Grand Belize Part II: Chan Chich Lodge Mar 05—11, 2011
Posted by Barry Zimmer
Barry Zimmer
Barry Zimmer has been birding since the age of eight. His main areas of expertise lie in North and Central America, but his travels have taken him throughout much of the wo...Related Trips
We arrived at Chan Chich Lodge just in time for lunch, and quickly settled in to the outside tables facing a large water feature and a fruit-laden firebush. Before we could get our order taken, a stunning male Red-capped Manakin was spotted at eye level just 15 feet away. A flock of Ocellated Turkeys strolled about between the cabanas in the background, and two Crested Guans were seen in a nearby fig tree. An Ochre-bellied Flycatcher followed the manakin into the firebush and was joined by a Social Flycatcher, a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, and a White-bellied Emerald. Two Black-cheeked Woodpeckers fed on palm fruit just off the veranda, and a Magnolia Warbler and a pair of White-collared Seedeaters came in to bathe. Just as drinks were being served, someone spotted a brilliant male Green Honeycreeper at the waterfall. A group of Red-lored Parrots sailed overhead screeching loudly, and then a Collared Aracari landed above the water. How were we ever going to eat with all these distractions?
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Red-capped Manakin, Belize— Photo: Marie Jordan |
As soon as we finished lunch and briefly settled into our rooms, we began birding in earnest. However, we made it no further than Cabana #1 where we discovered another fruiting fig tree, and this one was hopping with activity. Side by side, and no more than 25 feet off the ground, were both Central American spider monkeys and Mexican black howler monkeys providing some of the best views I have ever had of either species. A pair of Slaty-tailed Trogons and several Crested Guans joined in the buffet. Soon we had both Mealy and Red-lored parrots in the scope as well. Montezuma Oropendolas flew overhead, as did some Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts. Then came Olive-throated Parakeets, White-crowned Parrots, Masked Tityra, and Pale-billed Woodpecker. The parade of birds continued—and we had moved no more than 30 yards from where we had started!
Our six days at Chan Chich Lodge were filled with highlights and excitement. We had amazing luck with raptors, tallying all three hawk-eagles, including prolonged scope views of perched Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Black Hawk-Eagle, and a rarely seen Black-and-White Hawk-Eagle sailing lazily right overhead. White Hawks; Barred and Collared forest-falcons; Gray-headed, Double-toothed, and Plumbeous kites; and Bat Falcon rounded out the list. Short forest yielded such specialties as the regionally endemic Rose-throated Tanager, Gray-throated Chat, and Yellow-lored Parrot, in addition to other goodies such as Blue Ground-Dove, White-bellied Wren, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Barred Antshrike, Long-billed Gnatwren, Blue Bunting, and Green-backed Sparrow. Taller forest produced the likes of Great Tinamou, Great Curassow, Spotted Wood-Quail, a spectacular bathing Purple-crowned Fairy, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, four species of trogons, Emerald Toucanet (rare here), White-necked and White-whiskered puffbirds, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. A Tody Motmot gave us walkaway scope views after some searching, and we had four Lovely Cotingas! In the open country of Gallon Jug, we had Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove, Green-breasted Mango, and White-necked Jacobin, as well as five Fork-tailed Flycatchers at once on the road in front of our bus. A successful night drive added Yucatan Nightjar and Northern Potoo. A northern tamandua (lesser anteater) that crossed the road at one point was the icing on the cake.
In all we tallied over 200 species of birds while spending six nights in one of the greatest eco-tourist lodges in the world, surrounded by over 300,000 acres of protected forest! What could be better?