Easing into Nature

By wildgirl -

Joanne Husain explores Trinidad’s north-eastern forest through Bajnath’s Estate.

 

Opposite the popular Salybia Beach on Trinidad’s rugged north-eastern coast is an unassuming road that meanders into the lush landscapes of the Matura National Park. With a few residences at the start, this road gradually ascends through shady bamboo groves and forest. The tree line opens here and there revealing stunning vistas of untouched parts of the Northern Range. The road ends at the trailhead to Rio Seco waterfall, but the very last property before this is where you’ll find Bajnath’s Estate.

 

The Rio Seco waterfall is a popular hiking destination. (Photo by Josh Bajnath)

Nature’s own carnival band greets you at the bottom of the steep driveway. Here is Hummer’s Lane, a carefully curated garden with vervain, lantana, heath, heliconia, cosmos and zinnia interspersed with artificial nectar feeders. Tiny prismatic bodies take centre stage. Come alive with the rhythmic flutter of their wings - the buzz of hundreds of hummingbirds is electric! Sometimes, wings are not feathered but scaled – butterflies and moths also abound.

 

Hummer’s Lane lives up to its name! (Photo by Joanne Husain)

This Bay-headed Tanager with a distinct blue breast is a sub-species that has not been documented in Trinidad. Bay-headed Tanagers on Trinidad are typically green-breasted. This bird was photographed at the fruit feeders from Sapodilla House. (Photo by Josh Bajnath)

The Long-billed Starthroat is adapted to feeding on flowers with long corollas. (Photo by Josh Bajnath)

The Tufted Coquette is a target species for even the most casual of birders. Almost bee-sized, it is Trinidad and Tobago’s smallest bird and one of the tiniest in the world. (Photo by Josh Bajnath)

Adjacent to the hummingbird garden are some fruit feeders frequented by tanagers and honeycreepers. It’s easy to be mesmerized, forgetting time while sitting among the flowers and feeders, but there is much more to experience at Bajnath’s Estate. The feeders line the way to Sapodilla Lodge, a quaint, rustic, and completely off-grid two-storey wooden house built around a sapodilla tree. The house sits atop a ridge with views of verdant valleys and hills all around. This is the base for all visits to the estate, where you can savour a home-cooked meal and hot cup of cocoa-tea, or simply relax in one of the hammocks.

 

A small family-run operation with Josh Bajnath at the forefront, the Estate currently welcomes day visitors by appointment only. His family constructed Sapodilla Lodge on the estate about 15 years ago as their personal getaway. Growing up visiting the estate, Josh is very attuned to the forest, and he can be described as a self-taught naturalist. He recalls seeing birding tourists for the first time in his life along the Arima-Blanchisseuse Road as a young adult while working at his first land surveying job. This piqued his interest in wild birds, and he started to actively landscape for and feed them, eventually photographing them on the estate. Josh also explains that during the Covid-19 pandemic, relatives and friends would arrange estate visits to get some respite from being housebound. The four-acre property offers easy access to pristine forest. It seemed natural to share the space with local and foreign visitors for relaxation, birding, photography, hiking, and waterfall tours.

 

 

This guest enjoys an immersive and memorable experience learning how to make callaloo. (Photo by Faraaz Abdool)

 
Guests enjoy the Mora Mora platform in the trees. (Photo by Joanne Husain)

As you enter the property, the pollinators at work at Hummer’s Lane capture you. Many delighted guests have found themselves caught in the middle of frenzied hummingbirds, unable to move towards the Lodge. Host and guide Josh issues a gentle and timely reminder to get comfortable. No fewer than 13 hummingbird species have been sighted in the garden, including the diminutive and ornate Tufted Coquette and the distinctive Long-billed Starthroat. Josh readily identifies the various species, even offering direction to photographers for the best vantage points.

 

The aromas from the open-air kitchen at Sapodilla Lodge will peel you away from the hummingbird garden. Josh’s mom, Andrea, has prepared a full local lunch, or some hot-out-the-oven coconut drops. Freshly brewed coffee is always available. Tea drinkers are offered fresh lemongrass picked from behind the house. A short walk back here gives you a vantage point over a valley. It’s not uncommon to see a soaring bird of prey, but if you are lucky, you may see the critically endangered and endemic Trinidad Piping Guan, locally known as Pawi. Both adult and young birds have been observed at Bajnath’s Estate.

 

Gently descend through the forest on a well-maintained private trail. Josh leads the way with a handheld radio. He is knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, and prioritizes safe and ethical interactions with the environment. It’s an easy 10-minute walk from Sapodilla Lodge to the river. Along the way, the whirring of lekking manakins and the distant bonks of bellbirds punctuate the forest soundscape. As the trail flattens out, you come upon Mora Mora, a viewing platform constructed from a naturally fallen tree. Climb six metres up and enjoy the feeling of being in the trees. Near the river, the air is cool and soothing. Refresh body, mind, and soul with a swim in the natural pool fondly referred to as Liquid Ice. This is, of course, part of the Rio Seco which flows into the Salybia River, emptying into Saline Bay. It’s safe for all ages and lifejackets are available. For a longer hike, Josh takes tours further upstream to the Rio Seco waterfall and sulphur spring.

 

Liquid Ice – an icy natural pool along the Rio Seco. (Photo by Joanne Husain)

Bajnath’s Estate offers full-day or half-day trips for an easy approach to experiencing local nature. The Bajnath family is welcoming, fostering a sense of peace at their estate home and creating a comfortable entry to our rainforest. Locals and foreigners seeking authentic and meaningful experiences will find Bajnath’s Estate memorable and restorative. Prepare to fully disconnect during a visit to Bajnath’s Estate. Cellular service is poor to non-existent. Technology and social media can have many negative effects, so it is a prudent choice to routinely disconnect and be present in nature. 

(For bookings, phone/WhatsApp +1-868-728-7386)

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

12 Birds of Tobago

By wildgirl -
Image
Faraaz Abdool brings you twelve of Tobago’s birds. Enjoy these stunning photos of island residents in their common habitats. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool; Trinidad Motmot by Joanne Husain   Tobago boasts some of the bird world’s most incredible representatives –   a mixture of South America and the Caribbean with seasonal migrants from as far as the Arctic Circle. Coincidental confluences of southward migration and the Atlantic hurricane season bring to Tobago some Europeans as well. Exciting rarities aside, let’s look at some of the island’s most familiar inhabitants.  Although Red-billed Tropicbirds don’t quite look like grizzled seafarers, they spend most of their life at sea. Dainty and delicate, they touch land only to breed, preferring uninhabited and often inhospitable offshore islands for protection from predators.. Lacking sharp talons or even an aggressive personality, Red-billed Tropicbirds are extremely vulnerable to human activity on their nesting grounds s
Read more

Eels of the Caribbean

By wildgirl -
Image
Dr Anjani Ganase, marine ecologist, tells us about the eels that inhabit our coral reefs. Research shows, she says that "... eel species that occur in different coral reefs around the world have strikingly similar genetics, even though their distances apart..." Eels have an unfortunate association with snakes because they look like them. However, eels are not related to snakes at all; rather they are specially adapted fish that have developed without fins. To move in their underwater world, they undulate their long bodies to create propulsion which moves them through the water. This means that they swim easily in the water column and do not just slither along the bottom. They have flattened bodies and tails that allow them to swim with considerable grace - like a colourful ribbon rippling in the wind. On coral reefs around the world, eels are a common sight in bright colours - greens, yellows with exotic spotted or reticulated patterns. Unl
Read more

The Parrot and the Parrotlet

By wildgirl -
Image
Faraaz Abdool, photographer and birder, tells us about the members of the parrot family that are native to Tobago. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool In this season, look up into the immortelles blooming on the hills, you are sure to see these parrots. Some Orange-winged Parrots have brown faces. Some theorize it is a variant of the plumage, others are of the view that the brown is a result of pollen staining while eating immortelle flowers.   Widespread across tropical and subtropical regions around the world, members of the parrot family have charmed humans with their vivid coloration, extraordinary intelligence and charismatic personalities. Whether we’re speaking of cockatoos, lorikeets, macaws or budgerigars, members of this family are immensely popular and immediately recognizable. It is theorized that ancient parrots have been present on the earth for up to 66 million years. Indeed, this would mean that our feathered friends were present during th
Read more