Maroon Jay
Airborne
I have been in Belize for one month now. I will be here for two months altogether. Here is my report for the first month.
I started by taking the bus from Chetumal in Mexico to Orange Walk in Belize. In Orange Walk I took a boat tour on the New River to Lamani. On the boat tour I saw a Black-collared Hawk and several Ringed Kingfishers. At Lamani I saw a couple of roosting Mottled Owls.
Next I went to Crooked Tree where I stayed at Crooked Tree Lodge. This was the best birding location I have found so far in Belize. I was there for four days and saw 12 new birds including the Lineated Woodpecker, Gray-necked Wood-rail, Blue-gray Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-lored Parrot, and the pretty Hooded Warbler. With the help of a guide I identified the Couch’s Kingbird by sound which is impossible to differentiate visually from the Tropical Kingbird. The guide also help me ID the Yucatan Woodpecker which is very similar to the Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Most guide books show that both these woodpeckers have a yellow patch just above the bill. But the guide told me that this is only in the north of the Golden-fronted Woodpecker’s range. In southern Mexico and Belize, the Golden-fronted has a red patch above the bill instead of yellow, which makes separating it from the Yucatan Woodpecker much easier. The Golden-fronted is also bigger but the red patch is a way to make a positive ID. The guide, Glen, really knows the birds well. If you take a tour of Belize, allow at least four days at Crooked Tree and call ahead to find out when Glen will be there. He travels a lot and is not always there. The owners of Crooked Tree Lodge are wonderful people and the food is the best I have had so far in Belize.
Next I went to Bermudian Landing and stayed at Howler Monkey Resort. At this location I went mainly to see the monkeys, not birds. We saw several troops of monkeys, two of them right from our cabin. We also saw some birds there including the Montezuma Orpendola, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Black-headed Trogon, and Yellow-winged Tanager.
Near the Belize Zoo I saw a Tropical Gnatcatcher and a wonderful Barred Antshrike. I really enjoyed seeing this bird that is covered, front and back, in black and white stripes. In the zoo I saw the magnificent Harpy Eagle. What an awesome bird. It is a wonderful raptor the size of a turkey. This is my number one bird on my most wanted list but the zoo is the only place that I will probably see one, which doesn’t count but was really great just the same.
My next stop was the little village of Maya Centre. I went here for three reasons. Birds of course, but also hoped to see some mammals and to learn about the culture of the Mayan people. I was disappointed with the mammals as I didn’t see any. The Mayan people and culture are fascinating and worth the visit to see. All the women wear dresses no matter what they are doing. No blue jeans or other pants here. There is tiny restaurant with two tables but the restaurant has no kitchen. We ate typical Mayan food which is mostly chicken, beans and rice. The food is cooked in a nearby house and brought to the restaurant. The women often do not wear shoes. It seemed strange to be eating in a restaurant that has no kitchen and served by a barefoot woman in a pretty dress. The women still do their laundry in the river. I went with two women down to the river to see this. Most of the houses are wooden structures with a thatched roof although there are a few modern houses. It was really fascinating. There are cabins to stay in or you can do a homestay in one of the village houses. The Chun family operate the restaurant and the village store and the three Chun brothers also work as guides. I took birding tours to nearby Cockscomb Basin and Mayflower Bocawana parks. At Cockscomb I saw a large tree that looked very normal from a distance. But when you stand under the tree and look up, you learn that the tree is full of large red flowers and hummingbirds. At any given time, there were about 20 hummingbirds there of four different species. I saw the Stripe-throated Hermit, White-tailed Jacobin, and Long-tailed Hermit all in this one tree. If you go to Cockscomb be sure to check this tree which is not far from the entrance. I also saw the Boat-billed Flycatcher, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Red-throated Ant-tanager, Black-cowled Oriole, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Golden-hooded Tanager, Blue-black Grosbeak, Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker, and the Crimson-collared Tanager. No mammals but we did see a large and very fresh jaguar print in the mud.
I hired Gregorio Chun, from Maya Centre to help me find the Scarlet Macaw. We left at 5:30 a.m. and drove for about one hour down a horrible, pot-hole filled, muddy road. When we could drive no further, we walked for another hour, mostly uphill. The macaws are in a very remote area in the mountains beyond the village of Red Bank. It started to rain. After slogging through the jungle in the mud and rain for hours we failed to find the macaws. This was my number two most-wanted bird after the Harpy Eagle and I was determined to see it, so we went again the next day. On the second day, we heard some macaws on the opposite side of the mountain so we went down there. One cannot see anything more than a few trees distance in the jungle. We could hear the macaws very close but could not see them. We walked very slowly and quietly, getting closer and closer but still did not see them. Then I looked up and there was one directly above me. This huge parrot is red and blue and yellow. What a beautiful sight just a few metres above me. Unfortunately it flow off before I could get any photos. We then travelled along the trail until we came to a clearing where we could see something other than trees. There, across the valley, were eight more macaws. Too far away for photos but I saw them fairly well in the binoculars. I went back to my cabin covered in sweat and mud but very happy.
At Hickatee Cottages near Punta Gorda in southern Belize I saw the Olive-backed Euphonia, the Pale-billed Woodpecker and the White-bellied Emerald. The Pale-billed Woodpecker is a large and beautiful woodpecker with an all-red head. I think it should be called the red-headed Woodpecker. I had been looking for it since the beginning of my trip. I have now seen all the woodpeckers in Belize except for the Golden-Olive Woodpecker. The White-bellied Emerald was the ninth new hummingbird of my trip.
I am now at the capital city of Balmopan which, with a population of 20,000 is the smallest capital city in the world. I came here to visit the nearby Blue Hole National Park but it has been raining for three days and I am stuck in my hotel room. Very disappointed.
My totals so far in Belize are 134 birds seen of which 42 were new lifers. This brings my total life list up to 461. This does not include the birds that I have found in Yucatan Mexico. Counting Yucatan I have seen 101 new lifers so far.
Well, at least with the rain, I got a chance to catch up on my paperwork and typing and organizing my photos. There is a detailed report of my trip with photos on my travel journal at www.mytripjournal.com/findtom4 Unfortunately I did not get many bird photos due to the gloomy, rainy weather with low light. It is very dark in the forest, making decent photos with a long lens almost impossible.
Will make another report when I get time.
I started by taking the bus from Chetumal in Mexico to Orange Walk in Belize. In Orange Walk I took a boat tour on the New River to Lamani. On the boat tour I saw a Black-collared Hawk and several Ringed Kingfishers. At Lamani I saw a couple of roosting Mottled Owls.
Next I went to Crooked Tree where I stayed at Crooked Tree Lodge. This was the best birding location I have found so far in Belize. I was there for four days and saw 12 new birds including the Lineated Woodpecker, Gray-necked Wood-rail, Blue-gray Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-lored Parrot, and the pretty Hooded Warbler. With the help of a guide I identified the Couch’s Kingbird by sound which is impossible to differentiate visually from the Tropical Kingbird. The guide also help me ID the Yucatan Woodpecker which is very similar to the Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Most guide books show that both these woodpeckers have a yellow patch just above the bill. But the guide told me that this is only in the north of the Golden-fronted Woodpecker’s range. In southern Mexico and Belize, the Golden-fronted has a red patch above the bill instead of yellow, which makes separating it from the Yucatan Woodpecker much easier. The Golden-fronted is also bigger but the red patch is a way to make a positive ID. The guide, Glen, really knows the birds well. If you take a tour of Belize, allow at least four days at Crooked Tree and call ahead to find out when Glen will be there. He travels a lot and is not always there. The owners of Crooked Tree Lodge are wonderful people and the food is the best I have had so far in Belize.
Next I went to Bermudian Landing and stayed at Howler Monkey Resort. At this location I went mainly to see the monkeys, not birds. We saw several troops of monkeys, two of them right from our cabin. We also saw some birds there including the Montezuma Orpendola, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Black-headed Trogon, and Yellow-winged Tanager.
Near the Belize Zoo I saw a Tropical Gnatcatcher and a wonderful Barred Antshrike. I really enjoyed seeing this bird that is covered, front and back, in black and white stripes. In the zoo I saw the magnificent Harpy Eagle. What an awesome bird. It is a wonderful raptor the size of a turkey. This is my number one bird on my most wanted list but the zoo is the only place that I will probably see one, which doesn’t count but was really great just the same.
My next stop was the little village of Maya Centre. I went here for three reasons. Birds of course, but also hoped to see some mammals and to learn about the culture of the Mayan people. I was disappointed with the mammals as I didn’t see any. The Mayan people and culture are fascinating and worth the visit to see. All the women wear dresses no matter what they are doing. No blue jeans or other pants here. There is tiny restaurant with two tables but the restaurant has no kitchen. We ate typical Mayan food which is mostly chicken, beans and rice. The food is cooked in a nearby house and brought to the restaurant. The women often do not wear shoes. It seemed strange to be eating in a restaurant that has no kitchen and served by a barefoot woman in a pretty dress. The women still do their laundry in the river. I went with two women down to the river to see this. Most of the houses are wooden structures with a thatched roof although there are a few modern houses. It was really fascinating. There are cabins to stay in or you can do a homestay in one of the village houses. The Chun family operate the restaurant and the village store and the three Chun brothers also work as guides. I took birding tours to nearby Cockscomb Basin and Mayflower Bocawana parks. At Cockscomb I saw a large tree that looked very normal from a distance. But when you stand under the tree and look up, you learn that the tree is full of large red flowers and hummingbirds. At any given time, there were about 20 hummingbirds there of four different species. I saw the Stripe-throated Hermit, White-tailed Jacobin, and Long-tailed Hermit all in this one tree. If you go to Cockscomb be sure to check this tree which is not far from the entrance. I also saw the Boat-billed Flycatcher, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Red-throated Ant-tanager, Black-cowled Oriole, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Golden-hooded Tanager, Blue-black Grosbeak, Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker, and the Crimson-collared Tanager. No mammals but we did see a large and very fresh jaguar print in the mud.
I hired Gregorio Chun, from Maya Centre to help me find the Scarlet Macaw. We left at 5:30 a.m. and drove for about one hour down a horrible, pot-hole filled, muddy road. When we could drive no further, we walked for another hour, mostly uphill. The macaws are in a very remote area in the mountains beyond the village of Red Bank. It started to rain. After slogging through the jungle in the mud and rain for hours we failed to find the macaws. This was my number two most-wanted bird after the Harpy Eagle and I was determined to see it, so we went again the next day. On the second day, we heard some macaws on the opposite side of the mountain so we went down there. One cannot see anything more than a few trees distance in the jungle. We could hear the macaws very close but could not see them. We walked very slowly and quietly, getting closer and closer but still did not see them. Then I looked up and there was one directly above me. This huge parrot is red and blue and yellow. What a beautiful sight just a few metres above me. Unfortunately it flow off before I could get any photos. We then travelled along the trail until we came to a clearing where we could see something other than trees. There, across the valley, were eight more macaws. Too far away for photos but I saw them fairly well in the binoculars. I went back to my cabin covered in sweat and mud but very happy.
At Hickatee Cottages near Punta Gorda in southern Belize I saw the Olive-backed Euphonia, the Pale-billed Woodpecker and the White-bellied Emerald. The Pale-billed Woodpecker is a large and beautiful woodpecker with an all-red head. I think it should be called the red-headed Woodpecker. I had been looking for it since the beginning of my trip. I have now seen all the woodpeckers in Belize except for the Golden-Olive Woodpecker. The White-bellied Emerald was the ninth new hummingbird of my trip.
I am now at the capital city of Balmopan which, with a population of 20,000 is the smallest capital city in the world. I came here to visit the nearby Blue Hole National Park but it has been raining for three days and I am stuck in my hotel room. Very disappointed.
My totals so far in Belize are 134 birds seen of which 42 were new lifers. This brings my total life list up to 461. This does not include the birds that I have found in Yucatan Mexico. Counting Yucatan I have seen 101 new lifers so far.
Well, at least with the rain, I got a chance to catch up on my paperwork and typing and organizing my photos. There is a detailed report of my trip with photos on my travel journal at www.mytripjournal.com/findtom4 Unfortunately I did not get many bird photos due to the gloomy, rainy weather with low light. It is very dark in the forest, making decent photos with a long lens almost impossible.
Will make another report when I get time.
