Trinidad and Tobago
For birdwatchers, Trinidad & Tobago are probably the most exciting islands in the Eastern Caribbean, due mainly to their proximity to continental South America - just eight miles from Venezuela at the closest point. These are two contrasting but equally flamboyant islands well-known by non-birders for carnival and cricket.
Within the islands themselves there is a wide diversity of habitats which, in addition to the closeness to Venezuela, leads to a bird list in excess of 400, of which we would realistically expect to see around 200-250 on one of our tours.
Our two-centre holiday takes in all these experiences and much more. We start at the delightful Pax Guest House high above the capital, Port of Spain. Here hummingbirds come to the feeders to have their photos taken (as if!) and, come 10 o'clock in the morning, you can sit on the balcony and watch a fantastic parade of raptors as they take advantage of the thermals which have started to form. We'll stay here for a full week to give us time to explore the whole island, concentrating on the major birding spots including the famous Oilbird cave, an early evening encounter with a roost of Red-bellied Macaws near the Nariva Swamp. Sitting in a small boat in the Caroni Swamp as the Scarlet Ibis come in to roost is one of nature's great experiences.
Our second base is the island of Tobago - a short flight from Trinidad - where we stay at the excellent Blue Waters Inn at Speyside. Located right on the beach, this is the perfect centre for boat trips to Little Tobago and St Giles and for exploring the Main Ridge Forest Reserve looking for several species not found on Trinidad such as White-tailed Sabrewing and the Blue-backed Manakin. There will be time to relax and simply enjoy this tropical paradise at the end of an action-packed holiday to arguably the most exciting birding destination in the Caribbean.
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