Belize - Day 5 (continuation of our 2005 trip)

2/18/2005 (Friday) – We were up at 5:30, and walked down the road to the bridge at 6:10. We saw a group of Collared Aracari in the lodge area as we were starting out. Along the road we got good looks at both Tawny-winged and Ivory-billed Woodcreeper and a White-breasted Wood-Wren. Overhead a Scaly-breasted Hummingbird was singing its loud and musical song. We didn’t realize that some hummingbirds could actually sing. At the bridge we saw a Green Honeycreeper high in a tree, and Wilson’s and Kentucky Warbler. The Wilson’s was apparently pretty unusual, and turned out to be a lifer for Ruben who was also down at the bridge. On the walk back we saw Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet and a pair of loudly squawking Red-lored Parrots.

 Pale-billed Woodpecker

After breakfast Rueben took us and another couple up to Norman’s Temple and into the Back Plaza. These areas were quite slow birdwise, but finally in the Back Plaza he began to hear a pair of Blue-crowned Motmots calling. First he saw a single bird, and then a pair in a different tree. They were quite high up, but we had good looks at them. They turned out to be the only new birds of the morning.

Mark and Ruben

After lunch Teri and I checked out the Breadfruit tree behind the cabana and identified a Black-faced Saltator. We then decided to walk down to a swampy area behind the swimming pool on the River Trail. We watched a single Rufous-tailed Jacamar working the pool for about thirty minutes. It was beautifully metallic when in the direct sunlight. We also watched Nashville and Blue-winged Warblers bathing.

We then walked the King’s Tomb / Logger’s Trail. We got close looks at a Ruddy Woodcreeper near the King’s Tomb. Once onto the Logger’s Trail we found our much-anticipated Tody Motmot. It was sitting at eye level on a tree directly beside the trail, perhaps 25 feet away. We studied it closely for about 45 seconds, and then I tried to sneak my camera out for a photo and off it went! As we neared the bridge we found a nice place to sit next to the creek at a pool. It was not nearly as active as the pool that we’d sat next to on Thursday, but we did add a Red-throated Ant-Tanager. A group of Spider Monkeys passed overhead making quite a racket and causing leaves, sticks and fruit to rain down onto the forest floor. 

That night the Howler Monkeys were at it again, growling into the night. Teri finally resorted to earplugs.

This is a short video (sound only) of the Howler Monkeys.  Mark pointed the camara at a light since it was dark out and he couldn't get a picture of the monkeys.

Belize - Day 4 (Continuation of our 2005 trip)

2/17/2005 (Thursday) – We were up at 6:15 for a 7:00 breakfast. We saw a Magnolia Warbler from the deck while we ate. We headed up to the Escarpment with Raul at 7:30. On the way we enjoyed good looks at male and female Great Currasow alongside the road. We stopped to bird the Sylvester Village area, finding Blue-black Grassquit, Baltimore Oriole, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts, and Gray-breasted Martins. As we climbed on the road to the Escarpment we flushed a pair of Spectacled Owls. One flew across the road with the other flying out and then back to the original side. They had distinctly dark heads and upper bodies with much lighter lower bodies. I saw the “spectacles” on the bird that flew across the road. Farther along we saw a Rufous Piha perched and then a lovely “Thunder and Lightning” snake crossing the road. The snake was about six feet long but quite slender. It cooperated for photos. Later we saw a Northern Royal Flycatcher. We noted the hammerhead shape, but it didn’t raise its crest for us. Raul told Teri that he’d only seen a raised crest once.

Thunder and Lightening Snake

Great Currasow

Up on the Escarpment we had marvelous views down onto the forest canopy 500 feet below. We watched White Hawks, Short-tailed Hawks and Bat Falcons. We enjoyed spectacular views of a single Swallow-tailed Kite soaring in the area, first above us and then below. It was really magnificent looking. While we were there a small group from Program for Belize got out with radio tracking equipment to get a fix on the Harpy Eagles that had been released in the area. A reintroduction program has placed five of the birds back into Belize. They located at least one bird, but said that it was 6 kilometers away.

On our return trip we stopped at the creek crossing near Sylvester Village where we’d seen the Bare-throated Tiger-Herons previously. Along the creek we found Violaceous Trogan, Black-throated Green Warbler and Blue-black Grosbeak. Teri spotted a perched Red-tailed Hawk in a tree near the airport.

After lunch we decided to walk down to a small pool along Chan Chich Creek on the Sac Be Trail. We were told that it was a good spot for birds in the afternoon, as they were attracted to the water. We saw Spot-breasted Wren and both male and female Dot-winged Antwren. We sat for a couple of hours, and throughout that time we had astonishing looks at Purple-crowned Fairy hummingbirds bathing in the pools. They would hover a few inches over the water and then splash violently into the pool, completely submerging themselves. They would do this five or ten times in a row before perching on a branch to preen. They were gorgeous. We also had visits from Stripe-throated Hermits bathing in a similar way. A White-necked Jacobin came in a couple of times as if to bathe, but never actually did so.

Purple-crowned Fairy

Very short video of a Purple-crowned Fairy bathing

Birds visited throughout the afternoon, including dozens of Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, and Northern Waterthrush. A parade of warblers came through including Hooded, Black-and-White, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Blue-winged, Kentucky, and American Redstart. Several Sulphur-rumped Flycatchers and Swainson’s Thrush visited, as well as a single Black-cowled Oriole. Late in the afternoon Teri spotted an all black cat coming down out of a tree projecting diagonally over the creek. I caught all but the head as it disappeared into the vegetation along the bank. We hoped that it would reappear at the waters edge to get a drink, but we didn’t see it again. We decided that it was a Jaguarundi.

We left the pool and came out at the bridge. Raul pointed out the King Vultures circling overhead. We watched a perfect male Blue Bunting working in the grass with a group of Indigo Buntings. Gilberto pointed out a nearby tree where he assured us Cinnamon Becard and Yellow-throated Euphonias would come in to roost. Sure enough they were in the tree by 5:30, very well camouflaged in the leaves. We walked back up to the lodge at dusk, listening to the Great Tinamou calling all around us. The Howler Monkeys were really making a fuss around the cabanas in the evening, continuing into the night. We decided that monkeys keeping us up at night weren’t necessarily a bad thing!

White-necked Jacobin

Collard Aracari

  

Belize - Day 3

More from our 2005 trip to Belize (Chan Chich Lodge)

2/16/2005 (Wednesday) – We again went on a 6:00 a.m. bird walk with Ruben. The morning was overcast and foggy, and this time we started out behind the lodge. Near the lodge we got dim looks at Strong-billed and Northern Barred Woodcreeper. We took the road into the Service Area (worker housing), and stopped at a small clearing that had been recently cut as a drain field for the lodge’s kitchen. In the clearing we watched a cooperative pair of Ruddy Quail-Dove along with a Crested Guan. In the housing area itself we watched Mealy Parrots fly over, noting how large they were. We also watched a Great Tinamou fly across the clearing. We saw Gray-fronted Dove and then excellent looks at Keel-billed Toucans in a tree.

We turned onto Sylvester Village Road, and found an Ovenbird walking along in the road. We enjoyed long, close looks at a Greenish Elaenia, which once again reminded us how tough it was to identify the flycatchers of the area! At flowering trees we watched Black-cowled Oriole, Purple-crowned Fairy (Beauty!), Wedge-tailed Sabrewing and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. We heard and then saw Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, and got poor looks at Scaly Pigeon. In some palm leaves we watched a group of Tawny-crowned Greenlets, and then got superb looks at a perched Black-throated Shrike-Tanager. The Shrike-Tanager was leading a mixed flock of birds through the trees. Ruben explained that these flocks often contained a variety of birds feeding together, and were good to study. However, we were now running late for our 8:30 Laguna Seca tour, so we hurried back to the lodge. We arrive at 8:45 to find that the van had gone on without us, as it should have. 

Black-headed Trogan

Leticia suggested that we go out to Laguna Seca with Ruben once we’d had some breakfast. This worked out great, we had Ruben for our own private tour! We headed out in a Ford Ranger at 9:30. We stopped for gas at the Gallon Jug Farm, and watched a pair of Bat Falcons while we waited. We also noted several Brown Jays, which turned out to be more handsome than we’d thought they would be. As we drove the road toward Laguna Seca we noticed a “few” Olive-throated Parakeets in the trees by the roadway. As we approached, several dozen materialized out of the trees and flew ahead down the road. It is amazing how well a bright green bird can blend into the forest edge. We got many good looks as they (and we) continued down the road. We saw another Roadside Hawk sitting quietly alongside the road.

At Laguna Seca our first bird was a perched Barn Owl.  Then in the marshy area we saw Anhinga, Laughing Falcon, Northern Jacana, and a Green Heron. We walked along the edge of some woods and then out onto a mud flat. There we saw lots of Mangrove Swallows, some Blue-winged Teal, Killdeer, Least and Pectoral Sandpipers, and Black-necked Stilt. In the trees surrounding the area we saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings, a small group of Blue Ground-Doves, and a Pale-billed Woodpecker that drummed in a tree for a while and then flew over our heads on its way across the mudflat to the other side. On the way back to the truck we saw our only Kingfisher, a Belted. As we drove out we spotted a gray and white bird perched on a branch along the side of the road. We got out to look and identified it as a female Lovely Cotinga. As we returned to the lodge we got good long looks at an adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle perched in a tree. Our final find was a three foot long Boa crossing the road. We returned to the lodges around 1:00 and ate lunch.

Boa

As we were sitting at the cabana after lunch a loud group of parrots going to the nearby fruiting Bread Tree got us up to investigate. We saw White-crowned and Red-lored Parrots, Yellow-throated Euphonia, got marvelous looks at Keel-billed Toucan, and saw the seemingly ever-present Crested Guan. We then walked up to the Upper Plaza area and got great looks at a White-whiskered Puffbird. Looking up we saw an adult Howler Monkey with a youngster looking quietly back down at us. We later saw a second adult. Walking a bit farther we spotted a group of four Spider Monkeys in the canopy.

Spider Monkeys

Red-lored Parrots

While we were at the rim of the Upper Plaza looking down over the lodge area a film crew asked us to look through our binoculars so that they could film us. We understood that they were making a documentary on Chan Chich.

View of our cabana

White-whiskered Puffbird

We then headed down Sylvester Village Road. Teri immediately spotted a Squirrel Cuckoo overhead. In the drain field clearing we watched Northern Waterthrush, Wood Thrush, and Gray Catbird. These three birds were definitely winning the prize for the most common birds of the trip. As we walked down the road we had several noisy parrot flybys, and heard a Great Tinamou. We got good looks at a Gray-collared Becard on the road. It rained a bit and was overcast, and we were finding viewing conditions along the road to be a bit dark. We picked up the River Trail and decided to follow it back to the lodge area. This turned out to be a longer walk than we expected and even darker than the road. We saw virtually no birds, but as we were getting near the lodge we jumped a large, fast, reddish-brown animal up out of a dry creek bed. Checking later with Raul he felt that it could only have been a Puma based on the color and size. We got back to the lodge around 6:00. We were quite tired and glad to not have any night activities planned. 

Belize - Day 2

This is a continuation of our 2005 trip to Belize. 

2/15/2005 (Tuesday) – We went on a 6:00 a.m. bird walk with a new guide, Ruben. We watched and listened in the cabana area until it started to get light. At the cabanas we saw a Bat Falcon pursuing flying bats, and Crested Guan flying down from their night roosts. We also listened to the Howler Monkeys roaring as dawn broke. We saw quite a few birds on the road as we walked down toward the suspension bridge. Birds included White-breasted Wood-Wren, Pale-billed Woodpecker, White-necked Puffbird, Red-lored Parrot, Black-headed and Slatey-tailed Trogan, and Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet. We watched a Scaly-breasted Hummingbird sit in a tree and sing like a songbird. In the clearing at the bridge we watched a White-necked Jacobin flycatching from a tree.

Crested Guan

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Suspension bridge 

Howler Monkey

Bat Falcon

We returned to the lodge in time for breakfast. Like dinner, breakfast was served off of a menu that included six or so “standard” choices like pancakes, French toast, omelets, etc. The same young ladies were the waitresses, and we were learning that the staff was made up of families that lived in either the service areas adjacent to the lodge or in Gallon Jug Village. The men worked as guides, drivers, groundskeepers, or other laborers, and the women worked as cooks, housekeepers, receptionist, etc. There was a school for children up through sixth grade in Gallon Jug. Beyond sixth grade the families would either have to move or send the children to live with relatives in Orange Walk.

After breakfast we left on the Gallon Jug Farm tour with two other couples. We first headed down the road toward the airport. Another van was stopped, and reported that they were looking at a perched Double-toothed Kite. They drove on, and we couldn’t see it from our van, so we decided to get out. I got just a glimpse of it perched, then flying off. It was quite close, so it was too bad that we didn’t get better looks. On the road at the airport we got excellent looks at Groove-billed Ani, Giant Cowbird and Fork-tailed Flycatcher.

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

In the Gallon Jug Farm area we were taken to a small building where a group of local women were preparing sauces with names like “Mango Tango” and “Secret Sauce”. These sauces are used at Chan Chich Lodge and locally, and are not exported. The ladies had large kettles on propane burners and simmered and bottled the sauces themselves. It was interesting to see this example of local economy. We also visited the coffee roasting and grinding shed. Coffee is apparently the only product exported off of the farm, with all other produce being consumed in Gallon Jug Village or at Chan Chich. Other products of the farm include almonds, lemons, oranges, bananas and cocoa.

 Mango Tango and Secret Sauce

 Mark getting a cooking lesson

 Roasting coffee beans

Cooling coffee beans

We drove over to Laguna Verde, which was quite low. We saw a pair of Northern Jacana, a small flock of White-collared Seedeaters, and a Gray Hawk perched in a tree. On the road to Sylvester Village we crossed a small drainage and saw two Bare-throated Tiger-Herons.

On the way back to the lodge we were treated to a Roadside Hawk perched commonly at eye level in the trees along the shoulder of the road. We got several good pictures. A bit further up the road several people in the van, including Teri, watched a Puma cross the road in front of the van. I missed it completely. Ugh!

 Roadside Hawk

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

We had lunch, which once again featured some standard menu items, and a special of the day. We were starting to get familiar with the waitresses by now, and also noticed that for each meal the cloth napkins were folded in a different decorative style. We were told that they had enough different folding patterns for a week. We really enjoyed sitting out on the deck for our meals, as the various fruiting and flowering plants attracted quite a variety of birds. The Red-capped Manakin male and female could be counted on to visit at each meal, and we always saw Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds and Stripe-throated Hermit. We’d also occasionally see the Long-billed Hermit in the area. Quire often parrots and toucans would fly over during meals.

After lunch we decided to walk one of the trails. We headed out behind the lodge and down the Xaxe Venic Road, and then took the Norman’s Temple Trail. Good birds along the way were Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Black-faced Grosbeak, Black-and-White and Worm-eating Warblers. We also saw Plain Xenops and Sulphur-rumped Flycatchers together. Near the temple we came upon a group of Spider Monkeys who didn’t seem too pleased with us. They grabbed and shook branches, which made a lot of noise and caused a lot of leaves and debris to fall down around us. Norman’s Temple itself was another mound, which is the remains of a partially collapsed Mayan structure that has been overgrown by the forest. They appear to be nothing more than local hills, but once we learned what they were we could understand how they formed. Norman’s Temple was one of the few ruins in the area that had not been looted, so it displayed none of the “Looter’s trenches” that we would see in other areas. 

 Very nice trails

We returned to the lodge at 4:00 and decided to walk on down to the bridge. We took the Sac Be trail, but found birding to be pretty slow along the trail. I did spot a Great Tinamou off the side of the trail. The light was dim due to the hour and the heavy forest, so the bird was tough to make out. It just sort of disappeared from sight into some brushy cover. As we neared the bridge we heard a bird calling from up in the trees. Teri was finally able to spot it, and we determined it to be the juvenile Ornate Hawk-Eagle that was known to be in the area. The bird was out on a branch eating a snake. We watched it for a few minutes and then headed on up to the bridge where about ten folks were waiting around to see the Hawk-Eagle. At the bridge we were treated to a group of four Collared Aracaris and a pair of Pale-billed Woodpeckers. A bit later the Hawk-Eagle did fly out into view of the bridge. As we walked back up the road we saw an Agouti

Ornate Hawk Eagle - Juvenile 

After dinner we went on a night walk that started at 8:00. Our guide was Gilberto, and he led us down the main road toward the bridge, and then back up the Sac Be trail to the lodge. We heard Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls a couple of times in the distance, saw a big Bullfrog in the creek, but other than some movement above us in the forest didn’t see much. Finally on the road as we neared the lodge we got good looks at a Kinkajou up in a tree feeding. It was a lot of walking for a look at one little animal!

Belize - Day 1

While we are between traveling and volunteer assignments I thought it would be fun to blog a trip that Mark and I took to Belize several years ago.  At the end of each days adventure, Mark would write up a daily journal.  When we returned home I would organize all the photos, combine them with the journaling, and spend many fun hours putting together a scrapbook. 

The next several days will consist of our trip to Belize.  We stayed at Chan Chich Lodge and Ambergris Caye.  Although this blog will have a lot fewer photos than the original scrapbook, there will still be lots of pictures.  

I hope you enjoy our trip down memory lane.

Teri

2/14/2005 (Monday) – We left Elgin at 6:15 a.m. and arrived at the airport around 7:15. Lucky me got randomly chosen for the “Special Security Screening” which took an extra ten minutes. You’ve got to love the new transportation security measures! Our flight to Houston left on time at 8:30, arriving shortly before 9:30. Our connecting flight to Belize wasn’t scheduled to depart until 11:55, so we wandered around the airport for a while, including heading in completely the wrong direction to our next gate. The flight left on time, arriving in Belize City at 2:20 p.m., still Central Standard Time.

The airport in Belize was a bit crowded and small, but we got through immigration and customs without any problems. We got to the Tropic Air counter at 3:00, and were given boarding passes for our charter flight which was scheduled to leave at 3:15. Our flight was called almost immediately, and we were walked out to a very well used Cessna 172 where we met our pilot, Wally. Wally looked to be in his late 20’s and was from Belize.

Teri and Wally, our pilot

We lifted off from Belize City and headed west. Near the coast we saw large shrimp farms, which were groups of rectangular reservoirs dug into the ground. A bit farther west we were over a forested area where we noted a few small fires that Wally said were either slash-and-burn agriculture or naturally started. Once we were a few miles in we saw nothing but unbroken forest.

Shrimp farm 

Our shadow 

View from plane

The flight took about 30 minutes, and we landed at 3:45 in a small clearing that was the Gallon Jug Airport. We were told that the Chan Chich van would be there to pick us up shortly, so we explored a bit. In addition to the small building that was the airport office, there was another small building that was the Gallon Jug Post Office. The clearing also contained a large vegetable garden that was being tended by a couple of workers. While we waited for the van we did some birding. Our first Belize birds were Cattle Egrets and Turkey Vultures. Also in the area were lots of Social Flycatchers (our first life bird), Tropical Kingbirds, and Great-tailed Grackles. Around the edge of the garden we found Blue-black Grassquit, Gray Catbirds, and American Redstart.

 

Gallon Jug Airport

Gallon Jug Post Office

The van from Chan Chich arrived to collect us, and we met the driver Raul, who is one of the birding guides. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. The drive to the lodge was only fifteen minutes, and on the way we passed several flocks of Ocellated Turkey, with their wild blue heads covered with orange warts. 

Ocellated Turkey

Upon arriving at the lodge we were met at the van by Leticia who we later found out was married to Raul. She was the desk manager, and was very friendly and helpful. When we checked in, Leticia explained to us that their staff was very trustworthy, and that they issued no keys to lock the cabanas. We were placed in Cabana #11, which was behind the office and faced a Mayan mound.

Our cabana

The Montezuma Oropendola nest was visible from the front porch. 

The cabanas were constructed of hardwoods from the surrounding forest, and had amazing thatched roofs. The walls were essentially screens with wooden shutters, allowing the breeze to circulate. We also had a large ceiling fan over the bed. The owner of Chan Chich is Barry Bowen, who is the owner of the national brewery (Belikan Beer) and distributor of Coca Cola. Each cabana had a refrigerator stocked with sodas, beer and water, all of which were free!

Inside our cabana

Porch around our cabana

We decided to bird around the grounds a bit before dinner. The most visible birds were the resident flocks of Ocellated Turkeys. There were dozens of them on the grounds, including males who were displaying and strutting. We also noted plenty of noisy Montezuma Oropendola and Melodious Blackbirds. A fruiting “Bread Tree” near our room hosted at least three Collared Aracaris. On the sidewalks we saw Basilicus Lizards, which are also known as Jesus Christ Lizards because of their ability to run across water on their hind legs. The male lizards have impressive flaps of skin on their heads that they raise in display.

Ocellated Turkeys

Montezuma Oropendola 

Basilicus Lizards 

Collared Aracaris

In a fruiting tree near the restaurant we watched Red-billed Pigeon, Blue-gray Tanager, and a knockout male Red-capped Manakin. In the many flowering plants on the grounds we saw White-bellied Emerald and Stripe-throated Hermt.  We also watched a group of Spider Monkeys going through the trees near our cabana.

Red-capped Manakin 

Spider Monkeys

We sat down for dinner at 6:45. It was Valentines Day, so a little busier than normal we were told. It turns out that some local folks from the Gallon Jug area had come to the lodge for dinner. The waitresses were young ladies from the area who were all dressed up in bright red dresses. The tables were decorated with flowers and artistically folded napkins.  The restaurant offered a dinner menu that had several appetizers to choose from, and six or eight entrees. The meal started with fresh rolls and potato/leek soup. Teri had pork chops and I had filet mignon. The food was very good, but portions were on the small side. We had a small piece of strawberry three-layer cake for dessert.

Table set for Valentines Day

When we got back to the room the bed had been turned down and the shutters on the lower half of the windows had been closed. We’d find in the coming week that an evening maid would do this each night, and the next morning the bed would be made up and the shutters opened.

That night we went on a wildlife drive from 8:00 until almost 10:00. We sat on padded benches in the raised, exposed bed of a Kia truck. Raul drove, while our guide Gilberto used a spotlight to search for and point out various animals. We drove the road back out to the airport, circled it on the Loop Road, and returned. On the way out we saw a Tarantula, several Paraque and a few Killdeer. On a distant snag near the airport we saw the eyeshine of a Northern Potoo. The bird flew out and back from the snag several times, but other than the shadowy shape and bright reflection from the eyes, it was tough to see. We got very poor looks at a bird that was originally ID’d as a small owl, but that Raul told us the next morning he felt was a Yucatan Nightjar. In the large grassy clearing around the airstrip we saw many White-tailed Deer and Collared Peccary (Javelina), and a beautiful Gray Fox who was very close and not at all worried with us. We also saw several Opossum and numerous bats flying through the lights of the truck.

All in all, a great first day!