A Trip Down Memory Lane Uncovers Some Uneasy Truths

History informs the present, and some time ago while rummaging through my email inbox I came across a trip report from one of the first birding trips I ever conducted. At that embryonic stage of my career as a birding guide, I was entirely reliant upon referrals to get rolling. Looking at the review, fond memories came rushing back, then a stark "wait nah" moment - followed by the gradual realisation of what it means to be a Trinbagonian.

The year was 2013, and my friend Bill Murphy firmly recommended me as a guide to a couple of keen birders. I had randomly met Bill at Asa Wright Nature Centre some years prior, where we had a lengthy discussion about Hepatic Tanagers. From then we struck up a friendship, Bill would later graciously pen the foreword for my first book Casual Birding in Trinidad & Tobago; he and I currently serve on the T&T Birds Status & Distribution Committee.

On that trip, we packed up in my 2006 (I think?) Suzuki Jimny and bounced around the island for a few days, visiting a combination of established and novel sites. They spent nights in Pointe-a-Pierre, potentially opening a new chapter in birding tourism in T&T. I was hoping that we'd have a safe and joyous time, filled with birds and food - an ethos that persists through the present. Fundamentally, I - nor the tours I run - haven't changed. They've become more efficient, I continue to learn more about the birds and their habitats, and I've become a marginally better photographer.

I don't recall the exact moment when I read this for the first time, but surely I can imagine how I felt thrilled to know that my efforts were appreciated this much, and that I was checking all the right boxes to embark upon a fascinating new career as a birding guide. Reading this, it seems as if the clients are describing a prodigy, a person who brought something fresh and much needed to the table - and certainly a person with a bright future as a birding guide in T&T.

Well, that hasn't really panned out. Though I have tried to wrestle with the entire industry, attempting to spread it wider, enlisting more varied accommodations, restaurants, and private estates, I have come to realise that here lies a reluctant beast. I've tried to make information about birds and birding freely available, even inviting other birding guides to be a part of the platform. People remained wary, despite not having to pay for the free advertising. In Casual Birding there is a list of birding guides with their contact information. I did not even list myself there - such has been my principles of growing the industry, which would in turn (theoretically, at least) benefit the conservation of the wild spaces where these birds can be found.

The reality at hand dictates another unfortunate, oft-repeated story of missed opportunities in T&T. Maybe some people thought I was aiming at total domination of the market - misinformed clearly as my actions outlined in the previous paragraph describe the opposite narrative. Who knows what the reasons are? Presently, I am booked for a single T&T trip this year, the rest of my scheduled trips are not in this country. Birders continue to flock to our bountiful isles each year, arriving in droves with high hopes from November through June. They tirelessly complain about long days and fickle itineraries. I see them come, I see them go. I see the infrastructure creaking under the weight of simultaneous tour groups. I see people peddling AI-engineered authenticity, others unashamedly copying and pasting. Everyone wants their hands on the prize, whatever that prize is - unaware that spreading it is the only worthwhile way to encourage growth. We wonder why the brain drain is flourishing yet we continue squandering homegrown potential.

I've omitted the names of the clients for privacy reasons, but here's the full report:

Hi Bill,

You deserve a report on our T&T trip as you helped us make it happen!!  I’ll make it short but we did have a great time with a variety of experiences, many thanks to you.

You gave us the name of Faraaz Abdool and he is topnotch!  After meeting him and several other guides, **** and I agree he was our favorite.  Faraaz is very considerate,

an safe and excellent driver, laid back, fun and a good conversationalist besides being knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  He spent a lot of time with us emailing prior to the trip

and did some advance exploring to get well acquainted with the areas he was to take us.  We enjoyed his comfortable pace as we explored together.  He used his telephoto

camera lens to capture a bird’s image it, enlarged it and shared it with us without using binoculars.  In a rare instance, if he wasn’t absolutely certain of an identification, we would

search it together with his photo.  He knows the places to find the birds, their calls and their habits.  We were happy to just watch some behavior and not hurry on to find another bird.  We wanted to check out the southwestern portion of Trinidad around San Fernando (where Faraaz lives) and he knows some fine birding places plus he shared some of the local culture and food which we wanted.  One of his best virtues is his honesty – really humble, accommodating and comfortable to be with.  He customized the tour to fit our desires as we

were his only participants so that made it special for us.

We found a fine place to stay in the Petrotrin complex – Petrea Place - and introduced that nice spot and the people who run it to Faraaz.  He knows the area well as the Wild Fowl

Trust preserve is in that complex and he and his family have been members for generations, but he didn’t know about the nice guest house there.  We also enjoyed AWNC and Cuffie River plus we added Castara on the north coast of Tobago for a small village experience which helped us to see another aspect of the islands – very worthwhile!

I am copying this to Faraaz as I have had only a brief chance to share our gratitude to him in a short text soon after our trip.  We would recommend him to anyone looking for a fine

guide.  So, Faraaz, please let this note to Bill Murphy also serve as a our letter of appreciation to you.  We gratefully acknowledge your valuable time in advance preparation and

all our email correspondence as well as the enjoyable time we spent together on Trinidad.

And, Bill, thank you for your generous time and expertise as we researched our options and prepared for our trip.  We hope you are feeling well with a healthy future ahead!

Best regards,

****** and ****

Here are some of the images from those few days as well: