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BIRDING IN BELIZE AND TIKAL: JUNGLE, RUINS, AND REEFS
in conjunction with
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society
February 3 - 13, 2007
 A trip for all birders --- from beginners to the “obsessed” advanced! Our
tour includes a sample of many of the diverse bioregions of Belize, from savannah to rainforest to an island inside the barrier reef. Plus two outstanding Mayan ruins!Belize Birding Explore the wild side of Belize and Tikal with us. We’ll hike in the rainforest amid howler monkeys and three
varieties of Toucans; explore the ancient Mayan ruins of Lamanai and Tikal; and snorkel in the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean next to a one-mile long caye (island). We will be experiencing several of the diverse bioregions of Belize: a palm-fringed off-shore island bordered by crystal waters with tropical fish, dolphins, and coral formations; the mangrove swamps along the coast; and the interior tropical rainforest, the heart
of diversity of birds, exotic plants, flowers, and animals. Belize teems with wildlife: jaguars, pumas, tapirs, iguanas, monkeys, and hosts of exotic birds. Nearly 550 species of birds are found in Belize and 350 have been recorded at Tikal alone. A highlight of this trip is two days to bird and explore Tikal with an archaeological guide. Tikal was built between 250 and 900 AD and is among the most impressive of the Mayan
archaeological sites. It is truly one of the most unforgettable sites of world travel. Tinamous, Hawk-Eagles, Forest-Falcons, Crakes, Parrots and Parakeets, four kinds of Trogons, Puffbirds, Woodcreepers, Potoos, and Becards ...all of these and others await us there. Click here for a list of birds seen on our previous Belize trip.
This trip is designed for folks who enjoy moderate physical activities. We’ll be staying at comfortable inns and "jungle lodges" for the most part.
For more information, contact Rochelle Gerratt at 520-696-2002 or info@naturetreks.net.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Pick up by 5 PM from
Belize airport. Transfer to Bird’s Eye View Lodge near Crooked Tree
Wildlife Sanctuary, managed by the Belize Audubon Society. Good
chance to see Jabiru Storks by the lagoon.
Day 2- Early AM bird walk. After
breakfast, we take an hour and one-half boat ride on the New River
through the jungle to visit the archaeological site of Lamanai where
we’ll be guided by a local naturalist. There are 700 buildings in
this complex that is believed to have supported at least 35,000
people at its peak around AD 200 to AD 900. Picnic lunch at Lamanai.
We take the boat back up river to our pick up by bus. We then drive
back to Crooked Tree Sanctuary to bird. Drive to lodge.
Day 3- Early
AM bird walk. After breakfast, we drive to the Belize Zoo to see
Belize wildlife close-up. Drive to a remote jungle lodge near
Hopkins. On our afternoon birding trip we may walk to a waterfall in
the nearby Mayflower Bocawina Preserve, another Mayan archaeological
site.
Day 4-Early
AM bird walk. After breakfast, we drive to Maya Centre to visit a
Mayan indigenous craft co-op and then to Cockscomb Basin Jaguar
Reserve, managed by Belize Audubon Society, for a walk while birding
through the rainforest. We then return to our nearby lodge.
Day 5-Early
AM bird walk. After breakfast, we drive to the Cayo District at the
Western edge of Belize, stopping at Blue Hole National Park on the
way to bird and take a swim in its famous cenote/swimming hole. We
stay at a well-appointed jungle lodge in the rainforest right on the
Macal River.
Day 6-Early
AM bird walk. A free day to mountain bike, visit a butterfly farm,
get a world-class massage, canoe, tube down the river, or just
lounge around. Stay at the same lodging.
Day 7 -
After breakfast, we drive to Tikal in Guatemala. We stop to shop for
Guatemalan arts and crafts right across the border. Our lodge at
Tikal is right outside the entrance to the ruins. It is quite
comfortable and has a swimming pool. Afternoon birding outside the
ruins.
Day 8- This
entire day will be devoted to touring Tikal with its amazing variety
of birds and other wildlife. We will tour the site with a local
naturalist versed in ornithology and archaeology. The
archaeological site of Tikal was a powerful Mayan city occupied by
large numbers of people between AD 250 and AD 900 and is the best
embodiment of the extraordinary accomplishments of the Maya. Tikal
was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 and is part of the
Maya Biosphere Reserve, the second largest neo-tropical rainforest
in the world.
Day 9 – We
drive back to Belize City. Bird at Guanacaste National Park on the
way. We take a one-hour boat ride to the island of Caye Caulker.
This beautiful long sand atoll sits next to the barrier reef. We
stay at a hotel adjacent to the sea, where all rooms have a view of
the beach. Time to relax!
Day 10 ––
Right after dawn we enjoy a nature walk in Caye Caulker’s Nature
Preserve with a local naturalist. After lunch we take a boat trip to
snorkel and view marine preserves off the island. Belize’s awesome
coral reef is in great shape and offers us views of a wide variety
of tropical fish. We stay at the same hotel.
Day 11-
After a leisurely morning on the island we take the boat back to the
mainland, then take a taxi to the airport for the flight back to the
US.
Itinerary is
subject to change, based on weather or other factors.
Your Guides
Larry Liese is well known among
Tucson birders as a field guide for Tucson Audubon Society as well
as the author of the “Dastardly Duos” column in Tucson Audubon’s
newsletter. In the past few years he has led over 35 birding trips
to Belize and Mexico and led over 75 birding trips in Southeastern
Arizona. He has a special talent for helping beginning birders feel
comfortable in the field.
Keith Kamper came by his
interest in natural history at a young age. While in his early teens
he was vice president of the Holland Audubon Society in west
Michigan for which he led field trips and edited the group’s
newsletter. He was a regional coordinator for the Michigan Breeding
Bird Atlas. While attending university he led birding trips for the
Alabama Field Ornithologists. He has birded throughout the lower 48,
Alaska and in Mexico. Keith has published articles in the Arizona
Field Ornithologist’s journal Arizona Birds. He compiles the Tucson
Audubon Society’s Rare Bird Alert and leads birding field trips. He
enjoys sharing his passion with those who are new to birding.
References
Books
Belize, Miller Carlstroem, Carolyn and Miller, Debra. Lonely Planet Publications, 2002
Hidden Belize, O'Neal, Catherine. Ulysses Press, 2001
Belize & Northern Guatemala, Beletsky, Les. Natural World Academic Press, 1999
Birds of Mexico and Central North America, Howell, Steve and Webb, Sophie
Jaguar: One Man's Struggle To Establish The World's First Jaguar Preserve, Rabinowitz, Alan
Maya Nature, Janson, Thor. Vista Publications, 2001 Trip Costs and Policy
The price of this 11-day trip is $3299
based on double occupancy. The single supplement is $300. We will
match you with a roommate of the same gender if you choose, but if
this is not possible you will be charged the single supplement fee.
The tour fee includes all accommodations, meals, guides, entrance
fees, and transportation from Belize City. It also includes trip
insurance covering emergency medical services and emergency medical
evacuation. Airfare to and from Belize City from the US, personal
items, alcoholic beverages, optional activities on Day 6, and
immigration fees levied by Guatemala and Belize are not included.
To register for
this tour, contact Rochelle Gerratt at info@naturetreks.net or call
(520) 696-2002 for a registration packet. A deposit of $400 per
person is required to reserve a spot on the trip. Full payment of
the tour fee is due ninety days prior to the tour departure. Please
send your checks to Nature Treks and Passages,
P. O. Box 64805,
Tucson, AZ 85728. If you have any questions, please contact Rochelle
Gerratt at (520) 696-2002 or
info@naturetreks.net.
Trip Cancellation Policy
Refunds are made
according to the following schedule. Cancellations in writing made
more than 90 days before departure will forfeit $400. Cancellations
made 70 to 90 days before departure will forfeit 50% of the trip
price. There is no refund for trips cancelled less than 70 days
before departure.
Travel Documents
A current passport
valid for six months beyond the date of your return is required for
US citizens to enter Belize. You will be issued a tourist card by
the airline; leave your copy of this in your passport, as it will be
collected by customs upon departure. | 
