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This is my report of the trip to Tobago with layovers in Puerto Rico.

We took this trip with Naturally Yours Ecotours, a startup group who
advertised a low cost approach to a birding experience.  The cost was
indeed modest, however, the product was not delivered as advertised.  The
group of 14 had a confrontation with the hotel owner (the Bouganvillaea)
after being on the island less than 24 hours.  Among our complaints-being
driven around in a vehicle with 2 severely bald tires, insufficient food
being served and a tour which was a ride to rather than a tour of ….  
After this meeting things improved somewhat, but it was more a matter of
tolerating what we were given and being constantly misled about what we
were going to get.  The folks who organized the trip did ask and received
written comments from the group members and later apologized for what
happened.

Tobago is a nice tropical island with a possible 210 species of which I
was able to identify 78 (one was added from a side trip to the rain
forest in Puerto Rico) and added 57 life birds.  But for those who know
me and can put this into perspective, I was the person that the trip
members came to when they had questions about the island birds.  Most of
what I learned on this trip I learned on my own, with the exception of a
one day outing with Adolphus James, a true bird expert of the island.

Being in the Caribbean seems to require an attitude change.  No one is in
a hurry, everything is no problem.  When there is a problem, no one is at
fault!  Be wary of anything an islander tells you.  And ask for a/c,
screens or a bed net (the nighttime problem with the mosquitoes could be
more than annoying).  We chose to get the Hepatitis A and Yellow Fever
vaccines and under the circumstance, I feel this was the right choice for
us.  The problem I face now is that my wife does not want to discuss a
trip to Costa Rica.

Your tip about the ffrench book was right on target.  I also appreciate
the help of those who volunteered to answer my pre-trip questions.

If anyone would like more info about the island and resources, I would be
happy to help in whatever way I can.

My trip species list follows.

TOBAGO species list for 
6-13 April 98  Joe Halpin

   Red-billed Tropicbird
  Magnificent Frigatebird 
  Red-footed Booby 
  Brown Booby 
  Anhinga 
  Brown Pelican 
  White-cheeked Pintail 
  Blue-winged Teal 
   Tricolored Heron 
  Little Blue Heron 
  Great Egret 
  Cattle Egret
  Green Heron 
  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  Black-crowned Night-Heron 
  Broad-winged Hawk
   Rufous-vented Chachalaca 
   Common Moorhen 
   Wattled Jacana 
   Whimbrel 
   Greater Yellowlegs 
  Lesser Yellowlegs 
   Spotted Sandpiper 
   Semipalmated Plover 
   Southern Lapwing 
   Laughing Gull 
   Pale-vented Pigeon 
  Eared Dove 
  Ruddy Ground-Dove 
  White-tipped Dove 
  Green-rumped Parrotlet 
  Orange-winged Parrot 
  Yellow-billed Cuckoo 
   Smooth-billed Ani 
   Short-tailed Swift
  Rufous-breasted Hermit 
  White-tailed Sabrewing 
  White-necked Jacobin 
  Black-throated Mango 
  Ruby-topaz Hummingbird 
   Copper-rumped Hummingbird 
  Collared Trogon 
   Blue-crowned Motmot 
  Rufous-tailed Jacamar 
   Red-crowned Woodpecker 
   Golden-olive Woodpecker
  Plain-brown Woodcreeper 
   Buff-throated Woodcreeper 
   Barred Antshrike 
  Plain Antvireo 
  White-fringed Antwren 
  Blue-backed Manakin 
  Ochre-bellied Flycatcher 
  Yellow-bellied Elaenia 
  Yellow-breasted Flycatcher 
    Brown-crested Flycatcher 
  Tropical Kingbird 
   Gray Kingbird 
  Streaked Flycatcher 
    Chivi Vireo 
  Scrub Greenlet 
  Red-legged Thrush*
  Bare-eyed Thrush 
   Tropical Mockingbird
  Rufous-breasted Wren
  House Wren 
  Caribbean Martin 
   Barn Swallow
    Bananaquit 
  White-lined Tanager 
   Blue-gray Tanager 
  Palm Tanager 
   Purple Honeycreeper
  Red-legged Honeycreeper 
  Blue-black Grassquit 
   Black-faced Grassquit 
  Rose-breasted Grosbeak 
  Crested Oropendola 
   Carib Grackle 
  Shiny Cowbird
  Giant Cowbird
 

*not a Tobago species; seen outside the El Yunque rain forest of Puerto
Rico.

Joe Halpin
Silver Spring, MD
email: halpinj @juno.com

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