Trinidad, my favorite Caribbean island, was our last stop before heading back. Although our only planned activity was a visit to the public Empire Zoo, I couldn't resist keeping an eye out for feathered friends. Surprisingly, even with my camera tucked away, I managed to add a few new species to both my personal Trinidad and Tobago checklist and the overall trip list but sadly no images.
My birding began as usual around 6 am as we sailed into the Gulf of Paria. Along a five-mile stretch, I spotted six Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificent) and four Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). Surprisingly, I had anticipated more seabird sightings. As we approached the port, Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) came into view. Scanning the mangroves paid off when I spotted my first new addition to the T&T checklist: a Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) perched on a dead tree trunk at the mangrove’s edge. Even before docking, Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) circled overhead—a common sight in Trinidad. Once docked, the most prominent birds in the port area were Gray-breasted Martins (Progne chalybea) and White-winged Swallows (Tachycineta albiventer). Our walk from the port to the Brian Lara Promenade to get a taxi to the zoo involved a delightful detour for a classic Trinidadian street treat - roasted nuts from the nut seller (nutman) at the bottom of Frederick Street. While searching for a taxi to the zoo, I managed to add a few more common Trinidadian species to my list, including my favorite, the Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus). We arrived at the Empire Zoo around noon and spent about two hours exploring. I added two more species to my Trinidad and Tobago list: the Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina) and a majestic Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). We headed back to the ship, had a late lunch or early dinner and prepared to enjoy our last night on this Southern Caribbean cruise, it was not that birdie of a trip but I totally enjoyed it.
Overall, Trinidad yielded 14 new trip additions, bringing my final Southern Caribbean 2023 list to a respectable 68 species, with 7 exciting lifers.
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