Bird Watching Guatemala Photoblog

Birding in the rain

Bare- throated Tiger-heron

Last days have been rainy and wet on Guatemala’s highlands and the direct effect on Peten lowlands is flood on areas along rivers. I went with my friends Melvin and Diego from Martsam Tour & Travel to birding around Ceibal and the experience was extraordinary. Hundreds of aquatic and shorebirds feeding on the extended ponds like Great-blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Egret and Bare-throated Tiger Heron.

Gray-necked Wood-rail

Through the bushes we saw Ruddy Crake, Mangrove Vireo, Gray-necked Wood-rail and Least Grebe. Over clean branches we had this great sight of the Amazon Kingfisher and a couple of Snail Kite.

Amazon Kingfisher

By the end of the day we had a bird list of 98 species.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Amazon Kingfisher, Bare-throated Tiger-heron, bird list, Birding, Ceibal, Gray-necked Wood-rail, Guatemala, Peten

Birds and predators

Yellow-throated Euphonia (male)

Photo by Benedicto Grijalva

Last week I visited Ceibal by boat. Walking near the river looking for birds I saw a couple of Yellow-throated Euphonia flying fiercely near to me. My friend Benedicto told me we should be near their chicks, so we put our attention to neighbor trees. In the root of an epiphyte plant three chicks were perfectly hidden from predators.

Yellow-throated Euphonia chicks

Photo by Maynor Ovando

We walk 5 meters ahead and looked back to the nest when Benedicto told me again about something unusual in a tree branch… “Why does that branch look so strange?” and immediately answered “It’s a Mazacuata!”

A 6 ft. Boa constrictor taking the sun next to Euphonia's nest

Photo by Maynor Ovando

In Guatemala the common name for a Boa constrictor is Mazacuata. The snake was perfectly camouflage in a mango tree. Lay on a branch and taking a sun bath, just getting enough energy to look for the next food.

Mazacuata, the local name of Boa constrictor.

Photo by Maynor Ovando

If you pay attention enough each time you go outside for birding, you can find some other animal species that are looking for them too.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Birding, Boa constrictor, Ceibal, Guatemala, Mazacuata, Yellow-throated Euphonia

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

Today in Guatemala we celebrate Father’s Day and I want to tribute to all men in this special occasion considering that birds are extraordinary parents, as we are.
During a birding trip to Ceibal Archaeological Site I got this picture of a Black-cheeked Woodpecker male in its nest built in a dead tree or “tocon” as we said in Spanish.
Woodpecker male and female take care of the little chicks, helpless, blind and featherless creatures, and work usually for three weeks until they leave the nest. Finally when they decide to move the nest to a better place, other birds take the “free space” and use it to grow their own families, like Toucans and Trogons.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Archaeological Site, bird pictures, Birding, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Ceibal, Guatemala

Prince Vulture

Juvenile King Vulture

Sometimes during a birding trip I’ve found what most people think are common situations, but many times the result is extraordinary. I visited Ceibal this Tuesday and when I was in the entrance road my friend David saw some vultures on the ground, he told me they were Turkey Vultures but I noticed one really different to the others, immediately I thought “That’s a Juvenile King Vulture!”

David took his camera and got some nice pictures and I armed my scope and digiscoped some like this one.

I haven’t had a chance to see one like this and it is great to observe the big differences between a juvenile and an adult.

It means that if an older one is a King Vulture a young one is a Prince Vulture, isn’t it?

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: bird pictures, Birding, Ceibal, digiscoping, Guatemala, King Vulture

Migratory birds

Wood Thrush

I'm going to Ceibal tomorrow morning and I have a big expectation to looking for birds that are not supposed to be here in Guatemala at this time… I’ve been seen some Magnolia Warblers and a pair of Black-and-White Warblers so I’ll check if they’re still here. A friend of mine Eduardo Galicia from Mexico told me about some juvenile birds that stay in winter territories because they won’t breed…

Maybe they are in this situation.

Anyway I’ll have wide opened my eyes to watch for them and I will tell you in a couple of days…

Posted by Maynor Ovando

http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008

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Labels: Birding, Ceibal, Guatemala, migrant birds, Wood Thrush

Birding in Ceibal

El Ceibal

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Traveling and birding in Guatemala is an extraordinary experience, you can visit shores in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean, visit semi-arid forest, cloud forest in the highlands or explore Tropical Rainforest lowlands in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. During regular visits to El Ceibal archeological site we have had the opportunity to enjoy the amazing sort of birds that live in southern Peten area. This place is bordered by La Pasión River and this makes great to look for shore and aquatic birds, herons and more.