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The vast jungle of northwestern Belize stretches unbroken into Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west, and encompasses the largest tract of contiguous forest north of the Amazon. Chan Chich Lodge is located within this wilderness on the main plaza of an ancient Maya ceremonial site. The abundance and diversity of wildlife here are difficult to imagine. Nearly 350 species of birds, and more than 150 species of butterflies, have been recorded at Chan Chich, and the area also supports the largest populations in all of Belize of five species of cat. We'll spend five days at this magical place, exploring the extensive trail system and enjoying the amenities of the first-class lodge. Before our visit to Chan Chich we'll spend two full days in the tropical forest and pine savanna, near Belize City, in search of numerous species not found regularly at Chan Chich. Highlights will include a boat ride at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and a visit to the spectacular excavated Maya ruins of Altun Ha. Monday 14 March to Tuesday 22 March with Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis as leaders. Day 1: The tour begins with a flight from London to Miami, where we'll spend the night in a hotel near the airport. Day 2: We'll catch a morning flight to Belize City, and may have time for some initial birdwatching nearby in the afternoon. Night near Belize City. Day 3: We'll spend our first morning exploring the pine savanna and riparian forest west of Belize City, where we can expect a dazzling array of birds such as Ruddy Crake, Pale-vented Pigeon, White-crowned and White-fronted Parrots, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Barred and Great Antshrikes, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Grace's Warbler, and Yellow-backed and Yellow-tailed Orioles. Butterflies in this area may include Yellow-angled Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, Juliette, Pale-banded Crescent, and Glassy-winged Skipper. We'll end the day at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Established in 1984 with the cooperation of the Belize Audubon Society, the government and local villagers, this sanctuary is a 16,000-acre network of lagoons, swamps, pine savanna, and mango and cashew orchards surrounding the village of Crooked Tree. From our lodge overlooking Crooked Tree Lagoon, we should see a wide variety of birds including Limpkin, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Snail Kite, Great Black-Hawk, and Northern Jacana. Night at Crooked Tree. Day 4: After some early morning birding around our lodge we'll pay a visit to the towering Maya ruins of Altun Ha, occupied from around 10,000 B.C. to 900 A.D. In addition to touring the ruins, we'll sort through the many butterflies that can be found here, including Orange-barred Sulphur, Mimosa Yellow, Theona Checkerspot, Mexican Fritillary, Banded Orange Heliconian, Variable Cracker, and Veined White-Skipper. After lunch we'll return to Crooked Tree and take a relaxed boat ride through the forest-edged lagoons in search of Jabiru, Agami and Boat-billed Herons, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Black-collared Hawk, Sungrebe, and other marsh birds. Night at Crooked Tree. Day 5: Before leaving Crooked Tree we'll spend the morning looking for some Yucatan specialities such as Yucatan Bobwhite, Yellow-lored Parrot, Red-vented Woodpecker, and Yucatan Jay. After lunch we'll take the short flight to Chan Chich. Night at Chan Chich Lodge. Days 6-9: From the comfort of our private cabañas we should hear the calls of Great Tinamou, Barred Forest-Falcon, Crested Guan, Ocellated Turkey, Mealy and Red-lored Parrots, Blue-crowned Motmot, Keel-billed Toucan, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Bright-rumped Attila, and Montezuma Oropendola before even getting out of bed! Black Howler Monkeys roar from treetops surrounding the lodge, and troops of spider monkeys are seen regularly. Spectacular butterflies such as Dark Kite-Swallowtail, Thoas Swallowtail, Apricot Sulphur, Mexican Cycadian, Spot-celled Sister, Many-banded Daggerwing, and Zebra, flit around the compound. A laid-back naturalist could have a wonderful experience without ever leaving the main clearing. Our time here will seem barely sufficient to explore the nearly nine miles of trails, many of which we'll want to visit more than once. Our early morning walks will focus on birds, and we'll hope to see most of the specialties of the area such as Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Great Curassow, Purple-crowned Fairy, Tody Motmot, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Plain Antvireo, Yucatan Flycatcher, White-bellied Wren, and Gray-throated Chat. As the days warm up, our attention will shift to butterflies, and we'll seek such uncommon sights as Iphidamas Cattleheart, Five-striped Kite-Swallowtail, Aglaura Banner, Tomato Beauty, Guatemalan Cracker, Darkened-blue Leafwing, Lycastie Tiger, Peleides ('Blue') Morpho, and Memnon Giant-Owl. In addition to walking the trails around the lodge we'll make short excursions to nearby Gallon Jug Farm, where swallows and soaring raptors may be seen, and Laguna Seca, a small wetland that often attracts an interesting variety of wildlife. We'll also make at least one night drive to look for owls, nightjars, potoos, and mammals. Our days will usually be broken up into a series of short outings, with a midday or late afternoon siesta. For those who wish to have more time away from the group there will be ample opportunity to take a longer siesta by the pool, walk a trail on your own, or go touring with a local guide. Nights at Chan Chich Lodge. Day 10: After spending a final morning at Chan Chich we'll take a late morning flight back to Belize City. After lunch we'll catch a flight to Miami, with an overnight connection to London where the tour concludes on Day 11.
Single Room Supplement $470. Maximum group size: 16 participants and 2 leaders. The ground arrangements for this tour are organised by our American associates WINGS. E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability. |
Dark Kite Swallowtail. |
