Trinidad & Tobago Birding Highlights November 30 - December 10, 2017 with Laurie Foss

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1 Trinidad & Tobago Birding Highlights November 30 - December 10, 2017 with Laurie Foss Based at the world-renowned Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge, a 200- acre wildlife sanctuary in Trinidad's rainforested Northern range and the Cuffie River Nature Retreat, a small family-run lodge in the heart of the Tobago rainforest, you will travel with JB Journeys' CBO Laurie Foss, assisted by expert local guides to visit several unique and diverse natural areas on both islands. Thursday - Nov 30 - Arrival at Piarco International Airport in Port-of-Spain. After we clear Immigration and retrieve our bags, we ll meet our driver-guides outside the Customs area and prepare for the short transfer through the city of Arima and up into Trinidad s Northern Range to our home for the next six nights, the Asa Wright Nature Centre. We will have a light snack waiting for us in our rooms. Our journey is just beginning. Friday - Dec 1 - CENTRE GROUNDS AM/ARIPO NIGHTBIRDING PM. Awaken to the raucous noise of the Crested Oropendola and a host of other exotic sounds. A first-time visitor to Asa Wright might see life birds before breakfast, and 40 species overall. Birding from the veranda at dawn is one of those lifechanging experiences. After a hot breakfast, we will start with a guided tour of the trails that traverse this rich and diverse wildlife sanctuary and a short history lesson about the origins of the nature centre. On our introductory walk we should see such species as Bearded Bellbird, White-bearded and Golden-headed Manakin (photo, above right), Gartered Trogon, the endemic Trinidad Motmot (formerly Blue-crowned Motmot), Channel-billed Toucan, Chestnut Woodpecker, Manakin, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Turquoise and Bay-headed Tanager. The Centre is situated in a typical valley of Trinidad s Northern Range. These sites have been traditional centers of coffee, cocoa, and citrus plantations and many of these plants are still maintained at the Centre. Natural second-growth has taken over and festooned the abandoned plantation vegetation with vines and a host of epiphytes. The whole effect is one of being deep in a tropical rainforest. The afternoon will be free to allow you to relax, enjoy the trails and adjust to the tropical sun and heat. Birding from the veranda of the Asa Wright Nature Centre is one of the world s most pleasant, and exciting, ornithological experiences. Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Tufted Coquette, Barred Antshrike, Green Honeycreeper (picture, left) are among the many species that can be easily seen. In the late afternoon, we will depart for an area of the Aripo Savannah and Arena Forest for some nightbirding. The Aripo Savannah is an area of extremely acidic soil with poor drainage, and is a remnant of what once was a major habitat type of lowland Trinidad. These remnant savannahs are now surrounded by extensively altered landscapes where much sugar cane is grown, as well as small-scale agriculture and housing development sprawl. Our target species will include White-tailed Nightjar, Common Paraque, Common Pootoo, Tropical

2 Screech Owl and Barn Owl. Saturday - Dec 2 NARIVA SWAMP. Today we will wind our way out of the Northern Range to Trinidad s east coast and the Nariva Swamp, the largest freshwater herbaceous swamp on the island. Along its edges are palm islands, where the tall Moriche Palm is common. Here too we will see a unique mangrove community, made up primarily of the stilt-rooted rhizophora mangrove, which often reaches a height of 80 feet. Along the way we will look first in the lowland habitats for such species as Savannah Hawk, Long-winged Harrier, Yellow-headed and Crested Caracara, Redbreasted Blackbird, Southern Lapwing, White-headed Marsh Tyrant and Greenrumped Parrotlet. In the coastal area we will have an opportunity to look for Pinneated Bittern, Pearl Kite, Azure Gallinule, Wattled Jacana, and Red-bellied Macaw. Keep a look out in the surf for the fascinating Four-eyed Fish. Time permitting, a little farther south we will visit a unique, marsh island called Bush Bush, where we may encounter Moriche Oriole, recently reintroduced Blue-and- Yellow Macaw, as well as Red Howler (pictured, right) and Capuchin monkeys. Sunday - Dec 3 - BLANCHISSEUSE ROAD/NORTHERN RANGE. This day sees us on an all-day excursion over the Northern Range towards the seaside village of Blanchisseuse. En route we will look for Swallow-tailed Kite, Common Black Hawk, Ornate Hawk-eagle, Bat Falcon, White-tailed Trogon, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar along with some of the more secretive forest birds such as Silvered Antbird, as well as special tanagers such as Speckled Tanager and Blue Dacnis. Along with rich birdlife, we will also have an opportunity to examine the fascinating world of leaf-cutter and army ants, and photograph orchids and other tropical flora. Depending on the weather conditions and the birds, we will picnic either at a nice spot in the hills near the village of Brasso Seco or on the beach near Blanchisseuse. Monday - Dec 4 - ARIPO SAVANNAH. This morning s return journey to the lowland Aripo Savannah and the adjacent Agricultural Station could provide another batch of new species. In the savannah, Plumbeous Kite, Grey-headed Kite, Savannah Hawk, Shiny Cowbird, Giant Cowbird, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Blue-black Grassquit, and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Purple Gallinule, Wattled Jacana and White-headed Marsh Tyrant are likely to be seen. We may also visit the nearby Wallerfield area, a former World War II US Army airstrip that will give us another opportunity to search for Red-Bellied Macaw and Moriche Oriole. Tuesday - Dec 5 - OILBIRD CAVE/YERRETÉ HUMMINBIRDS/CARONI MARSH. This morning we will visit Dunston Cave, a beautiful riparian grotto located on the Asa Wright sanctuary, to view the breeding colony of the fascinating nocturnal Oilbird (picture, left). This is one of the most accessible Oilbird caves in the entire world and access is limited. The oilbird is a rare nocturnal fruit-eating bird, which uses echolocation to navigate and forage in the forests at night. Apart from these peculiar characteristics, this species also has very specific nesting requirements, as it breeds and roosts primarily in caves. The Asa Wright oilbird colony, which currently stands at 131 birds, is one of the most secure oilbird colonies on the island because of the level of protection afforded the cave by virtue of its location on the Springhill Estate of the AWNC. On the short hike to the Cave, you could see some of the secretive birds of the deep forest such as Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Black-faced Antthrush, White-bellied Antbird, and Gray-throated Leafscraper. We will depart before noon with picnic lunches for Yerreté, an idyllic private home in Trinidad s Maracas Valley. Only recently opened to the public, the property s feeder stations offer unparalleled, upclose views of the wide array of Trinidad s hummingbird species. (Twelve of the island s 13 recorded species have been seen at the feeders.) An optional slideshow of the owner s amazing photography will also be

3 shown. From Yerreté, we will depart for the the famous Caroni Marsh, a very specialized mangrove forest that contains several genera and species of mangroves, showing classic examples of plant adaptation in this unique brackish water community. We will seek out some of its more specialized denizens Neotropical Cormorant, Anhinga, Striated Heron, White-cheeked Pintail, Large-billed Tern, Pied Water-tyrant, Bicolored Conebill, and Red-capped Cardinal. Our day will end with the spectacular flight of Scarlet Ibis (picture, left) returning to their mangrove roosts at dusk, truly one of the world s most dramatic natural moments. Returning to the boat dock we will search the mangrove-lined channels for the mysterious sounding Common Pootoo. Wednesday - Dec 6 - TRANSFER TO TOBAGO/BON ACCORD MARSH BIRDING Today we will depart for Trinidad s sister island of Tobago, which forms the final link in the chain of mountain ranges extending from the Venezuelan Coastal Range, on the very edge of the South American Continental Shelf. Tobago s climate and rainfall more closely resembles that of the Lesser Antilles, meaning it is drier and windier, like the Caribbean islands, than Trinidad, which more closely resembles the northern quadrant of South America. After arriving in Tobago we will visit marsh habitats searching for shorebirds, herons, egrets, and ducks, such as the White-cheeked Pintail. We will bring picnic lunches with us from Trinidad and will enjoy them en route to our home for the next three nights, the Cuffie River Nature Retreat, located on the western fringe of the magnificent Tobago rainforest preserve. Participants will have a free afternoon to lounge by the elevated pool, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the rainforest, or arrange for additional off-property activities such as snorkeling or swimming at a nearby beach (for an additional fee), visiting the cultural and historic sites. Thursday/Friday - Dec 7/8 - LITTLE TOBAGO ISLAND/TOBAGO RAINFOREST PRESERVE & GILPIN TRACE After an early breakfast, we will transfer to the seaside village of Speyside where we will depart by boat for one of this nation s most important wildlife sanctuaries, Little Tobago Island. As we cross over to the island we will watch for Leatherback and Hawksbill Sea Turtles and enjoy spectacular views of one of the Caribbean s most beautiful and pristine coral formations, all from the comfort of our glass-bottom boat. Watch the skies for Magnificent Frigatebird and an array of terns. Upon landing we will explore the island for Chivi Vireo, Brown-crested Flycatcher and Pale-vented Pigeon. In addition, depending on the time of the year, we will explore the nesting colonies of Red-billed Tropicbird (picture,right), Red-footed Boobies, Brown Boobies, Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies. As soon as this awe-inspiring trip ends, we ll head up the Roxborough Road, with picnic lunches, heading into the heart of the Rainforest Preserve, where Tobago s best mountain forests are found at elevations over 2,000 feet. Founded in 1764 to curtail the rampant deforestation that was occurring throughout the colonized Caribbean, this is the oldest protect rainforest in the Western Hemisphere and it covers one-third of the entire island. We will pass among charming quiet villages, to the forested interior, looking for White-tailed Sabrewing, once thought to be extinct but rediscovered here in the 1960s. (Your guide s retired father, Adolphus James, is credited with rediscovering the Sabrewing). We will also seek out Blue-backed Manakin, Yellow-legged Thrush and other Tobago specialties, such as Red-crowned Woodpecker, White-fringed Antwren plus Rufous-tailed

4 Jacamar (picture, left), Trinidad Motmot and Venezuelan Flycatcher. Time permitting, we will reach the scenic villages that dot the rocky northern coast of the island. Saturday - Dec 9 - CUFFIE TRAILS/TRANSFER TO TRINIDAD This day we will join our guide for a two- to three-hour hike along the Cuffie River Trail, where Tobago s best mountain forests are found. We will look for White-tailed Sabrewing, Blue- backed Manakin, Yellow-legged Thrush, as well as other Tobago specialties, such as Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ruby Topaz Hummingbird, Collared Trogon, Red-crowned Woodpecker, and White-fringed Antwren, and searching the dirt-packed cliffside walls for the holes that provide shelter for Trinidad Motmot and Rufous-tailed Jacamar. After a farewell lunch, we will prepare for a mid-afternoon return trip to the Tobago airport to catch our airbridge flights for Trinidad. We will take the free shuttle to the Holiday Inn Express, arrange for dinner on our own and get a good night s rest because we have an early wake-up call. Sunday - Dec HOMEWARD BOUND This exciting vacation draws to a close as we depart for the international terminal and our homeward flight. Itinerary subject to change to due to weather, road condition, access, and other real world factors. The order of the trips may also change. Should a location or region become unviable, we will make every effort to visit an equivalent location or region. Laurie Foss Laurie is our CBO (Chief BIrding Officer), having started birding in 1971 at the urging of her high school science teacher in Wisconsin. Since moving to Austin in 2003 she has discovered the joys of Hill Country birds and birding. A member of Travis Audubon and a board member of the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands NWR, as well as other local, state and national birding organizations, Laurie is active leading field trips both local and afar, teaching birding classes, traveling to see birds and working for habitat conservation. In addition to her guiding services for JB Journeys, Laurie works at Shield Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The ranch is under a conservation easement and hosts El Ranchito, a summer camp for economically disadvantaged youth in central Texas. JB Journeys makes a donation to conservation organizations from the proceeds of Laurie's trips.

5 Trinidad & Tobago, Nov 30 - Dec 10, 2017 Minimum 6 people, maximum 10 people. Led by Laurie Foss of JB Journeys and assisted by local guides. Financials: Cost: $3595 per person in double occupancy, based on 10. (with 8: $3795; with 6: $4295) Single supplement $495 (singles are either a double on your own, or a smaller room for one) Included: Transportation throughout Internal flights 10 nights hotel with taxes Excursions as listed with any entry fees All meals from light dinner Day 1 to breakfast Day 11 (except dinner Day 10) Basic gratuities to hotels, restaurants, drivers, local guides Services of guide Laurie Foss of JB Journeys Not Included: International airfare Dinner on Day 10 Drinks during meals Gratuities to guide(suggested $7-10/day) Insurance To confirm your spot, please send an message or call, then compete the reservation form and return to JB Journeys with a deposit of $500 per person. Final payment is due September 15, We accept Mastercard, Visa, and Discover or payment by check. Suggested flights (with connections from other cities)* United from/to Houston IAH United 1457 depart Houston IAH 1:25 pm, arrive Port of Spain POS 8:10 pm United 1459, departing Port of Spain POS 8:40 am, arrive Houston IAH 1:45pm Or Jet Blue from/to New York Jet Blue 1817, JFK 9:50 am, arrives Port of Spain POS 2:58 pm Jet Blue 1818, departs Port of Spain POS 4:02 pm, arrives JFK 9:30 pm Or American from/to Miami AA 2551, departs Miami 6:00 pm, arrives Port of Spain POS 9:36 pm AA 2282, departs Port of Spain POS 7:04 am, arrives Miami 11:12 am * Flight numbers may change

6 Accommodations Spring Hill, the residential facility of the Asa Wright Nature Centre, offers simple, comfortable accommodations in the original plantation house and in several adjoining cottages. The rooms are simply and attractively furnished; however, you will likely do little more than sleep there as the field trip activities and the lure of the birdwatchers veranda will fill all your waking hours. If you have trouble climbing stairs, let us know and we will request a room in the main house or the lower cottages. All rooms have private bath. Safe drinking water is provided; electricity is the same as in the U.S. The 1000-foot elevation of the Centre assures that, while possibly humid, the days are temperate and the nights can be cool. Please note that all rooms have fans but no air-conditioning.) Wifi is complimentary in the main building and access in the rooms very limited. Meals are served family style at large, group tables on a regular schedule, plus daily high tea and complimentary rum punch before dinner. Asa Wright operates a full bar, and has beer, wine and soft drinks available on request throughout the day and at meals. All alcoholic drinks (except the complimentary rum punch), as well as bottled or canned soft drinks, are at an additional charge. Mastercard and Visa are accepted for gift shop purchases as well as extra expenses (such as laundry and drinks) Special diets can be accommodated. At Cuffie River Nature Retreat on the island of Tobago, deluxe hotel rooms are fully en-suite, with running hot and cold water and shower, and furnished with two double beds and tea and coffee-making facilities. Ground floor rooms are fitted with grab bars and are wheelchair accessible and there are wheelchair ramps both into the hotel and up to the pool deck. All rooms have a private balcony, furnished with two chairs, and overlook the rainforest and main bird-feeding area at the front of the hotel, in-room safe, tea and coffee making facility. Laundry service is available at a fee. Our menus are crafted from local raw materials and cooking expertise and creativity second to none. Breakfast comprise fresh juices, fresh fruit and cereal plus your own menu selection. Dinner menus are "table d hôte" and reflect the unique, multi-ethnic nature of Trinidad and Tobago. Bread is whole wheat and homemade and water is from a spring located on the property. Guests often comment on its "golden" taste. The dining area overlooks the forest and hummingbird feeders that afford guests close-up bird watching along with pleasurable dining. Special diets can be accommodated with advance notice. Our swimming pool utilizes environmentally-friendly purification, using salt instead of chlorine. The elevated location offers stunning views over the surrounding landscape. A ramp provides access to physically challenged guests. An ideal place to cool off with a freshly mixed rum punch or fruit drink after a walk in the rainforest.