harriman. Bananaquit nest. Photo by Debby Harriman. Male Rufous-tailed Jacamar. Photo by Debby Harriman. Because of the wind, the birding was relatively slow. We had to work hard for the species we found. We began with good views of Brown-crested Flycatcher, and then an Olivaceous Woodcreeper, a Tobago specialty, flew into sight near the bridge over Cuffie River, landed momentarily, and then flew over us, landing out of sight on a tree on the ridge above us. Our hike took us about 1-1/2 miles along the entrance drive and on an old donkey trail through rolling, bamboo-covered hills. Desmond is an excellent birder and a real joy to be with. We returned to the lodge in time for lunch, which today consisted of a fruit-and-vegetable frittata, lasagne (a "lasagna" is a single lasagne noodle), and fruit juice. During the afternoon we had free time, which was very welcome. Most people kicked back and napped. Loads of Orange-winged Parrots flew over all afternoon, squawking and screeching. The weather was wonderful, with a cool breeze and low humidity. I took advantage of the free time by climbing the trail in front of the lodge until I was above most of the surrounding terrain. There I found a strong cell phone signal and was able to make several important telephone calls, such as to Asa Wright to find out what had happened to the Petersens. During the phone calls I watched a motmot digging a nest burrow in a trailside bank near me. Tobago birds are far less skitish than are Trinidad bird. Dinner this evening included pumpkin soup, corn fritters, sweet potato pie, stir-fried vegetables, and fresh red snapper in white sauce, with coconut ice cream for dessert. Our cooks at Cuffie River, Yvonne Cunningham and Caroline Sylvester, outdid themselves preparing each meal. New for the trip: White-tailed Nightjar (h), Short-tailed Swift, White-tailed Sabrewing, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Fuscous Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Gray Kingbird, Blue-backed Manakin Number of species seen: 43; new for trip: 8; running total: 204 Back   Home   Next Trinidad Birding