october: exciting times - caligo ventures · 2019. 12. 7. · being seen in tobago. there is a...

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October 2019 [email protected] Tel: (868) 667-4655

October: Exciting timesT&T Birding Scene

By Martyn Kene� ck

In so many countries, October is a month where there is a real chance of � nding something really rare. Whilst obviously such sightings are subject to scrutiny by National Rare Birds Committees, there is naturally a feeling of exciting optimism... and October 2019 potentially has added a further two species to the Trinidad and Tobago O� cial list. If such deliberations vote in the a� rmative, this brings our country’s species tally to 489.

The � rst to be found is, in fairness, a species that many feel to belong overdue. A Glittering-throated Emerald came into the sugar-water feeders at Yerette in the Maracas St. Joseph valley remaining for several days. This is a hummingbird which is widely spread throughout much of South America, from Venezuela through to southeastern Brazil.

The second, however, was never on our radar. On 18th October, just o� of Goat Island, Tobago, a large shearwater was photographed swimming away from a tourist boat. It has been putatively identi� ed as a Cape Verde Shearwater, a species endemic to those Macaronesian islands and considered “Near Threatened” by the IUCN.

The local birding fraternity knows to look for Bobolinks in October. The � ve found on 30th September along Rahamut trace truly became the

vanguard. By 12th October, the

� ock had increased to at least 200 birds, by far the largest total ever found in Trinidad. Also on cue were two Upland Sandpipers, a couple of immature Aplomado Falcons and up to � ve Glossy Ibis whilst at the month’s end, the female Cerulean Warbler, � rst found wintering in a large Samaan tree at Gran Couva back in October 2015, returned to the same tree for its fourth successive winter. Of more expected fayre, both Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Blackpoll Warblers are regularly being seen in Tobago.

There is a saying in Trinidad that “the more you know, the more questions you ask”. Perhaps no species of bird has been studied in Trinidad more than Scarlet Ibis, our national bird. So, a � ock of 24 birds seen heading west past Toco lighthouse, the northeasternmost corner of the island begs the question “where did they come from – Tobago, where there have been a few sightings in recent years, or mainland South Venezuela?”

Cape Verde Shearwater

Photo by Ted Horman

Glittering-throated Emeraldphotographed at Yerette

Photo by Theodore FergusonThere is a saying in Trinidad that “the

photographed at Yerette

Photo by Theodore Ferguson

Exciting times

� ock had increased to at least 200 birds, by far the largest total ever found in Trinidad. Also on cue were two Upland Sandpipers, a couple of immature Aplomado Falcons and up to � ve Glossy Ibis whilst at the month’s end, the female Cerulean Warbler, � rst found wintering in a large Samaan tree at Gran Couva back in October 2015, returned to the same tree for its fourth successive winter. Of more expected fayre, both Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Blackpoll Warblers are regularly being seen in Tobago.

Cape Verde Shearwater

Photo by Ted Horman

Exciting times

� ock had increased to at least 200 birds, by far the largest total ever found in Trinidad. Also on cue were two Upland Sandpipers, a couple of immature Aplomado Falcons and up to � ve Glossy Ibis whilst at the month’s end, the female Cerulean Warbler, � rst found wintering in a large Samaan tree at Gran Couva back in October 2015, returned to the same tree for its fourth successive winter. Of more expected fayre, both Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Blackpoll Warblers are regularly Glittering-throated Emerald

photographed at Yerette

O C TO B E R • PAGE 2 October 2019


The Dreaded Auto ModePhoto Tips

Auto Mode, usually green on your camera’s mode selector, should be avoided

If your subject is strongly backlit, your camera will average the scene and result in your subject being dark

Using the exposure compensation button to add two stops solves the problem

By Hugh Simmons

Asa Wright is widely known as the best introduction to tropical birding due to the accessibility of many tropical species at relatively close viewing distances. These characteristics also make it an ideal location to hone your photographic skills and return home with some stunning images. This series of articles provides tips to help you get the most out of your photography.

While photographing from the famous veranda at Asa Wright I occasionally hear expletives when someone’s camera is not giving them the results they want. Their photos are too light, too dark or their focus is o� . The most common problem is the dreaded Auto mode. In this mode, the camera makes all the decisions for you. But when photographing birds that may be surrounded by branches and leaves or may be sitting against a dark forest background or a light sky the camera almost invariably gets fooled. It focuses on the branches instead of the bird because Auto mode looks at the whole scene to determine where to focus. Auto exposure systems determine exposure by mathematically averaging the lights and darks in a scene to a middle grey tone. Evenly lit light green foliage is middle grey to a camera. But if you have a bird perched against a light sky, the camera will try to bring that light sky to middle grey and the bird in the foreground goes dark.

So, what to do? Take the camera o� of Auto and never use that mode

again. Your options are P (Program) mode where the camera still

sets aperture and shutter speed, A or Av (Aperture Priority) mode in which you set the aperture and the camera picks the shutter speed and S or Tv (Shutter Priority) in which you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture. Many photographers use Aperture Priority to have control over depth of � eld but Program is � ne if you still want the camera to do as much as possible. Whichever you choose, the important thing is that these settings enable exposure compensation which allows you to quickly adjust exposure for those challenging situations I mentioned above. There is a button with a +/- symbol, usually near the shutter button. Press this and turn the dial on the back of your camera with your thumb to quickly increase or decrease exposure if your subject is too dark or too light. Note that increasing exposure this way will likely result in a slower shutter speed so you may need to increase your ISO to avoid motion artifact.

For focus, set your camera to single, centre point focus. Put that focus point on the eye of your subject and your camera will know exactly what you want it to focus on. You can also set whether the camera will focus once when you push the shutter button half way down (single) or will continue to refocus as long as the shutter is pushed halfway down (continuous). For stationary subjects, use single focus; for moving subjects, use continuous focus.

Finally, and very importantly, practise with these new settings before you go on a trip so you know how they behave and you can use them quickly.

Hugh Simmons is a freelance photographer, birder and conservationist. He is a patient teacher who enjoys sharing his experience with others to improve their photography.

HughSimmonsPhotography.com

Interested in spending a week improving your photography in a location rich with photo ops? Watch out for our photography symposium at the Asa Wright Nature Centre next fall.


Interested in spending a week improving your photography in a location rich with photo ops? Watch out for our photography symposium at the Asa Wright Nature Centre next fall.



ThrowbackBy Johanne Ryan

Back in 2004, David and Sarah Blair made their � rst trip to AWNC and spent a day on the trails. The most memorable part of their visit was the Bearded Bellbird. They loved the sound and challenge of � nding the loud but easily hidden, Bellbird. In October this year, David, once a Technical Architect, and Sarah, who formerly worked in Learning and Development, ful� lled their wish of returning to AWNC. We now take you down memory lane with some photos from their trip 15 years ago. Did you also meet anyone in the photos during your time at the Centre?

David and Sarah at the oilbird cave, 2004

David and Sarah on the verandah, October 2019

With the group, back in 2004

Kenny Calderon, a former Naturalist Guide at the Centre, 2004

Guests on the verandah, 2004Tufted Coquette, one of their favourite birds, photographed in 2019


Christmas Bird Count 2019


WHEN: Sunday 29th December 2019WHERE: Join a group in the � eld from 6.00 amREQUIREMENTS: Nature or bird enthusiast; binoculars

For more information, please contact:Vishnu Debie – 768 7540; [email protected] Johanne Ryan – 689 1046; [email protected] White – 725 1571; [email protected]

october: exciting times - caligo ventures · 2019. 12. 7. · being seen in tobago. there is a...

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