Global Big Day was a little different at the Asa Wright Nature Centre during the current global pandemic. AWNC board member Martyn Kenefick, describes his eventful experience below.
Global pandemic restrictions and social distancing—how could I match the two on Global Big Day?
Fortunately, I am on the Board of the Asa Wright Nature Centre here in Trinidad. In the last few weeks, it has become my 2nd home. So on the Global Big Day 2020, together with a couple of fellow Board members, between us we census’d for just under 14 hours—always keeping at least 10 feet apart, some walking trails, others watching from the verandah. And how did we do? A magnificent 84 species were seen and heard, including more than a couple of surprises!
It started well before dawn, when I walked up into a clearing—the top parking lot for those of you who know our geography at the Centre. Mottled, Spectacled and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls were all making occasional noise together, with a Common Potoo, and a couple of Little Tinamou.
Table feeders were stocked with fruit, and hummingbird feeders with sugar water, so we settled down to begin the daylight vigil.
During the day, hummingbirds were obviously a major attraction. We found 11 species, including males of Ruby Topaz and Tufted Coquette, a couple of Brown Violetears, and a quick stop and drink by a timid Long-billed Starthroat. A fruiting Ficus tree, just off of the verandah, played host to continual visits of both Turquoise and Bay-headed Tanagers and a couple of Guianan Trogons.
Bearded Bellbirds were perched out in the open. Surprisingly Channel-billed Toucans, which are so often very conspicuous, were shy by comparison. My colleagues walked down to our Oilbird cave to carry out the monthly census. 18 birds on Global Big Day, which, bearing in mind this has been a very harsh dry season, is a respectable total. They also heard both Gray-throated Leaftosser and Black-faced Antthrush.
It took a while for birds of prey to enjoy the warm air.
We started off with a pair of White Hawks soaring over the valley and a dark morph Short-tailed Hawk. A very noisy adult Black Hawk-Eagle repeatedly drifted over the Main House. Then, our only ‘non-birder’ Board Member pointed out the best raptor view, if not quite the best raptor of the day. Flying at eye level and closing to no more than 25 metres from us was a superb Swallow-tailed Kite.
Obviously, the middle of the day heat takes its toll on both birds and birders alike. But the vigil was more or less maintained, and we were rewarded with an immature male Swallow Tanager appearing in a Yellow Poui tree. This is a scarce breeding visitor to Trinidad, and one we do not find on the estate every year.
By mid-afternoon, resolve was waning and a couple of us were half-heartedly trying to identify silhouetted Chaetura swifts flying distantly in the valley below—a tough and often thankless task even when you are wide awake. By 4.00 p.m., the others left.
The valley looked magnificent in the late afternoon sun.
At around 5.30 p.m., my attention was drawn to a noise I hadn’t heard at the Asa Wright Nature Centre for weeks. A party of some 10 Lilac-tailed Parrotlets had descended into a Mango tree. I was able to watch them (frame filling my telescope) delicately clean their bills on bare snags for about 10 minutes.
As the light began to fade, I decided to return to the top parking lot, hoping a Short-tailed Nighthawk would make at least a fly by. Unfortunately, no such luck. However, all of a sudden, a Bat Falcon flew straight towards me. It swooped down and then reappeared with a bat in its talons. Less than five minutes later, it, or its mate, did exactly the same thing and was again successful.
Then the darkness set in on the annual Global Big Day. It all started with a Little Tinamou mournfully wailing and it ended in same manner. Boy, that bottle of beer tasted good! I cannot wait for the world to return to some form of normality so that others can share this beautiful place.