TOP 10 SPECIES
Top 10 lists are voted upon by the participants at the completion of
each tour.
BELIZE and GUATEMALA
January 5-14, 2004
By Mike Haldeman, Tour Leader
As soon as there was enough light the lifers started rolling in on our first morning at Hidden Valley Inn. Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Rusty Sparrow, and Yellow-tailed and Yellow-backed Orioles demanded food from the staff as Laughing Falcons performed a duet on the edge of the lodge clearing. Before breakfast, we heard a single Spotted Wood-Quail in the thick vegetation near the creek along the entrance road. Placing ourselves in good position on a straight stretch of trail we coaxed the bird into view and had incredible looks as this difficult bird raised and lowered its bright rufous crest.
Hidden Valley is an excellent base to explore the Mountain Pine Ridge’s spectacular scenery. Modestly monikered Thousand Foot Falls (it actually drops 1600 feet) plummets off the pine-oak plateau into the humid depths of the lowland rainforest. While admiring this view our attention was regularly drawn to the Golden-hooded Tanagers inspecting the brush around us. At one point we noticed a small flock of birds foraging quietly in the Caribbean Pines above. Upon closer inspection we saw their conspicuously crossed bills--Red Crossbills in Belize! From the equally picturesque King Vulture Falls we watched the resident pair of Orange-breasted Falcons slice the air below as the King Vultures soared above, preparing to descend on their well-named roost.
Our day trip to Caracol will be remembered for the birds as well as the adventure. The only route to Belize’s largest Maya ruin is a bumpy dirt road and the rains of the past few days had rendered it an unrecognizable soupy swath of mud through the otherwise undisturbed rainforest. With four- wheel drive and Israel’s driving experience, we made it to the site with great views of Rufous-breasted Spinetail and Dusky Antbird along the way. From Caracol’s highest temple we spotted a Crane Hawk and a female Lovely Cotinga and studied several Wedge-tailed Sabrewings feeding at eye level. A close Great Black-Hawk carrying a snake and Crimson-collared Tanagers provided a welcome respite on our white-knuckle return through the rain on the worsening road. A pair of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls bid us farewell the next morning at Hidden Valley and we entered Guatemala to find recent rains had taken their toll here too. Patience and those driving skills persevered again and we arrived unscathed at Tikal National Park’s Jungle Lodge.
No trip to Tikal would be complete without an archaeological ruins tour and that’s how we spent our first morning. Among the spectacular ruins Ocellated Turkeys and Coatis forage within several feet of tourist cameras and we had a male Great Curassow pass close over our heads. If you venture off the main routes in Tikal the tourists disappear and it is here that we found an antswarm that occupied us for an hour. Tawny-winged and Ruddy Woodcreepers and Gray-headed Tanagers perched above the swarm’s leading edge, dropping into the melee for escaping invertebrates, while Hooded and Kentucky Warblers worked the army’s flanks. Perhaps more entertaining was watching members of our group perform their ritualistic slapping dance when we approached too close to the marauding ants.
The ponds (restored Maya reservoirs) near the visitor center at Tikal are always good for typical waterbirds like Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Northern Jacana, and Purple Gallinule, but on our last morning there we were treated to a close encounter with a pair of Ruddy Crakes. We stood patiently as the secretive rails approached within fifteen feet of us in full view. We had to leave the crakes prematurely to find the Scaly-throated Leaftosser that began calling just inside the forest and soon all of us were enjoying a great view of this normally difficult bird as it sang from a perch a few feet above the forest floor.
Carved out of an immense rainforest reserve, Chan Chich Lodge has deservedly become a Mecca for birders. Red-capped and White-collared Manakins pluck berries from bushes around the cabins and Bat Falcons and Crested Guans patrol the lodge’s perimeter. At a pool in Chan Chich Creek we watched as an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, a male Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, and several wintering warblers came in close for a drink and a bath. A Purple-crowned Fairy put on a particularly nice show as it alternately slapped its immaculate white belly into the water and hovered a mere few feet away. A morning trip to Laguna Seca was good for Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and Sungrebe as well as scope views of the head and neck of a Pinnated Bittern as it occasionally peered from the extensive reed bed.
Inside the forests that surround Chan Chich, mixed flocks of woodcreepers, flycatchers, and warblers are regularly encountered with their sentinel Black-throated Shrike-Tanagers watching for danger. At dawn, Barred Forest-Falcons and Strong-billed Woodcreepers call and we were able to locate both of these birds with some careful searching. Our final afternoon at Chan Chich was spent at the Escarpment getting fine scope views of White Hawks, Keel-billed Toucans, and the antics of squabbling White-crowned Parrots. On the way to the lookout we saw a PUMA sprinting across the road in front of our van. It was a fitting end to the tour, reminding us that in Belize’s enormous expanses of wilderness you never know what might be around the next bend.
BELIZE and GUATEMALA
February 13-25, 2003
By Lara Schutsky, Tour participant
Feb 13: Almost all of the tour participants arrived early to this beautiful country, and spent a day or two exploring Belize City before the tour began. In the mid afternoon of the thirteenth, our tour leader, Bob Schutsky, gathered us together at the international airport to pick up the last members of our group and begin the trip to Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Our short bus ride was followed by a wonderful boat trip down the New River to the New River Lagoon. Our local guide, Ruben, pointed out many birds, the most exciting of which was an Agami Heron skulking through the overhanging vegetation. How he spotted that bird as we cruised the river, I still do not know!
Feb 14: Howler Monkeys called in the distance, and we took a walk along the road toward the local town of Indian Church. Here we saw our first of dozens of Roadside Hawks. After breakfast we walked around the Lamanai Maya ruins and learned some of their history. A light rain shower did not stop our successful search for Tody Motmot, which was found accidentally while looking for a Black-faced Antthrush. After swinging from the strangler fig vines and climbing to the top of the temple ruins, we were ready for a nice afternoon walk past the Spanish churches and the British sugar mill where we also learned some of the uses for the local plants. We took a nighttime boat ride and had some wonderful close up looks at birds, and an even closer look at a 2.5-foot Morelet’s Crocodile! Ruben snatched one from the water and gave us a brief lesson. Some of the more adventurous members even held the crocodile before we released it. We ended the night with an amazing look at the stars.
Feb 15: Our morning trip brought us across the lagoon to the pine-savannah for a change in habitat. The parrots were plentiful, and we had great scope views of White-crowned, White-fronted, Yellow-lored (or Yucatan), Red-lored, and Yellow-headed Parrots. With the savannah being our only likely spot for Botteri’s Sparrow, we were happy to have excellent views. In the afternoon on New Lodge Road, we found our first army ant swarm and all the accompanying bird activities. A family of Howler Monkeys was feeding and calmly watching us as we watched them. Before dinner we took a sunset boat ride on the New River Lagoon and Irish Creek, where our fearless leader managed to lose his hat after looking at a nesting Green-breasted Mango! Nighttime activities included holding a female Red-rumped Tarantula, seeing a Kinkajou, and chasing after a Mottled Owl that conveniently brought us back right where we started!
Feb 16: The morning yielded outstanding looks at two Blue-crowned Motmots on the road to Lamanai Ruins, while the afternoon was spent traveling to Chan Chich Lodge with a stop at Programme for Belize, The lodge at Chan Chich is situated amongst the unexcavated ruins. The constant presence of the lodge helps to protect the archeological site from being vandalized. The forest surrounding Chan Chich is much larger than that around Lamanai, and therefore helped to keep the temperatures cooler than our lagoon-side stay. We also had to watch carefully where we stepped because of the numerous Ocellated Turkeys living amongst the ruins with us!
Feb 17: On the road to Chan Chich is a beautiful suspension bridge where we spent most of our mornings. The open space and stream gave us lots of room for birding by the water’s edge. A drive to Laguna Seca gave us our first views of King Vultures, who happily sat by the roadside as we scoped them. We picked out a Sungrebe and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron as we strolled through a magnificent forest beside the lake. The afternoon was spent walking the trails around the lodge, and a night ride on a safari truck offered numerous Northern Potoos and one lovely Yucatan Nightjar.
Feb 18: This morning was spent at an amazing escarpment with an endless eastern view of Belize. White Hawks and a patient Bat Falcon held our attention quite well. The favorite of the day surely was the Green Shrike-Vireo, an almost maddeningly elusive bird that we ALL managed to see from the back of the truck after much describing and a few sore necks! The afternoon was spent in a myriad of ways: simply staying home and having Keel-billed Toucans too close to take photographs of, horseback riding through the ruins, and walking along the Chan Chich River and finally seeing a Thrush-like Schiffornis building a nest instead of only hearing them everywhere we went!
Feb 19: The morning was well spent looking for and finding both a Tody Motmot and an Ornate Hawk-Eagle. What impressive birds! Afterwards we said goodbye to the turkeys with our last walks around the property and took a good look around for Jaguar (no luck…) before taking a ten-person plane to Central Farm. On our drive from the airfield to Hidden Valley, we stopped at 2:00 PM in very warm temperatures only to find maybe the most active tree in all of Belize! Hidden Valley is located on a pine ridge, which gave us completely different habitat than we had seen thus far on the trip. The afternoon was spent scoping out the grounds. After dinner the chase was on for Stygian Owl. While this bird is highly localized, we were lucky enough to be staying right where one is known to live. After walking downhill and searching all the way, most of the group gave up for the night and returned to their rooms. Not three minutes later, those remaining found the owl perched only several hundred feet from the main building! Our tour leader, Bob, grabbed a quick look at his life bird, then sprinted back to the rooms to gather everyone who had just left. We all had fabulous looks, and only turned away when the spotlights began to fade. Those ear tufts are the greatest!
Feb 20: Our morning started with a walk around the property towards Lake Lolly Folly, and then back up the hillside to see the massive and beautiful Rusty Sparrow. A short drive after breakfast allowed us to hike to Butterfly Falls where some of the tour participants swam and snorkeled in beautifully clear, fresh water under the falls. We had lunch at Bull Point Escarpment, then drove to two lookouts by King Vulture Falls. At the first lookout, we piled into the narrow space to watch the King Vultures as they sunned by the waterfall. People were taking seats on nearby rocks to catch a little breather. I was standing beside the scope, waiting for my turn, when I heard a rustling sound coming from the tufts of grass behind us. As I turned to see what it was, there was a 10-foot Boa Constrictor moving towards us, probably looking for a spot to sun itself! I gestured wildly to the snake’s nearest and as of yet unaware human companion, Peter, and finally managed to eke out "Really Big Snake!" Peter jumped off the rock, and the snake re-thought coming any closer. We oohed and ahhed, and took pictures till our hearts were content while the snake looked for a sunning spot that was a little less crowded. Then it was back to birding as normal! At the next lookout, we were treated with spectacular views of a Double-toothed Kite eating its latest kill. Then it was off to 1000 Foot Falls for looks at an Orange-breasted Falcon. That evening, those who did not go owling the night before went out to see the Stygian Owl, once again perched in the same tree. And again, the owl stayed only as long as the spotlight batteries lasted, then silently flew off into the night!
Feb 21: Our day began rather early with a drive to Caracol, a massive and well-excavated Maya city near the Guatemalan border. We did our best to search for Keel-billed Motmot, but only one participant was lucky enough to see it. As the day grew hotter, we went from climbing the magnificently restored ruins to swimming in the natural pools on the Rio Frio. Lots of others had the same idea, but there was plenty of room for everyone to relax in the swift moving river.
Feb 22: After one last walk around Hidden Valley, we waved goodbye to the resident Coatimundis and headed for Guatemala. There were no problems in our border crossing, and we enjoyed an excellent lunch at a local restaurant just outside of Tikal. After moving into our rooms, we walked into the national park and found our way to Mundo Perdido, a beautiful temple with an excellent view of the sunset from its top. As we waited for the sun, we watched parrots and toucans in the superb light and enjoyed the cool breeze flowing over the canopy.
Feb 23: Before breakfast was a perfect time to walk around the reservoir beside the lodge and watch the Ruddy Crakes feeding. There were up to four at one time in the same field of view! The rest of the morning was spent walking through Tikal and listening to our incredibly knowledgeable guide, Carlos. We spent five hours learning about that Maya city and its inhabitants, and I still wanted to hear more! Eventually we had to stop for lunch, but not before seeing a Hook-billed Kite and a Black Hawk-Eagle soaring over the main plaza! Back at the lodge, we would occasionally have to dodge the Spider Monkeys as they launched figs at us from the trees.
Feb 24: We hired a local guide for the morning to give us our best chance of seeing a Pheasant Cuckoo. After walking down the road toward two Mayan reservoirs, we stepped onto a trail to get a better look into the dense vegetation. We taped the bird in for an unsatisfying fly-by view, and unfortunately we never found it again. Later we walked on the road toward Uaxantunich to a watering hole. During our brief visit, we watched two beautiful Red-capped Manakins as they drank and bathed in the water, along with Hooded Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes. The afternoon found the group in several different pursuits. Some saw the only Thicket Tinamou for the tour, while others watched and photographed an immature Crested Eagle for nearly an hour!
Feb 25: We said goodbye to Guatemala and took a short flight back to Belize City. There a lucky few went off to the Cayes while the rest of us headed north to record snowfalls. This was my first tropical trip ever, and Belize was a beautiful place to have that experience. The people were friendly, the jungles and ruins were magnificent, and I have never seen so many new birds in my life!
Next year’s adventure to Belize and Guatemala is scheduled for 5-17 January 2004. I hope that you will join us.
Belize Trip Report--Mike Haldeman
20 February - 1 March 2001
Leaders: Mike Haldeman & Bob Schutsky
With its miles and miles of undisturbed forests and swamps, Belize is home to some of the Western Hemisphere's most sought after species and we had great looks at many of these elusive birds. In fact, the hardest part about this year's tour would be trying to pick a single highlight. Some possibilities from our four days at Chan Chich Lodge may be the extended scope views of Tody Motmot and Spotted Wood-Quail. These birds are very difficult to see and we were lucky enough to have them both remain for everyone to take long looks. The Emerald Toucanet that let us walk right under him for better views or the White Hawk that came screaming in landing right above us might also qualify as trip highlights. There was the night safari that produced close looks at three owl species, a roosting male Great Curassow, sleeping Mealy Parrots, Northern Potoos, Kinkajous, Coatis, and Gray Fox. And, just as we were about to leave this jungle paradise, Jose came running to us yelling "Black-and White Hawk-Eagle PERCHED!" We studied this rare raptor for a few minutes at close range before the Bat Falcons drove it away.
And then came Lamanai. Chan Chich was definitely hard to leave but our five days at Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon quickly filled the void. On the extensive pine savanna across the lagoon we found such specialties as Yucatan and Yellow-headed Parrots, Azure-crowned Hummingbird, and Yucatan Flycatcher. In the scrub habitat bordering Dawson Creek we had Black-collared Hawk, Black Catbird, and an immature Agami Heron that had obviously not yet learned the secretive ways of his species. The Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, in addition to spectacular Maya Ruins, also afforded us even better looks at Tody Motmot and a Black-faced Antthrush that slowly made his way across the trail in front of us for all to see. Our afternoon boat ride along the edge of the lagoon yielded close views of a Jabiru. We watched it hunt from 40 yards away for several minutes before he finally snatched a three-foot eel from the marsh grass. Within thirty seconds the eel was gone, into the Jabiru's gigantic bill and down it's throat.
Our Lamanai night spotlight boat ride was remarkable. For two hours Ruben took us through the channels of the New River making incredible finds with his million candle-power spotlight as he drove. We had excellent looks at several Morelet's Crocodiles plus 27 species of birds. Besides typical night birds such as Yucatan Nightjars and Northern Potoos, we saw many roosting species. Snail Kites and Limpkins were everywhere and other finds included two Least Bitterns, Roseate Spoonbill, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron on a nest, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Sungrebe, Pale-vented Pigeon, four species of kingfishers, and an amazing Mangrove Vireo tucked into a little ball two feet away from us. Even our final boat ride on our way from the lodge to Belize City was productive as we finally saw an adult Agami Heron lurking in the shadows on the edge of the river.
This brief synopsis of our tour should help to portray the difficulty of choosing a single highlight among these amazing nature experiences. Next year we offer two tours, one at New Year's and one in March, to this wonderful tropical destination.
Hidden Valley Trip Report--Mike Haldeman
1-4 March 2001
Leaders: Mike Haldeman & Bob Schutsky
Bird Treks premier extension to the Hidden Valley Inn was faced with the difficult task of following an incredible Belize Tour but we think it passed the test with flying colors. Among the Caribbean Pine forests of the Mountain Pine Ridge you feel a world away from the surrounding lowland rainforests.
Our first full day was spent visiting some of the many spectacular waterfalls of the area. 1,000-Foot Falls (actually closer to 1,500 feet) has become famous as the place to find the extremely rare Orange-breasted Falcon. We were able to find the bird on a small ledge among the enormous cliffs and watched it as it rolled its single egg. We also found some other Mountain Pine Ridge birds at this site including Black-headed Siskin, Golden-hooded and Hepatic Tanagers, and a familiar Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Our next stop was Butterfly Falls. After some scope views of male Violet Sabrewings on a lek, we made our way to the crystalline pool at the base of the falls. Some of the more adventurous tour participants swam in the chilling waters as Blue Morpho Butterflies lazily drifted by. After a picnic lunch at the vista of Bull's Point we made our way to King Vulture Falls. The first ten minutes had us doubting the accuracy of the name until finally one, then another, then another, and finally seven adult King Vultures had gathered at the top of this precipitous drop. Three stood on the bare rock at the top of the falls while four others adorned the tree above.
Our second full day was a day trip to the Maya Ruins of Tikal. Located amidst an immense conservation area, Tikal has a bird list of 400 species, and we found many of these in our brief visit. Among the roving flocks of woodcreepers and migrant warblers we found such specialties as Black-throated Shrike-Tanager and Sepia-capped Flycatcher, but the real highlight of our Tikal adventure was the raptors. A pair of Orange-breasted Falcons has very recently returned to nest in Tikal after a fifteen-year hiatus. We found these enigmatic birds among the grandeur of the main plaza. As we were watching one of them on its perch we saw it displaced by a much larger bird. Bob yelled, "Ornate Hawk-Eagle" at the top of his lungs and for the next three minutes we watched as the two rare falcons made high-speed dives at this nervous hawk-eagle. All of this occurred as we stood among the high temples of one of the New World's most spectacular ruins. The birding continued on the ride home as we passed some of the roadside marshes of eastern Guatemala where we found a pair of Masked Ducks among the many American Coots, Common Moorhens, and Blue-winged Teal. All in all this was a day we will not soon forget.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls were in the pines around the lodge to greet us on a daily basis. When you combine this with trips to Monkey Bay Reserve on the way to and from Belize City, where Rufous-breasted Spinetails are abundant among other things, Hidden Valley will definitely be a part of Bird Trek's future. It is scheduled as a regular part of the Belize Tours for New Year's and March 2002.
BELIZE HIGHLIGHTS:
3-11 February 2000
It seemed that our group had been lulled into complacency, that all of the good birds had been found and the excitement was over. We had spent four spectacular days at Chan Chich Lodge in Gallon Jug (http://www.chanchich.com), followed by four equally great days at Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon near Orange Walk (http://www.lamanai.com). During the bus ride between the two lodges we had watched a pair of Ornate Hawk-Eagles through our spotting scopes at close range. This magnificent raptor was eventually voted the number one bird of the tour. We'd climbed and explored Mayan ruins, observed many artifacts, and learned about their amazing culture. We had assisted with the ongoing banding project at Lamanai, and watched a Royal Flycatcher give us a full display of its remarkable crest.
But now we had packed our bags, said our good-byes, and were headed for the airport: the tour had ended and we were on our way home. We waved to Monique and Mark, our host and hostess, and all of the other folks that helped to make our Lamanai stay such a pleasant one. Mike Haldeman, our co-leader, was also staying behind to explore the Lamanai area, move on to Tikal, then meet me in San Jose for next month's Costa Rica Tour.
But we still had just a bit of excitement ahead of us. The first part of our departure was by boat, down the lagoon then down the river to Shipyard, where we would be picked up by van and delivered to our final destinations. Our captain Mauricio knew that we had allowed plenty of time and that we hoped to see just a few more good birds. We were not to be disappointed.
We began with a pair of Northern Jacanas, with their young walking the nearby lily pads. A Purple Gallinule made an appearance, then spooked as a Snail Kite hovered nearby and landed. The kite was carrying a large Apple Snail (Pomacea), and we watched as it extracted and consumed its meal. There were the usual Ringed Kingfishers and Osprey, but a Common Moorhen was new for the tour. A species that we were really hoping for was the Black-collared Hawk: this is a large impressive buteo that we had missed on last year's tour. While we were all watching a pair of Bat Falcons, Bev asked me about a raptor perched low on the opposite bank. We were all treated to great looks at a Black-collared Hawk, and actually found a second one further down the river. Hopefully some of our photo attempts were successful; any positive results will be posted on our web site in the near future.
Mauricio was aware that we had not yet observed a Boat-billed Heron. This bird somewhat resembles our Black-crowned Night-Heron, but has large eyes and an exceedingly large bill. As Mauricio maneuvered the boat into some good habitat, I scanned the shoreline and saw something blue. The blue began to move and I eagerly announced that I was looking at an Agami Heron, one of the most striking aquatic species of the tropics. One at a time everyone in the boat had short glimpses as the Agami disappeared into the forested wetland, which is very typical of their behavior. Even though we would have enjoyed more extended looks, we were all exhilarated. We pulled into the wooded shoreline to resume our search for a Boat-billed Heron, which we found rather easily. As people maneuvered within the confines of the boat for good looks at this unique species, we heard the beat of heavy wings close overhead. The Agami Heron had flown toward us, landed 20 feet away, and remained close to the boat for the next 10-15 minutes! Roger and I attempted to photograph this magnificent bird, but it was in heavy shade, so we still have our fingers crossed. Just as with the Black-collared Hawk, I will post any good photos of the immaculate Agami Heron.
We continued our trek down river, with several more interesting sightings which included a Sungrebe feeding near the shoreline and a low flying Jabiru. It was finally time to dock, transfer our luggage to the waiting van, and make the final run to the airport. What a grand finale to a wonderful tour.
BELIZE
March 1999
BIRD TREKS conducted its first tour to Belize in March, visiting Lamanai Outpost Lodge and Chan Chich Lodge. We will be going back to this beautiful country, again and again and again. Among the many highlights: We watched through the spotting scope as an Ornate Hawk-Eagle captured and consumed a Cinnamon Becard! We saw Jabirus flying, feeding, and tending their nests. Ocellated Turkeys performed colorful and bizarre mating displays, and a secretive Great Tinamou drank at a woodland pool for minutes on end. The folks at Lamanai took us on a night boat ride, which turned out to be the birding experience of a lifetime: twenty species in a 1.5-million candle-power beam, many at arm's length. It was incredible! I'll also mention the Tody Motmot, Pinnated Bitterns, daily King Vultures, all three Hawk-Eagles in one day, lots of hummers and trogons, Blue Bunting, Yucatan Nightjar, and numerous Fork-tailed Flycatchers, just for variety. We'll conduct the Belize Tour again February 3-11, 2000, followed by 10 days on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, just in case 3 weeks in the tropics sounds like a good February getaway.