Our base for five nights is the unique eco-lodge at Asa Wright Nature Centre. A morning visit to their elevated porch with numerous feeders will leave impressions on you that last forever. Countless hummingbirds, including White-necked Jacobin, Copper-rumped and White-bellied Emerald, combined with numerous nectaring birds such as Purple and Green Honeycreepers, Bannanaquit and Violaceous Euphonia will jump-start any sleepy birders day. On the private grounds of Asa Wright, a maze of nature trails allows one to sample numerous habitats and a diverse variety of bird species, including Great and Barred Antshrikes, Bearded Bellbird, Ornate Hawk Eagle, White-bearded Manakin, Channel-billed Toucan and Collared Trogon. A walk to the famous Oilbird cave provides great looks at one of earth’s strangest birds.

PAX Guest House is our other destination on Trinidad. This old Benedictine Monastery, located in the hills just outside Port-au-Spain provides us with an Old World atmosphere and an excellent birding location. We will be sure to add additional species to our already impressive bird list, and be able to visit several special birding locations, including Caroni Swamp for Scarlet Ibis and the Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, as well as take an excursion for the rare Trinidad Piping-Guan.

Tobago has a number of species that are not found on Trinidad, including Rufous-vented Chachalaca, White-fringed Antwren, Blue-backed Manakin and Red-crowned Woodpecker. We stay three nights at Blue Waters Inn, a lovely nature lodge located right on the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, where Blue-crowned Motmot, Rufous-vented Chachalaca and Rufous-tailed Jacamar are some of the backyard specialties. From here we visit Little Tobago in a glass-bottom boat, where great looks are enjoyed of nesting Red-billed Tropicbirds, Brown and a few Red-footed Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds. A visit to Main Ridge provides us access to a special rain forest location, with many unique bird and plant species, including White-tailed Sabrewing.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Port-au-Spain, Trinidad via CaribbeanAirlines from JFK International Airport at 7:15AM (1 PM arrival,) or Miami International Airport (3:30 PM departure; 8:00 PM arrival). Shuttle service to Asa Wright Nature Center will be provided. Early arrivals will have an hour or so to bird, with dinner to follow. Late arrivals will reach Asa Wright about 10:00 PM.
Overnight: Asa Wright Nature Center

Day 2 & 3 – Meet on the balcony (6 – 7 AM) for coffee or tea and to enjoy the feeding spectacle. Hummingbirds, honeycreepers, tanagers and many other birds will appear right in front of our eyes. These two days will be spent exploring the extensive trails on the grounds familiarizing ourselves with many new South American birds, such as White-flanked Antwren, Great Antshrike, Violaceous Trogan, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Blue-crowned Motmot, Squirrel Cuckoo, Tufted Coquette, Chestnut Woodpecker and Blue Dacnis. We will visit White-bearded Manakin and Bellbird leks, and hope to find nesting Ornate Hawk-Eagle. A guided trip to the Oilbird Cave will allow us to see one of the strangest birds in the world, the Oilbird. These blind birds, which fly only at night to feed, spend the day in local caves where we will see them roosting. With numerous birds and butterflies on the grounds, this allows us to easily lead walks between breaks for buffet lunches and afternoon tea, and before finishing the day on the balcony for rum punch!
Or if you would rather, you are free to bird at your leisure; go for a dip in the natural pool or just relax on the balcony. One late afternoon we will head to the Arima Valley to visit Waller Field Airstrip, where we will search the Moriche Palms for Moriche Oriole and Sulphury Flyactcher. Following a picnic style dinner, while being serenaded by White-tailed Nightjars, we will look for owls and Common Potoo.
Overnight: Asa Wright Nature Center

Day 4 & 5 – Both these days will be spent taking full day trips with a local leader from Asa Wright. One will be to Nariva Swamp and the other to Blanchisseuse (North Coast). Departing early we will pack picnic lunches. These tours will give us an opportunity to see other special birding habitats and a chance to see the beautiful country of Trinidad. Each participant has the option to stay at Asa Wright for the day to relax and bird at your leisure.
The Nariva Swamp day begins around the Aripho farmland and wet meadows, looking for Red-breasted Blackbird, Pied Water-Tyrant, White-headed Marsh Tryant, Savanna Hawk, Striped Cuckoo and Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, followed by a stop for lunch at Manzinilla beach, where Grey-breasted Martin and Pearl Kite have been regular. The woods and savannah around the swamps hold Black-crested Antshrike, Scrub Flycatcher and Yellow-headed Caracara while White-tailed Goldenthroat, Pinnated Bittern and Yellow-chinned Spinetail will be the targets in the swamp. We finish the day watching Red-bellied Macaws coming into roost, while enjoying a rum punch!
The North Coast tour will take us to beautiful coastal habitat and beaches, where some of the finest natural beauty of Trinidad will be enjoyed. Birding our way along over the North Range, we are likely to see Rufous-browed Peppershike, Orange-headed Parrot, Golden-crowned Greenlet, Turquoise Tanager and if we are lucky Blue-headed Parrot and the rare Swallow Tanager, as well as a variety of raptors including Common Black Hawk, White Hawk and possibly Ornate Hawk-Eagle. On the coast we’ll look for White-winged Swallow, Southern Rough-winged swallow and Short-tailed Swift.
Overnight: Asa Wright Nature Center

Day 6 – Early departure for morning flight to Tobago. After arriving following a short 20-minute flight, we will take a guided tour of Bon Accord sewer plant and the Grafton Estate. There are many distinctly different birds on Tobago, and we will have the excellent leadership of Adolphus James at our disposal. At Bon Accord, Striated Heron, White-cheeked Pintail, Least Grebe and Southern Lapwing are found in the lagoons while at Grafton, Eared Dove, Red-crowned Woodpecker and Black-faced Grassquit are likely. In the afternoon, we journey to Blue Waters Inn at Speyside, where Rufous-vented Chachalacas, Pale vented Pigeons and White-tipped Doves roam the grounds. An optional bird walk will be offered around the grounds and on the road above Blue Waters. This special lodge is located right on the water, with stunning views of Little Tobago.
Overnight: Blue Waters Inn

Day 7 – Today we will travel along the Roxborough-Bloody Bay Road to the rainforest preserve ay Gilpin Trace. Birds are very difficult to see here, which is typical in rainforest habitat, but the spectacle of the rainforest is the highlight. Giant Cowbird, Streaked and Fuscous Flycatcher, Yellow-legged Thrush and the endemic White-tailed Sabrewing are likely. This is also our best chance to see Venezuelan Flycatcher. When we return to Blue Waters in the afternoon, we will enjoy a relaxing afternoon swimming, kayaking, snorkeling or talking a walk into Speyside.
Overnight: Blue Waters Inn

Day 8 – This morning will feature a glass bottom boat trip to the spectacular island of Little Tobago, where special seabirds nest in small numbers. We expect to see Red-billed Tropicbirds, Brown Boobies, Magnificent Frigatebirds and possibly Red-footed Boobies. We might even see Red-billed Tropicbird or Audubon’s Shearwater on its’ ground nest. Chivi Vireos are common here and we may see the stunning Ruby-topaz Hummingbird. After returning to Blue Waters Inn for lunch, we will travel for a late afternoon flight to Port-au-Spain. Transfer to Pax Guest House for dinner. Pax is a Benedictine Guest House located on the hillside just above Port-au-Spain. While Pax is not situated in as remote a location, it has old-world charm and excellent birding on its private 600 acres.
Overnight: Pax Guest House

Day 9 – This will be a long day of birding, with visits to some very special locations. We will start with a visit to the Hummingbird balcony, where these beautiful jewels will visit feeder’s only inches from your seats. Yellow Orioles, Piratic Flycatchers, Grayish Saltator will also be evident. We will depart after breakfast for the Point-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, which is a nature center/bird rehabilitation facility located on the grounds of a petroleum refinery. This location was responsible for the captive breeding and release of Scarlet Ibis in the 1960’s, when there were none left breeding in the wild. Today, over 10,000 Scarlet Ibis exist in the wild. Besides the wild Scarlet Ibis that are seen here, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Wattled Jacanas may be seen. Other specialties here include Saffron Finch, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Red-capped Cardinal and many other birds coming to the feeders at the Nature Center. After lunch, we stop at Waterloo to check the mudflats for a wide variety of shorebirds, waders and terns. In late afternoon, we will take a boat ride into Caroni Marsh to see the amazing spectacle of Scarlet Ibis returning to roost in trees as dusk. This is one of the most impressive avian events that we have ever witnessed. Other birds of interest include White-necked Heron, Bi-colored Conebill and Greater Ani.
Overnight: Pax Guest House

Day 10 – An early start is needed to get to the north east corner of the North Range for the Trinidad Piping-Guan, which are best seen at first light. Little Tinamou’s are often heard calling and with luck one will be sighted while Channel-billed Toucans, Yellow-rumped Caciques and Giant Cowbirds are a common. The afternoon will be spent birding several of the trails on the Pax estate looking for Streaked Xenops, Gray-throated Leaftosser, Golden-crowned Warbler, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Golden-headed Manakin, Long-billed Gnatwren, Long-billed Starthroat and Trinidad Euphonia. Our farewell dinner will hopefully be served on the upper balcony, under the stars, possibly to the sounds of calling Common Pauraque and Rufous Nightjars.
Overnight: Pax Guest House

Day 11 – Those returning to Miami will be departing early to catch the morning flight back to Miami. Those returning to JFK do not need to be at the airport until early afternoon to catch the late afternoon flight to New York, so we’ll spend the morning near the Benedictine Monastery, located a short distance up the road, where the birding can be excellent behind these buildings.

Cost:
$ 2,850.00 (in 2007) from Port of Spain, based upon double occupancy – includes all meals, ground transportation, boat rides, entrance fees and lodgings. Not included in the price are the cost of the flight including the internal flight (Trinidad-Tobago, alcohol, tips, departure tax and items of a personal nature. Single Supplement: $350.00

Flight:
Flights (not included in the cost of the trip) to Port of Spain run from either New York (JFK) or Miami. The cost for the flight including the internal flight from Trinidad to Tobago, should be approx $650. We will arrange these flights for you through our agent, giving you the best deal as well as enabling us to coordinate travel arrangements.

Group size:
The tour is limited to a maximum of 14 participants. A minimum of 6 is required to make this tour run. Note: only 1 leader will accompany a group of 9 or less.

Leaders:
Adrian Binns and local guides. A second leader will be added for a group larger than 9.