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This second day on Trinidad saw us in full swing by 6:30am as we enjoyed a complete day's birding at ASA Wright centre. Not a huge list of species but some very interesting sighting and glorious views of hummingbirds..........

Our first full day on tour, wow, it was marvellous. A Ferruginous Pygmy Owl woke me up at 4:30am right outside my window and I still couldn’t find it!

A MALE PURPLE HONEYCREEPER - snazzy yellow legs

At 6:15 there was enough light to bird from the famous ASA Wright veranda, I met the others there just as things started to hot up. Within minutes the feeders were in full attendance. Birds were everywhere¸ in the trees, on the ground, at the feeders and in every bush. A number of Tanagers were present: White-lined, Palm, Bay-headed, Blue and Gray and the beautiful Turquoise Tanager showed up at times. The tanagers were out-shone by the Green and the Purple Honeycreepers, Violaceous Euphonia, Bananaquit and of course the hummers. Tufted Coquette topped the list of hummer beauties, what a stunner.

After a wonderful breakfast we went on a guided walk on the trails, a White-bearded Manikin showed well and we had outrageous views of a displaying Bearded Bellbird. Three thrushes went into the notebook, White-necked, Cocoa and Spectacled, as did White Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Turkey and Black Vultures. A colony of Crested Oropendula keep us amused with their strange calls and pendulous nests, Ochre-bellied Flycatchers, Tropical Mockingbird and Greater Kisskadee, Orange-winged Parrots, Grey-rumped and White-banded Swifts were added as fly overs or irregular sightings and lizards, Agoutis, butterflies and spiders filled in the gaps.

Gill, David and Reg watching the hummer feeders

After lunch and a siesta time on the veranda we walked the trails once again and managed to see the very strange Oilbird, a colony of them are found deep in a cave-like gorge. These are the only nocturnal fruit eating birds in the world and in days gone by the young were boiled for their copious amounts of oil. They are huge with a 42 inch wingspan, they a very eerie call and they are ugly! No wonder they were called the ‘devil bird’.

THE HUGE GAPE OF THE BEARDED BELLBIRD

THE BEARD OF THE BEARDED BELLBIRD

More time on the veranda concluded a terrific birding day, no new species appeared but we enjoyed photographing what was out there.

TUFTED COQUETTE

WHITE-BEARDED MANIKIN

WHITE-CHESTED EMERALD

COCOA THRUSH

VIOLACEOUS EUPHONIA