QB 2007-3 final

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

1/24

Quarterly Bulletin of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club

Issue No: 3/2007July - September 2007

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

2/24

Management Committee 2007-2008

President ... 694-1160

Vice-President .. 633-3373

Secretary .. 796-3335

Assist-Secretary ... 484-0373

624-8017

Committee members ... Dan Jaggernauth 659-2795

Paula Smith 632-7510

Alyssa Gomes 799-4087

Treasurer . Selwyn Gomes

Paul Budgen

Reginald Potter

Carrall Alexander

Shane T. Ballah

Website: http://www.wow.net/ttfnc

Postal: The Secretary, TTFNC, c/o P.O. Box 642,

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Email: [email protected]

EditorShane T. Ballah

Contributing writersReynold Boyce, Alyssa Gomes, Kay Hinkson, Ian Jardine, Ianlambie, Feroze Omardeen, Victor Quesnel, Averil Ramchand,

Paula Smith, John Lum Young

PhotographsAlyssa Gomes, Reginald Potter, Averil Ramchand, Paula

Smith, John Lum Young

Design and LayoutShane T. Ballah

Quarterly Bulletin of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists

July - September 2007

The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation

Disclaimer:The views expressed in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the

opinion and views of the Trinidad and Tobago Field NaturalistsClub

Contact us!

Page 2 THE FIELD NATURALIST Issue No. 3/2007

Inside This Issue

CLUB FIELD TRIPS

Nariva Hill,Averil Ramchand .. 3

Rincon Falls,John Lum Young . 6

El Tucuche, Paula Smith . 7

Afterthoughts, Victor C. Quesnel .. 9

BIRDING TRIPS

Mt. St. Benedict, Feroze Omardeen . 10

Brickfield and Orange Valley,Averil Ramchand 11

SPECIAL TRIPS

Venezuela, Kay Hinkson ... 13

LECTURE SUMMARIES

Cataloguing Caribbean Plants, Reynold Boyce . 17

FEATURES

Why Not Fly, Victor Quesnel ... 19

NATURE NOTES

Spotted Rail in St. Anns Valley, Ian Jardine . 20

Blue & Yellow Macaws of Charlottville, Ian Lambie .. 20

Junior feature -Alyssa Gomes ... 21

MANAGEMENT NOTES . 22

NOTES TO CONTRIBUTERS ... 24

Cover PhotoThe Paria Peninsula in Venezuela as seen from the bay inMucuro. Photo courtesy Reg Potter

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

3/24

We left Grand Bazaar about 7 a.m., 33 inall, and proceeded south in a steadystately motorcade down the highway

and turned off towards Gran Couva. It was abeautiful peaceful morning and an idyllic drivethrough pleasant rolling countryside with bambooarching the road in places. Suddenly we stopped.An emergency I thought, but it was a macajuelsnake on the road, 2 m in length, very healthy, ac-cording to Dan. It gone someone said before wehad a chance to capture it on film or even see it,and we were off again. The road, newly paved,quickly deteriorated as we progressed throughGran Couva, Pepper Village, and Brasso. Nearerthe Tabaquite-Rio Claro turn-off I took note ofthe number of small churches with names like SoulSurvivors, Deliverance Tabernacle and Souls Har-bour Church of Christ. After Tabaquite we passedthe Navet Dam sign, and seemed to be going a

long way. When would we reach I thought.

We turned off onto the Charuma Road (a For-estry Division Road) which passed through teakplantations. Memories of the thriving trade in teak(Tectona grandis), family Verbenaceae were re-called. Apparently the state-owned firm Tanteak,formed to market teak, had come to naught. Thecurrent status is unknown but clearly, some log-ging is still taking place in the area. There had beena thriving teak saw mill at Brickfield nearby, and

another in Carlson Field

The road conditions worsened. Questions beganto erupt in my mind. Did we need four-wheeldrive vehicles, jeeps perhaps? How far is it again? IfI was doing the journey again I would have sug-gested that at least half the cars could have beenleft near the start of Charuma Road or half way upfor more security and we should have piled intothe four wheel drives for the balance of the jour-

ney.

At the first really bad piece of road with mud,

deep puddles and unstable ground, I got brieflystuck but thanks to the expertise of Dan Jagger-nauth I extricated myself without too much diffi-culty and vowed that it would not happen again. Ifollowed the car in front, which was successfullynavigating the very many hazards along the wayand was grateful for the fact that I had just boughtnew tyres. Again Dan was helpful in directing thecars over a slightly raised and damaged woodenbridge and other particularly hazardous parts. Ittook us about one hours drive along the road to

reach our hiking point to the Nariva Hill.

I was assured by Selwyn that the hike was an easyone and that we would be returning in daylightsince we had to face the bad road on the return

journey. I prayed for no rain.

I am grateful to Shane T. Ballah for the followingobservations on the drive in. I having made none,

being too busy negotiating the terrain.

Patches of secondary re-growth was evi-dent in discrete locations amongst the teak. Somenoticeable species included: pois doux (Inga sp.),bois canot (Cecropia peltata), fine-leaf (Pentaclethramacroloba), hogplum (Spondias mombin), swampimmortelle (Erythrina fusca) and bois flot (Ochromapyramidale). The occasional bamboo (Bambusa sp.)was seen near river crossings. Roadside vegeta-tion, typical of invasive weedy species, included:railway daisy (Bidens pilosa), sensitive plant(Mimosa pudica), vervine (Stachytarpheta sp.), wildhops (Flemingiastobilifera), kudzu (Pueraria sp.) andvarious grasses. Medium to large sized agri-cultural plots were noted, although most appearednot well kept and others in various states ofabandonment. A group of loggers was busy at

work in the teak plantation.

After a brief pre-hike talk from Reg Potter andDan we started along a trail leading through the

(Continued on page 4)


Nariva Hill - June 24 2007Averil Ramchand

Club Trip

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

4/24

teak. The hike took us first at an angle to theslope of Nariva Hill from teak then forest, until wecame to the crest of the ridge at a pass in a lowspot. Here the main trail branched with one armcontinued NE along the northern slope of theridge. We took the right (SW) branch, back alongthe ridge crest on a minor trail. After a moderatewalk we encountered a steel firewatch tower,which Bobby climbed. Near the fire tower I wasshown a beautifully crafted nest (photo) and wastold by the bird expert in the group that it was ahumming birds nest. We walked on for a bit butas it was still quite early we back tracked to thepass and took the right fork on a very clear trailthrough mature forest. First we saw the palm vine(Desmoncus sp.), one of the few palms which has

vine like characteristics.

Cicadas, very loud and piercing could be heard allaround. The heavy roar of howler monkeys meantthey were near although we could not see them.We crossed a large colony of the leaf-cutting ant

Atta and came upon a cannonball tree (Couroupitaguianensis). I asked if people had found a use for itand was told that the wood could be used for fur-niture. Another interesting species was an indige-nous tree with the local name guatecare(pronounced watercare) Eschweilera sp.Esperanza Luengo, from Valencia in Spain, believedthe name guatecare was Amerindian (compare thename Guatemala). This tree gives good hard woodwhich was used to make the sleepers of railway

tracks.

Victor Quesnel was fully absorbed collecting dif-ferent species of Rubiaceae, the chaconia beingone example. As we continued along the trail, ablue emperor butterfly floated by and the cocoritepalm came into view. The cocorite palm (Attaleamaripa) has an edible fruit, favoured by Dan, and adistinctive arrangement of leaflets in groups ofabout six. One of our members saw a small capu-

chin monkey on a vine but it scampered up leavingonly the vine swaying in evidence of its recentpresence. Another sign of small monkeys was alarge midden of eaten palm kernels at the foot of atree. Another interesting plant we saw was wait-a-while (Smilax sp)which had long sharp spines andcould give a nasty wound if grasped by chance.Residents in the area used to cut off the spines

and use the wood for the frame of tapia houses.

We came across the monkey step-ladder vine(Bauhinia sp.) (photo). I was told that the reasonfor its peculiar shape is that the middle growsfaster than the outer edges but could not confirmthis. I also spotted some interesting fungi and aheliconia (Heliconia hirsuta). For those interested ininsects we witnessed a biting horsefly, family Tab-

(Continued from page 3)


Humming Bird Nest in Nariva HillPhoto courtesy Averil Ramchand



Club Trip

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

5/24

inidae which did in fact bite one of our members,

but was quickly caught.

We divided into smaller groups according to ourinterests and explored the area further. When Icaught up with the others we saw that a specimenof the fine leaf tree (Pentacletra macroloba), hadbeen collected by a member of the group (photo).Later on we came unexpectedly upon a royal palm(Roystonea regia) in the middle of the forest. Howdid it get there I asked and was told that it wasprobably propagated by seeds dropped by bats.Dan showed how the dry outside skin or crown-shaft, below the leaf was used as a sled by countrychildren, and even by city children, in the Botanic

Gardens.

A brief but heavy shower caught us during whichReg got separated from his group after shelteringfrom the rain. We thought we might be able tosee the Navet dam at the summit of the hill andmaybe later go to see swallow tail kites. It turnedout the dam was only visible from the firewatchtower at the top of the hill and not everyone went

to see the kites.

Back on that terrible Charuma Road, Esperanzacame with me for navigation but mainly for moralsupport. Dan was commandeered for the difficultparts and was patient as usual. On the way out, Inoticed the abandoned wrecks of cars and garbageon the grass verges along with the sign forbidding

the dumping of any garbage near the exit.

On the way back some members went by way ofthe road to Brasso Venado, which at a left forktakes you to an EU-funded radar weather station.Here we were provided with an excellent view ofthe west coast to mount Tamana, and the swal-

low-tailed kites.

Overall the field trip was a success. Most mem-

bers found much to interest them despite the

challenges of the Charuma Road.




Club Trip

Monkey ladder(Bauhinia)Photo courtesy Averil Ramchand

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

6/24

At almost 300 ft Rincon Falls is one of thetallest and most picturesque in Trinidad.(Only Maracas Waterfall - 312 ft - is

higher.) Actually the proper name of the falls wasEl Toro Falls but over the years most refer to it asRincon. During heavy rainfall villagers throughoutLas Cuevas could hear the plunging water roaringlike a raging bull hence the name El Toro. Ratherthan take the direct route the group agreed to

loop around via Habio Estate and Blackpool.

Climbing the slopes from Habio Village the grouptraversed an area that had been ravaged by fire inthe Dry Season. On the one hand the fire de-stroyed a number of trees and shrubs that couldnot withstand the flames but on the other the ger-mination of tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata) was fa-cilitated. The fire burnt the outer casings enablingthe seeds to sprout, littering the floor with sap-lings. The aromatic tonka bean flavours cakes,drinks, tobacco and snuff. It is found in sachets,potpourri and its essential oil is a critical ingredi-ent for the perfume industry. In addition the seedshave coumarin which is used to waterdown

pure vanilla extract.

Blackpool lost some of its mysterious appeal asthe tall trees which kept out the sunlight had top-pled exposing the waterhole to the full glare of thesun. The clear water though still appeared blackdue to the colour of the rocks in and around the

waist-deep pool.

Continuing, the group passed through a grove ofthe medium-sized tree, bois flot (Ochroma pyrami-dale). Its green, unripe fruit resembles a longochro. The 12 inch long capsule-shaped fruit be-comes brown when ripe and splits in five along itslength exposing numerous small seeds secured in asoft, brown, fluffy material. Long ago this soft silkystuff was collected to pack home-made pillows.Bois flot (also known as balsa) is the lightest wood

in the world.

Finally the majestic El Toro or Rincon Falls was inview. The cascading water from a dizzying height,over bare smooth rock with hues from darkwhere the water spilled to lighter blues, grey,crystal and white, was a sight to behold. The deepwide pool at the base enticed many who wasted

no time in getting into the water.

As beautiful as this spot was, above the fall waseven more enchanting. At the top was a narrowgorge with the water level about chest height.Then a series of 4 waterfalls to climb past, eachranged from 25-30 ft in height. In between thefour was a 20 ft fall at an angle that enabled one toslide down the smooth surface. (The writer is still

to venture beyond fall #5.)

Ray Martinez trapped the Haemagogus janthinomys,a mosquito with an eye catching metallic blue col-our. This unassuming insect is the carrier of the

deadly jungle yellow fever.

Another field trip; another learning experience.

Rincon Falls - July 29 2007John Lum Young

Club Trip


Rincon FallsPhoto courtesy John Lum Young

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

7/24


El Tucuche - August 26 2007Paula Smith and Damian Robinson

Club Trip

The Club once again returned to El Tucucheon August 26 2007. We departed from thesouthern entrance of the UWI at 7.05 a.m.

with 14 persons in attendance. The convoy passedthrough Curepe, proceeded up the Maracas-St.

Joseph Road and turned off onto Caurita Road.Another right turn onto Bancal. Road brought usto the trail from which our journey to the summitof El Tucuche would begin. At this point we wereapproximately 1300 feet/396 meters above sealevel. Before we began, Dan Jaggernauth andReginald Potter gave a brief introduction to thehistory and facts of El Tucuche. El Tucuche, whichis the second highest point in Trinidad, reaches aheight of 3,072 feet. At 8.00 a.m. with sunnyweather this long scenic walk, which was sched-

uled to take approximately 9 hours, began.

The group proceeded along the ridge overlookingthe St. Joseph Valley. At the first fork in the trail aleft turn was made. The vegetation was dominatedby cocorite palms ( Attalea maripa), bamboo(Bambusa vulgaris) and the single chaconia plant(Warcewiczia coccinea) of the family Rubiaceae.The sounds of cicada insects could be heardthroughout the forest and we were informed byVictor Quesnel that this particular species sings allyear round. The trail continued along the CauraValley Ridge where Stephen Smith found a veryunusual metallic blue green beetle belonging to thefamily Chrysomelidae. From this ridge, facingnorth, the TSTT Morne Bleu Troposheric ScatterStation was seen far in the distance. The groupwas informed by a member that the intersectionof Arima and Blanchisseuse lay in the vicinity ofthe Scatter Station. The observation of farmersbusy harvesting peas and breadfruit highlighted theagricultural activity in the valley below. Regpointed out a saltfish wood tree (Machaeriumrobiniifolium)in full bloom with purple whitish clus-ters of flowers. In the underestorey we saw a

manicou fig, or wild pine as it is commonly known.

The dominant forest cover consisted of manytowering trees. Dan showed us the star grass, asedge with five blades and a white centre. Manybutterflies were seen in the forest such as the em-peror butterfly ( Morpho peliedes insularis), thepostman and king page butterfly which has a blackbody red rim at the base of the wings andbrownish colour on its tips. Walking through thethick foliage we noted various other plants such asthe balisier (Heliconia bihai), bois canot tree(Cecropia peltata) of the Cecropiaceae family. Danspotted a brown lizard on a tree and Charles DeGannes discovered, despite being very well hid-den, a long legged brown spider curled up in a leaf.As we walked leisurely along the path suddenly along fury brown creature, which more than likelymay have been a squirrel glided swiftly across. Thewild onion fruit ofClusia palmcidia was seen on theforest floor. The general vegetation of the forestapproached that of a lower montane forest and aswe got closer to the top it changed to upper mon-

tane forest some 850 feet/260 meters higher.

At the many twists and turns on the trail therewere small springs to refresh us along the way, butthese areas were also dangerous with slipperyrocks. The number of well marked short cuts


View from El Tucuche

Photo courtesy Paula Smith

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

8/24

which crossed the trail at various points accom-modated those who otherwise could not havemanaged the steep climb. Some two hours intothe journey, we stopped at the site of the formerForestry house where some of the members re-laxed as they waited for others to catch up. Tothe right of this there was a trail that led to LasCuevas and Rincon waterfall; about one and a half

hours walk away.

We came to another fork on the path with a signthat read The rare golden tree frog, found nowhereelse in the world, lives here on top of our second high-

est mountain El Tucuche. After walking on gener-ally even terrain for another hour, two differentpaths presented themselves. One was steeper andwould have taken us quicker to the summit of ElTucuche; however the longer and gentler routewas chosen. From this point at a distance of 3 kmit would take approximately 2 more hours to

complete.

On the way one of the main features of the sur-rounding forest was the abundance of mosses andferns covering the ground, especially on the rockfaces. At about 1:00 p.m. we all finally arrived atthe summit of El Tucuche and the eldest person tomake it to the top was our very own Victor at the

ripe age of 81.

A relaxing cool mist passed through the mountainsas the group rested and had lunch while enjoyingthe breathtaking view of Las Cuevas beach and thelush green surrounding forests of the NorthernRange. The cloudy weather conditions and lightshowers limited any further viewing. On the sum-mit two markers were found. Only the concretebase of one marker remained whilst the other wasintact and displayed the words Inter-American Geo-

metric Survey, El Tucuche RM No2 1953.

Hidden in a tree lower down from the summit the

Club had previously installed an electronic mini-mum/maximum thermometer in a sealed bottle.The thermometer, which records the minimumand maximum temperature on a daily basis, wasexamined and replaced with a new electronicthermometer. The data from the old one will bedownloaded and recorded. A white flower with ayellow centre thought, at first, to be an orchidturned out to be the large bladderwort Utricularia

alpina which is known to be found on El Tucuche.

After the rest the group began the descent thoughthe forest and quickly encountered a smallmapipire snake (Bothrops atriox) on the path. Itsknown that even the smallest snake of this speciesis venomous. The journey back was easier thanthe upward journey, and by this time most of the

group showed signs of tiredness.

The hike to El Tucuche, one of the most beautifulmountain trails in Trinidad and Tobago, was amost rewarding trip. It took approximately 3 to 4hours for the first batch of the group to completethe journey back. Others made it out in 5 hoursand more as the sun descended and made way forthe evenings moonlight as the dark of night es-

corted the last individuals out of the forest.


El Tucuche - August 26 2007Paula Smith and Damian Robinson

Club Trip


8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

9/24


Some afterthoughts and memories of an earliertrip - El Tucuche Appendix Victor C. Quesnel

Club Trip

While having lunch at the top I lookedaround me and saw one or two famil-iar weeds and many unfamiliar ones. It

occurred to me that the Club should undertakethe collection and identification of all the smallplants in the clearing. This would not only providea focus for the next trip but might generate someinteresting thoughts about how the vegetation hadgot there. I do not know when the clearing wasmade, nor do I remember the date of my first visitto the peak, but at that visit there was a woodenhut in the clearing and it already seemed old. Myfirst visit was probably in the period 1942-1944when I was, in modern terms, an A-level studentat St. Marys College. The grassy vegetation therethen, and now, would not have come from thesurrounding forest but from much farther awayand must have sprung up form wind-blown seedsor seeds brought there on the clothing or equip-

ment of visitors to the site.

The Clubs only prior visit by the route we tookon this occasion was made on Saturday 3 March1979. Hurricane Alma had struck Trinidad a glanc-ing blow on 4 August 1974 and left the trail inshambles and we decided to clear it with cutlassesand power saw. However, the saw had failed tostart on a trial before setting out so our party of14 had to rely on cutlasses alone. March is usuallya sunny month but that year both the third andfourth treated us to constant light rain. The sitewe had previously chosen for the camp was underwater so we decided to spend the night in theForestry Rest House. We packed in all too muchlike sardines in a can and the drips that camethrough the roof that night caused us to cluster

together even more.

The Sunday group met us as planned and theclearing continued. At the end of our endeavoursabout 70 trees remained, but we had also clearedthat many. Over the years since then the clearinghas been continued by us and possibly by others

until only a few massive trees remain. The Clubcan be justly proud of what it achieved on that

rainy week-end in March 1979.

A list of the Rubiaceae seen on the visit of26 august 2007-09-18

Isertia parviflora At Bancal Road, 2 or 3 in flower

Genipa americana In flower between Bancal road and the

Rest House site

Warscewiczia

coccineaIn flower in several places

Malaneamacrophylla

Several places, one with buds

Psychotria capitata Formerly P. innundata, two specimens

Gonzalagunia

spicata

Formerly Duggena hirsuta, common, in

flower

Psychotria uliginosa In fruit, common

Palicourea crocea 2 or 3 plants in flower at Rest House

site

Coccocypselum

guianense

Formerly Tontanea guianensis, near the

peak

Borreria verticillata A common weed, in the clearing at the

top

Diodia ocimifolia Formerly Hemidiodia ocimifolia in open

patches

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

10/24

This was Fathers Day, so we had a short butnonetheless interesting trip with fast pacedbirding recording 35 species in three hours.

These ranged from the common-or-garden Ba-nanaquit (Coereba flaveola) to the dazzling and ex-otic Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes

cyaneus).

Attire for the trip ranged from Standard JungleWear (Murray Guppy) to the Movie Towne 2007Summer Season on the flamboyant and vivaciousgroup leader Kay Hinkson. Sadly, the rest of usfailed to meet these high standards, and seemedon the whole a bit shabby. But we made up for itin enthusiasm, pouncing on every hummingbirdthat passed our way. The Copper-rumped( Amazilia tobaci) and the White-chested Emerald( Amazilia chionopectus) were around, but morememorable were the several Black-throated Man-goes (Anthracothorax nigricollis) of both sexes whoflitted about. The female, plumaged birds outnum-bered the adult males. They seemed less territo-rial than the others and tolerated the Amazilias atthe flowering trees. We found a female Mangotending to a tiny nest on a sparsely leafed branchat the side of the road. No matter how manytimes I see these little cups, I am always amazed bytheir size relative to the birds. Nesting season forthe Mango is January to July. As in all humming-birds, nesting is done wholly by the female, feedingher young by regurgitation. We saw a Mangohover gleaning for small insects, and Hilty does say

that this species is notably insectivorous.

Robert Kong led us up the fire tower. For height-challenged individuals, it was not the easiest exer-cise, but I discovered the technique of holding ontightly with all four limbs and moving only onelimb at a time, while peering up out of a slit-likeopening in one eye. Once there the views of thevalley and Caroni plain were spectacular. We sawthe White Hawk (Leucopternis albicollis) way acrossthe hillside to the southwest. This is an elegant

raptor with striking plumage, brilliantly reflectingwhite against the canopy, with contrasting blackwings. Robert has been acquainted with this pairof White Hawks for some time, and has actuallyfound a nesting site for the hawk, observing theupbringing of a fledgling. Finding of a nest is a rareoccurrence, and great for the birders who come

from all over the world to Pax Guest House.

In response to the call of the Pygmy Owl, a nearbymixed-species flock came to investigate, mostlyhoneycreepers and tanagers. But a strikingly yel-low bird with a strikingly black throat caught oureyes. As Murray pointed out it was slightly smallerand more slender than the Semp, and the blackthroat and collar were diagnostic, even before weheard the call. This was the Trinidad Euphonia(Euphonia trinitatis), a group of at least four indi-viduals including two males. This was the first timemany of us had seen this Euphonia, locally knownas the cravat, and we were treated to excellentviews. The high pitched thin whistle comes in adouble note with a fraction-of-a-second pause inbetween: tee, dee . Interestingly once we becamefamiliar with the call we kept hearing it at various

places on the hillside.

Descending again to the car park, there were lotsof calls to stop us. The Chivi Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)and the Rufous-breasted Wren (Thryothorus rutilis)were visible, but the Rufous-browed Peppershrike(Cyclarhis gujanensis) stayed out of sight. The pene-trating call of the Yellow-breasted flycatcher(Tolmomyias flaviventris, also known as the Ochre-lored Flatbill) was all around, and we saw severalof these birds, who in this area seem to have acurious and self confident personality. Howeverthere was a low growl of a call: caaw. It had to bea bird, but what was it? It sounded like a crow,but corvids do not exist in Trinidad. We wereperplexed for several minutes until the BarredAntshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) revealed itself.


Mt. St. Benedict - June 17 2007Feroze Omardeen

Birding Trip


8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

11/24

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

12/24

had given up, they appeared again and continued the journey.A final stop was made at the savannah opposite the methanol plant near Orange Valley. There a numberof Saffron Finches, both male and female were seen. We also spotted a Red-Breasted Blackbird and aWhite-Headed Marsh Tyrant. Overhead a short-tailed hawk was causing some panic. Of interest was avulture being chased by a small unknown bird.



Brickfield and Orange Valley - August 12 2007From the notes of Averil Ramchand

Birding Trip

Victor Quesnel (centre) and company prepare to

hike to El Tucuche 26 Aug 2007.Photo courtesy Paula Smith

Club members prepare to leave the village of

Macuro on the Paria PeninsulaPhoto courtesy Reginald Potter

Do you have an interesting photo you wouldlike to share with the Club? Then contact the

editor or email your picture directly to us.

Photos must be accompanied by a briefdescrip-tio of the photo including the location, date,names of persons depicted (if any) and the name

of the photographer.

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

13/24


Venezuela - July 10-19 2007Kay Hinkson

Overseas Trip

Follow the dairy of events as eleven memberstraverse Eastern Venezuela from the Paria

Peninsula extending to the Araya Peninsula in

the west, during the period July 11-18.

WED 11 JULY: DAY 1Everyone who travels knows that whether youregoing overseas foreign, overseas Tobago or justMayaro for a weekend, there must be some hic-cups to be encountered. Not that there were too

many on our voyage.

Early check-in 7:00 a.m. at Pier I, Chaguaramas.After the formalities of checking in were com-pleted we boarded the Sea Prowler, owned byPIER 1, made a b-line for some choice seats andmade ourselves comfortable for our 9 a.m. sched-

uled departure to Guiria.

A few minutes after 10:00 a.m. the enginesthrobbed as we moved away from the pier. Nowords of apology - no explanations. We heardthrough the grapevine that they were awaitingclearance from the Venezuelan authorities, andhad to journey over to Crews Inn for the docu-mentation. Apparently this has never happenedbefore. This would have to be the first hiccup butthe trip turned out to be a relaxing, uneventfulfour hour sail to Guiria. Some read papers, dozed,worked X-word puzzles, or just chatted. A nicetouch by the company was that soft drinks weremade available at the bar for everyone. As wesailed by the Five Islands, we encountered somerainy weather and of course, it was a bit rough as

we passed through the Bocas.At 2:00 p.m. we docked at Port Guiria. On boardcame the Health Inspectors to vaccinate all thosewho were not previously immunized against yel-low fever. This had been checked by Reg at theVenezuelan Embassy, and he was assured that itwas not necessary. Some of the members decidedto take it and some of us concocted a story why

we didnt need it, myself included. More immigra-tion and customs formalities delayed us. Michael

and his brand new camcorder, (which he said thathe saved a long time for) were systematically scru-tinized. Somehow he had that Al Quaida look.It was providential that he had removed the greenarmy jacket and Castro cap. That would have been(euphemistically) a spot of bother for him and thegroup, because, it was getting late and we didntwant to be at sea in the dark. Our guide from theNatura Raid Tour Company in Venezuela wasthere promptly awaiting our arrival and as soon asthey let Michael leave, we walked to the jetty

where our transport, a sizeable pirogue, wasdocked. Her captain and crew of three wereready to roll, and take us to our first port of call- Macuro. Before this could be accomplishedthough, uppermost in our minds was the clarioncall of the kidneys and the exchange of dollars forlocal currency - Bolivares. These things delayedour departure, so it was not until 4:45 p.m. thatwe eventually sailed away from Guiria, bearing inmind that it was an anticipated three hour run to

Macuro.

The sea was fair to middling, sometimes choppy,sometimes smooth. Porto Yierro was pointed outby our tour guide, (se llama Cesar) who explainedthat once upon a time, a military base was housedthere. The unfinished road to Macuro was alsovisible. It is now almost impassible, as work wasabandoned and it has reverted to forest. A me-chanically sound four-runner may be able to getthrough though hence the reason for a count ofabout four vehicles in the town. We saw pelicansgalore on the rocks, diving for food, or just free-styling. All along the coast were small gravellybeaches against a backdrop of lush, forestedmountains. We could easily have been down dIslands or the north coast of Trinidad. The vege-tation was the same everywhere in the rain for-ested areas. As we approached a semi dilapidated


8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

14/24



jetty in Macuro, to our left we saw an abandoned

gypsum processing plant. It was then 6:00 p.m. Askilled Capitano had converted a three hour trip

into one and a half hours.

MACURO: a small quaint town on the east, clos-est point to Trinidad; it boasts a population of2000, four cars, a few dogs and many children.Wide dirt streets, a boat building factory and amuseum with fine paintings which was closed sothat we were not privy to the display. Our lug-gage, which was off loaded by some locals, was

transported by wheelbarrow to our abode for thenight - Posada Los Reyes Catolicos. It was notThe Ritz but it was comfortable and suitable fora nights rest. Luisa, the manageress, was quitehospitable and willing to please. So what if the fandidnt oscillate and blew only on one bed, or thatthe shower stall wasnt all dat and no hot water.

We are after all naturalists!!

At 8:00 p.m. we walked approximately 25 metersto the restaurant where we ate our dinner conmucho gusto by candlelight, not because wewanted to be romantic, but because the electricityin the town is powered by a generator, and itbroke down. This made one homesick! Dinnerconsisted of beans, rice and a stewed/curry beef.Very tasty (con sabor). Naturally, we had to sam-ple the local brew (cervezas), and to top it off,dessert (postres) was a guava filled swirl. At 10:00p.m., after we were sated, we decided not to godisco dancing, as it had been a long day and in-stead made the short journey back to our posada

to rest up for the long trek the next day.

THU 12 JUL - DAY 2Before 5:00 a.m. and before a cock could crow,there was the hum of voices as people readiedthemselves for the day ahead. A delightful break-fast awaited us at the same homely restaurantwhere we dined the previous night. Ham and

eggs, cheese, corn cakes (arepas), tea and caf.

Our transport arrived at 8:00 a.m. - 3 wheelbar-rows for the luggage. Those who were not mak-ing the trek over the mountain would be travelingwith the boat crew to set up camp for the night atUquire. The trail guide (se llama Aristedes) arrivedtogether with a sabanero, his son and two burros.The donkeys were heaven sent, as they took theweight of our back packs for half of the way. Itwas easy walking at the start of the trail on asunny morning. Those in the group who wereheading over to Uquire with the boat crew,walked for about half of an hour and then re-turned to the jetty to board the pirogue. Twounidentified raptors soared above, and many birdcalls were heard, but no visible sign of our feath-

ered friends.

The six hour climb to approximately 3000 ftthrough densely forested areas was fraught withno danger. It became more challenging the higherwe climbed, passing through cloud forest. Redhowler monkeys roared across the airwaves, but



View of the Paria peninsula as seen from MucuroPhoto courtesy Reginald Potter

Overseas Trip

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

15/24

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

16/24



9:00 a.m. We said our goodbyes to Iraima and for

her graciousness and hospitality we collected amonetary contribution from each member to give

to her as a gift.

At 9:15 a.m. we sailed out of the bay, leavingUquire behind us and headed towards Rio Caribeon the western side of the Peninsula, an estimatedfive hour ride. All those who needed to takeDramamine, had already done so. The ride washairy, as huge swells rocked the pirogue from sideto side, then up and down. Our capitano handled

it skillfully.

Once again, the vegetation was much the same aswe had seen since our arrival similar to the northcoast of Trinidad. There were some caves in therock face, coconut trees planted at waters edgeand many small coves and beaches some withstructures resembling houses. Frigate birds andpelicans soared overhead. The trees seemed to bea pelican haven, not unlike the sight of nestingscarlet ibis in the Caroni Swamp. Heavy cloudsgrouped themselves behind the mountains. Gullsscreeched and dived, some rested beyond thesurf. The sun hid for a while behind some cloudsin the sky, as we traveled along the coast, inter-spersed with some small and large towns. Mejil-lones, Cacao and Puerto Viejo were some of thesmaller towns. Santa Isabel was a fairly large one

as was San Juan de Unare.

At San Juan de Las Galdonas, we made a pit stopfor bottled water and ice cold refreshments. PuiPuy was another township en route. The town ofPlaya Medina was chosen for the lunch break. Its along beach, also accessible by a vehicle, wherepeople go for the day to picnic with friends andfamily. By now the clouds had dispersed and thesun was out in all its glory. Some of those in ourgroup walked around to check things out. Istayed in the boat shed to dry out. It didnt

make sense because we had to enter the wateragain to board the pirogue. Lunch (almuerzo)consisted of potato salad, stewed turkey, johnnybake, and sliced fresh pineapple for dessert. PlayaMedina was a mere three quarters of an houraway from where our marine expedition was tocome to an end which made this journey a six

hour experience.

We left the ocean and pirogues at Cara Colito tomeet our bus for the next phase of our journey.Hugs and kisses to the crew members (from ladiesonly) were exchanged. We thanked them pro-fusely for keeping us safe at sea, toting our luggageback and forth from the pirogue to our land quar-ters, cooking those delicious meals and dealingwith our every need. We showed our apprecia-tion for their caring and dedication by subbing togive them a decent reward. A kingbird made itspresence felt as we waited outside of a plaza for

our transport to arrive to take us to Rio Caribe!

Part II continue in the next issue of the Quarterly

Bulletin


Setting sail from MucuroPhoto courtesy Reginald Potter

Overseas Trip

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

17/24


On July 12 2007 I made a brief presenta-tion at the ClubsMembers Eveningcon-

cerning a research project of mine onthe creation of a database for cataloguing of Carib-bean Plants. This database is based on photo-graphic slides taken of flowering plants throughoutmy travels for the past 30 years especially within

the eastern Caribbean region.

As an amateur photographer, I have been fasci-nated by the elegance of the plant form in its en-tirety but more so by the shades and delicacy ofthe plants flower. However, what started as an

exercise in aesthetics and photographic artistryhas evolved into one involving both biological andcomputer science. Once I had amassed a sizablecollection of photos to project on to and adornmy living-room wall on evenings I then turned myattention to other details. Firstly, I sought litera-ture (then live experts) to identify specimens. Mycuriosity then extended to finding the edible and

herbal qualities that my specimens possessed.

Secondly, being a formal student of biology (andsubsequently a science teacher) it was not longbefore I sought to classify specimens into familygroups. In fact, in the late 70s / early 80s, as activeshell collectors and amateur malacologists, a smallteam of us in Vancouver (Canada) had worked ondeveloping an extensive phylogenetic tree of thePhylum Mollusca. We went to great lengths tocollect and display local and exotic specimens rep-resenting as many of the existing molluscan fami-lies as were known to still exist. Now being backin the Caribbean with its year-round plethora ofgreenery, I soon sought to develop a similarframework of the plant families represented in mygrowing slide collection. In so doing, one gaugesthe morphological closeness between and withingenetically related taxa as they diverge in group-

ings from genus to family and then to order.

Having come close to scaling the majestic peak of

the phylum Mollusca the second largest animalgrouping and having dabbled a bit in plant diver-

sity from much larger countries (e.g. Canada, Aus-tralia, Zimbabwe, etc), conquering the botanicaldiversity of little Trinidad should be a piece ofcake I thought. How wrong I was! Firstly, I wasmesmerized by how many families existed withinthe Angiosperm Phylum of flowering plants. Sec-ondly, I thought I knew my country well enoughbut was equally mesmerized and fascinated by thevast extent of botanical habitats and diversity ofplant species within our little island. And the situa-tion gets more complex and interesting when one

travels up the Caribbean archipelago.

Hence my early task of constructing a phyloge-netic table with foolscap, pencil and ruler tochart the relations among and between plant spe-cies and their families was soon scuttled by thesheer volume of the specimens at hand. At aboutthe same time the use of computers and school-based computer training became evermore acces-sible and necessary in my teaching career. So be-fore I knew it, I was applying my new computer

skills to my plant project.

Knowing my research interest, one of my tutorssteered me towards the Excelprogram. As distinctfromAccess, a program designed for the database,the Excel program though designed mainly as anaccounting spreadsheet, none-the-less presentedan easily workable format for charting the numer-ous relationships among species. This was espe-cially necessary given the morphological descrip-tions employed for each family and the usage oflengthy text to describe the herbal preparations

used with various species.

I have since become aware of options open to mein charting plant and general taxonomic relation-ships using Access. I have actually gone to greatlengths in transferring my Exceldata into the for-


Cataloguing Caribbean Plants - July 19 2007Reynold Boyce

Lecture Summary

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

18/24


mal database format ofAccess. With the kind assis-

tance and ingenuity of Kim Roberts, a secretaryattached to the National Herbarium of Trinidadand Tobago, I was able to create my phylogeneticframework into Access without having to retypethe entire document. So now I am working on the

project simultaneously in both ExcelandAccess.

However, I have resisted the urging of my morecomputer literate colleagues to work exclusivelyin Access. My defense is that Excelallows the for-mulating of textual detail necessary for clearer

comprehension of the research and generallymakes for a more reader friendly document whenprinted. I have just finished my seventh edition ofExcelprinting which with the incorporation of col-our indicators and appropriate spacings aids in theunderstanding of the botanical names and relation-ships. Yet I continue to rely on my Access docu-ment for quicker retrieval of key facts among

other things. The date headings and their descrip-tions are itemized in the table below and provides

a synopsis of the direction of the research project.

I want to specially thank the support I receivedfrom the management and staff of the NationalHerbarium and in particular Mr. Winston Johnsonfor his tremendous efforts in identifying slides andraw samples some of which were poorly focusedor partly decayed having been taken in adverseconditions. To Dr. Anderson Maxwell, a lecturerin phyto-chemistry at the UWI - St. Augustine,who is always prepared to share some time with

me, combing the internet and scientific journalsfor the latest research on substances/processesdiscovered in some of my photographed species.Some of his loaned and donated books have be-come the backbone on this study. Finally, to theTTFNC especially its current President and Sec-retary for allowing me the opportunity to publi-

cize my study.


Table of catalogue data headings and their description

Cataloguing Caribbean Plants - July 19 2007Reynold Boyce

Data Heading Description

Order the grouping of the various plant families into categories of closest genetic familiarity.

Family Morphology the description of common features/shapes in leaf, flower, root, etc that incorporates various species into a sin-

gular family

Ecological Adaptation the outlaying of climate and habitat ranges/limits within which species in each family could be found

ID Code the tag given to each slide-specimen for quick and easy retrieval

Representatives the stating of biological and common names of each species within the given family

Plant Type the classifying of specimens as tree,shrub or herb; vine, climberor liane; epiphyte or parasite

Habitat the conditions or natural home where a plant could be found growing

Locations the city, town, village, beach or mountain closest to where growth takes place

Country though most specimens are taken from Trinidad, some specimens range from as far north as St. Kitts as well asfrom Jamaica in the west. (I have included a few specimens from Canada, Australia and Zimbabwe to give a

broader and exotic perspective since some families are exclusively temperate or sub-tropical.)

Uses the practices employed with various species over the years. (Some of which, though imbedded in folklore, have

been consistent enough to be repeatedly published).

Origin the ascribing of species to be either native or introducedto the given location. A few were also found to be culti-vated orgarden escapees

Lecture Summary

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

19/24


Why Not FlyVictor C. Quesnel

First Story

On the CFCAs field trip of 15 July 2007

we stopped for a while at an old estatehouse on the east coast road to Bush

Bush. As I sat in my car waiting for the others Iwitnessed the following incident. Just ahead of mefrom the overgrown verge of the road and adultsouthern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) emerged andwalked to the other side. A second lapwing ap-peared, stopped for a moment at the edge andthen followed the first one. About one metre be-hind it a tiny but seemingly fully feathered chickhurried to keep up with it. Why, I wondered, did

they not all fly across? The answer that came tomind was that the chick was too young to fly andthe adults had adapted their mode of progressionto that of the chick. At home later, I checked TheAudubon Society Encyclopaedia of North Ameri-can Birds by John K. Terres for information on theage of first flight of chicks of the northern lapwing(Vanellus vanellus). Here is what I found:Incubation: By both sexes, 24-25 days, sometimesto 27 or 28 days. Young are precocial; swim read-

ily.. About first flight? Nothing, nada, zilch.

Second storyBeetles of all sorts often fall into the wash basin inmy bathroom. They try to crawl up the walls ofthe basin but keep slipping back down. Since thereis no one to say to me get that thing out of thewash basin I can let this little drama go on fordays. Even after four days the beetle may be still at

it but, more likely, it is dead. Why does it not flyout? I have never seen anywhere an answer to this

question. Linked to this is another observation:Beetles falling to the ground on their backs movetheir legs continuously. How long will they remainat it? I dont know, but this is another situation inwhich moving the wings instead of the legs mightmore quickly get the beetle out of its predica-

ment.

My hypothesis is this: moving legs has priority overmoving wings. All beetles go through a larval stageduring which they have legs but no wings. They

then go through a pupal stage during which theygrow wings so in their development legs comebefore wings. Messages are travelling along nervesto the legs before there are nerves going to thewings. My guess is that messages moving along thenerves to the legs inhibit the flow of messagesalong the nerves to the wings. If this is true itmeans that a beetle cant take flight while it walks;

it must stop walking first. Is this true?

On the Bug Groups second trip of 12 August2007 Chris Starr caught a small (1 cm) bright bluechrysomelid beetle. After we had all examined andadmired it he placed it on the hood of the car wewere standing close to. It walked along the hoodfor about 15 cm, stopped for about half a second

and then flew off.

Score 1 in the true column.

Feature

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

20/24


In 1975 Charles Turpin jnr purchased two Blueand Yellow Macaws and released them at hishome at the Charlotteville Estate. Feeding ta-

bles were erected and were regularly maintainedin close proximity to the beach cottages at Char-

lotteville.

It was a happy coincidence that the birds were apair and they subsequently bred in nest boxes

provided and subsequently in nearby palm trees.The population increased to 11 birds and theywere later joined by a possible escapee. The

twelve birds were so unafraid of humans that theycould often be seen perched on the mast heads ofyachts at anchor in the bay. Unfortunately thesebirds were shot possibly by a villager whomTurpin had reported to the Authorities for hunt-

ing in the Close Season.

At present (May 2007) two Blue and Yellow Ma-caws may be seen at Pillar Hill, the high area above

both Speyside and Charlotteville.

13th June, 2007

Blue and Yellow Macaws of Charlotville

Ian Lambie

At approximately 6.10 a.m. on the 9th Au-gust 2007 I observed a strange looking

bird on a Bottlebrush Tree in my garden.Shortly after it flew to a bird bath and remainedthere for about ten minutes, constantly with itsbeak in the water as if searching for something. Itthen flew to the ground, at which time I left whereI was sitting and getting hold of my ffrenchs AGuide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago I was able

to identify the bird from the Plate IV, as a SpottedRail, Rallus maculatus, and on reading on page 127,

I realized that it was an immature bird and spot-ting it so far up in the St Anns Valley was an un-usual and perhaps unique occurrence, as ffrenchstates that it is rare, and are usually found in fresh

water marshes.Ian JardineAug 25th 2007

Spotted Rail in St. Anns ValleyIan Jardine Nature Note

Nature Note

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

21/24


Alyssa Gomes

Hello fellowField Natural-ists! Im

Alyssa Gomes, the jun-ior member on yourmanagement commit-tee. Im 18 years oldand Im in Upper 6

Business in St. JosephsConvent, Port of Spain.

I first became interested in hiking just over a yearago when I found myself yearning to do more than

just stay at home reading, and to go places otherthan just Movie Towne. So, when a member ofthis club, Nicholas See Wai, began telling meabout it, and the hikes hed been on lately, I wasimmediately eager to join, and I proceeded to bega couple of my friends, Brandon and Damian, to

come with me.

The first trip we went on was in September lastyear when the club went to Chert Hill in the Cen-tral Range. Usually, nothing can get me out of mybed on a Sunday morning but that Sunday I wokeup before the sun did, leaping out of bed with theenergy one would expect from a child who hasrecently been given permission to eat all the candy

she wants. The hike was tiring for my recentlyrealized, incredibly unfit body, but I still loved it.All the members were friendly and welcoming, andI quickly felt at ease with the group. They werealso very knowledgeable it was great to hear Dan

Jaggernauth and anyone else who had anything tosay talk about all the birds, plants, flowers and

such that Id never seen or heard about before.

In May, even the upcoming Unit 1 CAPE examscould not keep me away from the club. I beggedmy parents to let me go on the weekend trip toTobago, even though exams were scheduled forthe following Friday. I went, and Ill never forgetthe people I met, and when we drank river waterhigh up in the Bloody Bay River (Yea it wasntreally bloody, the water was really clear andfresh), or when we took a wet, bumpy boat touraround St. Giles island. It also seems as though

the trip worked in my favour as a stress relieveras I ended up doing very well in the exams.

Ive grown to love the club and its members and Ilook forward to going on as many more hikes as

possible, not just with anyone, but with this club.

In this issue we showcase young Alyssa Gomes, one of our junior members . Alyssa tells us about herself

and her reasons for joining the Club. Take it away Alyssa.

.Well that sums it up.

Are you one of our junior members? What to have a say on the environment., a spot to air yourthoughts. Then submit your article for publication in this our new junior feature section. Every quarter

we

Junior Feature

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

22/24


Upcoming EventsMembership Management Notices

Members are asked to take note of the following lectures: October 11 2007

Trinidad Hikes - Heather Dawn Herreira

November 08 2007Ramsar Sites / ESA - Nadra Nathai-Gyan

Monthly Meetings & Lectures

Members are asked to take note of the following trips: October 14 2007

Birding Group - Paramin Hills

October 20 2007Botany Group - Morne LEnfer Forest / Rousillac Swamp

October 28 2007Club Trip - Chacachacare

November 11 2007Birding Group - Moruga

November 25 2007Club Trip - Matelot (overnight)

Field Trips

The Club warmly welcomes the following new and returning members:Junior memberPaul Chan-Chow

Ordinary memberChristopher Charles, Jordanna Jobbity, Angelique Bruce, Dwayne Burris, Laurence Scott, Jenny Scott

New and Returning Members

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

23/24


VolunteersPublications

The following Club publications are available to members and non-members:

The TTFNC

Trail GuideMembers =

TT$200.00

The Native

Trees of T&T2nd EditionMembers =

TT$100.00

Living World Journal 2007

Living World Journal back issuesMembers price = free

Living world

Journal 1892-1896 CDMembers =

TT$175.00

Volunteers are required to assist in the following: Typing of an index for the Quarterly Bulletin covering 16 issues for the period 1986 to 1988.

Provision of the following missing copies of the Naturalist Magazine for the Club Library:- 1976 Vol.1

No 5; 1981 Vol.3 No. 9 and 1987 Vol.6 No. 12.

Becoming a part of the newly formed Environmental Group. Interested persons are asked to contact

the Secretary.

Assisting the Club in finding a permanent location to conduct our business and house our historic re-

cords and materials

VOLUNTEERS/ASSISTANCE

PUBLICATIONS

MISCELLANEOUS

The Greenhall Trust

Started in 2005, in memory ofElizabeth and Arthur Greenhall,dedicated artist and zoologist

respectively, the Trust offersfinancial assistance to aspiringartists and biologists (in areasof flora and fauna) in Trinidadand Tobago. Full details are

available on their website:http://www.greenhallstrust-

wi.org/link.htm

Club Polo Jerseys

Available Sizes:medium

Colours:Kahki and green

Costs:TT$50.00

Thank you

To John Morrall for donating acopy of The Butterflies of Trini-dad and Tobago by Malcolm

Barcant

To Stephen Smith for locatingmissing copies of the Naturalist

magazine

Management Notices

8/14/2019 QB 2007-3 final

24/24

Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists ClubP.O. Box 642, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS

Guidelines for Articles and Field trip reports:

Font Type: Times New RomanFont Size: 12 pointMaximum Length: 1,750 words (approx. 3 pages unformatted)Photos: JPEG, BMP, PICT, TIFF, GIF

Do NOT place images into the word processing files.

Submit to any of the following:[email protected], or any member of the Management Committee.

Deadline for submission of articles for the 4th Quarter 2007 issue of the Bulletin isDecember 3, 2007. Please note that all field trip reports for this quarter must be in by the deadline.

Documents

QB 2007-3 final