Wild Tobago

  Faraaz Abdool invites us to welcome the birds migrating through our islands by observing them, and giving them space.     The looming winter echoes across the boreal forests and tundra of the far north from where coldness never truly leaves; icy fingers only loosen their grip for a short few weeks. The transition comes swiftly, often overnight - and so this warning must never go unheeded. Waves of wispy winter tendrils thread their way south, thickening as the north pole tilts away from the sun. Like cold air cascading from an open freezer door, it threatens the unprepared without discrimination. Those who can flee do so with urgency, not out of fear but out of deference to time-honoured traditions that form the foundations of global ecology. Human eyes and minds perceive this annual phenomenon as bird migration. Here in the southern Caribbean we bear witness to the arrival of weary wings around September.   Throughout most of thei...

Faraaz Abdool is an avid wildlife photographer and conservationist. His passion is to record and share the beauty of nature in the hope that future generations would be able to also enjoy the beauty of Mother Earth. In this feature, he asks that we ensure the safety and survival of some very special visitors to Tobago's shores, by preserving the healthy ecosystems on our shoreline and beaches. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool What if I told you that each year, our shores are hosts to hundreds – maybe thousands – of extreme long distance travelers. None of these intrepid voyagers travel by plane, boat or bus. Many of them weigh no more than a few ounces. And all of them have feathers. Ruddy Turnstones have a short, thick bill that is designed not for probing in the sand, but for flipping stones and small rocks to reveal what’s hiding underneath These feathered friends are on the run, escaping the cold fingers of the northern winter. They are collectively known as ...