Friends of Asa Wright

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1 Tel: (868) Friends of Asa Wright By Hayden and Anna Smith Recently we were treated to an adventure of three blissful days of Nature in all its glory at the Asa Wright Nature Center (AWNC). We joined the Caligo Ventures group of six birding and butterfly enthusiasts headed by Mr. Robert Gallardo of Honduras - an expert in Neotropical Butterflies, and the charming ladies, Jan, Joan, Elaine, Stacy and Amy from Hawaii, San Antonio, Houston and Washington DC. Our local guide was Dave from Asa Wright Nature Centre, an expert field naturalist. Our first outing with our new found friends was on Friday and took the form of a trek along the Blanchisseuse Road heading west towards Brasso Seco, with the hope of spotting several bird species, particularly the Trinidad Motmot, Trogons and woodpeckers. On our first stop en route we heard the calls of the Collared Trogon and the Golden Olive Woodpecker. It was while trying to locate the source of these magnificent specimens, that we were pleasantly surprised by the sighting of a perched Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pawi) high up in the canopy. Then, to our amazement, a second one appeared. Indeed, we were off to really great start, thanks to our very knowledgeable and eagle-eyed guide Dave. We continued on the Blanchisseuse Our group L to R: Joan, Jan, Anna, Amy, Stacy, Elaine, Robert, Dave and Hayden (missing) back to birding. There were several highlights of the day, such as the Collared Trogon, the Guianan Trogan, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, the Channel-billed Toucan and the Blue-headed Parrot. All in all, we spotted over seventy bird species on that very rewarding day. Dave and Robert were on top of their game with species identification. Trinidad Piping Guan Road enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the valley while making several stops along the way to be blessed with the beauty of several species including birds, butterflies, insects and plant life. We were treated to a sumptuous lunch at the Brasso Seco Visitor Facility, where our host Alicia gave us a peek into how the village functioned in the pre-electricity era. She gave insight into the art of making cocoa sticks, dark chocolate bars and coffee production, we sampled four varieties of the smoothest, most delicious local dark chocolates produced at Brasso Seco. Dessert consisted of homemade cocoa ice cream and spiced ice cream, then it was The day did not end there though, for after enjoying evening Rum Punch on the verandah and a tasty dinner, we ventured out on a night trek along the driveway with our evening guide Elsa. Several night creatures were evident, but the most fascinating without a doubt would be the Glow Worms. So tiny, but yet they lit up like candle flies along the curb, but with a steady glow. What a fantastic day indeed. On Saturday morning we were off to see the Oilbirds at Dunston Cave. We were treated to interesting sights and sounds along the way. The dancing and clicking sounds of the Manakin males performing for the attention of the females, the baby Fer-de-Lance relaxing at the side of the trail, the Chevron Tarantula peeking out of the railing and the Tree Boa coiled up on a Continues on next page

2 N O V E M B E R PAGE 2 From previous page Friends of Asa Wright (continued) tree digesting lunch. The entrance to the Oilbirds cave was quite picturesque, with water cascading over the river stones and hardy vegetation holding tightly on to solid rock faces. Locating the Oilbirds in the cave fell under the guidance of our knowledgeable and focused guide Caleb, whose flashlight pointed us in their direction as they were so well camouflaged against the ledges inside the cave. Occasionally we could see the span of their enormous wings as they flew from ledge to ledge. the Manzanilla beach and boardwalk for a tasty lunch of Trini Pelau. After leaving the boardwalk, we attempted to venture into the lagoon to do some more spotting, however we were no match for the mosquito onslaught so our guide decided that we make a speedy retreat to the outskirts instead. Collared Trogon Soon we were back on the verandah to relax and enjoy the bird activity at the feeders before having a delicious lunch. After lunch, Robert hosted a very informative and educational lecture on Neotropical Butterflies of Honduras and how they are classified and identified. Our final day with the Caligo Ventures group was on Sunday, we were off to Nariva Swamp and the Bush-Bush Wildlife Sanctuary. Obviously, we couldn t pass up stopping whenever there were bird sightings and fortunately there were many. A quick stop along way at the Aripo Field Station brought to view the White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, the Savannah Hawk, Red-breasted Blackbird, Parrotlets and the Southern Lapwing, all under the watchful eyes of a Buffalypso herd. Then we were off to Nariva, via Sangre Grande and Sangre Chiquito, with another breathtaking stop at Rufous-tailed Jacamar Oilbird The fun never stopped as we made our way toward Bush-Bush Sanctuary. Once there we hiked along part of Kernahan Trace and into the forest. We soon heard the distant calls of the Red Howler monkey and further into the trek, we came across a family of Red Howlers up in the forest canopy. All in all, this was yet an enormously successful final day of our journey with fellow adventurers. Some of the prized sightings of the day were the Trinidad Motmot, the Pigmy and Ringed Kingfishers, the YellowRumped Cacique, Blue-and-yellow Macaws as well as Red-bellied Macaws, The Long-winged Harrier and what we believe to be a rare sighting of an Orange-breasted Falcon. We finished off the day s trek with a celebratory round of Rum Punch and cake while still on Kernahan Trace, before heading back to AWNC for our final dinner and parting ways with our friends and companions over three fantastic and rewarding days as Friends of Asa Wright. Overall, the warm and hospitable treatment by the staff and guides at the Asa Wright Nature Centre is unrivalled, the ambience of Continues on next page

3 N O V E M B E R PAGE 3 From previous page Friends of Asa Wright (continued) the dining room with delicious buffet-styled meals, evening conversations, games and rum punch on the verandah all proved to be quite memorable with new friends. To our pleasant expert guide Dave, big thanks. It was indeed difficult to think of leaving three magnificent days immersed in Nature to return to the concrete jungle, but alas, it was inevitable. As Friends of Asa Wright, we look forward to participating in future events at the Centre. Orange-breasted Falcon Hayden behind the lens. Photo by Anna Charles-Smith Thank you to our U.S. booking agent, Caligo Ventures, for making this experience available to two members of Friends of Asa Wright (FOAW). By becoming a FOAW, you will support AWNC s conservation efforts. Friends of Asa Wright pay an annual fee and enjoy benefits such as free admission and discounts on meals and accommodation. Mr. & Mrs. Smith s complementary weekend was awarded to them through FOAW. You can become a member by applying at the Front Desk of the AWNC Lodge. YOUNG ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE MONTH If you think your child, aged 5-16, has done something helpful to preserve the environment, please feel free to share it with us. Either write a short story or send a few pictures to asawrightconsedu@gmail.com. He/she may be selected as our Young Environmentalist of the Month. Once your child is featured in our monthly newsletter, he/she and two adults will be given a complimentary day visit to Asa Wright Nature Centre, which includes viewing birds/animals on the verandah, a nature tour and use of the clear water pool.

4 Asa Wright Partners Appear Before Philadelphia Officials NOVEMBER PAGE 4 By Nicholas Munves For the past several years, Asa Wright Nature Centre has cultivated a relationship with Haverford College, a small university in eastern Pennsylvania. Since 2017, a group of Haverford students visit Asa Wright as part of a biology class, and in 2018, the Centre hosted me as an intern for the summer. This relationship gained wider recognition on 10 October, when I appeared alongside Professor Jonathan Wilson and Stephanie Zukerman before the Philadelphia Mayor s Council on Afro-Caribbean Affairs. Miranda Alexander, a Trinidadian member of the Council, invited us to discuss the past, present, and future of Haverford s partnership with Asa Wright. The meeting took place in a spectacular chamber of Philadelphia s city hall. Council members were seated at a round table beneath an imposing chandelier. The members hailed from many nations throughout Africa and the Caribbean, along with the United States. On the agenda were issues of public health and immigration law, testimony from a Liberian-American police officer, and other matters. Toward the end of the meeting, we were seated at the table to give our remarks. Stephanie Zukerman, International Programs Manager for Haverford s Centre for Peace and Global Citizenship (CPGC), spoke first. She outlined the CPGC s mission of fostering awareness of global issues, and how her family history led her to establish partnerships with Trinbagonian organizations like Asa Wright. Next, Professor Jonathan Wilson discussed how visits to Asa Wright show his students the complex relationship between plants and people, along with the floral diversity of the tropics. Finally, I summarized my experiences at the Centre. I highlighted how I integrated concepts learned from my biology degree with the Asa Wright staff s knowledge of Trinidadian flora and fauna when completing projects for the Centre. (From left to right): Honorable Stanley Straughter, Committee Chair; Miranda Alexander, co-chair of arts and culture; Haverford College Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Jon Wilson; Nick Munves 18; Center for Peace and Global Citizenship International Programs Manager Stephanie Zukerman; Honorable Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. Photos courtesy Stephanie Zukerman The majestic room in Philadelphia s City Hall in which we spoke.

5 NOVEMBER PAGE 5 The Birding Scene October November: Late migration and early winter arrivals By Martyn Kenefick Few migrant passerines spend the winter in T&T. However, our common three winter warblers, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart and Northern Waterthrush all began to arrive during September, as did an early passage Blackpoll Warbler. October and November is where it all starts to get interesting. The first recorded Prothonotary Warbler of the season was found on the edge of Bush Bush forest on 8th October, historically perhaps a little bit late. However, Bobolinks appeared right on cue. A well watched flock of at least 50 birds were found along Rahamut Trace on the 14th. In 13 out of the last 18 years, the first Bobolink was recorded between 1st - 29th October. Scarcer than usual, the only reported Yellow-billed Cuckoo was in farmland at Aranguez on 1st November. Of much rarer fayre, a Black and White Warbler was found on Lalaja trace on 22nd November. Sadly we normally find only one of these little gems each winter season, but we can always hope for more. Unusual shorebirds and seabirds are highly sought after at this time of year. First to show was an extremely early adult Franklin s Gull at Orange Valley on 17th October. Much rarer, however, was a basic plumaged male Ruff avidly feeding in a flooded field at Aranguez three days later. This is a vagrant Eurasian shorebird and only the fourth to be found since the year During the latter half of October a party of nine Hudsonian Godwits made Aranguez their temporary home and the first Sora Rails arrived for the winter in early November. A migration that is often overlooked concerns the postbreeding dispersal of some of our hummingbird species for a few months each year. Traditionally, many of our Ruby Topaz, Black-throated Mango and White-necked Jacobins fly to mainland South America during August, before returning well in time for Christmas. This year, they have come back early with numbers of all three present at hummingbird feeders in Lopinot by 20th November. Of our scarce resident species, the exceptionally heavy rains enticed Rufous-necked Wood-Rails to become quite showy inside Caroni swamp during late October and one of the highlights of the annual Bioblitz on 17th November was of Trinidad Piping-Guan in forest near Cumana. October heralds the start of the tourist season (and hence Sora Rufous-necked Wood-Rail Photo by Jerome Foster Photo by Jerome Foster visiting overseas birders) to Tobago. Early highlights include a magnificent total of 30 White-tailed Sabrewings feeding at a hummingbird garden on the Bloody Bay Road on 28th October; three Cliff Swallows hawking insects over Bon Accord sewage lagoons on 18th November and finally a Black-necked Stilt photographed at Canaan sewage ponds three days later. Whilst this is a very common shorebird in Trinidad, this constitutes just the fourth sighting for the sister isle in the last 20 years.