When looking at organising a weeks break to Trinidad, we considered going to Tobago for a couple of days, but the number of species found there but absent or more difficult on Trinidad that would be lifers was only three. Once I found out that the BA flight from Gatwick to Trinidad stopped at St. Lucia it was an easy decision to have a couple of days there looking for St. Lucia and Lesser Antillean endemics. Motmot Travel organised the whole trip including arranging for a guide (Adams Toussaint) on St. Lucia for us.
Looking back at the trip now the only change to the itinerary I would have made would have been to stayed one or two nights at Grande Riviere on Trinidad, where per David Ramlal the Trinidad Piping-Guan is practically guaranteed and the birding is generally excellent.
28 April
Arrived in St Lucia early afternoon and it had just stopped raining, we were through the airport in 30 minutes and the taxi that had been organised for us was ready and waiting, along with Eared Doves and Carib Grackles in the car park. It was a 45 minute drive to the La Haut Resort along winding roads, plenty of Grey Kingbirds on the wires and a Broad-winged Hawk were the only birds of note.
Whilst checking in Purple-throated Carib, Bananaquit and Black-faced Grassquit were all seen, unfortunately it also started to rain. Headed down to the rooms and the rain got heavier so the rest of the afternoon was spent birding from the balcony that overlooked the Pitons.
Lesser Antillean Bullfinches were common and an Antillean Crested Hummingbird kept returning to the same perch. Purple-throated Carib was also joined on the list by a Green-throated Carib to complete the hummingbirds available. Hirnudines and Swifts were brought close on the front of a passing shower, enabling us to identify them as Caribbean Martin's and both Black and Lesser Antillean Swift.
Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Lesser Antillean Saltator and Scaly-naped Pigeon were all lifers seen from the balcony before it got too dark to bird. A total of 9 lifers in a few hours, far more than we could have got by visiting Tobago.
29 April
We had spoken with Adams the night before and arranged to be collected at 5.30am, it had rained most of the night and when Adams arrived 20 minutes late he told us that he had had to cross several landslides on the way. Our first birding stop was to be 10 to 15 minutes up the road to Castries from our hotel where we birded a track opposite the turn-off to Bouton. On the way we had to cross a landslide that had killed 7 people six months earlier and where overnight further mud had covered half the road.
A Black-whiskered Vireo flitted about where we parked the car and Adams pished in a St. Lucia Warbler and the first of many Grey Tremblers put in an appearance. Walking along the track it started to rain on and off and umbrellas were going up and down every five minutes. Plenty of Lesser Antillean Bullfinches, but we couldn't get a St. Lucia Black Finch to respond. Caribbean Elaenia and Lesser Antillean Pewee were also easily found as they called, but we never heard a Rufous-throated Solitaire and Adams believed that they were now nesting and hence not responding.
A quick blast of the tape brought in a Mangrove Cuckoo that just sat in the open within 3 metres of us, rather different from my previous experience of these in Florida. A couple of St Lucia Parrots flew over, but in the wet and cloudy conditions they were little more than grey shapes.
We next walked down the road to Bouton, where we saw plenty more of the same species. Adams glimpsed an endangered St. Lucia Black Finch, which then went on to give a super show of this elusive and difficult to find bird. A Lesser Antillean Flycatcher was called in and a St. Lucia Oriole was also found, before we walked back towards the car looking for better views of St. Lucia Parrots. Eventually we were able to find one perched although distantly and a Pearly-eyed Thrasher was noted in the same tree.
By 9.30am the rain was torrential and it was a two hour drive to the opposite side of the island for the other key bird we were after, the White-breasted Thrasher, and with the risk of landslides increasing. Adams called a friend on the other side of the island who said that it had been raining there solidly for 2 hours, so witwe decided to call it a day and headed back to the hotel. As it turned out this was a wise decision, as the rain remained torrential until 3.00pm. Hence the rest of the day was spent on the balcony adding Zenaida Dove and Spectacled Thrush to the list.
30 April
The weather was much better today, but we only had a few hours before our flight to Trinidad, so we walked up the road to where we had birded the previous day, not walking too quickly it only took an hour. We still could not find any Rufous-throated Solitaires, but did get much better views of St. Lucia Parrot's and Pearly-eyed Thrashers, before heading back to the hotel and our transfer to Vieux-Fort airport.
From the departure lounge we were able to make out 4 distant Red-billed Tropicbirds flying along the cliffs the far side of the runway, we had hoped to have gone to see these up close the previous day, but had to make do with this sighting.
Our flight to Trinidad was on time and we arrived about 3.45pm, we were quickly through the airport, but there was no sign of anyone from Asa Wright Centre to meet us. Having got some money changed I gave them a call and they apologised saying that they had our booking, but had not noted down that we required a transfer, so told us to catch a taxi. Along the way we saw a few common birds, such as Ruddy Ground-Dove, Orange-winged Parrot, Great Kiskadee and Tropical Kingbird. It took about 45 minutes to Asa Wright Centre and they came out and paid the taxi driver when we got there.
We quickly dumped our bags in the rooms and headed down to the veranda, passing the Crested Oropendola colony on the way, where we were soon adding White-necked Jacobin, Blue-chinned Sapphire and White-chested Emerald to our hummingbird trip list. The recently split endemic Trinidad Motmot visited one of the bird tables, whilst a Northern Waterthrush fed below it.
There were several Palm Tanagers nesting on the veranda and one behind a painting in the room afternoon tea is served. White-lined and Silver-beaked Tanagers were also common, but tended to stay outside with the Green Honeycreeper, Blue Dacnis and Violaceous Euphonia.
Rum punch was served on the veranda at 6.00pm, so we had this and dashed to the rooms for a quick shower and back in time for dinner at 7.00pm. There were only about 12 of us staying there and this was boosted by a few Trinidadian tourists as it was a weekend. The food was buffet service and generally good for the whole stay. We headed to bed looking forward to what the next day would bring.
Its a pity you did not get the white-breasted thrasher. It has been unseasonally wet here in Dominica as well this year. Did you get the scaly-br trasher and the local house wren?
Looking forward to the rest of your story!
Niels