Mark Gibson's Green Photography
Photos and videos from my travels and work related to animal welfare, conservation, sustainable development, and more.
19/05/2024
Buenos Aires on a sunny day ☀️ 🇦🇷 🖼
14/10/2023
An effort in self-portraiture. In coffee, I am often found.
06/11/2022
Tobago Carnival (1 of 2)
I had an amazing time playing pretty mas in Tobago’s first independent Carnival celebration. I was happy to join Tracey () and Jere (.jere) in celebrating with Fog Angels () and Tempo Networks ().
The energy of the revelers was fantastic. People of all ages and communities were out to share in the vibes and their love for Tobago.
As ever, I took way too many photos, so I’ll put up another post in a little bit. Here’s looking forward to next year!
06/11/2022
Tobago Carnival (2 of 2)
I had an amazing time playing pretty mas in Tobago’s first independent Carnival celebration. I was happy to join Tracey () and Jere (.jere) in celebrating with Fog Angels () and Tempo Networks ().
The energy of the revelers was fantastic. People of all ages and communities were out to share in the vibes and their love for Tobago.
As ever, I took way too many photos, so I’ll put up another post in a little bit. Here’s looking forward to next year!
14/09/2022
The Caroni Bird (and Cat) Sanctuary
The world-class Caroni Bird Sanctuary is now home to 200 or more cats that actively hunt throughout this important mangrove ecosystem.
As a conservationist and animal welfare advocate, I find this to be one of the hardest issues to consider. On the one hand, I am acutely aware of how harmful cats can be to bird life. The Caroni Swamp provides habitat for 190 or more bird species, including the national bird, the Scarlet Ibis. Yet by one estimate, a feral cat kills 23 to 46 birds annually. This means the Caroni cats may kill between 5,000 and 10,000 birds a year.
On the other hand, there is evident kindness in providing sanctuary for the many cats of Caroni. The area is a popular dumping ground for unwanted kittens in a country where rates of feline spays and neuters are quite low. Local welfare activists provide daily food at certain gathering points, and some activists have gone so far as to spay and neuter some of the animals.
Meanwhile, in recent years, some local people concerned about the swamp have taken to poisoning the cats. Yet this has caused further harm to wildlife as poisoned carcasses are eaten by wildlife, resulting in secondary poisonings. Others have advocated for these cats to be caged and euthanized, but this has led to threats of violence by persons who have already gone to great lengths to care for these animals. As a result, the Swamp managers have not intervened.
These animals could be rounded up and dealt with humanely if money were no object. Some of the cats are clearly socialized for human interaction, so they might be put in homes. Other cats are clearly feral and could never be kept as household pets. A long-term “cattery” could be set up for such animals, which might live up to 18 years. But of course, money is a very real constraint.
Maybe one day the resources will be found or a hard choice will be made. For now, at least, the issue continues to play out as a clash of cats and birds and values and communities.
A White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis) takes a rest on a clothes line after several stormy days in northeast Tobago.
Though I prefer sunnier days, the recent tropical waves have let me reacquaint myself with the beauty of precipitation. Fogs and clouds roll through. The sun's rays refract and diffuse brightly at unexpected hours. Mango collection is soggy but quick. And several of our most special Tobago creatures have come to stay for a bit.
The White-tailed Sabrewing is the largest hummingbird in Tobago, weighing up to 10 grams, and it certainly uses that size to control "territory" around the feeder. It is found only in NE Venezuela and Tobago, and was thought to have become extinct in T&T after Hurricane Flora in 1963. It's usually found at higher elevations, but many folks near sea-level in NE Tobago are used to seeing them at feeders.
As ever, much love to Tracey for making friends with all the best critters.
The Green-rumped Parrotlet
A favorite and occasional visitor to my "dissertation writing nook" here in NE Tobago is this Green-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus passerinus).
Apart from their beauty, the species is really interesting/complicated for wildlife management in the Southern Caribbean. It is hunted throughout its range as a pet parrot and though it is listed as "least concern" by the IUCN, the populations really aren't well monitored. Some experts even perceive substantial declines in some parts of their range.
A lot of this hunting also occurs illegally. For instance, in T&T, a glue made of native "gama" berries is commonly used to sticky trap these parrotlets, yet this method is prohibited by law due to the trauma it can inflict. And in nearby Venezuela, hunters rarely if ever have the required permits.
And on top of all this, the Green-rumped Parrotlet is conceivably a "flagship species" for animal welfare issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Back in the 2010s, this Southern Caribbean parrot was the first of all parrot species found to use "individual vocal recognition," or what we humans call "names." This research also eventually revealed that such names are given by parents to their chicks.
For me this one always gets me. Should an animal that names its young really be one so easily stuck in a cage? Shouldn't there at least be safeguards to ensure they are well kept? Meanwhile, most if not all parrot species likely share this cognitive feature, and parrots are one of the most common types of pets in the LAC region.
So here's much love for the Green-rumped Parrotlet. I hope we'll be spending a little more time together.
As the Cocrico Crows
Here is much appreciation for Northeast Tobago, a special place celebrating a special day. It is the official inauguration of the "North-East Tobago Biosphere Reserve" under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. That's really a BIG DEAL because it will give the region access to funding and resources to be a 'learning laboratory for sustainable development.'
After just a little while staying here, I can say that it is truly a special place. The creature life is a lot of fun to explore, the forest scenes are stunning, the fresh caught fish is delicious, and there are plenty of sleepy beaches. And of course, there is a pretty unique morning and evening forest soundscape.
The Corcrio crows, the Barred Antshrike trills between choruses, and the Atlantic waves crash in the background.
17/05/2022
I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out about our missing dogs.
Admittedly, it is a 39th birthday I could have done without, but it has meant a lot to learn how many people care and have offered to help. Importantly, we’ve gotten tips that our dogs may still be captive in the area and we are hopeful we will see them again.
If anyone knows any hunters in Tobago, even distantly, then I, Tracey ), and our neighbors ask you to share these pics of our three dogs. It’s possible they may be offered for sale somewhere farther away than Englishman’s Bay, so we hope to get the word out.
Our numbers are: 467-3829 / 493-9886
25/04/2022
My daily alarm clock, the ‘cocrico’ aka ‘rufous-vented chachalaca,’ is one of two national birds in Trinidad and Tobago.
Though it can’t quite compete in beauty with the other national bird, the scarlet ibis, it does offer its charms. Found all over Tobago, including the NE Tobago Biosphere Reserve, its calls are part of the the island’s acoustic landscape. And every so often, the cocrico will share with you a quiet flash of color as it glides from one tree to another.
Sadly, the cocrico is also much misunderstood and mistreated. It’s populations have ballooned with the loss of predator species like red-tailed boa and black hawk. As a result, they are killed indiscriminately by farmers and sport hunters. That’s not quite as sustainable or kind of a solution as helping to bring back the species that would control populations naturally.
A green iguana (Iguana iguana) gives a display of dominance and a salty sneeze in western Tobago.
The green iguana is one of the largest and most widely dispersed land reptiles in the world. It grows up to 1.7m in length and its native range extends from Bolivia to Mexico to Montserrat. It has also been introduced as widely as the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific and the Canary Islands in the eastern Atlantic.
I most love seeing these lizards basking in the sun in their native Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately, cruel and near incessant hunting of them occurs in spite of their being rules again animal cruelty and a hunting season. Once caught, many green iguanas will have their legs bound behind their backs, typically leading to joint dislocation, and they may stay that way for days before being butchered.
Shooting a few clips of this iguana caught the attention of a family and so I let the kids watch the back screen. "Wow, it looks like a nature show, it's so pretty," said one. Too bad a parent followed up: "Mmm, but have you ever eaten one? We could cook that one up real nice." Here's hoping the younger generation can hold on to that sense of wonder.
And one more featuring a slightly more regal bathing Trinidad Mot Mot.
P.S. Thanks FB to limiting me to one video a post 🙂
And our Trinidad Mot Mot friend was not alone. Here’s another video of the next Mot Mot really shaking their tail feathers.
A Trinidad Mot Mot enjoys a mid-day rain in the Northeast Tobago Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
This endemic species can only be found in Trinidad and Tobago, and contrary to its name, is far more common in Tobago.
I really enjoyed seeing this bathing behavior as Mot Mots are usually so calm and collected. Yet here a group of at least four birds sat out in full view, shaking away, not having a care in the world.
A red-crowned woodpecker drops by for a sip of water at an African Tulip and the cocricos call in the distance. Just another morning in Englishman's Bay in the Northeast Tobago Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
The African tulip is widely invasive in the Caribbean because of its showy flowers. It grows and spreads rapidly and supplants native trees. And yet, the local birds show that "invasive" is a complicated construct. Daily, I'll see at least five species use the tulips as a source of water, and the cocricos themselves often start their mornings with a meal of petals.
27/03/2022
A Red Howler by any name…is still a glorious sight. But did you know we still don’t quite know what to call this howler pictured here in Trinidad’s Bamboo Cathedral?
Official taxonomic records indicate this is a subspecies of Colombian Howler (Alouatta seniculus insulanus), but if you ask the local naturalist community and the database, this here is in fact a Guianan Howler (Alouatta macconnelli). That matters quite a bit from a legal perspective, as the government is now creating rules to protect the native howlers. But if we can’t get the species right, it’s likely that regulations established for A. s. insulanus will fall flat in a court of law.
Feeling the howl of the wild 🐒 🎋 👀
A Red-tailed Squirrel gets to the center of a palm nut near Englishman's Bay. 🐿 🌰 🇹🇹
Writing my diss pretty intensely these days, I spend a strange amount of time with the critters of the forest around me. That includes this brilliant squirrel who is often exploring a tree around the house.
The video starts after about 6 mins of gnawing away at his chosen nut. It seems like a lot of work, but the squirrel was sure unbothered. A scratch, a flip around the branch, all part of the usual adventure.
Do the dewlap, feel the flow. A Grenada Tree Anole makes its home in NE Tobago.🦎 🇹🇹
This is a sea turtle graveyard.
I recently had the distressing experience of finding an active sea turtle graveyard while hiking in NE Tobago. It is a shocking thing to find as a nature lover and conservationist, and yet I think this must be something we share about if we are ever to protect these incredible creatures.
Consider that the Hawksbill Turtle first shown in the video is a critically endangered species, and the area in which I found it is inside a newly established UNESCO biosphere reserve. Consider also that sea turtles are protected with hefty fines under local law, and sea turtle watching is a major ecotourism draw for the island. Yet in spite of all this, just about anyone here will tell you that eating sea turtle meat is pretty common here.
As local conservationist Pat Turpin explains, there is a serious disconnect between local practice and law enforcement. “Closed season and open season mean nothing here, and we’ve now had twenty-five years of sea turtle education. So what’s the answer?”
The pandemic, meanwhile, has only made the situation worse as bellies go empty, restrictions limit patrol activities, and NGO’s budgets dry up. Turpin herself now even has to intervene to stop poachers in Charlotteville, at the far northeast point of the island. “It happens in front of our eyes now. If it weren’t for the occasional acts of conscience by lifeguards and myself, then these turtles would not survive.”
So what can be done to stop this? After talking to quite a few people locally, here’s what I’ve been told: 1) provide public funding, 2) establish comprehensive monitoring, and 3) leverage technology. Noticeably, there is no direct public funding for turtle patrol groups in Tobago, yet this is a resource upon which tourism depends, and at least in theory, the T&T Green Fund exists to fund this sort of thing. Meanwhile, only a few important turtle beaches are ever patrolled in Tobago, and new tools like drones and camera traps can now help patrollers do a lot more with a lot less.
As for this specific graveyard, well, the authorities sent someone to check the area, but not much can be done when no one is caught in the act.
The Yellow-legged Thrush (Turdus flavipes) is one of my favorite birds to hear in Tobago’s historic Main Ridge Forest Reserve.
The call of the male thrush can be quite melodic, and reportedly can incorporate mimicry of other birds, though it’s disputed if this occurs in Tobago. I also really love how the sub-species found here is almost all-black, making it look more like a Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula), rather than the more standard slate-grey of the species.
One thing about bird photography that has always disappointed me is that it does not let you really appreciate how amazing these creatures can sound. Thankfully, apps like Headliner now put combined audio and photo within reach of just about anyone with an IG or FB account.
So what do you think? Should we try for more combined photo + audio posts on birds?
31/10/2021
Conservation marketing is a fast growing field, but it’s been around for quite a few decades at this point.
Here in the Caribbean, in fact, the genre was pretty much created by Paul Butler and his colleagues in their quest to save the St. Lucian parrot in the late 1970s. This parrot was ultimately featured on billboards, bumper stickers, newspaper inserts, hats, comics, and more! And it worked, the parrot received a range of new protections and has rebounded in population size.
In Tobago, meanwhile, I haven’t been able to find much historical evidence of conservation marketing. But there’s one important exception: Campy the White-tailed Sabrewing Hummingbird. So named for its scientific name (Campylopterus ensipennis), it is a source of local pride and conservation attention. This bird is “endemic” only to Tobago and a small range in Venezuela, and was in fact once thought locally extinct due to Hurricane Flora in 1963 before later rebounding in numbers.
I drive by the sign often, and I always like seeing its weathered messaging along a busy corner of the North Side Road to Castara. It’s as if it says, “this can be done, this can last, this can make a difference.” So here’s some gratitude for the marketers who have come before, and to hoping for many more sightings of Campy and conservation marketing in action!
15/09/2021
A Grenada Tree Anole (Anolis richardii) relaxes in the midday shade of a palm tree in the seaside village of Castara, Tobago. 🦎 📷 🇹🇹
Anole lizards, as I have come to learn, are pretty important in the study of evolution in the Caribbean. Research shows that anoles can adapt into distinct “ecomorphs” to occupy distinct habitat zones in a relatively short amount of time. Thus, where you might expect a “trunk-ground anole” in Puerto Rico to be related to a similar looking “trunk-ground anole” in nearby Cuba, such anoles are more often closely related to very different looking ecomorphs on their same islands. Remarkably, one experiment even produced visible changes in anoles within a few years after introducing them to uninhabited islands with different habitats (sorry, anoles!). 🏝️
Typically, this hobby also has me reflecting upon my own life. I think this picture really says a lot about some positive “adaptation” for this “hooman.” The picture was taken on my camera and lens set up, on a subject and at a vantage point I had picked out, yet it was my girlfriend - the incredible - who took the time to stop, wait, and adjust the settings for a far better photo than I sure can take. We both had a laugh when we realized that we’d jointly created a share-worthy image. 🙏
This also has me remembering an excellent book by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi as I consider my evolution as an individual. It sort of argues that if we create the right habits and “habitat,” that we can grow into better versions of our “selves.” The trick is just to find ways to adhere. Maybe Mihalyi should have also explored inter-species psychology? 🌀
So here’s to evolution both big and small, and a big thanks to Tracey for her beautiful eye and camera talent. If you want to learn more about anoles, I highly recommend the Lizard’s Tale series on YouTube and the “anolis ecomorphs” entry on Wikipedia. Mihalyi’s book is called The Evolving Self, and his other books are great too, but less far less sociological 🖖
29/06/2021
A mesmerizing Tiger Rat Snake (Spilotes pullatus) traverses an ancient tropical rainforest in the North-East Tobago Biosphere Reserve. In the months since we first met, I've really come to marvel at this snake, both as a species and as an important conservation “asset” in the Southeast Caribbean.
This “Clibo”—as it is sometimes known locally—can grow large, up to a whopping 3m or more in length, and it has the spectacular ability to hold much of its body rigid to traverse through the trees. This special ability is also used as part of a “ritual combat” in courtship. That is, to impress a female, two males will entwine their bodies as they attempt to keep their heads upright and higher than the other. The snake will also actively defend itself when escape is not possible. This includes puffing up its neck to several times its size, flicking its tongue, vibrating its tail, and biting if need be.
What’s more, the Tiger Rat Snakes in T&T are rather special members of the species. The Clibo can be almost entirely black with very little, if any, yellow on its body. Compare that with other Tiger Rat Snakes on mainland Central and South America. As you can see, individuals documented in Mexico (pic 5) and Argentina (pic 6) through iNaturalist.org have the “tiger stripes” for which the species is more commonly named. This once again makes me wish for an IUCN Caribbean Red List, and maybe an intensive genetics research program to go with it!
So here's to the Tiger Rat Snake for being an incredible snake ambassador! Also, a big thanks to the ever adventurous for being a great trail partner, and to the ever knowledgeable for the herpetological guidance!
P.S. The venom of the Tiger Rat Snake is not harmful to humans. And please, just leave this snake alone if you see it in the wild or near your home!
Credits:
📷 5: luis_diaz-gamboa via iNaturalist
📷 6: carlossch via iNaturalist
A Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and the greater North-East Tobago Biosphere Reserve.
I always enjoy encountering these birds in the forest. The male's alternating black and white bars strikingly announce themselves when you first catch sight. And the song is an exciting 'chuckle' that rapidly ascends and grows in intensity before descending to an emphatic final note.
Though the Barred Antshrike is wide-ranging across Latin America, it is found on only a few Caribbean islands, including Trinidad, Tobago, and Margarita Island. In Tobago, there is a notable subspecies (T. d. tobagensis), first described in 1917, that has somewhat "whiter whites" and "darker darks" on lower parts.
With the state of emergency here in T&T, I've been learning a lot more about online bird song repositories. The citizen science project Xeno-canto has been a particularly inspiring resource to explore all sorts of calls. As of 2021, the database has over 600k recordings for more than 10k species!
The only downside? I now really wonder if I can do justice to singing birds through photography alone. What do you think, should I create more photo-audio composites like this in the future?
🎵Credit: Dan Lane, XC462246, from nearby Speyside, Tobago
16/06/2021
A fisherman prepares fresh cuts of Rainbow Runner (Elagatis bippinulata) on a Saturday afternoon in Parlatuvier, Tobago.
Around the world, small-scale fisheries (SSFs) produce 2/3's of all fish for direct human consumption while accounting for much as 90% of all fishing livelihoods. And though not all SSFs will be sustainable in the long-run (e.g., conch fisheries), a great many SSFs offer pathways to continued coastal development and poverty alleviation.
If you don't recognize the species, Rainbow Runner is locally known as "Salmon." It also goes by many other names across its immense range in tropical and subtropical seas, including Hawaiian Salmon, Rainbow Yellowtail, Salmon del Alto, and Spanish Jack.
Many thanks also go to Porridge from for the gift of a few delicious cuts. 🙏🐟🇹🇹
31/05/2021
A family of Tropical Mockingbirds (Mimus gilvus) recently invited me into their home in Northeast Tobago 🇹🇹🐥🐦✨
At first, I didn't really notice the birds nesting just off my porch. But as a single baby hatched, peeped and peeped, and grew and grew, I couldn't resist watching (and photographing) during writing breaks.
I have been really impressed by Mom and Dad's vigilance for threats, and they are even quite aggressive when a neighborhood cat comes around. As for me, they have been tolerant if not even a little friendly at times. Dad especially likes to sit near me on the porch during his afternoon territorial calls.
Unlike other mockingbird species, the Tropical Mockingbird does often mimic the calls of other birds, but notes they have been observed to mimic a few species, including the Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis).
The population in Trinidad and Tobago also represents an identified sub-species (M. g. tobagensis) that has darker grey on its upper parts and more extensive white on its wing coverts and tail.
Now just three weeks since inviting me in, the little baby has now grown and left the nest to fledge in a nearby bush. Mom and dad still keep busy with cat patrol and feeding their "teenager" as he learns some important new lessons. Apparently, the young sometimes stick around to help care for the next brood, so I'll be watching out as the friendly neighbor.
23/04/2021
Here's an upcoming opportunity learn more about preventing harm in traded parrots!
Join us to learn how to prevent harm and promote health in captive parrots in Trinidad and Tobago! 🚫🦜🩺🤒
The Nurture Nature Campaign and the Trinidad and Tobago Veterinary Association present a webinar with Dr. Kavita Sant of the Exotic Pets Plus Veterinary Clinic in Couva, Trinidad.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9016188560710/WN_e4rQRex-TICyRF28SpHpww
22/03/2021
Maybe we all just need a good lily pad to lay our heads. A juvenile Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) relaxes in the lower pond of Corbin Local Wildlife Park in Tobago. 🐊 ☀️ 💤
13/03/2021
Videos (show all)
