Main Ridge Forest Reserve
rapso imaging
The Main Ridge is the backbone of Tobago, a spine that runs across two thirds of its surface to a height of 876m (1,890ft). This 14,000-acre reserve, protected since 1776 and the oldest in the western hemisphere, is home to 210 species of birds, including the rare white-tailed sabrewing hummingbird, which is endemic to Tobago. Venezuela is the only other place in the world where it is found. One third of the birds that nest here are endemic, as is the ocellated gecko, which is not found anywhere else in the world. The reserve’s 10,000 acres of evergreen rain forest have been designated by UNESCO as being of Outstanding Universal Value. You can drive through the reserve. If you want to walk through, the most famous of the trails starts at Gilpin Trace (5km). You may spot yellow sugar birds, blue-backed manakins, red and green-collared trogons, white-necked thrushes, motmots (they nest in clay), great black hawks, and a range of other wildlife (a dozen mammals, two dozen non-poisonous snake species, and 16 lizard species), and get a chance to splash in beautiful waterfalls. The Gilpin trail is fantastic as a family outing. Small children will enjoy learning about the rain forest. The hike is easy and you can rent rubber boots if it’s muddy and wet. Other popular treks are the Atlantic, Blue Copper, and Niplig trails.
Crested oropendola nests
Just about everywhere you go, you will see up in the branches of tall trees the hanging nests of the crested oropendola or cornbird (pictured below). These architectural wonders are painstakingly woven with vines and banana fibres. The nests can be 3–6ft long. The birds live in colonies, so you may see more than a dozen of these nests in one tree. The female takes 9–11 days to make her nest. The male will watch her work, and if he doesn’t like what he sees, he tears it apart so she has to start again...
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