More Asa Wright & Then to the East Coast

We woke early to the distinctive call of oropendolas. Their nests, suspended from a tree just outside our door, hung precariously and swung gently in the morning breeze. Lizards crossed our path as we made our way down to the main lodge just after dawn. Bird song filled the air. Flowers bloomed profusely and the scent was a sweet morning wake-me-up.

We were looking forward to our morning cuppa and an early morning feathered-friend extravaganza. We were not disappointed on either count. Oh, my … I wish I could put into words the thrill of seeing so many beautiful birds flitting about so closely. We could hear the high-pitched squeak of the hummingbirds and feel the whir of their wings as they dove into the nectar feeders for breakfast. I want to reiterate here that we were never serious bird-watchers in the past. It's only since we've lived aboard the boat that we've developed an interest. Being this close to them, brings out the twitcher in everyone.

We observed for more than our hour, alternating a sip of tea and a click of the camera, until the breakfast gong chimed. We likened the gong to a Pavlovian response as all the twitchers filed obediently into breakfast (perhaps some were salivating, we didn't notice). The talk at the communal tables was all bird talk until they learned we'd just sailed around the world … and then they were interested in birds we'd seen during our travels.

We were invited for a guided morning walk on the Discovery Trail. There were just the three of us and Natalie was a knowledgeable, pleasant guide. She pointed out flora as well as fauna. It was hot and tropical rain forest steamy. Cicadas buzzed. We spotted several birds and heard the extremely loud and vocal bellbird long before we saw him. He did, indeed, sound like a bell.

There were several huge anthills in our travels … leaf cutter ants. We watched them for a bit as they did their thing. Industrious little fellows, Natalie told us this hill served just one queen, was estimated to be 12 years old and went 30 feet deep.

We spotted a hummingbird nest with mama snuggled tightly into place. A wonder she fit!

Then the tour was over, it was time to check out and we reluctantly left Asa Wright. We retraced our serpentine route down the hillside and back to Eastern Main Road. The road narrowed and became rougher the further east we traveled. David swerved back and forth avoiding major potholes. In some cases, the road disappeared altogether with old, small signs warning about “landslip areas”. We finally left the steamy inland and reached Trinidad's rocky east coast.

We stopped en route when we saw a “Shark Oil and Honey” shack. Quite the combo and we were curious! Lin negotiated a local honey purchase. We passed on the shark oil and drove on.

We finally arrived at Salybia Nature Resort, our big splurge for two nights. From the outside, it appeared to be heavenly … but looks can be deceiving.

The Birds of Asa Wright Nature Center

Asa Wright Nature Centre is not only one of the top bird-watching spots in the Caribbean, it's considered by the Audubon Society to be in the top 10 bird-watching venues in the world. A total of 159 species (or 400... depending upon the source you read) of birds have been recorded on the property. With only an overnight stay, we still racked up quite an incredible tally of birds. Here's a sample …

A Night at Asa Wright

Asa Wright was an eco-activist and dedicated her adult life to preserving and maintaining the delicate balance between man and nature in Trinidad. Upon her death, her estate was placed in trust and the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC) lives on. Trinidad, once part of South America, has an outstanding abundance and variety of flora and fauna . Located on 270 acres, there's a main house with an inn and restaurant and several comfortable cabins for overnight stays. We stayed overnight when we visited in 2002 and it was magical. We were hoping we'd experience the magic again this time … and we did.

We arrived mid-afternoon and after checking in, schlepping our luggage to our room, up several sets of stairs and the furthest possible point from the main house, we donned bathing suits, grabbed towels and headed up the easy Motmot Trail and down to the fresh water pond for a swim.

The fresh water pond is a delight, especially for weary travelers after a hot, hot day. After the initial shock of the cool water, it was a pleasure splashing in the shoulder-deep water and cavorting under the waterfall.

Cooled off and refreshed, we headed back to the cabin to dress for afternoon tea … served in the main house on the veranda ... almost promptly in Trinidadian style at 4 o'clock (or maybe closer to 4:10). As we sipped our tea, several guides were available to provide information about the nature center and the local flora and fauna.

The birds stole the show though. Hummingbirds, honeycreepers, oropendolas and tanagers flitted about the veranda, some as close as our noses. Fruit and sugar water feeders attracted them in an age-old afternoon ritual not unlike our afternoon tea.

Agouti wandered about the grounds, sharing some of the afternoon snacks. We could barely make out parrots in the far distance, but we could certainly hear them squawking.

Tea was followed by a round or two of rum punch drinks (excellent!). As darkness fell, the birds retired and the bats swooped in like wraiths, whizzing back and forth across the veranda and diving at the feeders.

Dinner was a social affair with lots of twitcher chat. We barely had time after dinner to trudge back up the hill to our room to change into long pants, douse ourselves in bug spray and join a nighttime walk. Torches (flashlights) in hand, we joined about a dozen other guests and our guide, Barry, and headed down the driveway. Once the lights of the main house were out of sight, it was pitch black. Barry swept his light back and forth on the road and up into the trees, looking for night critters. He was particularly excellent at spotting spiders, stick insects and snakes. This colorful false coral snake slithered into view and then as quickly disappeared into the night.

A land crab, looking alarmingly like a tarantula, posed for us and I reluctantly took its picture.

And then our guide spotted a harlequin beetle. Another pic, though it was easier getting closer to the beetle than the arachnid-looking crab.

We could hear rustling in the bush. Tree frogs peeped. A pygmy owl hooted. Bamboo rustled and clacked in the light breeze. We headed back to the lodge and to our cabin, exhilarated and looking forward to the morning.