The Bellbird NewsletterJULY 2010

T H E A S A W R I G H T N A T U R E C E N T R E

www.asawright.org Tel: (868) 667-5162 Email: asaright@tstt.net.tt

THE TROPICAL SCREECH OWL (Otus choliba)

The Tropical Screech Owl or Otus choliba (also known as Spix’s Screech Owl) is one of the six species across T&T that gets much less attention than it merits. It belongs to the genus Otus, which exists in both the Tropical and Temperate regions of the world excluding the Australian region. It ranks as the second smallest owl in T&T, measuring 7.8 -9.5 inches in length and is strictly nocturnal. In addition to Trinidad & Tobago, it ranges from Costa Rica to North Argentina, Paraguay, Southern Brazil and parts of Venezuela.

This owl can be identified by its short ear tufts, greyish-brown head and dark streaks on the crown and upper part of the body. Its facial disc is brown and outlined in white. The under part of this owl is pale grey with fine dark

cross-streaks. However, perhaps the easiest way of identifying this owl is by its call. One can hear screech-like hoots in quick succession leading up to a loud single or double note.

Tropical Screech Owls normally forage alone for a variety of small and large invertebrates, including grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, moths and leaf-cutting ants. Sometimes there may even be a small bird on the menu! Foraging often takes place on roadsides, resulting in roadside casualties. They, like many other owls, play an important role in controlling the population of many types of invertebrates.

Although these owls are mainly found in forests and the forest edge, they can also be found living in coffee plantations

and orchards as evidenced by their calls. They commonly nest in tree cavities or woodpecker holes during the February to May period. At this time, a bird would lay between one and four eggs. After being incubated by the female, they hatch and 30 days later are ready for flight.

Recently, staff at the Asa Wright Nature Centre had the fortune of hosting an injured Tropical Screech Owl for a few days. The poor fellow was too weak to even fly, but after three days of close monitoring and care, he was as animated as one can imagine. Lovingly named “Frank,” he was released on the Spring Hill Estate, after his exclusive photo shoot of course. How many species of owls have you seen in your neighbourhood?

Show us your photography skills by sending any such interesting photos to asawright1@gmail.com. Your photo may be selected for a future issue!

In this issue we bid farewell to one of our Asa Wright staff stalwarts – Jason Radix.

Jason left us in July to take up the position of Operations Manager at the Blue Waters Inn, Speyside, Tobago, and we congratulate him on this move, but look forward to cooperating with him on an ongoing basis.

Many of the overseas visitors to Spring Hill also include a visit to Blue Waters as part of their visit to Trinidad and Tobago, so we will continue to be in touch with Jason.

Jason first came to Asa Wright during the August school vacation of 1992. He says that his aunt, who was working as a kitchen supervisor, brought him here, and he immediately fell in love with the place. Spending time on the verandah he learned the names of the birds and the flowers and plants upon which they fed, and then began to help identifying these to guests. This “help” got him recruited by the manager, and

Blue Waters for Jason

soon Jason was helping two other tour guides with tours of Spring Hill.

He finished school and returned to work at Asa Wright as a tour guide and also enrolled at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute where he acquired an associate degree in Tourism Management. He then entered the University of the West Indies to get his full degree in Tourism Hospitality and Management, and then continued postgraduate studies in this field.

While at university he continued to work at Asa Wright, progressing through

the ranks of Tour Guide, Front Desk Supervisor, Marketing Assistant to eventually become Marketing Manager. One of his responsibilities was the preparation and production of the BellBird Newsletter, and it is here that he will be especially missed!

We all wish Jason the very best in his new position, and look forward to sharing guests with him in the future.

And, for those who may not know, the aunt who first brought him to Spring Hill is Ann Sealey, now Lodge Manager of the Centre!

An Asa Wright Farewell

JASON RADIX, former Marketing Manager of the Asa Wright Nature Centre,

photographed at the Centre by Conservation Officer Atkin Isaac.

BellBird Newsletter JULY 2010 Page 2

Celebrating ‘e’!

Birding along any of Asa Wight’s forest trails is sure to produce countless flights of avian fancy as some of the Centre’s feathered citizenry show off their brilliant colours to mates, rivals and bird watchers alike, while others display intricate foraging behaviour and delightful courtship performances. But not every animal that flies over the head of an overwhelmed birder on an Asa Wright trail is necessarily a bird. Indeed, many birders have been beguiled away from focusing their binoculars on a target bird by the distracting swoop of another master flier patrolling the forest path just a few feet overhead.

Sac-winged or White-lined Bats, Saccopteryx sp., are found in most forest habitats, and although these bats are commonly seen flying and hunting mosquitoes and other small insects during the day in Trinidad, this behaviour is actually very unusual elsewhere in their range. There are two species of White-lined Bats recorded on the island, among Trinidad’s almost 70 recorded bat species.

The Founders Circle of the Texas-based organisation, Bat Conservation International (BCI), visited Trinidad and the Asa Wright Nature Centre twice this year during the months of January and May. The

Asa Wright Bird Tour 2010

Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre

Bat Conservation International Guides: Trinidad wildlife naturalist Geoffrey Gomes (left) watches as BCI Founder Merlin Tuttle (seated) displays a bat for guests. Mammalogist Fiona Reid is standing behind Tuttle.

A nectar feeder and flower pollinator:This individual is being fed sugar water to display the long tongue it uses to probe flowers for nectar. Many species of forest plants and trees depend on bats for cross-pollination. At right, Sac-winged Bat. This insect eater is commonly seen flying over forest paths during the day. It will consume many pounds of mosquitoes during its lifetime. Photos: Geoffrey Gomes

With this issue of the Bellbird Newsletter we are celebrating 12 months of the Bellbird on the Internet. The decision to share our information on the World Wide Web rather than mailing out lots of printed paper was a natural step for a conservation-oriented organisation. And our first e-edition was sent out in August 2009.

The decision was also contingent upon the upgrade done by our Internet provider, TSTT! Thanks to their support, our sometimes problematic service was sorted out early last year and we have enjoyed reliable service since then, so this e-edition depends upon TSTT as well! We also appreciate the inputs we

receive from the good people at Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi who pull all the graphics together for us before we send it off to you.

And did you ever wonder: Why the Bellbird? Well, as you can read in the September 2009 issue posted on the Asa Wright website (www.asawright.org), the Bellbird has the loudest call in the forest, so we chose that name to send out our message!

This e-newsletter is distributed via direct email, and posted on our website as well as our personal Facebook account and fan page.

We may be physically remote, but we are just a click away from you! So log in!

LEAVING HIS JOB and homeland inDecember 2009, Courtney Van Beekset out as an explorer in search of his El Dorado – the Asa Wright NatureCentre, Trinidad. Still in his early 20s,Courtney recently completedundergraduate training ingraphic design at MasseyUniversity, New Zealand,and is an enthusiasticamateur wildlifephotographer.

He arrived in Trinidadtwo months after leaving NewZealand (with brief stops in Panama,Argentina, Peru and Chile) to actualisehis commitment to volunteer at the AsaWright Nature Centre. Almost immediately on arrivalCourtney went to work, though he wasclearly distracted by the dozens of birdsperforming off the Asa Wright verandah,and also visible from the large windowsof the Ian Lambie Education Unit. Hecouldn’t contain his glee when he wasasked to photograph some of thewildlife he would later use to prepare aButterfly Identification poster and othereducational material.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Lonsdale Saatchi &Saatchi Advertising Ltd has won six Gold and22 Silver Addy awards, including the Best ofShow award, at the Caribbean AdvertisingFederation’s annual Awards for Excellence.

We are extremely proud of our partnersat Lonsdale for their achievement, especiallysince five of the awards were given for workdone through the Lonsdale partnership withthe Asa Wright Nature Centre.Two of the Silver Addys were awardedfor illustrations in the “Step Away... (and visitNature at Asa Wright)” concept, and anotherSilver was won for the “Asa Wright Birds”poster. The Promise of the Pawi children’sbook, which highlights the plight of Trinidad’s

only endemic bird, won two Silver Addys – forIllustration and Publication Design.Production of The Promise of the Pawiby Guardian Wildlife Trust and the PawiFoundation (with a UNDP grant) began withLonsdale’s partnership with Asa Wright, oneof the few habitats left for the endangeredPawi. Dr Carol James chairs both the AsaWright Nature Centre and Guardian WildlifeTrust boards. The book will be launched onApril 14 at the Normandie.Asa Wright enjoys a special workingpartnership with Lonsdale, who through theirworldwide Saatchi & Saatchi network’s BLUEproject have helped us with public relationsinitiatives over the past year, including theproduction of this monthly Bellbird newsletter.

Courtney assisted in redesigningAsa’s bar menus, produced bookmarksand posters, and expressed keen interestin Asa Wright’s Butterfly Garden initiative.His next stop is a jungle mission inthe Corcovado Reserve of Costa Rica,then to Nicaragua, his final stop beforereturning to New Zealand where he plansto hone his skills in graphic design. Hislifelong aspiration is to work as a graphicartist for National Geographic magazine.Asa Wright extends heartfeltgratitude to Courtney Van Beek for hispriceless contribution and wishes him thebest in his endeavours. The naturecentre welcomes persons with similarcommitment to the environment topartner with us by becoming a volunteer,intern or financial contributor.

From New Zealand toAsa Wright in Trinidad

The Bellbird Newsletter

Courtney Van Beek and Asa Wright guideAtkin Isaac at the Nature Centre.

Cover of the children’s book produced byLonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi for Guardian LifeWildlife Trust and Pawi Foundation, throughLonsdale’s partnership with Asa Wright.

Written by Janice HernandezIllustrated by Leizelle Guinness

THE ASA WRIGHT NATURE CENTRE • March 2010

Asa, Guardian Wildlife Trust share in 5 Addy® Awards

The Bellbird Newsle

tterSeptember 2009

T h e A S A W r i g h T N A T u r e C e N T r e

www.asawright.org

Tel: (868) 667-5162 Email: asaright@tstt.net.tt

By far one of the loudest and most

peculiar forest bird species one is

likely to see, the Bearded Bellbird

– also called the Mossy Throated

Bellbird or Campanaro because of its

beard-like wattles and metallic sound

– can easily be heard and recognised

during forest excursions.

These pigeon-sized Bellbirds are of

a small group of four species which

form part of the Cotinga family and

are distributed throughout most of the

American tropics. All Cotingas are

adorned with strange appendages,

colours and/or have odd behaviours.

Unlike other Cotingas, Bellbird males

are raucous birds (heard over great

distances), performing explosively

loud croaks or bell-like sounds used

mainly to advertise their territories.

These forest birds can be heard

and observed displaying within the

sub-canopy regions of the forest

(30-80 feet up). While the Bearded

Bellbird is the only resident species in

Trinidad, it is often heard rather than

seen. Among the best places to see

this special bird is along the nature

trails of Asa Wright Nature Centre.

Staff of the unit Trust Corporation (uTC), in a

continuing effort to exercise their Corporate

Social responsibility, performed volunteer

trail-clearing work on the Asa Wright Spring hill

estate during the weekends from May 31 to

July 25, 2009.

An estimated 250 uTC staff members (just

under half of the company’s entire staff)

participated in this year’s programme. All

branch offices (except from Tobago) were

represented, with most participants having

visited before on private trips, some having

made their first visit during the company’s first

volunteer programme in 2008.

During the clean-up sessions, groups averaging

30 persons were lead into the forest and

overseen by Mr. Winston rojas, who they all

claimed was very informative, professional

and helpful. his assistance was essential to

the programme’s overall success. Clearance

of the Centre’s ten-mile network of trails was

The Bearded Bellbird

(Procnias averano)

Listen for the Bellbird

CENTRE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS

The Asa Wright Nature Centre & Lodge will be closed to the visiting public for renovations from Thursday 3rd – Wednesday 16th September 2009.

UTC clears

trails at

Asa Wright

done with some volunteers commenting that it

was their first time in the rainforest.

uTC’s Marketing Assistant Ms. Denise

Artherton, who coordinated the programme,

was in high praise of the work conducted at

the Centre and communicated that it was a

rewarding experience for everyone involved.

This exercise, she said, is just one of a series of

uTC’s Corporate Social programmes pursued

around the country,

Management and Staff of the Asa Wright

Nature Centre are exceedingly grateful to the

unit Trust Corporation and thank them for the

tremendous volunteer work done over the

programme’s last two cycles, and look forward

to hosting them again in the future.

www.asawright.org THE ASA WRIGHT NATURE CENTRE April 2010

Copper-rumped

Hummingbird

(Amazilia tobaci erythronotus)

Whether green, blue, turquoise or

aquamarine… whether tufted, hooded or

crested, hummingbirds are star attractions

wherever they appear. This highly popular

bird family, concentrated within the American

tropics and Caribbean, comes in a variety of

sizes and colour combinations. Of the species,

the Copper-rumped Hummingbird is the most

common and well-distributed on both our

islands. At home in forests, savannahs and

swamps, it also frequents flowering yards in

residential areas.

First-time visiting birdwatchers to Asa

Wright Nature Centre are more likely to see

the Copper-rumped Hummingbird before

any other species, as they forage between

flowering plants and nectar feeders.

While not as brilliantly hued as many of

its more flamboyant cousins, this species

is particularly known for its belligerence

towards rival birds (not always other

hummingbirds) invading its territory. This

behaviour may be typical of many (if not all)

hummingbird species, but the Copper-rumped

is the best example of the family’s aggressive

territorialism.

The Copper-rumped Hummingbird can be

further recognised by its straight bill, green

crown, bright green face and underparts,

white rear flanks, rufus wings and undertail

coverts, green nape and back, coppery bronze

lower mantle and rump, and greyish blue tail.

Adult male and female birds look alike and

can be seen from the main house verandah

and throughout the Asa Wright property.

Come see for yourself!

Asa Wright Back in Class

For the past three years, students and

children have been the only stable and

increasing segment of excursionists and

day-trippers to the Asa Wright Nature Centre.

So it is timely that the Education Outreach

Programme is now being reintroduced,

conducted by Denise Etienne, who at Asa

Wright is a contributor to the overall growth

in student and young visitors under age 12.

Denise, employed with the Asa Wright

Nature Centre for over 10 years, has worked

in the Tour Guide department and once

held the position of Senior Guide. During

her career at the Centre her knowledge

and passion for nature has flourished with

a particular interest in naturalist teaching.

She formalised this interest in 2008 during

a nine-month teacher naturalist workshop at

the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed in New

Jersey. Upon her return, discussions between

her and members of the Board lead to the

creation of the “Valley Schools Outreach

Programme” (VSOP) and she was appointed

to the Education department.

According to Denise, this programme is

broadly developed to connect the “great

outdoors” to various classroom subjects at the

Primary level. Some objectives include exciting

and educating students with nature which

exists in their own schoolyards, enhancing

basic English skills (grammar, spelling and

creative/poetry writing), as well as creative

art skills and imagination, by various activities

using examples from nature.

An estimated 700 students from 14 schools

have been visited in the past two years, all

located within and surrounding the Arima

Valley. Classes selected to participate are

standards two and three, with children aged

seven to 10 years old. Students and teachers

are briefed on the programme’s objectives

and what is expected of them. Most of the

exercises are conducted at the school through

weekly visits by Denise, but also include a

field trip to the Asa Wright Centre.

A new term began in April and it is

Denise’s hope that the programme will some

day be expanded to schools outside of the

Arima area incorporating national spread,

acceptance and participation. Persons willing

to contribute and/or participate in this

programme are asked to contact the Centre

at asaright@tstt.net.tt or 667-4655.

Outreach Programme Returns to Schools

Binoculars for the bats

BCI tours were led by BCI President and Founder Dr Merlin Tuttle, mammal field guide author Fiona Reid, and Trinidad-born wildlife naturalist Geoffrey Gomes.

Both islandwide tours were highly successful with a total of 27 bat species caught and/or observed during the January trip, and 32 species during the May trip to Trinidad. At Asa Wright itself, nets were positioned in various locations but the most productive were those placed along the Discovery Trail, where, in just two hours, 14 species of bats were caught in mist nets. To provide a bit of perspective, when the BCI Founders Circle visited Uganda in 2009, they caught a grand total of 15 species of bats in their entire two-week visit!

Bat species caught on the property were carefully bagged and taken back to the Asa Wright verandah where the three guides conducted an after-dinner “show and tell” for the 11 tour participants. After the display, each bat was safely released to continue its nocturnal foraging activities.