Trinidad and Tobago

Dates: May 8 – 17, 2018

Maximum Participants: 12

Cost: $2,700 per person double occupancy.

Single Supplement: $500

Focus: Birding, natural history, sea turtle nesting, rainforest ecology, local

scenery, and culture.

Guides: Guides are provided for the entire trip. The guides will share a robust

knowledge of local natural history. A representative from the Central

Colorado Conservancy will accompany the group.

Activity Level: Easy, mostly walking and travel by auto or boat. Some short hikes in the

rainforest over uneven ground.

Supporting: Your included donation supports the land and water protection projects

of the Central Colorado Conservancy.

Draft Daily Itinerary

Day 1, May 8th Arrive and transfer to Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC)

Welcome to Trinidad! Upon arrival at Piarco International Airport, you are met by an AWNC guide who

drives you from the bustling metropolis to the quiet seclusion of the AWNC, about an hour’s trip up into

the Northern Range. Lush forests of the Arima

Valley offer untamed vistas and provide the

perfect place to learn about Trinidad’s abundant

birds and natural heritage.

AWNC’s wide veranda is the perfect place to

marvel at the almost tame hummingbirds,

tanagers, honeycreepers, oropendolas,

bananaquits, and other birds that frequent the

feeders. The views of the valley are breathtaking.

Beyond the Centre is an extensive trail system.

Tea time is 4:00 pm, followed by Rum Punch at

6:00 pm and then dinner.

Dinner is included this night if your flight arrives in time to transfer to Asa Wright Nature Centre by 6 pm.

Most of the flights from Colorado do not land until later in the evening. In this case dinner would be on

your own.

Day 2, May 9th Asa Wright Nature Centre

This morning begins with 6:00 AM coffee and tea served on

the veranda. A Centre naturalist is on duty to help us spy as

many as 40 life birds before breakfast! After breakfast, enjoy

an introductory walk on the Centre’s Discovery Trail, learning

more about the forest and discovering additional species.

Many enjoy the challenge of spotting the Bearded Bellbird, as

their distinctive “bonk!” echoes throughout the forest. Near

the known bellbird lek, in the trees, are two species of

manakins also attending their leks closer to the ground.

Morning Birding Highlights: Trinidad Motmot; both Cocoa and

Spectacled Thrushes; Gray-fronted Dove; White-bearded and

Golden-headed Manakins; Green-backed and Guianan

Trogons; Channel-billed Toucan; Chestnut Woodpecker; Rufous-

browed Peppershrike; both Turquoise and Bay-headed Tanagers;

Green Hermit; Tufted Coquette; Black-throated Mango; Forest Elaenia; Ochre-bellied Flycatcher;

Asa Wright Nature Centre

Purple Honeycreeper

Yellow Oriole; White-necked Thrush; Rufous-breasted Wren; White-flanked Antwren; and Long-billed

Gnatwren.

This evening we will enjoy some night birding, complete with rum punch and hot dinner in tow. A used

airfield is the first birding stop (pre-sunset), then we venture to the Aripo Livestock Station where we

enjoy dinner, then set off on a slow drive for night birds. Bird possibilities include: Fork-tailed Palm-

swift; Sulphury Flycatcher; Moriche Oriole (extremely rare); White-tailed Nightjar; Common Pauraque;

Common Potoo; Tropical Screech-owl; Barn Owl; and Spectacled Owl.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3, May 10th Asa Wright Nature Centre and the Northern Range

Today we take a day-long excursion into Trinidad’s

Northern Range on the Blanchisseuse Road. We make

frequent birding stops and then enjoy a local lunch

and cacao demonstration in picturesque Brasso Seco.

We continue through the mountains to the village of

Morne la Croix for afternoon tea and cakes as we

enjoy watching parrots head in to roost. The day will

include opportunities to observe leaf-cutter and army

ants, as well as a chance to photograph butterflies,

orchids and other tropical flora. Birding highlights

may include: Swallow-tailed Kite; Common Black

Hawk; Bat Falcon; Collared Trogon; Ornate Hawk-

Eagle; Channel-billed Toucan; Trinidad Piping Guan;

Short-tailed Hawk; Streaked and Euler’s Flycatchers;

Rufous-tailed Jacamar; Blue-headed Parrot; Lilac-

tailed Parrotlet; Orange-winged Parrot; Collared

Trogon; Golden-olive, Red-rumped and Chestnut

Woodpeckers; Ferruginous Pygmy-owl; Stripe-

breasted Spinetail; Cocoa and Plain-brown

Woodcreepers; Dusky-capped, Slaty-capped

Flycatchers; Rufous-breasted Wrens; Long-billed

Gnatwren; Golden-fronted Greenlet; Speckled and

Hepatic Tanagers; and Yellow-rumped Cacique.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Trinidad Motmot

Day 4, May 11th Asa Wright Nature Centre and Caroni National Park

Enjoy coffee, tea, and breakfast on the veranda, followed by this morning’s walk. We start on a short,

but steep, path to Dunston Cave, a riparian grotto at AWNC. The group will enjoy exclusive access to a

breeding colony of Oilbirds — strange nocturnal, fruit-eating birds that congregate here at one of the

world’s most accessible nesting caves. Bird Highlights on the Oilbird Excursion: Oilbird; Red-crowned

Ant-Tanager; Black-faced Antthrush; White-bellied Antbird; and Gray-throated Leaftosser.

After lunch, we depart for Caroni Swamp, birding along the way. At Caroni National Park there is a

visitor center and restrooms. We board a boat for a trip through the mangroves. Here we watch for

Ruschenberger’s Tree Boa and Silky Anteater. As the sun sets we watch for hundreds of Scarlet Ibis to fly

in to roost. Birding highlights may include: Long-winged Harrier; Yellow-hooded Blackbird; Bicolored

Conebill; Masked Cardinal; Straight-billed Woodcreeper; Green-throated Mango; Northern Waterthrush;

Anhinga; Striated Heron; White-checked Pintail; Large-billed Tern; Pied Water-Tyrant; Black-crested

Antshrike; Common Potoo; and Scarlet Ibis.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5, May 12th Depart Asa Wright Nature Centre, Arrive Tobago and Blue Waters

This morning we say goodbye to the wonderful staff

of AWNC and embark on the journey to Tobago.

However, before our group goes to the airport we

will enjoy coffee, tea, and breakfast on the veranda.

We will bird on the way to the airport. Today you can

choose to buy lunch at the airport or carry a sack

lunch from the Centre (ask the night before). For

those who like to try local foods, we highly

recommend “doubles”, the local favorite — ask your

guide where to find them as you’re dropped off. We

will eat lunch at the airport when waiting for the

flight to Tobago. Generally, check-in is quick leaving

us time before the flight.

Once we land in Tobago, our birding guide greets us in an air-conditioned bus. Welcome to the distinctly

Caribbean and laid-back Tobago! The group will make a few stops for birding, so be prepared with close-

toed shoes, sunscreen, hat, and binoculars. We then travel through vibrantly-colored hillside villages to

the Blue Waters Inn, a delightful and small inn right on the beach. Blue Waters Inn is equipped for great

seaside experiences, including swimming, kayaking, casual snorkeling, and diving, and the restaurant’s

signature dishes include fresh-caught lobster and kingfish, crisp coconut shrimp salad and distinctly

Caribbean flying fish wraps. A pool and the sea await! Common Tobago Species en Route to Blue Waters

Inn: White-cheeked Pintail, Short-tailed Swifts, Trinidad Motmot, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and

Green Kingfisher. Common at Blue Waters Inn: Black-faced Grassquit, Rufous-vented Chachalaca,

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

Trinidad Motmot, Redcrowned Woodpecker; Magnificent Frigatebirds; Brown Pelican; Ruddy Turnstone;

and White-fringed Antwren. Spectacled Caimans can be seen on the drive to Blue Waters Inn.

Included: breakfast and dinner

Day 6, May 13th Blue Waters Inn and Gilpin Trace

In the morning we drive high into the mountains arriving at

the historic Tobago Main Ridge Forest Preserve, the world’s

oldest legally protected forest. Scientific American wrote this

was the first act in the modern environmental movement.

Tobago’s mountain forests are home to 210 species of birds.

On a trail into the forested interior, we look for a number of

elusive species including: White-tailed Saberwing, a large

hummingbird once thought to be extinct. Saberwings were

rediscovered after hurricanes caused extensive forest

damage in the 1960s. We also will seek out the Blue-backed

Manakin, Yellow-legged Thrush and other Tobago

specialties, including Red-crowned Woodpecker and White-

fringed Antwren. We return to the Inn for lunch.

After lunch the afternoon is free. You are free to participate in various activities such as snorkeling,

diving, and kayaking in private Batteaux Bay. Or, lounge by the pool or go birding on your own.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7, May 14th Blue Waters Inn and Little Tobago Island, Leave Tobago, arrive Mt. Plaisir

This morning we board a glass-bottom boat for a pleasant

jaunt to Little Tobago Island. The island, one of the

country’s most significant wildlife sanctuaries, offers

incredible views of plentiful and rare seabirds, both from

the boat and by walking a trail up to the cliffs and a

lookout point on the island. Leaving the island (if sea

conditions allow) the captain will take time to look for

colorful fish and possible Hawksbill Sea Turtles as we pass

a former coral garden off Goat Island. The Atlantic side of

the island has experienced extensive coral bleaching and,

while still excellent for divers, snorkeling is not what it once was.

Mid-day we leave for Trinidad and the Grand Riviere. We will arrive at Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel late. Once

arriving back in Trinidad, Mt. Plaisir is up to a three-hour drive to the other side of the island.

Blue Waters Inn – photo credit: Lynn Tennefoss

Red-billed Tropicbird - photo credit: Peg Abbott

Dinner is alfresco at the relaxing Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel. Our rooms overlook the beach, where you can

leave your patio door open at night and drift off to sleep as waves crash on the beach below.

Included: breakfast, dinner

Day 8, May 15th Mt. Plaisir

In the morning we will search for the Trinidad

Piping Guan. This species was hunted to near

extinction. Locally known as Pawi, the bird has

responded to conservation efforts. We will search

the wild nutmeg trees, their preferred feeding

habitat.

Rest up or enjoy the beach in the afternoon in

anticipation of our evening outing to search for

nesting Leatherback Sea Turtles.

The beaches here are home to the world’s densest

congregation of nesting Leatherback Sea Turtles. On some nights, hundreds of

these gigantic turtles populate the beach. Most of the turtles nest between

April and July. During turtle season dozens of nesting Leatherbacks can be seen overnight. Access to the

nesting beaches is by permit only. In the evening they will guide us out to the beach to witness this

graceful and moving sight. No flash photography is allowed but with luck there will be some of these

giants on the beach during dawn or dusk.

Birding highlights include: Trinidad Piping Guan, Southern Lapwing, Lilac-tailed Parakeet, Gray-headed

and Plumbeous Kites, White Hawk, Bat Falcon, Linneated and Crimson-crested Woodpeckers, Grayish

Saltator, Silvered and White-bellied Antbirds, Black-tailed Tityra, Trinidad Euphonia, and mixed flocks of

colorful tanagers.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9, May 16th Mt. Plaisir

The morning will include a bird walk and another

opportunity to look for the Trinidad Piping Guan.

Your afternoon is free to enjoy. After dinner we will go

out looking for turtles again on the beach.

Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Trinidad Piping Guan - photo credit: Peg Abbott

Day 10, May 17th Depart for Home

Today our trip in Trinidad and Tobago comes to an end. We recommend scheduling your departure

flight in the afternoon since it takes up to three hours to reach the airport. It is advised to be at the

airport 2.5 hours before your international flight. Early transfers might be arranged at an additional

expense or participants can choose to stay in Port of Spain for the night and fly out the next morning

(not included in the cost of the trip).

Included: breakfast

Note: Best laid plans are always subject to change pending weather, wildlife sighting opportunities,

and/or any unforeseen circumstances. The itinerary might be changed to adjust for local conditions or to

take advantage of wildlife opportunities.

Tour Details

Included in the Tour: Nine nights of accommodations at

lodges and inns, local guides, all listed meals, drinking

water, ground transportation and inter-island flight, bird

list, turtle watching permit, and donation to the Central

Colorado Conservancy.

Not included in the Tour: International flight to and from

Trinidad; additional hotel or lodge nights before or after

the tour; the following meals: first night dinner if arriving

late in the day, lunch on day five, lunch on day seven,

lunch or dinner on day ten; tips; laundry; alcoholic beverages; and items of a

personal nature. Most international flights from Denver, Colorado arrive at Piarco

International Airport, Trinidad around 9:00 pm in the evening. Some people might

choose to arrive a day early and book an additional night at Asa Wright Nature Centre. Contact Andrew

Mackie (andrew@centralcoloradoconservancy.org) if you are considering this option.

Payments and Deposits: Total cost of the trip is $2,700 per person, double occupancy. This includes a

$500 tax-deductible gift to the Central Colorado Conservancy. The single supplement is $500. A deposit

of $500 per person is required to reserve your spot. The deposit is due

by January 10, 2018 and the remainder of the payment is due by

March 1, 2018. A refund, less $200 administration fee, can be issued up

until March 8, 2018. After this time, refunds will only be issued if the

space can be filled by another participant. Travel insurance is highly

recommended. Anyone interested in paying the full amount in 2017,

will get a donation letter for $500 in this tax year. Please make your

check payable to the Central Colorado Conservancy, PO Box 942,

Salida, CO 81201. Each participant will be required to fill out a

registration form, medical form, and liability release form once the

deposit has been received. The trip is expected to sell out,

Small Flambeau Butterfly

Thick-billed Euphonia - photo credit: Dave Ramdass

only a deposit will confirm your spot. Reservations are on a first come basis.

Make checks payable to the Central Colorado Conservancy, PO Box 942, Salida, CO 81201. Credit cards

can be used but an additional 2.5% fee is charged. Call the Conservancy office at 719-539-7700 for more

details.

Health and Safety: The trip requires good physical fitness and mobility, or the ability to walk short

distances over uneven terrain. The trip is suitable for people of all ages, though this trip is not available

to children under the age of 15. If you have health questions, please consult your doctor before

registering. The tour leaders must be advised in advance of any special health needs. Weather

conditions can change without notice and it is the responsibility of the traveler to have proper clothing

and equipment. A list will be provided for the clothing and gear recommended for this trip. Trinidad and

Tobago are tropical islands. Please check with the Centers for Disease Control webpage

(https://www.cdc.gov/) for recommended immunizations or disease prevention. Local public health

departments can provide needed immunizations.

Travel Insurance: Insurance is highly recommended. You can review plans at

https://www.travelinsurance.com/. Also, AAA members can purchase insurance through their program.

Get a free quote at: https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/get-quote

Bananaquits- photo credit: Noel Snyder

For more information on the Central Colorado Conservancy visit www.centralcoloradoconservancy.org

or call 719-539-7700. For more information on Caligo Ventures visit at www.caligo.com.

Golden Tegu Lizard- photo credit: Noel Snyder

Tropical Screech Owl - photo credit: Peg Abbott

Tufted Coquette

Prehensile tailed Porcupine- photo credit: Ray Mendez