Trinidad and Tobago
Chachalaca
Tobago 2008
National Bird
Night Heron
Mot Mot
Cuckoo
In 2003 I took a VHS video and I have now managed to transfer this to a DVD. However when originally taking it I had not worked out how to take the "display" off, so all the images have data of some sort on them.
The following pictures many are "screenshots " from this video and in some cases will show lines when there is fast movement and in particular where I had zoomed in a lot.
MotMot
Close up of irridescent head
Capuchin Monkey
In the woods on the East side of Trinidad. We also saw and heard Howler monkeys in this area, but they were far too shy to film
Black Vulture
We passed this vulture along the roadside where there was a dead animal.
There was a whole flock of vultures circling around
SNAKE
this snake was in the mangroves where we were in our boat going out to see the Scarlet Ibis flying in to Roost in the Caroni Swamp
Our boat was in the mangroves right beneath this snake
Scarlet Ibis
Very difficult to film this from a moving boat. hundreds of them flew into the mangroves over a period of 40 minutes and the mangroves looked like they were a field of poppies
A captive Scarlet Ibis we saw earlier
Cormorants
on a lake
Holding wings out to dry
Skimmers
At the sewage plant (where there were lots of interesting birds there, and our birwatching guide knew that which was why he took us there.
Skimmers
Yellow Oriele
(by our hotel)
Yellow headed Crows
at the sewage plant
Oropendola
Very large birds ......
and their suspended nests
White Bearded Manakin
Asa Wright Centre
Trinidad
Green Honeycreeper
We were so lucky to see this stunning bird at the Asa Wright Centre in Trinidad
It's female is a duller green
Our hotel was on the side of a mountain in Trinidad and on one side we had stunning views of the Caroni basin and on the other side we had forest which led up the mountain. Every day the hotel would put out fruit onto the feeders so we could see the amazing birds feeding.
Blue and Palm Tanagers
Palm Tanager and Bananaquit
Silver Beaked Tanager
Humming Bird
Possibly the White Necked Jacobin
Seen in the Rainforest in tobago
Blue Backed Manakin
Also seen in the Rainforest in Tobago
It moved very fast and was difficult to capture
Birds on the beach by our hotel in Tobago - (Turtle Beach Hotel)
Tropical Mocking Bird
Ruddy Ground Dove
We stayed at the Turtle beach hotel because Leatherback turtles come onto the beach at night to lay their eggs. Many an evening the hotel bar was deserted because we were all on the beach watching the turtles (overseen by conservationists). We were not allowed to use flash photography so we didn't startle the Turtles, so we were very lucky when a turtle came up on the beach 3pm one afternoon and I managed to film the whole event.
These are some screenshots taken from the video. The Leatherbacks are huge with a fin span of about 9' and about 6' long.
Digging the hole
Digging the hole
Still digging
A hatchling accidentally dug up by the turtle
We escorted it to the sea, but not sure if it was in good condition
Laying the eggs
Close up on the eggs
Covering the eggs
Heading back to sea
Almost there
Back in the sea
The whole process took about an hour, the conservationists said the turtle was lucky it was a cloudy day as they can get sun burnt when they come up in the day time.