Date: 12/6/24 9:35 pm From: Steve Davis <spd8109...> Subject: Belize tropical biology nature tour for the AAST
FYI
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: *Ragupathy Kannan* <greathornbill...>
Date: Fri, Dec 6, 2024 at 2:24 PM
Subject: Belize tropical biology nature tour for the AAST
To: ARBIRD Listserv <arbird-l...>
Cc: <ragupathy.kannan...> <ragupathy.kannan...>
Folks, for several years, we have had successful fund raising nature and
birding tours for the Arkansas Audubon Society Trust. We have raised
nearly $20,000 for the trust doing these tours. Many AR-birders have
enjoyed these tours. So, please consider joining us for some great food
and fun in a tropical paradise.
I hereby announce this year's family-friendly and relaxing tour to
Belize. Itinerary below. Price will be $2,000 plus air, including a
donation to the AAST. Participants must be avid birders or naturalists
and must be in good health for field trips in hot and humid conditions.
Travel insurance is strongly recommended. If interested, please contact
me offline at <ragupathy.kannan...>
*BELIZE NATURE TOUR FUNDRAISER FOR THE ARKANSAS AUDUBON SOCIETY TRUST
(12-20 May 2025—dates tentative)*
***Itinerary*
*12 MAY*. We meet our local guides at Belize City airport and travel up
the Northern Highway to Crooked Tree village, right by the famous water
bird sanctuary named after the village. There will be birding stops on
the way as we pass by the lush tropical countryside. Evening outing into
the savannahs will target the cooperatively breeding Yucatan Jays, Ani
Cuckoos, and Acorn Woodpeckers. A short night walk will focus on
reptiles and amphibians. Dinner and overnight at Bird’s Eye View Lodge
at Crooked Tree. Dinner included.
*13 MAY*. Early morning nature walks at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.
Water birds will be our main target, with special emphasis on Jabiru
Storks, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Jacanas, and Snail Kites. After
late breakfast we leave for the Community Baboon Sanctuary in the
village of Bermudian Landing to see the rare Black Howler monkeys. This
village is the site of a world-famous grassroots monkey conservation
project which involves cooperation from dozens of local villages. Pack
lunch will be catered by local villagers. Tonight, we check into our
cabanas at Crystal Paradise Resort near the village of Cristo Rey south
of the town of San Ignacio near the Guatemalan border. Overnight at
Crystal Paradise Resort. All meals included.
*14 MAY*. After breakfast and an early morning nature walk, we will
canoe 8 kms down the Macal River for a thorough census and inventory of
all wildlife. We will view sunning Iguanas or an array of birds
including kingfishers and wood-rails. Proboscis bats and Howler monkeys
may be among the mammal fauna encountered. See
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ebird.org/checklist/S57578318__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4t2VQscxViefEppofyxxeNv9XMYX_fcacbY_JCdA9UJpcq4wGx5L4tcQgO0dPittjWw0JAAvkJiU6EgGhg$ [ebird[.]org] for birds seen and photographed
during one of our previous river trips. This afternoon we will visit the
local Cristo Rey school to interact with the children and donate school
supplies. Overnight at Crystal Paradise Resort. All meals included.
*15 MAY*. After nature walk and breakfast, we drive 45 minutes to the
famous 2000-year-old Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. The partially
excavated, largest pyramid, El Castillo, stands 130 feet above the main
plaza floor, offering commanding views of the tropical forests and
nearby Guatemala. Hiking up to the top is an option, and the view from
there makes the effort worthwhile. El Castillo is famous for its
friezes, which are banded stucco decorations. An impressive museum
displays a three-dimensional model of the entire site and traces the
evolution of the Maya civilization. Those opting out of the ruin hike
will go on a birding walk in the woods surrounding the area. Before
lunch at the resort, we have the option to stop for an hour at a local
roadside tortileria to learn how to make your own tortilla. Overnight at
Crystal Paradise Resort. All meals included.
*17 May*. After the daily early morning nature walk and breakfast, we
board vans and do a daytrip to the Mountain Pine Ridge. This pine
tree-dominated forest is more than just a vast wooded area: we will
explore deep ravines, traverse dramatic granite expanses atop the Maya
Mountains, and observe meandering rivers, streams, waterfalls, and pools
amid the sweet fragrance of the evergreens. We will focus on
conservation efforts aimed at the rare Orange-breasted Falcons which
nest on cliffs in the 1600-ft Falls. We will also learn about the
devastation caused by pine-borer beetles to this ecosystem. You may get
a chance for a refreshing dip by the waterfalls. Overnight at Crystal
Paradise Resort. All meals included, including a picnic lunch by the rapids.
*18 May*. After nature walk and breakfast, we pack up all our belongings
and check out of Crystal Paradise Resort. We head toward Belize City and
on the way, spend a few hours at the world-famous Belize Zoo, which
houses only native animals of Belize. Near the zoo, we briefly inspect
the tropical pine savanna habitat (where Prof. Kannan studied birds and
their habitat extensively in the past). Those opting out of the zoo trip
will go birding to the nearby Sibun River, where we can possibly see
endemics like Blue Seedeater. We lunch at a picnic spot next to the zoo,
after which we head to Belize City to catch the water taxi (a powerful
ferry) for the 1-hr ride to Caye Caulker. Overnight at a hotel in Caye
Caulker. Breakfast and Lunch included. Dinner on your own.
*19 MAY*. Pre-breakfast birding and nature walk to the sand spits and
mangrove forests where we look for birds such as willets, plovers,
sandpipers and other shorebirds and water birds. Also, this is an
excellent chance to see the endemic Black Catbird and the rare
Rufous-necked Wood-rail amongst the mangrove vegetation. We will also
find Frigate Birds (Man o’ War birds) and Brown Pelicans flying over the
sea. Anoles lizards, Boa constrictors, and other herps are a
possibility. After breakfast we will be taken by boat for snorkeling at
the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, where we will be treated to spectacular
sights of marine life. Fish fauna may include large groupers, nurse
sharks, sting rays, moray eels, and flounders, dominated by a
spectacular array (17 species last year) of colorful coral reef fish.
Depth is between 5-30 feet and visibility is usually excellent.
Floatation devices (mandatory even if you know swimming!) and all
snorkeling gear will be provided. Sunscreen usage a must. Overnight at a
hotel in Caye Caulker. Breakfast and lunch included. Dinner on your own.
*20 MAY*. After breakfast we catch the water taxi to Belize City and
then the van to the airport for the journey back home. Breakfast included.
