Caroni Swamp 4/3--9 Life Birds, 2 Year Birds

Scarlet Ibises
Photo: Shari Zirlin

One of the highlights of our T&T sojourn came early in the trip--a private boat ride through the Caroni Swamp at dusk to view the thousands of Scarlet Ibises as they came in to roost. It is impossible to capture digitally the florescence of the birds as they glide into the tree, lit by the setting sun--it is like they are lit from within.

Our guide today was Lester Nanan, whose father, Winston, was instrumental is having the swamp set aside as a bird sanctuary. The sanctuary is now named for Winston. While the boat we were in could squeeze in probably 40 people, it was much more comfortable with only 5 and Lester. We leisurely rode down the canal with Lester picking out birds that were all but invisible to us, including TROPICAL SCREECH OWL, and the very cryptic COMMON POTOO, which sits atop tall stumps and seems like an extension of the tree:

COMMON POTOO
Find the bird
Photo: Shari Zirlin

We were also extremely fortunate to get long looks at the AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER. Kim remarked that they rarely stay in one place for more than a few moments, but this bird perched in an open window in the foliage for as long as we wanted to take pictures.

AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER
Photo: Shari Zirlin

The real show didn't start until we arrived at open water. At first a flock of 5 or 10 ibises would fly in to the trees becoming scarlet dots in the distance. Then a flock of 20. Then multiple flocks of 20 or 30. Soon they were coming in from all directions, settling into the trees, bouncing a little, then coming to rest. Before long the stand of trees resembled a Christmas tree decorated with scarlet bulbs.

Just before dark, we turned back, going through the tunnel of trees in blackness, lit only by Lester's light which would occasionally swoop up toward a flying potoo, or illuminate a STRIATED HERON. Watching the ibises alighting in their roost was one of the the great moments in my birding life.
30 species
Anhinga  1
Great Egret  50
Snowy Egret  20
Little Blue Heron  10
Tricolored Heron  30
STRIATED HERON 1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  10
Scarlet Ibis  2000
Black Vulture  15
Turkey Vulture  5
Osprey  1
Semipalmated Plover  3
Spotted Sandpiper  8
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
Ruddy Ground-Dove  1
TROPICAL SCREECH-OWL 1
COMMON POTOO  4     
SHORT-TAILED SWIFT10
GREEN-THROATED MANGO 1
AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER  1
Orange-winged Parrot  1
Green-rumped Parrotlet  1     Heard
BLACK-CRESTED ANTSHRIKE  2
STRAIGHT-BILLED WOODCREEPER  3
YELLOW-BREASTED FLYCATCHER  1     Heard
Great Kiskadee  1
Tropical Mockingbird  1
Northern Waterthrush  1     Heard
Masked Cardinal  1