Before continuing with the rest of the day, I'd like to take a moment to mention another aspect of staying at Asa Wright - the other people that you meet there. While there, we met several other birders that were also staying at the lodge, and there were a few couples that we often sat with at meals, and who we also joined for some of the field trips. Linda & Dave and Kathy & Jim also were an integral part of the time we spent at Asa Wright.
After lunch the six of us loaded up into a maxi-taxi and headed off the grounds towards Caroni Swamp. Along the way, we saw a few Smooth-billed Ani's, one of which had just caught a large insect (looks like a grasshopper of some sort to me):
Before going to the Caroni Swamp, we first stopped at the Trincity Ponds, which is a local water treatment plant (and everybody knows what great birding spots they can be!) Within a few minutes we were adding new species to our lists. A Little Egret was mixed in the the Cattle, Snowy and Great Egrets. We also saw our first Southern Lapwings, Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, Fork-tailed Palm Swifts, Wattled Jacanas, and White-winged Swallows:
Our next stop, after some time in traffic and some expertly driven back-roads, was the Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary, a tidal mangrove swamp where the national bird - the Scarlet Ibis, comes in to roost in the evenings. Arrangements for the boat tour operator (Winston Nanan Bird Sanctuary Tours) had been made in advance for us, and our boat operator was fantastic - making sure that we stopped, and in many cases backed-up, for birds that were spotted. These included Bicolored Conebill, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Green-throated Mango, and most were able to get on a Rufous-necked Wood Rail that I spotted in the mangroves before it skulked off. I also spotted a Cocoi Heron which was a nice addition. Another treat for me was a sedentary Cook's tree Boa that was completely unconcerned with the boat full of gawkers.
Of course, the stars of the show were the Scarlet Ibis. Squadrons of these birds flew in and decorated the mangroves like nothing I have ever witnessed before.
Without a doubt a very memorable evening (and not just because the daily rum punch was sent along with us, so we didn't need to go without!)
Knowing that we wouldn't be back to the lodge until past the dinner hour, they nevertheless saved food for us. You never miss a meal (or a rum punch) while staying at Asa Wright!
