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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

trip report for Belize and NE Guatemala (1 Viewer)

Well done on a great report

Nice report on Belize.

Dave, my husband, and I visited Belize primarily to fish on the coral flats out of Placencia in January 2005 and again last month December 2005.

Its a fantastic country for birds. A year ago, after the weeks fishing, we took a hired 4WD for 10 days from Belize City to Lamanai, then to La Milpa, Chan Chich and finally Pine Ridge. We accrued a fantastic list of birds and could have spent more time everywhere. We voted the American pigmy kingfisher which we have been looking for on trips to Latin America for many years as our Bird of the Trip. Add on the marguay spotted by torchlight on a forest walk one night and it was certainly a trip to remember.

Last month we had just a few days in Lamanai after the fishing. I think our most exciting bird was an agami heron which we watched from a canoe in one of the creeks across the lake from the lodge.

Belize seems a relatively safe place to bird on your own compared with many other Neotropic countries, rather expensive but well worth it in terms of birds.
 
Pygmy kingfisher and Agami Heron hey?? I missed those two. Chan Chich sounds amazing from what i've heard but a bit beyond my budget!! Cockscomb is the econo-Chan chich. I would echo what you say by saying that I think Belize is a safe place to bird alone and also extremely easy to travel round independently.
cheers,
James
 
James Lowther said:
Pygmy kingfisher and Agami Heron hey?? I missed those two. James
You didn't miss Orange-breasted Falcon at Tikal though, which is a really important bird to get. This has been a great site for the falcons for over 50 years now, though they seem to be very difficult elsewhere throughout their range. I see that you had them at Mundo Perdida, rather than at temple IV, where they have bred in recent years. People are no longer allowed to climb the temple at Mundo Perdida (which was formerly the best raptor watching spot), which is probably what has attracted the falcons.
Great trip report James and it makes me feel like I need to go back to Belize some time soon.

Tom
 
tomjenner said:
You didn't miss Orange-breasted Falcon at Tikal though, which is a really important bird to get.

A good place to look for Orange Breasted Falcon in Belize is at 1000ft Falls up on Mountain Pine Ridge. The local man at the falls said it was often visible perched on the rocks by the falling water. We had a good view of one atop a tree by the road as we drove out.
 
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