right place! Set in the garden
of Dr. and Mrs. Theo
Ferguson’s home, hundreds,
maybe
thousands
of
hummingbirds darted back
and forth. Of the seventeen
species, sixteen are found in
Trinidad while there is only
one in Tobago. If you are
lucky, you will find one type
in the Nariva Swamp on the
east coast and another in the
marshlands
of
south
Trinidad. If you are especially
vigilant and don’t blink, you
may spot a third type of the
hummingbird somewhere
about the island. Fortunately,
thirteen of the species can
be found at Yerette- an
Amerindian word meaning
hummingbird.
The overcast skies brought a
downpour of hummingbirds.
We walked out onto the
patio to a live show
complete
with
aerial
acrobatics. Jewelled wings
flapped at approximately 25200 beats per second
creating a buzzing sound
which silenced us for a few
moments. Tiny avian gems
darted between bird feeders
in the afternoon sunshine.
The garden was a bird lover’s
paradise.
Hummingbirds
represent
freedom and they certainly
proved it as they flew free
around the open garden. Bird
houses, feeders and flowers
were all at their disposal and
set up to encourage their
return. With daily free meals
and accommodation, I too
would make this place my
oasis. If only I could sprout
wings and fly.
We were up close and in awe
of these gems. These
majestic birds, with their
iridescent
bodies,
challenged our vision at
times. They are the fastest
Photograper- Maria Pantin