10 -21 APRIL 1999
by Richard Ives
These tropical islands are more akin to the South American mainland than to the rest of the Caribbean hence the large diversity of species which makes these islands the perfect springboard into neotropical birds. We were on an organised trip & had an excellent guide: Kenny whose sharp hearing ensured that many shy species were picked up & his "pishing"worked far better than ours.
The hotels were very different; the small & somewhat spartan Pax against the rather opulentBlue waters on Tobago- however the former was very welcoming and we must thank Gerard & his wife for their wonderful hospitality and the superb food which they provided. Gerard's keen eyesight also meant that very few birds passed over the terrace without his noticing- (there were no active ornithologists at the Blue Waters). The Pax has an incredible balcony from where many excellent species could be seen. The garden will be improved over the next few years and the number of hummingbirds is bound to increase. The numbers of raptors was incredible and the sky was never empty. Future plans include low level lighting in the undergrowth so that owls can be seen as they hunt the forest edge- that will be an exciting addition to the total birding experience especially as we heard Spectacled Owls on numerous occasions.
Trinidad's central belt is highly populated and the view from the Pax southwards shows a very developed area - fortunately development has not encroached too far up the valley & so the Pax marks the beginnings of the wilderness. Little Tinamous plaintive wail is heard at dawn & dusk & the raucous call of the parrots is never far away. The feeders are visited by numerous species and the Pax is probably the easiest place to watch a host of Hummingbirds and Tanagers. We found Double tooth Kite nesting a few hundred yards away from the balcony! The Pax along with its more famous rival, Asa Wright, do provide the perfect way to watch the colourful species which abound on Trinidad.
Tobago is a beautiful island & the NE corner apart from three hotels is very under developed. Seabirds are prolific- Frigatebirds replace the Turkey & Black Vultures of Trinidad to dominate the skyways. The Great Black Hawk is the largest raptor on the island & can be seen circling over the forests at various points on the island. As Tobago has geared itself up for tourism the prices are higher and this should be taken into consideration when planning a trip to this area of the Caribbean. The locals are extremely friendly & very helpful - the local guides are superb and well worth hiring as birding is not easy.
Both islands are very attractive and teem with a large number of beautiful birds - the flycatchers and elaneas always prove very tricky. On Trinidad, small passerines: seedeaters & finches are almost impossible to find as they have been hunted (i.e. caged) to the verge of extinction - the smaller parrots have also faired little better away from the reserves. Hopefully through education and the growth of green tourism people will respect the environment more & threatened species will be given the safeguards they desperately need.
Our Itinerary
1. Barbados Airport 10th April (20 minutes on the tarmac)
1 Lesser Antillian Bullfinch, 1 Cattle Egret, Carib Grackle 10
2. Pax & Donkey Trail 11th April
Montain rain forest & forest edge species abound. The feeders at the Pax are visited by numerous species of hummingbirds. The paths are fairly wide and the area has numerous breeding raptors including Double toothed Kite, White & Short tailed Hawk. Vultures appear in their 100's and in the winter a pair of Bat Falcons roost on a nearby spire! Hummingbirds use the feeders & the flower borders for their needs. Unseen creeatures include 2 species of Nightjar, Spectacled Owl & Tropical Screech Owl. Superb place.
Little Tinamou calling, Tropical Screech-Owl calling, Bananaquit (common), Orange-winged Parrot (common), Crested Oropendola c , Gray Hawk 2, Double-toothed Kite nesting near Pax, Plumbeous Kite 3, Zone-tailed Hawk 1, Common Black Hawk daily sightings, Short-tailed Hawk almost daily, White Hawk 2, Green Hermit 2, White-tailed Trogon 1, Black-throated Mango nesting Pax, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird daily, Tufted Coquett daily, Blue-chinned Sapphire almost daily, White-chested Emerald almost daily Copper-rumped Hummingbird common, Long-billed Starthroat almost daily, Purple Honeycreeper seen most days, Lineated Woodpecker 2, Buff-throated Woodcreeper heard most days, Piratic Flycatcher 2, Boat-billed Flycatcher 3 sightings, Streaked Flycatcher common, Great Kiskadee very common, Tropical Kingbird very common, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher 3 records, Yellow-bellied Elaenia a couple of records, Forest Elaenia 2 records, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet 3, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher 1, Golden-headed Manakin 4, White-bearded Manakin 2, Golden-crowned Warbler 1, Ruddy Ground-Dove common, Blue-black Grassquit (common), House Wren (common), Tropical Mockingbird (common), Yellow Oriole (common), Blue-gray Tanager (common), Palm Tanager (common), Silver-beaked Tanager (common), White-lined Tanager c Trinidad Euphonia 1, Violaceous Euphonia 4, Turquoise Tanager 3, Blue Dacnis 2, Grayish Saltator (common), Streaked Saltator 1 Short-tailed Swift (common), Gray-breasted Martin (common), Southern Rough-winged Swallow (common), Magnificent Frigatebird 3, Pauraque H, Rufous Nightjar H, Bare-eyed Thrush (common), Gray throated Leaftosser 1 , Long-billed Gnatwren 2, Scaled Pigeon fairly common, Common Ground-Dove 2, Tropical Parula 1, Golden-fronted Greenlet 1 72 species
3. Aripo Cattle Station, Manzanilla Beach, Nariva Swamp & Cocos Bay 12th April
Area of lowland with a few marshy fields - specialities include Tyrants, Blackbirds, and a few waders. The Savannah areas do hold specialist species. Manzanilla beach is very picturesque with palms - sea passage was quiet but Terns, pelicans & Frigatebirds are fairly common. A roost of Red bellied Macaws is exciting to watch. Nariva swamps hold Giant Cowbirds & Pinnated Bittern
Smooth-billed Ani (common), Fork-tailed Palm-Swift fairly common near palms, Rufous-browed Peppershrike 2, White-winged Swallow (common),Yellow-hooded Blackbird (common), Red-breasted Blackbird (common), Savanna Hawk 4, Long-winged Harrier 1 (1st for that site), Yellow-headed Caracara fairly common, Pinnated Bittern 1, Wattled Jacana 40+, Southern Lapwing fairly widespread, Least Sandpiper 4, Forster's Tern 1 offshore (rare), Brown Noddy 1 offshore, Red-bellied Macaw 100+, Green-rumped Parrotlet 10, Yellow-throated Spinetail 2, Pied Water-Tyrant 6, White-headed Marsh-Tyrant 6, Fork-tailed Flycatcher 2, Black-crested Antshrike 1, Red-rumped Woodpecker (H), Great Antshrike(H), Bicolored Conebill 2, Shiny Cowbird (common), Giant Cowbird 45, Scrub Flycatcher 1 79 species
4. Asa Wright & Blanchisseuse Road 13th April
Superb centre with many birds coming to the feeders & bird table. Bellbirds, Oilbirds & Ornate hawk eagle are the stars. The highest point of the road gives a wonderful vista & birds can be flying across the various breaks in the forest. Good birding can be had from walking the road either way from the watershed which lies about 2 miles above the Asa Wright centre.
Rufous-breasted Hermit 2, Gray-rumped Swift (common), Band-rumped Swift (common), White-necked Jacobin 8, Blue tailed Emerald 1, Red-legged Honeycreeper 4, Green Honeycreeper 6, Bay-headed Tanager 4, Bearded Bellbird 2, Ornate Hawk-Eagle 2, Squirrel Cuckoo 1, Lilac-tailed Parrotlet 2, Blue-headed Parrot 4, Chestnut Woodpecker 1, Golden-olive Woodpecker 1, Collared Trogon 2, Violaceous Trogon 1 Rufous-breasted Wren 2, Cocoa Thrush widespread, Channel billed Toucan 2, Tropical Pewee 1, Swallow-Tanager 3, Blue-crowned Motmot 2, Northern-Waterthrush 1, American Redstart 1 fm.
5. Arima Road & Reserve, Wallerfield Airbase & Sewage Farm 14th April
The former site is excellent for Pearl Kite & other Savannah specialities. The deserted airbase has a colony of Palm Swifts & does hold Sulphery Flycatcher. The Moriche Oriole is hard to find & we were not successful in our search. The Arima reserve is lowland forest & there are a few good species using the forest floor. The sewage works provides shelter for Jacanas & holds Yellow billed terns. We also recorded Saffron Finch, Ringed Kingfisher & a few wader species there . Pearl Kite 1, Barred Antshrike 2, Purple Gallinule 2, Saffron Finch 3, White-bellied Antbird 1, Sulphury Flycatcher 1, Yellow-rumped Cacique 20+, White-shouldered Tanager 2, Gray-headed Kite Least Grebe 7, Yellow-billed Tern 4, Ringed Kingfisher 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 4, Greater Yellowlegs 3 85 species
6. Asa Wright & Blanchisseuse Road 15th April
Oilbird 40+, Striped Cuckoo1, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1, Black-faced Antthrush (H), Stripe-breasted Spinetail (H) Rufous-tailed Jacamar 1, Speckled Tanager 1, Streaked Xenops 2 76 species
Waterloo Beach, Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, Rice Fields & Caroni Marsh 16th April Muddy expanse of beach which is good for waders, skimmers & Large billed Terns. The wildfowl trust is a little disappointing as its rather like a zoo but we were assured that it fulfils its purpose as an educational centre for the population of Trinidad. Anhinga & Olivaceous Cormorants are easily approachable here. Red capped cardinals feed on the feeders which is a bonus. The rice fields hold large numbers of eared Doves along with specialities such as Long winged Harrier, & Limpkin. The Caroni Marsh is very atmospheric and the Scarlet Ibises superb. Potoo, Boat billed Heron & Green Hermit the specialities.
Small billed Elaenia 1, Olivaceous Cormorant 4-10, Willet 1, Semipalmated Sandpiper 30+, Western Sandpiper 20+, American Whimbrel 1, Marbled Godwit 2, Arctic Skua 1N (rare record), Laughing Gull 25+, Franklin's Gull 1 N, Large-billed Tern 15+, Least Tern 4, Black Skimmer 100+, Anhinga 3, Muscovy Duck 40, Blue-winged Teal 25 rice fields, Streaked-headed Woodcreeper 1, Black-Crowned Night Heron 1 imm. Rice fields, Yellow Crowned Night-Heron (common), Eared Dove 30, Limpkin 10, Clapper Rail (H), Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 40 +, Red-capped Cardinal 3, Gray Kingbird 1, Green-throated Mango 1 marshes, Greater Ani 2 marshes, Common Potoo 1, Boat-billed Heron 3 at late dusk, 101 species
Little Tobago 17th April
A must. Superb island with the breeding site of Tropcbirds, Boobies and the ever present Frigatebirds looking for an easy meal. The viewing site was made famous by Richard Attenborough's superb sequence in Life On Earth of the Frigatebirds antics as they attacked the Tropicbirds.
Caribbean Martin (common), Audibon's Shearwater 2, Red-billed Tropicbird 100+, Red-footed Booby 30+, Brown Booby 50+, White-tipped Dove common, Rufous-vented Chachalaca 40+, Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 nesting in hotel 34 species
Gilpin Trace, Tobago 18th April
A lovely path through rainforest, can be very muddy after rain. Highlights include a Blue backed Manakin lek, Jacamar nest holes, White tailed Sabrewing territories, Venezualan Flycatcher and numerous Woodcreepers. Havinga guide with you is a useful investment as many of the woodland species do skulk around on the forest floor - knowledge of bird calls is a very useful asset.
Venezuelan Flycatcher 1, White-tailed Sabrewing 3, Blue-backed Manakin 4-6, Red-crowned Woodpecker 1, Plain-brown Woodcreeper 1, Olivaceous Woodcreeper 1, White-necked Thrush 2, Yellow-legged Thrush 3-4, Plain Antvireo 2, Fuscous Flycatcher 1, Black-and-white Warbler 1 Pale-vented Pigeon 3, Great Black Hawk 1, Chivi Vireo 2, White-fringed Antwren 1 62 species
Blue Waters, Tobago 19th April
Black-faced Grassquit 4-5, Sooty Grassquit 1, Scrub Greenlet 3, Broad-winged Hawk 1, 48 species
Grande Riviere, North East Trinidad 20th April Unspoilt northern coast of Trinidad - superb.
The trail from the Guam site leading to a river holds some interesting species & Swallow tailed Kites provide a wonderful sight. A donation is expected to protect the Guams - pay the owner of the house - arrive early as the birds disappear by about 8.00 in the morning to forage in the forests.
Belted Kingfisher 1, Gray-Fronted Dove 1, Silvered Antbird 4-5 near river,Common Piping-Guan 7, Pale-breasted Spinetail 1, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 2, Black-tailed Tityra 3, Swallow-tailed Kite 2-3, 76 species
Pax Trinidad 21st April
Lesser Swallow tailed Swift (seen regularly in the area but we overlooked them) +52 species including Chivvi Vireo, Boat billed Flycatcher, LB Gnatwren.
SYSTEMATIC LIST
| SPECIES | WHERE SEEN |
| Little Tinamou | Heard most days at Pax- one flushed on last day |
| Least Grebe | 7 on sewage pools |
| Audubon's Shearwater | a few recorded moving out to sea from Little Tobago at dawn |
| Red-billed Tropicbird | very common on Little Tobago |
| Brown Pelican | common on the coasts of Trinidad & Tobago |
| Red-footed Booby | very common on Little Tobago |
| Brown Booby | very common on Little Tobago |
| Olivaceous Cormorant | recorded at Wildfowl Refuge & along coasts |
| Anhinga | recorded at Wildfowl Refuge |
| Mag. Frigatebird | Always overhead, very common on Tobago |
| Great Blue Heron | 2 recorded - 1 Arima swamp, 1 NE Treinidad |
| Great Egret | Various sightings on Trinidad |
| Snowy Egret | Various sightings on Trinidad |
| Little Blue Heron | Various sightings on Trinidad & Tobago |
| Tricolored Heron | 20+ Caroni Swamp |
| Green-backed Heron | Various sightings on Trinidad & Tobago |
| Cattle Egret | Common |
| Black-C Night Heron | 2 sightings: 1 ricefields, 1 Tobago |
| Yellow C Night-Heron | Common in wet sites |
| Pinnated Bittern | 2 sightings Arima swamp |
| Boat-billed Heron | 3 Caroni Swamp (very late dusk) |
| Scarlet Ibis | 400+ Caroni Swamp |
| Bl-b Whistling-Duck | 40 Wildfowl refuge |
| Blue-winged Teal | 25 Rice Fields |
| Muscovy Duck | 25 Wildfowl refuge |
| Black Vulture | Common on Trinidad, not found on Tobago |
| Turkey Vulture | Common on Trinidad, not found on Tobago |
| Pearl Kite | 2 sightings- breeds Arima valley |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | 3 NW Trinidad |
| Gray-headed Kite | almost daily Pax |
| Double-toothed Kite | Breeding at Pax |
| Plumbeous Kite | Seen on 4 days in Trinidad - fairly widespread |
| Zone-tailed Hawk | 3 records Pax |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 1 Blue Waters Tobago |
| Short-tailed Hawk | Common above Pax |
| Gray Hawk | 3 views at Pax |
| White Hawk | 1 pair at Pax |
| Savanna Hawk | Fairly common in lowlands |
| Common Black Hawk | Often recorded on Trinidad |
| Great Black Hawk | 2 sightings on Tobago - near Gilpin Trace |
| Ornate Hawk-Eagle | Nesting pair at Asa Wright |
| Long-winged Harrier | 2 sightings: 1 Arima Marsh (1st rec.!), Rice fields Trinidad |
| Osprey | various sites |
| Yellow-h Caracara | Common in suitable habitat |
| Peregrine Falcon | 4 sightings |
| Merlin | 2 sightings. 1 Trinidad 1 Tobago |
| Rufous-v Chachalaca | extremely common on Tobago - not present on Trinidad |
| Common PipGuan | 7 seen at normal sight |
| Limpkin | 8+ seen in the rice fields |
| Clapper Rail | 1 heard Caroni swamp |
| Moorhen | 4 Sewage works |
| Purple Gallinule | 2 Aripo |
| Wattled Jacana | Common in swampy areas |
| Southern Lapwing | Fairly widespread in savannah areas |
| Grey Plover | 2 Waterloo beach |
| Semi Palmated Plov | Waterloo beach |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Waterloo beach |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Sewage works & Waterloo - well distributed |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 4 sewage works |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 2 sewage works |
| Spotted Sandpiper | common on both islands |
| Willet | 1 Waterloo beach |
| Least Sandpiper | 5 Aripo on small stream |
| Semipalmated Sand | many Waterloo beach |
| Western Sandpiper | many Waterloo beach |
| American Whimbrel | Waterloo beach |
| Marbled Godwit | 2 Waterloo beach |
| Parasitic Jaeger | 1 N Waterloo beach (rare record) |
| Laughing Gull | many Waterloo beach & on Tobago |
| Franklin's Gull | 1 Waterloo beach |
| Large-billed Tern | 40 Waterloo beach |
| Common Tern | fishing offshore Manzanilla beach |
| Forster's Tern | 1 offshore Manzanilla beach |
| Yellow-billed Tern | 8 sewage works |
| Least Tern | Waterloo beach |
| Brown Noddy | 1 offshore |
| Black Skimmer | Waterloo beach |
| Scaled Pigeon | Fairly widespread at Pax |
| Pale-vented Pigeon | 6 seen on Tobago |
| Eared Dove | 35 seen on rice fields |
| C Ground-Dove | 1 sighting near Pax |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | Very Common |
| White-tipped Dove | Common on Tobago |
| Gray-Fronted Dove | Heard often only seen once |
| Red-bellied Macaw | 150+ Manzanilla beach |
| Green-r Parrotlet | Best seen at Aripo - also noted on Tobago |
| Lilac-tailed Parrotlet | 1 sighting Northern range |
| Blue-headed Parrot | 4 sightings in Northern Range |
| Orange-wing Parrot | Very common |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | 1 Asa Wright, 1 Arima reserve |
| Striped Cuckoo | 2 seen in Northern Range |
| Smooth-billed Ani | common around Pax |
| Greater Ani | 3 Caroni swamp |
| Trop. Screech-Owl | heard every night at Pax- never seen |
| Spectacled Owl | heard at Pax - never seen |
| Ferrug Pygmy-Owl | heard at Pax - pair seen at nest hole NE trinidad |
| Common Potoo | 1 Caroni swamps |
| Oilbird | 40+ Asa Wright |
| Pauraque | Heard at Pax |
| Rufous Nightjar | Heard at Pax |
| Gray-rumped Swift | Common at Asa Wright |
| Band-rumped Swift | Common at Asa Wright |
| Short-tailed Swift | Widespread species |
| Less Swallow T Swift | Noted at Pax |
| Fork-t Palm-Swift | Common in suitable areas |
| Rufous-br Hermit | Found at higher elevations on both Trinidad & Toabgo |
| Green Hermit | On the feeders at Pax |
| Little Hermit | 1 noted NE Trinidad, often seen above Pax, no luck for us. |
| White-tail Sabrewing | 3 Gilpin Trace Tobago |
| White-neck Jacobin | On the feeders at Asa Wright, noted on Tobago |
| Green-throat Mango | 1 Caroni Swamp |
| Black-throat Mango | On the feeders at Pax |
| Ruby-topaz Hum | On the feeders at Pax |
| Tufted Coquette | On the feeders at Pax |
| Blue-chin Sapphire | On the feeders at Pax |
| White-chest Emerald | On the feeders at Pax |
| Blue tailed Emerald | 1 On the feeders at Asa Wright |
| Copper-rumped Hummingbird | On the feeders at Pax |
| Long-bill Starthroat | On the feeders at Pax |
| White-tailed Trogon | 1 Pax - others in Northern Range |
| Collared Trogon | 1 on Northern Range |
| Violaceous Trogon | 3 records in Northern Range |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 on telephone lines, NE coast Trinidad |
| Ringed Kingfisher | 1 sewage works, 1 near Trinidad airport |
| Blue-crown Motmot | 6 records Trinidad- common Tobago |
| Rufous-tail Jacamar | 4 Trinidad, quite common Tobago |
| Channel bill Toucan | 3 Northern Range- recorded 3 times |
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | Heard twice on Trinidad 1 seen Gilpin Trace |
| Chestnut Woodpecker | 1 on bird table Asa Wright |
| Lineated Woodpecker | 2 near Pax, other sightings |
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | 1 at nesthole near Gilpin trace, Tobago |
| Red-rumped Woodpecker | Only heard twice once Trinidad & once near Gilpin trace |
| Plain-br Woodcreeper | 2 Gilpin Trace, Tobago |
| Olivaceous Woodcreeper | 1 Gilpin trace, Tobago |
| Buff-throat Woodcreeper | Heard very often in the forests |
| Streaked-head Woodcreeper | 1 Wildfowl reserve |
| Pale-breast Spinetail | One near Guam site, NE Trinidad |
| Stripe-breast Spinetail | 1 Gilpin trace |
| Yellow-thr Spinetail | 4 Aripo 12th April |
| Streaked Xenops | 2 in Arima valley |
| Gray thr Leaftosser | 1 disturbed from nesthole near Pax |
| Great Antshrike | only heard in Northern Range |
| Bl-crest Antshrike | Recorded on both Trinindad & Tobago |
| Barred Antshrike | Fairly widespread on both islands |
| Plain Antvireo | Seen along the Gilpin Trace |
| Wh-fringed Antwren | 3 Blue Waters, Tobago |
| Silvered Antbird | 4 on fast flowing stream NE Trinidad |
| White-bell Antbird | One at Arima reserve |
| Bl-faced Antthrush | 1 heard in Arima reserve |
| Bearded Bellbird | 3 males calling Asa Wright, 1 Blanchesseuse Road |
| Gold-head Manakin | Fairly common in suitable habitat |
| Blue-back Manakin | Lek along the Gilpin Trace |
| Wh-beardManakin | Large lek Asa Wright, others recorded elsewhere |
| Pied Water-Tyrant | 6 Aripo, fairly widespread in correct habitat |
| Wh-h Marsh-Tyrant | 5 Aripo, fairly widespread in correct habitat |
| Fork-tailed Flycatcher | 3 Aripo - very early date (cf Ffrench) |
| Tropical Kingbird | Very Common |
| Gray Kingbird | 1 Caroni, 1 Tobago |
| Sulphury Flycatcher | One in palm plantation at the airbase |
| Piratic Flycatcher | 2 Pax |
| Boat-bill Flycatcher | Fairly common Pax |
| Streaked Flycatcher | Very Common |
| Great Kiskadee | Very Common |
| Brown-crest Flycatcher | breeding in the Blue waters Hotel |
| Venezuelan Flycatcher | 1 Gilpin Trace, birds on Little Tobago ? |
| Olive-side Flycatcher | recorded on the Arima reserve |
| Tropical Pewee | 1 near Asa Wright centre |
| Fuscous Flycatcher | 1 on Tobago |
| Yellow-breast Flycatcher | quite common on both islands |
| Yellow-bell Elaenia | seen around Pax on first day |
| Small billed Elaenia | 1 Waterloo beach |
| Forest Elaenia | recorded around Pax |
| Scrub Flycatcher | recorded twice on Trinidad 12th & 16th April |
| S Beardless Tyran | 3 records around Pax |
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | Recorded on both islands - attractive bird |
| Black-tailed Tityra | 3 NW Trinidad |
| White-wing Swallow | Widespread in lowland/wetlands |
| Caribbean Martin | Common on Tobago only |
| Gray-breast Martin | Very Common |
| S Rough-winged Swallow | Very Common |
| Barn Swallow | 2 sightings of cir. 25 birds Trinidad |
| Rufous-breast Wren | 2 Asa Wright |
| South House Wren | Very Common |
| Tropic Mockingbird | Very Common |
| Yel -legged Thrush | 3 sightings Gilpin Trace, heard in Northern Range |
| Cocoa Thrush | Often heard, seen at Asa Wright under bird table |
| Bare-eyed Thrush | Very Common |
| White-neck Thrush | Heard Trinidad, seen Gilpin Trace |
| Long-bill Gnatwren | Fairly widespread |
| Ruf-brow Pepper-shrike | Heard very often - difficult to see ! Trinidad |
| Chivi Vireo | 3 records on Tobago & Trinidad |
| Gold-front Greenlet | 1 Pax |
| Scrub Greenlet | 3 above Blue Waters Tobago |
| Shiny Cowbird | Fairly common |
| Giant Cowbird | 50 at the swamp, 1 record Tobago |
| Crested Oropendola | Very Common |
| Yell -rump Cacique | 40 at nesting site, |
| Carib Grackle | Very Common |
| Yellow-hood Blackbird | Common on wetlands or feeders near water |
| Yellow Oriole | Very Common |
| Red-breast Blackbird | Very Common on lowland wet fields |
| Black-&-white Warbler | 1 Tobago |
| Tropical Parula | 4 recorded in Northern Range |
| Northern-Waterthrush | Northern Range, Caroni swamps |
| American Redstart | 1 Northern Range |
| Gold-crown Warbler | 2 Pax |
| Bananaquit | Very Common |
| Bicolored Conebill | 1 nr. Manzanilla beach, 2 Caroni swamp |
| Purple Honeycreeper | 2 on Pax feeders, manyt Asa Wright |
| Red-legged Honeycr | 3 Northern Range, also Tobago |
| Green Honeycreeper | commonn Asa Wright |
| Blue Dacnis | Fairly common at higher elevations |
| Trinidad Euphonia | 1 record Pax |
| Violaceous Euphonia | widespread |
| Swallow-Tanager | 4 Northern range - just returning from the msinland |
| Turquoise Tanager | Seen at various sites |
| Speckled Tanager | 1 record Northern Range |
| Bay-headed Tanager | widespread at higher elevations |
| Blue-gray Tanager | Very Common |
| Palm Tanager | Very Common |
| Silver-beakTanager | Common |
| White-lined Tanager | Common |
| White-shouldered Tanager | Fairly well distributed |
| Red-capped Ant-Tanager | 2 records |
| Grayish Saltator | Very Common |
| Streaked Saltator | 1 record Pax |
| Red-capped Cardinal | 1 Wildfowl refuge, 2 Caroni swamp |
| Blue-black Grassquit | Very Common |
| Black-face Grassquit | 2 Blue Waters, Tobago- 4 above the hotel |
| Sooty Grassquit | 1 above Blue waters, Tobago |
| Saffron Finch | 1 Aripo, 1 sewage works |
169 lifers on T &T plus 1 species : Lesser Antillian Bullfinch on Barbados = 170
207 species on Trinidad & 87 on Tobago
228 species seen or heard my the majority during the holiday but additional species: Red crested Ant Tanager, Little Hermit, White tailed Nightjar (H) & Green Kingfisher seen or heard by a few members of the party meaning a grand total of 232 for the most fortunate. A good collection for only 12 days in the field.
Richard Ives
Sussex, England