Today after breakfast we set off on our own for a walk - we took the, up and down, adventure trail, returning on the discovery trail passing both the manakin leks - males only no females so no displays going on. I then caught up with some emails and we had a cup of tea on the veranda......while there I checked with a guide what the very blue bird I had seen on the feeder yesterday was - it was a blue grey tanager. As it was Easter Sunday the Centre was very busy with non residents having tours and the restaurant was full at lunchtime for a very nice Easter lunch. The staff made very springlike and natural Easter hats - we had to vote for the best - via secret ballot! At the evening meal we found out that the flower creation had won.
At 1330 we boarded a minibus with a couple from Scotland and headed to Caroni marsh to see the scarlet ibis roost.
En route we stopped at a treatment works to look at the bird life - we saw yellow headed blackbirds, yellow chinned spinetails, wattled jacana, a purple gallinule, cattle and snowy egrets and a long winged harrier ......good birds but a bit smelly!
Next stop was near an electricity compound where we spotted saffron finches. Finally it was off to the marsh with a quick detour to see a sleeping screech owl near the visitor centre.
At about 1630 we boarded, a quite comfortable, big green wooden boat with about 40 others and headed along the waterways through the mangroves looking at the wildlife. We all sat at the back near the boatman who was also our very good guide for the trip.
He spotted a straight billed wood creeper, crabs who live their lives on the
long roots hanging down from the trees, a bicolored cone bill, a tree boa and the animal of the day,and not one but two, - silky anteaters - sleeping - curled into round fluffy little balls - they only unfurl to their full 21cm in the night hours when they hunt out termites. We then headed to take a position on the waters edge and watched the scarlet ibis come in to roost - they made the trees glow red - the young take 3 years to go red and were still pink and black. The colour comes from the crabs etc that they feed on. Also roosting in the same trees and flying in were blue herons, tri-coloured herons and egrets - a sight well worth seeing. Apparently there are more ibis out of the breeding season up to 2000 at our roost; the absent ones were elsewhere in the reserve breeding.
We headed back at 6ish passing a lovely sunset and were at the landing for 6.20pm - finally back at Asa Wright by 7.40 and we just made the tail end of dinner. Over dinner we had an interesting conversation with a lady who is helping the lodge with its marketing particularly in preparation for the upcoming bird fair in London. We also talked about the central role of social media in Asa Wright petitioning against quarrying in the area.......as a result of twitter and facebook public feeling was clear and there was an immediate ministerial response.
Nicely tired it was off to do the packing; Tobago tomorrow.