Trinidad turns it on

Well what a day!  Up at 0425 to head out birding this morning with one of the guides.  Our target bird was the Trinidad piping guan, which had been seen recently up the hill a few kilometres.  It sounded like the chances were low, but that there was a good chance of other things.  Well it started pretty well with a silhouette of a flying spectacled owl (why didn't I put my headlamp in my pocket!).  We spent some time walking the roads, and had an awesome time - four species of woodpecker, black-faced ant-thrush, white-bellied antbird, sooty grassquit, merlin, swallow tanager, grey-throated leaftosser (how's that for a name!) and both guianan and collared trogon.  Phew, we had an awesome time.  Not a lot of photos, but took a few.  There was also a small thrush, that if I had to put any money on would say it was a veery!  They have been recorded a few times here, but it would be a mega...

Then back to the centre for lunch and a bit of verandah birding as it rained off and on, before heading out late this afternoon with the same guide and a couple of others.  We headed to Aripo Marshes as the rain stopped and did a bit of birding in the light, with peregrine, savannah hawk, and a lifer shorebird - solitary sandpiper - very cool!  A few other bits and pieces then dinnner before heading out as the light faded.  As the dark came in quickly the fire-flies started to pop out over the fields - what an awesome sight.  First stop was to look for a tropical screech owl, and there he was...literally 10ft away and what a little stonker!  Pretty much full frame shots!  On the way back to the vehicle we picked up a barn owl flying past.  We then drove some roads and got great views of paraque (a nightjar), white-tailed nightjar, common potoo and TWO spectacled caiman!  Awesome.

Back up to the centre and uploading this with a single malt to celebrate, then to bed...tomorrow is a big day with a trip to the oilbird cave!

PS. some of the photos below were from yesterday and the night walk done last night

Crested oropendola nests just out from the verandah at Asa Wright, with rain and hills in the background

Harvestman underside - very cool pattern

Danielle's hand beside the tarantula

Small frog calling away

Almost looks like a weta!

The tarantula coming out of its pipe...love this shot

This morning - the sooty grassquit singing

Chestnut woodpecker

The sort of forest we were birding in

Back at Asa Wright, palm tanager in the rain

Great kiskadee in the rain

Savannah hawk perched low

Red-breasted blackbird, male (above) female (below)

Solitary sandpiper (there were two though!!??), a lifer for me

Water buffalo

Tropical screech owl, needs a little eye work from the flash, but what a cutie!