I visited Belize and Guatemala from October 10 through 21, 2010, and birded heavily most of the days. In the following account I will generally mention bird species only the first time spotted during the trip; life birds are listed in capitals. The only book I brought with me was Howell and Webb. I also consulted several trip reports published on the Net which helped me select precise locations in Belize.
The trip was fantastic and I had the good fortune to visit Belize in a break of excellent weather which followed two weeks of solid rain and ended just before a hurricane made landfall. The temperatures were perfect for hiking when I was hiking and just right for sun-related activities when I moved on to San Pedro.
October 9, 2010: There is no way to go to Belize from my home town without spending a night in either Miami or Dallas; I picked Miami as I have friends from school there and I was able to have dinner with them and stay over at one’s apartment. As it was late before I reached Miami, the only birds seen were Boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major), pigeon (Columba livia), and Eurasian starling (Sturnus vulgaris).
October 10, 2010: My friend drove me to the airport after a quick breakfast; birds seen along the way included a flock of White ibis (Eudocimus albus), several Black ducks (Anas rubripes), a Muscovy/Mallard mix, and Laughing gull (Larus atricilla).
After a quick flight to Belize International Airport, I caught a ride with Javier’s Flying Service in a four-seater Cessna which took me out of the Belize City area and over the enormous jungle reserves of the western part of the country. Along the way I spotted Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), Black vulture (Coragyps atratus), and White hawk (Leuopternis albicollis) - from above, which was pretty cool.
The flight ended at the Gallon Jug farm airstrip, where a driver picked me up to take me to the birding-world-famous Chan Chich Lodge. Gallon Jug started as a developer’s plan to level a large stretch of jungle, but the developer became an eco-convert and decided instead to set up his holdings as a preserve and open the lodge near the farm. On the drive to Chan Chich I saw Ubiquitous (Great-tailed) grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus), the first of many, many OCELLATED TURKEYS (Meleagris ocellata) (they roam the lodge grounds in groups in the morning and late afternoon, such that it was almost necessary to shoo them out of the way), Tropical pewee (Contopus cinereus), and Tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus). A GREAT CURASSOW (Crax rubra) - the first of several I would see between Chan Chich and Tikal - hesitated near the forest on one side of the road, and then slowly strutted into the underbrush. Collared aracaris (Pteroglossus torquatus) appeared, and the driver/guide pointed out a juvenile CRESTED GUAN (Penelope purpurascens) in the branches spreading over the road, with a speckled breast and throat.
By mid-afternoon I was set up in my comfortable thatched cabin, and I decided to get lunch and then hit some of the trails to get my bearings. A Grey fox wandered across the lodge clearing while I explored the immediate perimeter. I ate lunch on the deck of the main lodge building, right near a water feature in some flowering bushes, which was visited by Clay-colored robin (Turdus grayi), Blue-black grosbeak (Cyanocampus cyanoides), and a YELLOW-WINGED TANAGER (Thraupis abbas). Around the grounds I found several Hooded warblers (Wilsonia citrina), a Giant cowbird (Scaphidura oryzivora), and several MONTEZUMA OROPENDOLAS (Psarocolius montezuma). In the distance the Howler monkeys started their characteristic bellowing.
As an experiment I tried walking a trail along the creek without bug repellent, and although the mosquitoes were far from the worst I had ever experienced, there were points on the trails where they made it impossible to bird. I judged the experiment a failure and resolved to use repellent going forward. The trail along the creek was fairly quiet, but a Louisiana waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla) was picking its way along the edge and chipping, and I also found a Great tinamou (Tinamus major) ambling along the track.
I returned to the lodge and put on repellent and then tried a different set of trails. A Masked tityra (Tityra semifasciata) flew into a tree above me, and then I caught a bit of movement in a small window through the dense undergrowth and found a TODY MOTMOT (Hylomanes momotula) sitting quietly and considerately, switching its tail back and forth. This is one of the signature species of Chan Chich and is intently sought by most visitors, so I was pretty happy to find it on my first real outing.
The trails were still extremely quiet so I went back to the lodge, climbed a hill at the edge of the lodge clearing to look at some mid-level branches, and found Yellow-throated euphonias (Euphonia hirundinacea) desporting in the last rays of the sun with various tanagers.
After a nice dinner I followed a nightjar’s calls and ran into a fellow birder who showed me the Squirrel monkeys playing in the tree behind one of the cabanas. He had just had a Pauraque land on the roof of the hut, and although it had gone by the time I arrived, I realized it was the nightjar I had been listening to. A distant owl, probably one or other species of pygmy-owl, called several times. Tired from the long day, I decided to make an early night of it.
October 11: I had signed up for a morning guided walk, and while waiting for the guide to show up, spotted a Roadside hawk (Buteo magnirostris) calling from a tree near the main lodge building. The guide and I first headed up to the area where the lodge workers live, and in the trees by their small gathering of houses we found Summer tanager (Piranga rubra), CHESTNUT-COLORED WOODPECKER (Celeus castaneus), Lesser greenlet (Hylophilus decurtatus), Black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia), and Wilson’s warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). Golden-olive woodpecker (Piculus rubiginosus) was also calling but we were never able to get it in view.
The trails proved unusually quiet, and the guide noted it was very cool for Belize that morning (it was an extremely comfortable morning temperature by Northeastern U.S. standards). Nevertheless, we had an Agouti and a Pale-billed woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis). Above I found a White-collared swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) coursing the sky, and then we turned up RED-CAPPED MANAKIN (Pipra mentalis), BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER (Centurus pucherani), Black-cowled oriole (Icterus dominicensis), Red-crowned ant-tanager (Habia rubica), and Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula). A hummingbird above head-height which flashed a white train of a tail turned out to be a charismatic PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY (Heliothryx barroti), which was followed by a Rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl). The first woodcreeper of the trip was a lone Tawny-winged woodcreeper (Dendrocincla anabatina).
After that somewhat productive morning, I took lunch back at the lodge and again watched over the water feature and its surrounding bushes. A Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens) made an appearance, followed by Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) and OLIVE-BACKED EUPHONIA (Euphonia gouldi). During lunch I made the acquaintance of a newlywed couple from the U.S. and we ended up hitting the creek trail together. We found Tropical gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea), Melodious blackbird, Red-lored parrot (Amazona autumnalis), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus), Northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), Squirrel cuckoo (Piaya cayana), Stripe-throated hermit (Phaethornis striigularis) (formerly part of the Little hermit complex), and Great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus). The place where the creek meets a river turned out to be the most productive spot, and we visited there several times, finding Yellow-olive flycatcher (Tolmomyias sulphurescens), AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER (Chloroceryla aenea), Yellow-green vireo (Vireo flavoviridis), American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), Magnolia warbler (Dendroica magnolia), and Violaceous trogon (Trogon violaceus). In between visits to that spot we heard and then had great long looks at a THRUSHLIKE SCHIFFORNIS (Schiffornis turdinus). Heading back toward the lodge on the trail we found a very obliging male WHITE-COLLARED MANAKIN (Manacus candei) who sat in a tree less than five feet from us - so close, in fact, that the woman had trouble finding it until we reoriented her expectations.
We then turned around and went back to the junction of the creek and the river, finding PLAIN ANTVIREO (Dysithamnus mentalis) and IVORY-BILLED WOODCREEPER (Xiphorhynchus flavigaster). Turning around again, we returned almost to the start of the trail, finding Kentucky warbler (Oporornis formosus) (this was probably the single most common North American warbler species I saw on the trip, perhaps after redstart) and an attention-loving SULPHUR-RUMPED FLYCATCHER (Myiobius sulphureipygius). The couple spotted a small bird that immediately dove back into the creekside vegetation; from their description it may have been a Rufous-breasted spinetail, but I missed the bird.
During our walk the couple mentioned that although they had been there a couple of days already, they still had not seen Tody motmot. I described my sighting and gave them the location; they would not end up finding it there, but on their last day they would take a guided tour and have good looks at one of the local birds.
Later in the afternoon I signed up for a trip to Laguna Seca, a nearby lake, in the hope of seeing some water birds. On the way out of the lodge area toward Gallon Jug the guide and I spotted a BLUE BUNTING (Cynocompsa parellina). On the fences surrounding the Gallon Jug fields we also found Social flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) and Vermillion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus).
Laguna Seca was not that productive but we did find Bat falcon (Falco rufigularis), the first of several Keel-billed toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus), Northern jacana (Jacana spinosa), Great egret (Egretta alba), Northern royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus), Mangrove swallow (Tachycineta albilinea), Belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), Lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), White-collared seedeater (Sporophila torqueola), and Green heron (Butorides virescens). Walking through some open woods on the shore of the lake I spotted a warbler in the long grass and recognized it as a GRAY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT (Chamaethlypis poliocephala), a bird I was pretty happy to see given that it is only rarely found in the U.S. at the Texas border areas. Also present were Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Ringed kingfisher (Ceryle torquata), and Eastern pewee (Contopus virens).
On our return trip to the lodge we again made a few stops near the Gallon Jug estates and found Dot-winged antwren (Microrhopias quixensis), SHORT-BILLED PIGEON (Columba nigrirostris), and Brown jay (Calocitta morio). The guide noted a bird perched atop a tree and called it as a Blue bunting, but I pointed out the tail was far too long and guessed it might be Blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea); a quick look through the scope confirmed my suspicion. We also found White-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus) and White-tailed kite (Vuteo albicaudatus). On a water catchbasin or something similar I found a perched Fork-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus savana), and the guide noted a female Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus).
Back at the lodge I found a Southern house wren (Troglodytes aedon) skulking around the little planting at the base of my cabana.
At night I signed on for a night drive. By a great stroke of fortune one of the other participants happened to look up just as a MOTTLED OWL (Strix virgata) flew up to a perch above us, and we had good looks at the bird in the driver’s spotlight - a sighting that made the entire drive more than worthwhile! Nocturnal birds like owls are tough to find and each such sighting is to be treasured, particularly when you’re in a foreign country and have limited opportunities to get lucky. We also found some sleeping Boat-billed flycatchers (Megarhynchus pitangua) (uncommon around the lodge) and Blue-crowned motmots (Momotus momota), a colorful species of Opossum, and out by the Gallon Jug fields, a NORTHERN POTOO (Nyctibius jamaicensis) perched at the top of a distant tree. It was not the greatest look but the head could clearly be seen, and of course the eyeshine was obvious. We missed the Yucatan varieties of nightjar and poorwill, but some Pauraques (Nyctidromus albicollis) were on the paved areas near the Gallon Jug buildings.
October 12: I took an early trip to an escarpment near the Gallon Jug farm to watch for soaring raptors. Along the way we stopped again by the Gallon Jug fields and found a well-viewed perched LAUGHING FALCON (Herpetotheres cachinnans), Great blue heron (Ardea herodius), nicely scoped BROWN-HOODED PARROTS (Pinopsitta haematotis), and flying WHITE-CROWNED PARROTS (Pionus senilis). At a plantation further up the road several Plain chachalacas (Oralis vetula) were moving in the middle heights of the trees.
The escarpment featured a raptor nest that had been in active use for several years; when we arrived it seemed untenanted, but after about ten minutes later a juvenile ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE (Spizaetus ornatus) flew in and screamed several times from a visible perch, mostly white with some black spots on the body and on the distal half of the crest. Unfortunately its parents did not respond.
Things were very slow on the escarpment itself but we did find King vultures (Sarcoramphus papa), Hook-billed kites (Chondrohierax uncinatus), Least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus), Yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia), and one of the hardest-to-find raptors in the area, BLACK-AND-WHITE HAWK-EAGLE (Spizastur melanoleucus). I picked up a SHORT-TAILED HAWK (Buteo brachyurus) at some height and was glad for the guide’s assistance in identifying it, although I think I had enough details that I could have confirmed the identification myself.
I returned to the lodge and took lunch in my usual spot, where the same couple as before joined me. We noted OCHRE-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Mionectes oleaginus) and Swainson’s thrush in the bushes near the water feature. An early afternoon quick walk on the trails turned up few birds with OLIVACEOUS WOODCREEPER (Sittasomus griseicapillus), GREY-HEADED DOVE (Lepotila plumbeiceps), DUSKY ANTBIRD (Cercomacra tyrannina), and Bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) the only new sightings. Later I had a guided hike and we found a mixed flock at canopy level with both male and female BLACK-THROATED SHRIKE-TANAGER (Lanio aurantius), EYE-RINGED FLATBILL (Rynchocyclus brevirostris), and RUFOUS MOURNER (Rhytipterna holerythra). A nice ant swarm in fading light brought us Ruddy woodcreeper (Denddrocincla homochroa) as well as Tawny-winged. A second Tody motmot showed up, and we spotted Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) and Golden-crowned warbler (Basileuterus culcivorus). Back at the lodge proper I found a Wedge-tailed sabrewing (Campylopterus curvipennis) that had settled into a perch and just kept chipping away as I studied it.
October 13: On my last morning at Chan Chich I followed a tip the American couple had given me to watch the flowers around the largest cabana (known as the “Villa” or the “honeymoon suite”), where I had good looks at a Long-billed hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) (formerly part of the Long-tailed hermit complex). On the trails I got a good view of a WHITE-BREASTED WOOD-WREN (Henicorhina leucosticta), and on the road past the service village I finally found a SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER (Veniliornis fumigatus) - a pair, actually, working a thick limb of a tree above the road edge. Also present were Chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), Worm-eating warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus) (always a welcome sight to those of us who hail from the parts of the U.S. which are sadly bereft of Worm-eating warblers), Plain xenops (Xenops minutus), Buff-throated foliage-gleaner (Automolus ochrolaemus), Streak-headed woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii), and a possible Wedge-billed woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus).
A word about Chan Chich Lodge. It is expensive. That is pretty much the only negative, since the accommodations are comfortable, the staff is cheerful and helpful, the meals are very tasty, and the setting is fantastic. The guides are pretty knowledgeable although I did not have the experience of birding with the one reputed to be the most experienced.
Javier’s Flying Service took me back to the international airport, where I rented an SUV with four-wheel-drive. If “SUV” came across on the page with a reluctant tone, that is no accident. On the road leading out of the airport to the Northern Highway I found a large raptor on a fence which close study indicated had a grey area between the cere and the yellow of the forebill, indicating a GREAT BLACK-HAWK (Buteogallus urubitinga), although the habitat and perch were more consistent with Common black-hawk.
I headed north for a quick stop at Crooked Tree. On the side road from the Northern Highway to Crooked Tree, I reconsidered my reluctance in renting the SUV, since the road was in many places washed out due to recent heavy rains. A car would not have had the clearance to cross in several places and it would have been a disappointment to come so close to the town without being able to actually get there. As it was, Crooked Tree was still somewhat of a disappointment, as it was not a good time of year for waterfowl and the birding was otherwise pretty scrubby. The only new birds I gleaned were Pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), Tropical mockingbird (Mimus gilvus), and Blue-gray tanager (Thraupis episcopus). A bird that kept skulking in low brush, with a hard “check” call, puzzled me, but I would end up solving the mystery later in my trip.
Wanting to reach San Iglesias in time to eat and get some rest, I left Crooked Tree, ran back down the Northern Highway, took the cutoff passing Burrell Boom, and caught the Western Highway toward the border. A Gray hawk (Buteo nitidus) on a wire was the only new bird spotted during the trip.
I came into San Iglesias just after sunset and after a little meandering around, found a small hotel that seemed like it would suffice for a single night, the Tropicool Hotel. The room I selected was actually a separate building with its own porch, within the hotel’s fences; it proved surprisingly quiet although the hotel was located in the heart of downtown, and the price was pretty low by U.S. standards. Food choices were limited so I took a burger at a ratty bar/restaurant just down the street. The quality of the food was pretty much what I expected.
October 14: I rose at 5:30 and hit the road, hoping to avoid the morning traffic. I had gotten directions from the hotel manager’s daughter the night before, but I was still surprised to find myself on the outskirts of town within about three minutes.
The border was only about fifteen minutes further on, near the grubby Guatemalan border town of Melchor, and I would have made good time that morning except for the confusion of paperwork at the border station. Bringing a rental vehicle into Guatemala is an elaborate process and I had not gone in forewarned that I would need copies of my passport and license. Of course, they “did not have copying facilities” at the border station itself, which really means that they had a copy machine but did not allow it to be used by the public. There was a copy store in the same bank of buildings as the border station but it would not be open for an hour and a half. A “helpful” cab driver kept shadowing me and offering unsolicited advice. Shockingly, his solicitude was motivated by self-interest, as he eagerly offered to drive me in his cab into the Guatemalan town of Melchor where he promised to know the one copy place that was open at that time of the morning, “about a mile away.” I don’t like dealing with such touts but it was that or sit around at the border station for an hour and a half waiting for the nearby copy store to open. I therefore finally got in his cab, upon which he drove me about a third of a mile to the copy place he had mentioned...which was closed. He made a great show of dismay and surprise at the store being closed, but his dismay and surprise became genuine when he saw me walking away. We had a brief argument in which he maintained I still needed to pay for the cab ride even though he had not actually brought me to an open store as promised, and I contended that he was high if he thought he was getting money for taking me on a wild goose chase.
I walked back to the border station and along the way tracked down a photo developing store where they had a copying machine, so I was soon able to go on my way.
The road through Guatemala was in impressively good condition, much as the highways of Belize had been - modern flat roads with good markings. There were a couple of places in Guatemala where it reverted to dirt but they were each less than a mile long. At one of these spots there were a pair of kingfishers, one in a bush and one on a post sticking out of a small pond; the larger was an AMAZON KINGFISHER (Chloroceryla amazona) and the other proved to be a Green kingfisher (Chloroceryla americana). I was able to compare the wing markings and breast bands of the two similarly-plumaged species, as well as the different bill morphologies.
Eventually I reached the town of El Remate, about thirty kilometers from Tikal, took a side road, and checked in to La Casa de Don David, a nice and affordably-priced hotel with a view of a smallish lake. The owner, Don David himself, a friendly fellow late of the U.S. himself, joined me for lunch and gave me a few pointers about the area and Tikal itself. One thing he mentioned was that a few days earlier, a couple of carloads of narcos had run a road trip down from Mexico to take vengeance on a rival Guatemalan drug gang for stealing a drug shipment. The Guatemalan military had gotten on their trail near the capital and had chased them all the way to El Remate and down the side road past the hotel to where it ended a few kilometers further on. A gun battle had ensued, with the narcos, as one might expect, getting much the worst of it, and most of them had been killed. A few were still at large so the military had set up a checkpoint down the road and were watching against any attempts by the narcos to escape on foot or in a “borrowed” vehicle. I do like a vacation that holds a bit of adventure.
Don David also advised that if you arrived at Tikal after about 3 p.m., the pass you bought at the entrance would also be good for the following day. Since it was getting close to 1 p.m. I decided to hold off on continuing to Tikal and unwind from the drive and border crossing. I worked my way down to the lakeshore, finding Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) and Snowy egret (Egretta thula) as new birds for the trip. I also walked part of the way down the road toward the military checkpoint, finding Carolina (“White-browed”) wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and obtaining my first glimpse of Spot-breasted wren (Thryothorus maculipectus) for the trip. A familiar bird, Slate-headed tody-flycatcher (Todirostrum sylvia), also showed up.
Around 2:30 I started for Tikal. I was surprised at how quickly I reached the gate, and then disappointed to find out that I had to wait until 3:30 to buy a pass if I wanted it to be good for the next day. I parked the car near the gate and walked back along the road, which was bordered for a ways going back by disturbed jungle. Here I found several birds already seen on the trip, including Violaceous trogon, and also turned up Black-headed saltator (Saltator atriceps).
I returned to the gate at 3:15 and started the drive from the gate to the Tikal entrance area proper. At this point I realized why the drive from El Remate to the gate seemed so quick - I was still seventeen kilometers from Tikal! Not only that, the road was posted at forty kilometers per hour (to protect the forest animals, which I wholeheartedly support). As a result, it was nearly 4 p.m. when I reached the entrance area and parked, only to find out that it was there that I would be purchasing the ticket. I could have started the seventeen-kilometer trip when I first hit the gate, waited a little bit at the entrance area to purchase my ticket, and had a good deal more time to look around that afternoon. Instead I had to ration my time very carefully to ensure that I was back at the entrance area in time to be out of the gate by 6:15 or thereabouts.
Morale was somewhat low when I hit the trails, and dropped lower when it started raining. After just ten minutes or so the rain slackened and a little while later it stopped entirely, and I emerged from the jungle to see the towering mass of Temple IV. I headed up the stairs to the top of the temple and was rewarded with a fantastic view of the jungle stretching out to the horizon in every direction, with the tops of the tallest structures at Tikal jutting out here and there. I was also rewarded with the company of three slightly toasted local twentysomethings and we shared a laugh at the poor judgment they had exercised being drunk so close to the brink of a sixty-foot fall.
Of course, I had not chosen Temple IV at random, but based on references on the Internet to its being a location to easily find a particularly rare species of falcon which had regularly nested there. Looking around at the ample swaths of jungle with no idea where the nest was set, I was a little dubious about my chances, but then I looked up to find an ORANGE-BREASTED FALCON (Falco deiroleucus) had at some point arrived to perch on some scaffolding not twelve feet above my head. It stayed as long as I watched, and I was able to point it out to the borrachitos.
Feeling well rewarded for my efforts and redeemed from the many missteps that afternoon, I beat a hasty retreat and made it out of the gate just after 6 p.m.
October 15: I hit Tikal first thing in the morning, arriving at the entrance area just after 6 a.m. I spent the day marveling at the incredible ruins - there are at least a dozen major groupings of significant structures, including incredible pyramids and elaborate palaces. Of course, the cultural aspects of Tikal took second place in my estimation to its natural attractions - the ruins are set in an enormous area of protected jungle, and the sites are spread over such a large range that there are extensive deserted sections of road and trail where birds are plentiful. Here I improved on my studies of Grey-headed dove, and also found Black-crowned tityra (Tityra inquisitor) and Blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina). A serial tooting sound was interesting to me, and I imitated it, eventually drawing in a BLACK-FACED ANTTHRUSH (Formicarius moniliger) for good looks.
A mixed-species flock yielded Black-throated green warbler (Dendroica virens), Red-throated ant-tanager (Habia fuscicauda), and Blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius). As I was photographing one of the more substantial temples I heard a three-noted call behind me, and I was able to pull a STUB-TAILED SPADEBILL (Platyrinchus cancrominus) out of the underbrush, a small, nearly tailless ball of a bird I had been wanting to see for some time. Another template clearing yielded Blue bunting at the edge - this one affording a much better study than the bird seen on the drive to Gallon Jug, with the iridescent blue of the forehead and at the lower base of the bill glowing dramatically in the rich light. Near yet another large pyramid I was tracking some small birds when a large raptor passed overhead and perched in view in a tree nearby. Thinking that it might be a forest-falcon, I got on it immediately to find it was in fact an adult Ornate hawk-eagle, which gave excellent views of its complex and dramatic plumage from short range: sharp crest, orange hood, black-bordered white “beard,” and zebra streaking on the underbelly and thighs.
Other new trip birds I found in the Tikal complex that day included Golden-fronted woodpecker (Centurus aurifrons), Yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris), Slaty-tailed trogon (Trogon massena), Orange-chinned parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), Wood thrush (Catharus mustelinus), and Vaux’s swift (Chaetura vauxi).
I left Tikal just before 6 p.m. With the exception of a break for lunch of about an hour, and a short rest at one of the ruins out of the way of any crowds, I had been hiking and birding for almost twelve straight hours. I learned something about myself that day, which was that if I hiked for long enough, my heels felt bruised.
October 16: I returned to Tikal early again to have a bit more of a relaxed day of birding. I had good activity with a couple of mixed-species flocks, but mostly sightings of species that had already been seen on the trip. New trip birds were Northern barred woodcreeper (Dendrocincla certhia), Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus), and White-bellied wren (Uropsila leucogastra). On the way out of the park I started up a bird that I only saw in silhouette, but its size, crest, and long tail were all suggestive of a possible Pheasant cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus). Coincidentally, my life sighting of that species had been at another major ruin site, Chichen Itza, where one had uncharacteristically showed itself in the middle of a broad grassy lawn between buildings. I also had an Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) near the Tikal museum before I left.
Back at the hotel I looked around the lakeshore once more, seeing various swallows including Barn swallow (Hirunda hirunda). That night Senora David alerted me to the existence of a cactus in the hotel gardens which had flowers that opened for only one night in the year. That night she thought one would bloom; in fact, when I checked the garden, I found three of the flowers had opened, each an enormous white blossom. The next morning I checked again and they had indeed mostly closed.
October 17: This was my last morning in Guatemala and I wanted to get back to the airport in Belize in time to avoid another day’s charge on the rental car, so rather than visit Tikal again I decided to hit a bioreserve right down the road from the hotel. Past the military checkstation. The reserve was called Cerro Cahui and after visiting it I wished I had made a priority of visiting earlier - the birding was excellent, especially along the first half-kilometer of the trail (I didn’t even get beyond the first kilometer).
Here the mystery of the “check” in the shrubbery was solved, when a Rufous-capped warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons) finally came out for good views. The trail also yielded up Buff-throated foliage-gleaner, YELLOW-BILLED CACIQUES (Amblycercus holosericeus) chattering just above me and lingering for good looks, and Green-backed sparrow (Arremonops chloronotus). A small noise in the brush off the trail led me to spy a Stripe-throated hermit repeatedly splash-bathing in a puddle circled by roots. It kept returning to the same perch and then taking another turn at the water. After a while, it left, and immediately a Purple-crowned fairy took its place, hitting the water and then fluttering above the pool with its showy tail fluttering. A curious Northern royal flycatcher hung around me for a while, and I also had a brief glimpse of a RUSSET ANTSHRIKE (Thamnistes anabatinus).
When I finally tore myself away from the Cerro Cahui trails, I returned to the hotel, packed up, and drove back to the border. Two things of note happened during my return crossing of the border. First, somewhere in the border station, one of the officers’ assault rifles went off. I never found out whether it had been an accidental discharge, a deliberate discharge without ammunition, a warning shot, or a homicide in the line of duty. I probably should have asked around...the other thing that happened was I was approached by the same tout with whom I had had the disagreement a few days earlier. He demanded I pay for the taxi ride and I demanded he go away.
Continuing on through Belize, a new bird for the trip spotted along the highway was a Groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris). I made it to the airport to return the car, avoid another day’s charge, and hop a plane to my next destination in time to land in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye before 2 p.m.
As I had not made any reservations, I checked into the Ruby Hotel with the intention of spending only one night there and using the afternoon to roam the area and find a better spot. After looking around and perusing my travel guide, I settled on the Caribbean Villas, which were on the south end of town and featured a pseudo-jungle with decent birding, as well as much nicer accommodations. Because it was the low season, they gave me a good deal, and I arranged to move over there first thing in the morning.
At this point I should mention that although there were fiscal benefits to visiting San Pedro during the off-off-season, I can’t recommend it. Due to the lack of tourist participation, it was difficult to put together trips and one in particular that I decided I wanted to try - a full-day trip inland along some rivers to a major ruin site - was not available at all. Of course, during the high season one probably would face the opposite problem, of trips being too crowded to reliably obtain a space.
New trip birds seen in San Pedro that afternoon included Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), Common ground-dove (Columbina passerina), and Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopilia decaocto). I took a walk south along the road out of town and saw two Osprey on a nest, a soaring raptor that was possibly a Double-toothed kite (Harpagus bidentatus), Cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilia rutila), Palm warbler (Dendroica discolor), Hooded oriole (Icterus cucullatus), Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotus), Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), Variable seedeater (Sporophila aurita), and Black catbird (Deumetella glabrirostris).
October 18: As planned, the next morning I moved into the villas, where I saw Yellow-throated warbler (Dendroica dominica) and various other birds already seen on the island. That day I joined a snorkeling tour, seeing Royal tern (Sterna maxima) along the way. During the snorkeling trip we swam with nurse sharks and stingrays, and also saw several sea turtles.
That night as I was getting ready for bed, I heard, to my surprise, the persistent hooting of a Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) from just south of the villas.
October 19: In the morning I borrowed a bicycle from the villas and ran up the road to the north part of the island, where there were caye littoral marshes. There I found Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor), and Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia). At lunch back in town I learned that there were pines toward the end of the road heading south, so that afternoon I took the bicycle south past areas I had already visited, finding Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Common black-hawk (Buetogallus anthracinus), Mangrove vireo (Vireo pallens), and Yucatan vireo (Vireo magister).
October 20: I joined a tour to Altun Ha, a minor Mayan ruin site well inland, in the hopes that a day spent on a boat would yield some good water birds. We saw Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) and a Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) on mudbank on a river.
We docked at a small village and caught a bus further inland. Along the way I noted a Black-bellied whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) standing on a post in a small pond.
The Altun Ha ruins were pretty underwhelming after the grandeur of Tikal but the presentation was interesting. Afterward we stopped at a resort/spa for lunch. The grounds yielded Bare-throated tiger-heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum), a crocodile in a small pool, and possible Yellow-bellied flycatcher, as well as familiar euphonias and hummingbirds. Across the road I found an AZURE-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia cyanocephala) tenanting some low weeds.
Back in San Pedro, the dock at the villas was visited by a Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres). I spent a quiet afternoon finishing a book (Somerset Maugham) and enjoying the sight of the ocean in the waning light.
The next day I caught an early flight back to the mainland, and started a long trip back home, arriving just after midnight. It was pretty frigid the next day - a striking contrast to the warm breezes of Belize.