January 16, 2004

Turkey Day in Trinidad
No Turkey, All Trimmings

Each of us celebrates a holiday in a different fashion. Rather than being enveloped by the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings, my family goes birding. When Thanksgiving approaches my parents, wife, and I evacuate Austin and wander off in search of birds. This past year Trinidad caught our eye.

In July (2003) I had traveled to Trinidad and Tobago to conduct a workshop for the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB). After the conference a number of us stopped by Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad for a few final days of birding. I returned to the U.S. convinced that Trinidad would be the destination of our family’s next Thanksgiving holiday.

For a week (November 25 through December 1) we celebrated the wonders of tropical birding at Asa Wright Nature Center (http://www.asawright.org/). As one guest noted at the traditional evening serving of rum punch, "I know that Asa Wright is one of the top ten places to bird in the world, but I cannot imagine the other nine being better." My father, upon reflection, scored the trip the best birding experience in his 79 years.

I photographed birds as well as watched them during my week there. Recently I replaced my film equipment with a digital ensemble (Nikon D-100, with several Nikkor lenses). For seven days I became acquainted with the new equipment, and came away once again convinced that digital is not just an improvement but is revolutionary. Example of my photography in Trinidad is available in our new Fermata photo gallery (http://www.fermatainc.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=9).

For those interested in visiting Asa Wright Nature Centre, contact our friends Margaret and Phil Schaeffer at Caligo Travel (http://www.caligo.com/). Caligo represents Asa Wright Nature Centre, and is eager to arrange one of the most memorable tropical birding adventures of your life.

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Trip du Jour, 16 January 2004
Turkey Day in Trinidad
by Ted Lee Eubanks Jr.