Day 4-Crooked Tree Bird Sanctuary

Saturday morning was mostly clear, so we set off to Crooked Tree Bird Sanctuary. Our bird guide was Robert, (he had gone to Tourism school with our driver, Kareem) who also operates Beck’s B&B right there. We should have stayed at Crooked Tree instead of Belize City.

We hiked along with him and saw many birds—some Rob photographed and some not. The Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown Jay, Roadside Hawk, Limpkin and my favourite, the Boat-billed Heron (a night heron).

Vermilion Flycatcher
Roadside Hawk
Limpkin
Boat-billed Heron

Robert was most anxious to introduce us to the Acorn Woodpecker. In an area that was full of Oak and Pine trees, many of these were at work, collecting acorns and then drilling little holes in the softer pine bark to store them.

Acorn Woodpecker on telephone pole

Pine tree bark filled with the Acorn Woodpecker's stored acorns

The body of water there was full with past rains, making waterbird sightings less promising than if we had been there, say in April, at the dry season, when the water recedes, exposing the kinds of things shore birds love to eat.

We hiked back to Carrie’s cafe to meet our driver and have lunch. Kareem was already there, eating a dish of Cow’s Foot Soup (a traditional dish here) and Rob and I had the Two Beans and Rice with Chicken (again, you say?) which was the best we have had yet. Let me be clear—Carrie’s Cafe was a little hut in a field with two tables and two lovely women in there cooking really delicious food.

We had no rain that day, so you really cannot take much store in these weather forecasts. Back home, we had a little siesta and then went to the lobby to meet the ten other people on our tour. We have three single women and a single man. Chloe is from Paris, Laura and Christina are from Toronto (didn’t know each other), and Jordan is from Denver. Then we have Marina and Florin from Germany, Paula and Roger from Burlington, Julio and Pamela from Kamloops, BC. Twelve with us - like last year in Costa Rica.

We head off Sunday morning for two days in San Ignacio.

Hansi

Sent from my iPhone


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