Treasure in the Trinity Hills

There’s much more than potential oil and gas deposits to be found in the Trinity Hills. Faraaz Abdool recounts his exploration. All photos by Faraaz Abdool

 

The mountain ranges of TT hold universal appeal as the most conspicuous natural features of our tiny islands. Visible from considerable distance, they rise above the plains of central Trinidad and plunge into the ocean surrounding northeast Tobago. On Tobago, there is the Main Ridge. On Trinidad, there are three distinct mountain ranges. While the first two are simply Northern Range and Central Range, the mysterious third range is distinctive and eloquent, Trinity Hills.

I use the term “mysterious” as the Trinity Hills lies in Trinidad’s remote southeast. The towering Northern Range is backdrop to the most densely populated area on the island and straddles the width of Trinidad. The Central Range is plainly visible from the main north-south thoroughfare along the western portion of the island. But the Trinity Hills is nestled in an area with the lowest population density on the island and requires a couple hours of driving from almost anywhere else to arrive at its periphery. The three main peaks of the Trinity Hills are what gave it its name, and by extension the island of Trinidad.

There aren’t that many eBird checklists for the location, and birding tours rarely visit the area. A couple weeks ago I finally managed to make the Trinity Hills a priority. My alarm clock went off at 3:15am and thus it began.

Channel-billed Toucans were in abundance, calling from the canopy. To the right of the toucan, a Scaled Pigeon rests comfortably, while one of many pairs of Orange-winged Parrots flies past in the background.

It was still dark by the time we entered the forest, and most of the birds were quiet. There wasn’t much time to absorb the silence, however, as considerable distance had to be covered and the deplorable state of the roads dictated our speed. Before long, some colour began appearing in the sky and the eager twittering of ubiquitous Bananaquits began followed by the rich song of Rufous-breasted Wrens. We continued eastward, headlamps still on.

What stopped us very quickly was the unmistakable raucous vocalization of a macaw. As we got out and searched the treetops, we eventually found a pair of Red-and-green Macaws gorgeous in the first light. The rays of the sun had only just reached the treetops where the macaws were. This description of the scene is all I have to share as they flew off while I was unpacking my camera.

Broad-winged Hawks perch low and remain motionless, scanning the ground for any movement.

Just as we were about to pull off, we spotted a Grey-headed Kite perched in one of the trees.

Numerous Grey-breasted Martins and a few Grey-rumped Swifts were hawking for insects as we absorbed this environment for the first time. A Guianan Trogon called in the distance but we continued, aware of the distance ahead. At the crest of one of many undulating passages through the forest we paused and scanned with our binoculars. Nothing showed except for a Lineated Woodpecker which I only saw as it flew off.

Raptors were in no short supply, and in addition to a Savanna Hawk, Grey-lined Hawk, and an extremely brief view of a Double-toothed Kite as it careened over the canopy, we saw a couple Broad-winged Hawks characteristically hunting from low perches.

Slowly, we continued. Up, then down. Navigating potholes. One eye on the road, the other in the trees. We stopped periodically to investigate patches along the road. Everywhere we paused there was some activity – and the only reason we didn’t spend the entire morning in any of the single stops was that we wanted to see exactly how far we could go along this road. The map indicated that we might emerge at the eastern end of the southern coastline of Trinidad. There was only one way to find out.

On one of our stops there was a small bush where both White-bearded Manakins and Golden-headed Manakins were pottering about. Golden-crowned Warblers and Golden-fronted Greenlets seemed to be everywhere. A Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant called from about thirty metres away. We made no effort to see this tiny passerine as it is a canopy-dwelling bird about the size of my thumb. Recipe for eye and neck strain.

The Trinity Hills is  the perfect rest stop for numerous migratory birds like this Northern Waterthrush.

The Squirrel Cuckoo has a long tail and a habit of bounding along branches much like its mammalian namesake.

A Golden-headed Manakin flicks his wings as a female White-bearded Manakin alights just behind him.

Further east and now well into the Trinity Hills forest, another stop and walkaround yielded a small group of Turquoise Tanagers, a White-flanked Antwren, a pair of Rufous-tailed Jacamars, more Dusky-capped Flycatchers, and several Silver-beaked Tanagers. We also saw a small group of Guianan Red Howler Monkeys feeding nearby. After about ten minutes, the male began his characteristic, bone-shaking howling. Further along the road the calls of a Squirrel Cuckoo alerted us to the presence of a pair of these beauties.

The habitat was particularly enthralling – a mix of sand, primary forest, and brackish water. In addition to a fair selection of forest birds, we also saw water-dependent species like Green Kingfisher, Northern Waterthrush, and Wattled Jacana.

With the sun now reasonably high in the sky and the eBird list already stopped, we commenced the return leg. Somehow, the road seemed worse. Even with the windows rolled up we still managed to grab a few new species that didn’t make it to the eBird list – a pair of Bay-headed Tanagers just as we re-entered the forest and a small group of Giant Cowbirds having a bath in a roadside puddle with a few Smooth-billed Anis. The most remarkable sighting was a juvenile Rufescent Tiger-Heron that was stalking in some grasses next to the road.

There was a light rain as we observed the tiger-heron move around unbothered. Then, a Blue Morpho butterfly wafted in the wind and a Chironius carinatus or “machete” crawled across the road.

It seemed as if every turn of the road revealed some hidden treasure. Surely, the Trinity Hills is a place that has incredible potential as an ecotourism destination. It is the only place in the country that is home to all our native terrestrial mammalian fauna, and in a single visit we more than doubled the amount of bird species on official record. Imagine the opportunities for memorable wildlife adventures in this Eden left just as it is!

 

Only juvenile tiger-herons show the characteristic tiger stripes. As this bird matures, it will adopt its adult plumage which would make it much easier to identify. Based on a combination of factors including habitat, this bird is likely a Rufescent Tiger-Heron.

This machete (Chironius carinatus) crawled peacefully across the road as I was attempting to photograph the tiger-heron.