Geoffrey Gomes Birding & Naturalist Tours

Birding tours can be customized to suit your particular interests and to fit the time available. The itinerary below includes the areas that are frequently visited.

Full Birding Itinerary (13 days)

Tobago

Day 1 - South-west peninsula
Pre-breakfast - Bon Accord Lagoons and sewage ponds.
Morning - Lowlands, Hilton sewage ponds and mangrove boardwalk.
Midday - Siesta (re jet-lag factor).
Mid-afernoon - Visit to Grafton Sanctuary.
Highlights: Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, White-cheeked Pintails, Wilson's Snipe, Black-crowned Night-heron, Blue-crowned Motmot, Red-crowned Woodpecker.

Day 2 - Tobago Rainforest
Pre-breakfast - Bon Accord Lagoons and sewage ponds again (optional).
Early morning - Drive to Main Ridge forest.
Gilpin Trace until midday.
Picnic lunch.
Early afternoon - Birding eastern slope of Bloody Bay-Roxborough Road.
Mid-afternoon return.
Highlights: Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Yellow-legged Thrush, Blue-backed Manakin, White-tailed Sabrewing, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Golden-olive Woodpecker

Day 3 - Lowland forest and Little Tobago.
Optional pre-breakfast at Bon Accord again.
Early morning at Grafton Sanctuary picking up on trails/species not seen on Day 1.
Mid-morning at Adventure Farm for hummingbirds.
Late morning drive to Speyside.
Lunch at either Birdwatchers' Cafe or Blue Waters Inn.
Afternoon boat to Little Tobago.
Late afternoon return.
Highlights: Brown-crested Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted Wren, White-necked Jacobin, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Belted Kingfisher, Brown and Red-footed Boobies, Magnificent Frigatebird, Red-billed Tropicbird

Day 4 - Rainforest roundup/ Inter-island transfer day
Optional pre-breakfast at Bon Accord.
Drive Leeward Road birding forest around Englishman's Bay and then on to L'anse Fourmi.
Picnic Lunch
Early afternoon return drive to prepare for evening island transfer.
Highlights: White-fringed Antwren, Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Fuscous Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Yellow-headed Caracara, Peregrine Falcon.

Trinidad Itinerary

Day 5 - Grande Riviere
Early morning flight to Trinidad.
Morning drive to Grande Riviere (NE Trinidad) stopping at Galera Point enroute.
Lunch at Grand Almandier.
Mid-afternoon walk for introduction to Trinidad forest edge birding.
Highlights: White-bellied Antbird, White Hawk, Black-tailed Tityra, Crested Oropendola, Scaled Pigeon.

Day 6 - Monte Video Hill
Pre-dawn forest-trail walk up Monte Video until 9:30 AM.
Late breakfast.
Midday siesta/swim etc.
Mid-afternoon walk back into forest.
Highlights: Short-tailed Nighthawk, Trinidad Piping Guan, Blue Dacnis, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Black-throated Mango.

Day 7 - Trinidad transfer day
Pre-dawn walk back up into forest.
Breakfast followed by mid-morning departure to Asa Wright Nature Centre arriving in time for lunch.
Afternoon at Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Highlights: Double-toothed Kite, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Long-billed Gnatwren, White-flanked Antwren

Days 8 - 13

Habitats: Marsh-wetlands, mudflats, coastal.

Sudama Steps, Brickfield, Waterloo, Orange Valley, Carli Bay. Taste of culture on the way - breakfast of "doubles" in Debe, roti in Freeport, Hindu Temple in the Sea and optional visit to Hanuman Murti.
Highlights: Pinnated Bittern, Black Skimmer, Large-billed Tern, Osprey, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Plover, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Ruddy Turnstone.

Habitats: Rainforest edge, coastal, scrub.

Trinity Hills (South coastal hills), Manzanilla (East coast) for lunch, Cocos Bay, Kernaham, Waller Field.
Highlights: Bat Falcon, Streaked Xenops, White-tailed Trogon, Least Sandpiper, Savanna Hawk, Black-crested Antshrike, Red-bellied Macaw.

Morne Bleu, Upper Blanchisseuse Road, Las Lapas, Morne Le Croix, Paria Junction (Trogons, Grey-throated Leaftossers, Yellow-legged Thrushes, Raptors) Picnic lunch at Brasso Morne Le Croix.
Highlights: Speckled, Hepatic and Bay-headed Tanagers, Violaceous Trogon, Golden-crowned Warbler.

Aripo Savanna & environs, Wallerfield, Arena Forest.
Highlights: Limpkin, Turquoise and Silver-beaked Tanagers, Merlin, Sulphury Flycatcher, Barred Antshrike, White-tailed Trogon, Rufous-browed Peppershrike.

All day at Asa Wright.
Highlights: Great Antshrike, Channel-billed Toucan, Bearded Bellbird, White-winged Becard, Blue-headed Parrot, Tufted Coquette, Black-faced Ant-thrush, Golden-headed and White-bearded Manakin, Oilbirds.

Early morning at Asa Wright, Aripo Livestock Station, Trincity Ponds & Caroni Swamp (West Coast).
Highlights: Purple and Green Honeycreepers, Savanna Hawk, Least Sandpiper, Yellow-billed Tern, Pygmy Kingfisher, Green-throated Mango, Scarlet Ibis.

Daily US $100 per person - Includes meals. Minimum 2 persons.
(Accommodation not included.)
Lower prices are available for package/extended tours - contact us for details.

Geoffrey co-leading bird tours at the Bolivar Flats,
southern Texas 2008