My first impression upon waking early this morning was that the constant squawking noise i was hearing was not a dream but rather a real animal, most likely a bird, somewhere out there on the Crooked Tree Lagoon. The lonesome sounding bird spent the night calling it's lament out every 30 seconds or so.....I quickly figured out I was still in BZ and had moved onto to the Crooked Tree, a place well known for the over 300 bird species that are protected in this area. I had scheduled a ride on the first birding boat expedition offered through the Bird's Eye View lodge and arrived early in anticipation of seeing some great birds....little did I know I really was quite ill prepared.
I had my trusty binoculars and my digital pentax as well as a little snack for the voyage. Our guide and bird informant was most excellently trained in knowing how to spot even the tiniest of birds and or to hear and identify their call. It was still dark as we boarded the skiff and the morning was promising to be foggy and maybe even a little damp. The other passengers-and fellow bird watchers- were ready and their excitement about the upcoming excursion was palatable. The boat had not even gone in reverse to back away from the pier when bird school started for me. I could see folks in the front of the boat pointing excitedly to something on the shore line and was quickly advised that this bird is the common northern jacara (I actually learned later that bird is correctly called the northern jacana!), or Jesus bird. He evidently seems to walk on water as he skips from lily pad to lily pad in search of food. In my effort to get in on the excitement, and because of my limited ability to see much in my very inferior binoculars, I pointed to a small bird floating in the water and said, wow what is that~!? only to find that it is probably one of the most common birds here and in North America and yes any birder knows that's just an ole coot. Fortunately, the birders were rather easy on me and knew right away that I had a lot to learn. They not only seemed anxious to help me learn the names of all the birds, they also were most patient in pointing out the bird (and loaning me their binocs) so that I could get a glimpse of the birds they were so giddy about. I realized very quickly, that if I were to be a good student and a better birder that I better start writing down all these bird names. I was truly wanting to learn more but was working with limited supplies. Not to mention, that the bird book I was using was one on the shelves at the hotel that I grabbed on the way out to catch the boat. I realized once I was in the boat that the book was birds of MEXICO; that does make a difference when birding in Belize. For any birding in Belize, I recommend the bird book written for the region, of course all the birders had their life bird list and the proper Birds of Belize bible/book with them. Fortunately, I was seated near the guide and he figured out pretty quickly he should offer the book to me so I could at least see a picture of the bird if I missed the one everyone else on the boat seemed to lock on so easily with their binocs.
One especially kind birder informed me that some birders wait a life time to see some of the birds we were seeing! I really felt lucky but wasn't too sure why. We did see many many birds that I had never seen before, I think i counted a total of 40 different birds that we saw that morning in the 2 hour boat ride. I think the real birders saw closer to 40 or 50...Later, that day and after we returned from the boating birding expedition,I biked around and talked with folks at the Belize Audobon Visitor center and they too were most impressed with the number and types of birds that we saw that morning, especially since it was such an overcast morning. I am attaching some of the pics I took of birds, but as I look at them now, I just didn't seem to capture that wow moment too well. I think i was also camera challenged for this type of subject.
I am proud to say though that towards the end of the trip that morning,as we were heading back to the pier, I was able to have my own wow moment. I was carefully scanning the sky line and noted a large something on the top of a tree. I exclaimed "hey what is that"!!?? The guide immediately slowed the boat down to a crawl, all raised their glass to the tree line, and the guide said wow, good eye, that is a Black Collared Hawk. I have to say as we returned to the dock I felt a tinge of pride that finally I was able to not only have a wow moment but to help others tune into the same moment when seeing such a majestic bird. That moment will have to be remembered in my mind's eye instead of with the camera, especially since all the photo shows is a small spec on the top of a rather grand tree!I do believe I now have a great start to a life bird list as well as a few recommendations on which pair of binocs I should purchase when I upgrade! Here's a website you can go visit to learn more about the birds and the Audubon society's efforts to preserve and protect http://www.belizeaudubon.org/
