Belize & Tikal Naturetrek Tour Report 20 February - 6 March 2010 Hooded Warbler – duPlooys Tody Motmot - duPlooys (Photo: Adrian Fisher) Dawn at Dawson’s Creek, Lamanai Collared Aracari - Tikal Report and images compiled by Peter Dunn Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Belize & Tikal Caribbean Stingray - Hol Chan (photo: Monica Fisher) Green Turtle - Hol Chan (Photo: Monica Fisher) Orange-breasted Falcon - Tikal (photo: Adrian Fisher) Naturetrek Group at Tikal (photo: Adrian Fisher) Naturetrek Group at duPlooys (photo: Mike Williams) Macal River, duPlooys (photo: Mike Williams) 2 © Naturetrek March 10 Tour Report Belize & Tikal Tour leader: Peter Dunn (Naturetrek Leader) Peter (RePete) Herrera (Main local guide) Other local guides: Freddy (duPlooys garden) Benedicto (Tikal) Reuben & Maurizio (Lamanai) Participants: Michael Williams Joan Williams Cherie Wilcox Adrian Fisher Monica Fisher Yvonne Rissone Introduction Belize, once a British dependency, still has strong British links, and its thick tropical rain forest is still used for jungle warfare training by the British military. Together with neighbouring Guatemala it is one of the densest forests in Central America. During this visit we took advantage of local transport and expertise to see this and other habitats. Day 1 Saturday 20th February In flight to Newark The entire group were bright and early at Terminal 4 to catch our Continental flight into Newark, New Jersey. Peter managed to meet all at check in and we then sat back to enjoy the entertainment on the eight hour flight to the states. The customs and immigration were exceptionally smooth and in no time we were reunited with our bags and caught the hotel shuttle to the Ramada Hotel where we spent the night. Day 2 Sunday 21st February Newark to Belize. Burrell Boom Baboon Sanctuary. Sunny and fresh in Newark, hot & sunny in Belize We met bright and early at 5.45 to catch the 6am shuttle back to Newark airport. On the drive the sun was just staring to rise and the familiar shape of New York City could be seen on the horizon. We checked in and went through security to find we had adequate time to sit together and have a leisurely breakfast before boarding our empty flight (only 31 passengers) for the four hour journey to Belize. Passing over the US heartlands we crossed the Gulf of Mexico and followed the Yucatan Peninsula down to Belize, landing around 12.45 pm Central American time (6 hours behind the UK). Our local guide, also called Peter (and nick-named RePete!!) met us outside the terminal and with bags packed onto the coach we set off for the Black Orchid resort at Burrell Boom – a new venue for Naturetrek. © Naturetrek March 10 1 Belize & Tikal Tour Report The accommodation was clean and new and we had new birds in the car park (American Redstart and Yellow Warbler) before unpacking and freshening up and a light lunch of BLT sandwiches, huge chunky chips and some trying the traditional red Fanta!! After lunch we boarded the bus to head to the baboon sanctuary. The sanctuary is land that the locals had volunteered to put aside to help protect the habitat for the Yucatan Black Howler Monkey, but the journey to there was broken with sightings of Wood Storks, Black-collared Hawk and best a Bare-throated Tiger Heron. On arrival at the sanctuary we were given a small introduction to the project started back in the 80’s and gaining some support from WWF before going out for a short walk to the forest edge. We started notching up birds fast and thick, with a King Vulture flying over, a pair of brilliant Vermillion Flycatchers, two Acorn Woodpeckers and a dark example of the American Peregrine Falcon. Our local guide Robert said he 99.9% guaranteed howler monkeys and he was not wrong as a small party (two adults with two young) were found close to the forest edge and were watched at close range. When Robert brought out some bananas it was closer still and some group members offered bananas by hand which were gently taken by the adults while holding onto the trees with their prehensile tails. A big thrill for all! Returning to the Black Orchid we stooped for a few birds with Pale-vented Pigeon, Orchard Oriole, Common Tody Flycatcher and Common Yellowthroat added. We arrived back at the hotel just before dusk and met up for dinner at 7.30pm, completing the log afterwards. A good start to the trip and everyone retired, looking forward to our visit to Crooked Tree the next day Day 3 Monday 22nd February Crooked Tree Reserve. Hot and sunny, temperature up to 40C Some of the group met up at 6.30am and we wondered around the hotel garden and to the river bank. A southern House Wren put on a good show and we had Aztec Parakeet in a tree and two ‘amazonia’ parrots (probably Red-lored) fly over. Down by the river was a photogenic Green Heron, a Northern Waterthrush and brief views of Yellow-throated Warbler. Breakfast was served at 7am and we met RePete at 8am for our day out in Crooked Tree, not before seeing a Golden-fronted Woodpecker attacking some coconuts. The road to Crooked Tree (The Northern Highway) was punctuated with stops for Lineated Woodpecker, Lesser Yellow-headed (Savannah) Vultures, Roadside Hawks, Spiny-tailed (Black) Iguanas and a nice little pull off to see a pair of magnificent Jabiru Storks on a nest. It also became apparent then and throughout the day that Vermillion Flycatcher was now an extremely common breeding bird, seen almost around every bend. We arrived at the Crooked Tree Reserve centre at 9:30am and stopped on the causeway to check the open water. New species included Snail Kites, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebes and Blue-winged Teal on the water and Blue-winged, Black and White, and Hooded Warblers on the land. We continued down to the visitors' centre to sign in then took a trail along the lagoon to Birds Eye View where we had our lunch of chicken burgers or bacon sandwiches with salad and oat biscuits. With the heat at its highest we opted to rest in the shade of the restaurant seeing Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Gull-billed Terns and Ringed-necked Duck from comfortable chairs. After lunch we drove to the pine savannah to check for other species but with the heat still quite overpowering and only finding Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Black-throated Green Warblers we opted for a journey back to the hotel for some to use the pool – pausing at the Jabiru nest in better light. 2 © Naturetrek March 10 Belize & Tikal Tour Report An excellent first full day, we met at 7pm to do the day's log followed by dinner and a discussion on tomorrow’s journey to the western rainforests at duPlooys. Day 4 Tuesday 23rd February Guanacaste and duPlooys via Burrell Boom-Hattieville Road. Overcast, clearing to hot. Early morning wander in the grounds produced Tropical Peewee and a Roadside Hawk capturing a Clay- coloured Thrush. We had breakfast at 7am and settled our bills before leaving Black Orchid to start our stay in the rainforest of Belize. We headed west on the Western Highway heading for Hattieville. The sky was overcast but it was humid and we travelled the road checking out birds on trees, most of which were Roadside Hawks or Black Vultures. We arrived at the Guanacaste National Park, just outside the capital Belmopan and spent a fruitful two hours walking the short trail. Even in the car park there were interesting sightings; Olive-backed Euphonia and male Summer Tanagers. At the birders desk we found a female Chestnut-sided Warbler and our first Collared Aracari. Further along on the ‘swimming deck’ where Roaring Creek meets the Belize River, a female Summer Tanager was acting like a flycatcher and a Southern Rough Winged Swallows fed over the river. Back at the car park we then headed into Belmopan. As we were a little early RePete took us on a tour of the capital city pointing out some of the prominent buildings such as embassies and ‘capital hill’, the Country’s governmental buildings designed like a Mayan temple. We lunched at the Bullfrog Inn in Belmopan (our regular stop) and after a short rest we headed west again, pausing to check an area for Crested Caracara (not there) and to look at the ponds on the entrance road to duPlooys (mostly dried up). Arriving at duPlooys around 2.30pm we were shown to our rooms before meeting up on the deck for drinks at four. Some opted to relax on the deck whilst others explored the area around the car park. The Kinkajous arrived at the bird table at dusk before we went to the restaurant where we tried to do our log and had our evening meal but the generator broke down and the meal was finished by the light of oil lamps. We retired to our rooms for an early night because of the lack of light, thankfully the power was restored a couple of hours later to power up the ceiling fans. Day 5 Wednesday 24th February duPlooys Jungle Lodge. Cloudy start, burning off to hot sunshine We met at the deck around 6am to coffee and tea and waited for the wildlife to visit the freshly filled bird table. First to arrive were the Plain Chachalacas, followed by Brown Jays and then one or two Collared Aracaris.