Belize

February/March 2015

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary Pt. 1

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris)

My first major trip of the year got off to a bang with 5 extremely productive days at the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in the small Central American country of Belize.

male Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)

The bird diversity around the village and lagoons is fantastic and even while concentrating completely on photography rather than attempting to compile a large list, I still managed to see over 120 species here during my stay.

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

 

As always with the tropics, finding trees in flower or fruit is often the best, and most reliable, way of finding a large number of birds and I spent much of my time staking out various trees and shrubs in the hope of something good turning up.

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Many of the birds present in the flowering cashew trees were North American migrants, such as Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tennessee Warbler and Northern Parula, that were all fattening themselves up for their imminent migration to their breeding grounds in the northern parts of USA and Canada. These were busily fueling themselves up on both the insects attracted to the flowers and the energy-rich nectar and pollen itself.

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Tennessee Warblers are mostly transient visitors to Belize, with the majority of the population wintering further south, and it was noticable that the northwards migration was already underway with the numbers present towards the end of my stay being far greater than when I first arrived.

Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)

 

male Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)

Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas)

male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

male Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)

Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)

Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)

Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)

Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)

Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)

Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)

Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)

Greyish Saltator (Saltator coerulescens)

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris)

Tropical Kingbird / Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus / Tyrannus couchii)

Tropical Kingbird / Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus / Tyrannus couchii)

 

Crooked Tree pt.2