Veranda birds of Asa Wright Nature Centre

the view from the amazing veranda at Asa Wright Nature Centre

I've heard the name Asa Wright Nature Centre (or center for those in the US) since the day I started birding nearly 25 years ago. Asa Wright NC was established the same year I was born, although I think I'm ahead by a few months at least. Until 2 weeks ago, Asa Wright remained one of many spots on a long and illustrious list of places I had to see before I die! I'm happy to say that I've now moved this locale to my list of places that I've seen and love! The birds, wildlife, lodge, centre, and staff all exceeded my expectations to boot.

tray feeder at Asa Wright NC, Trinidad - digiscoped Leica Televid spotting scope

The grounds and forests around the centre are fabulous and require a fair amount of time to cover effectively, but most 1st time visitors will be more than content to just sit on the veranda and watch the feeders and glass across the scenic valley that stretches out in front of you. For me it was no different, and many of these point blank birds were new for me. Even the "widespread" tropical birds are not species I see often enough that I didn't enjoy these quality views. The fact that it was also time to serve the daily "rum punch" on the veranda, was an added unexpected bonus!

Great Antshrike, male digiscoped with Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera

The diversity of species that visited the tray feeders below the veranda was surprising, even amazing. It seemed that few species could resist the amazing spread of fruits and breads and the group shot above shows a fairly typical mix of species seen during our trip (Banaquits, a male Purple Honeycreeper, and a young Silver-beaked Tanager). The biggest surprise to me though was when the male Great Antshrike came to enjoy the spoils of the feeders as well!

Crested Oropendola digiscoped from Asa Wright NC veranda, Trinidad

Whether your a fan of "feeder watching" or if you prefer to hit the trails hiking, Asa Wright has plenty to keep any individual happy. However, I defy you to not enjoy the close up views of the feeder visitors from the marvelous comfort of the veranda with all of its amenities. Take for example, an extreme close-up view of a Crested Oropendola eye! That's one amazing shade of blue.

male Bananaquit singing , digiscoped @ Asa Wright NC, Trinidad

Palm Tanagers and Bananaquits were absolutely ubiquitous and their bubbly songs added to the ambiance of this spot. Even away from the feeders, the birds around the grounds have become habituated to the presence of people, making Asa Wright a spectacular spot to familiarize yourself with these new & different species.

Blue-Gray Tanager digiscoped from Asa Wright veranda

The snags and perches around the veranda are a digiscoper's delight as well. Having opportunities to view and photograph many of these birds at eye level in the open is always a bonus. Along the trails even very common species like the Blue-gray Tanager above, are often hidden in the canopy and the field views are rarelyas good as those gotten from the comfort of the veranda.

Copper-rumped Hummingbird, digiscoped @ Asa Wright veranda

As you'd expect, the staff maintains Hummingbird feeders as well and there is always a nice assortment of hummingbird species visiting. The Copper-rumped Hummingbird above was just one of the interesting species that was seen near constantly during our stay. Other common feeder visitors included the stunning White-necked Jacobin & White-chested Emerald among others.

Channel-billed Toucans tee up in tree tops down slope from the Asa Wright veranda

One afternoon just before the daily 4 pm coffee, tea, and pastry feast on the veranda, a brief shower swept past. Typical of green season, tropical birding the short cloud burst came and went and dropping both humidity and temperatures considerably. In addition, bird activity was renewed, and numerous Channel-billed Toucans soon popped up and began bathing in the tree tops and calling back and forth. I watched the antics of these beautiful birds as I popped another pastry into my mouth and thought, "Hmmm.... only 2 more hours to rum punch!" ;p