T & T Part 2: Asa Wright - The Place and the People

Shortly after we arrived at Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad, my husband sent a text to our daughters to let them know we arrived.  It said something like "We arrived safely... and Mom is in heaven".  Actually, I was sitting on the veranda at Asa Wright-- watching oodles of hummingbirds, honeycreepers, bananaquits, and other birds-- it just seemed like 'heaven'! 

Two male and one female purple honeycreepers, and a bananaquit.

 I was definitely delighted with Trinidad, and my delight didn't diminish over the course of our 6 days there.  Asa Wright was right to want to preserve her home as a nature center! (You can read an interesting brief history by clicking here).

Let me take you on a tour of the buildings and grounds. 

The Main Estate House doesn't look like much when you pull in the driveway, because it's hidden behind quite a lot of shrubbery.  But it's a hidden treasure!

This is the back of the house... the reception area is to the left and the entrance to the dining area is to the right.

But the most important place is thru this hallway.  (You can enjoy the bird photographs and painting as you pass thru it).

Before we step out onto the veranda, we'll take a moment to look at the tribute to Asa Wright, who lived in the house on Spring Hill Estate until she passed away in 1971.

Now, we'll step out onto the world-famous veranda!  In ads for trips to the Asa Wright Nature Centre, they claim: "Spot 40 species of birds before breakfast".  I just counted up from my checklist and sure enough, I had 42 birds listed that I saw from the veranda.  That's truth in advertising! (And you can sip a delicious cup of coffee while you watch).

There is always a guide on hand to greet you and help you identify unknown birds or show you a distant one in their spotting scope.  Like the channel-billed toucan in the next photo.

Be sure to bring your camera... and although you might need a long lens for the toucans, you won't need it for the hummingbirds!  Many of them will only be a couple feet away.

Three White-necked Jacobins

Perhaps you are hungry for lunch?  No problem!  The kitchen staff will ring a gong when the buffet is ready.  You can see the dining room from the veranda.

The menu is usually posted outside the dining room doorway.

You can watch for more birds while you eat... maybe a tufted coquette will appear on the white-flowered bush, which is one of their favorite spots.

The food was delicious and plentiful, and we especially enjoyed the fresh fruit.  What we didn't eat wouldn't go to waste either... the birds had their own dining tables.

A female purple honeycreeper and 3 bananaquits

You can work off the calories walking to and from your room or on the trails... the centre is on a hillside so there are lots of steps.

You can have a peaceful night's rest there, too.  Here is our little cottage.  Well, you can rest until the spectacled thrush starts singing at about 5:30 a.m.  Don't worry, it's a pretty song to wake up to though, very much like the American robin's song.

Now let's talk about the people you might meet at Asa Wright.  From the staff on the veranda and in the dining room... Trinidadians - all of which were pleasant, helpful, and friendly...

One of the staff putting out more fruit for the birds in front of the veranda

... to people from around the world who come here to see the birds (we met Brits, Scots, and Americans from California to Florida).

One person who really made our time at Asa Wright extra special was our guide, Mukesh Ramdass. (Tours by Mukesh)
Extremely knowledgeable about the birds, flora, and fauna of Trinidad (he's been guiding folks for 25+ years now) Mukesh still made it exciting and fun for us first-timers.  I think he got as excited as I did when we found a tufted coquette nest - and later, a pair of collared trogans excavating a nest cavity!

Mukesh looking at the tufted coquette nest.

He was also our driver, and he made me feel safe on the twisty roads of Trinidad.  Besides that, he cared enough to arrive with his car freshly-cleaned each morning.  (Not an easy task as we were getting in and out of it numerous times each day in our hiking shoes!).

That's Mukesh doing what he was doing most of the time - finding birds for us!  That's his nice, clean car in the distance.

Mukesh and Forrest

I can't talk about the people of our trip without saying a big 'thank you' to my husband.  (Thanks for taking me on a birding trip... I know that going birding all day long for 10 days is not your 'thing' and I appreciate that you were willing to go with me!)

This sign posted at Asa Wright Nature Centre has some very good things to remember, but I would add, "Depart with pleasant memories".   I certainly did!

If you are interested in a tour to Trinidad and Tobago, click here for the Caligo Ventures website and then talk to Susanne... another person to whom I say 'thank you'.  Susanne will help you make some memories, too! 

Did you miss Part 1 (Ten Days in Trinidad and Tobago)? You can click on this link to read it.