Tuesday, September 22
Trinidad: Aripo Livestock Station, Nariva, Waller Field
Trinidad: Aripo Livestock Station, Nariva, Waller Field
After another early morning filled with birding from veranda and savory items from the breakfast buffet, Ivan the Dependable arrived to greet us and take us to Trinidad's eastern side for the day. We drove down Blanchisseuse Road, stopping just north of Arima to view a group of raptors that were rising on newly formed thermals. Among the many Black and Turkey Vultures were a gorgeous, nearly tailless White Hawk, brilliant against the azure sky. While that bird was in our binoculars, a Double-toothed Kite flew between it and us.
The power lines in the Arima area host prodigeous numbers of bromeliads, many of which look exactly like perched birds. While not adding "Bromeliad Bird" to our checklists, we did try to identify many of them to (bird) species. Our second stop of the day was at the Aripo Livestock Station, an expanse of grassy savanna known for concentrations of interesting species of birds. In the northwest corner, with the foothills of the Northern Range as a backdrop, we had point-blank views of White-winged Swallow, Gray-breasted Martin, Pied Water-Tyrant, and White-headed Marsh-Tyrant. One of our target birds, which we found immediately, was the most recent colonizing species for Trinidad -- the Grassland Yellow Finch. Several score of them were in the meadow grass, sometimes tee'd up on a stem or sitting on the wire fence, but usually down in the grasses hopping around. Pairs of Green-rumped Parrotlets shot past now and then, rarely affording a leisurely examination. A snipe perched atop a fencepost in perfect view but remained, as always, "snipe sp." because no one has yet figured out a reliable way of telling Wilson's Snipe from South American Snipe. Martyn was keen on finding a tremendous rarity that had been photographed at this site during the week -- Baird's Sandpiper -- but despite assistance from Graham White, a fellow member of the T&T Rare Birds Committee, it was apparent that the bird wasn't around. We did find plenty of shorebirds, some at very close range, including two old friends that were new for the trip -- Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers. Several pairs of an immense grassland-inhabiting species of raptor called a Savannah Hawk perched in trees or on the ground. Several members of our group saw a Spectacled Caiman, Trinidad's only representative of the crocadilian family.
We birded the flat stretch of asphalt between the entrance and the cattle (actually buffalyso) barns until we had seen all the birds in the area, and then reboarded the maxi for a short ride up a hill to a grove of short trees. Here in the coolness of the shade we found a flock of birds feeding on small berries in a tree over the road. We lured in a pair of Rufous-breasted Wrens, heard but could not glimpse the Trinidad Euphonias overhead in the canopy of a mistletoe-infested tree, and heard but caught only fleeting glimpses of a Squirrel Cuckoo. Surprisingly we had yet another opportunity to view the usually not-seen Yellow-olive Flycatcher.
The day had gotten hot, so we stopped at the Ponderosa Bar in Valencia for cold beverages and a rest break. From there we continued south, bypassing the town of Sangre Grande to the east, finding Yellow-rumped Cacique along the way and eventually arriving at Manzanilla Beach for lunch on the each - rice pelau with chuncks of beef, fresh garden salad, and slices of cold watermelon. Brown Pelicans dove for fish in the surf and Magnificent Frigatebirds soared high overhead.
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| Paul at Manzanilla Beach |
Turning off Mayaro Road into the Nariva Swamp area we birded on foot along a little used paved lane that ran through the marshy area. Birds were plentiful, especially long-legged waders and Yellow-hooded Blackbirds. The highlights were a close Pinnated Bittern that flew up from the marsh, stayed aloft for about 15 seconds, then landed in sight -- for a brief moment, in any case -- and an unexpected species, an Aplomado Falcon, which was engaged in harassing two Yellow-headed Caracaras and a Savannah Hawk. This was only the third time we've seen this species on a tour. We also found a Zone-tailed Hawk coursing over the marsh.
Our final stop of the day was back in the Arima area, at what was once a huge American military base called Waller Field. This area is being converted from an abandoned airbase to a modern light industrial and educational zone. Martyn finessed our entry into this restricted area and we proceeded down the old runways, from which all the U.S. planes bound for Africa took off. At the traditional Moriche palm site we found Southern Rough-winged Swallows and then immediately were into a group of rare Sulphury Flycatchers, found an even rarer Moriche (Epaulet) Oriole, identified a lone Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, and then a pair of Red-bellied Macaws flew in screeching and landed in the nearby palms as we enjoyed our ice cold rum punch and cake. All in all a delectable way to spend an evening.
Back at Asa Wright we tallied the day's sightings and discussed tomorrow's departure and transfer to the Robinson Crusoe island of Tobago. Dinner included roast lamb, pigeon peas, casserole, fresh vegetables, and for dessert - coconut mousse.
Number of species seen: 108; new for trip: 18; running total: 186
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| Barn Swallow at the Agricultural Station |
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| Cattle Egret atop a Buffalypso at the Agricultural Station |
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| Green-rumped Parrotlet landing at the Agricultural Station |
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| Wattled Jacana at the Agricultural Station |
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| Male Ruddy Ground-Dove at the Agricultural Station |
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| White-winged Swallow at the Agricultural Station |
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| Yellow-headed Caracara at the Agricultural Station |