DESPITE CONNIE’S RESEARCH AND IAN’S E-bird beta, birding on St. Vincent was even more disappointing than Granada. Samuel charged us the going rate for a round-trip from the harbor to the Parrot Sanctuary — $120 including 3 hours of waiting time. When only a few ships arrive each week of the six-month season, everyone has to make hay while they can.
Connie and I trudged up the muddy Vermont (Green Mountain) Trail behind Ian, stopping often as he called this bird and that. By the time we reached the Parrot Lookout in the rainforest, the groups from the ship had arrived from the other direction. They had been on the easier trail while we wasted time calling birds in the old plantation.
We heard a pair of St. Vincent parrots — Connie and Ian actually got a glimpse of them. But not moi! In fact, the only photos I took other than plants was of a common house wren.
