BLUE CREEK & LIST
BELIZE
TOLEDO (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (8th & 10-11th December, 2004)
Birding Site Guide
This is a nice area of forest quite close to Punta Gorda and you can either visit on a day trip or better, stay overnight. From PG take any bus heading north and get off at the junction for Blue Creek. This is about 20km along the road and is known locally as 'Dump'. Blue Creek is another 19km away and there is no bus. I caught the 6am bus from PG and where I got off, there were some locals waiting for a vehicle that took them to Blue Creek. The vehicle takes Menonite children to school and they agreed to give me a ride in the back. The people getting a ride pay a very small fare to the driver. From where you are dropped, walk further along until you get to the creek where there is a sign reading 'Rainfroest Lodge' The path runs alongside the river and after a few hundred metres you reach some wooden cabins. There was a caretaker there to whom I paid the small entrance fee and he explained where the trails started. I arranged to stay the next night which cost just $25 Belize dollars. His English was a bit difficult to understand but he explained that other people were coming the following day and the price would rise to $90 so I just stayed for 1 night. No food was available at the lodge but there was a shop back along the road towards PG and the lady there can prepare simple meals very reasonably. Birding around the cabins and along the few trails is excellent. The vulnerable Keel-billed Motmot has been seen in the area although I didn't find it. 63 species including 7 lifers.
Species seen
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris
- Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
- Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
- Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris
- Little Hermit
- Western Long-tailed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
- Azure-crowned Hummingbird Agyrtria cyanocephala
- Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris
- Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
- White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
- Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus
- Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis
- Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Automolus
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus
- Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus
- Bright-rumped Attila Attila spadiceus
- Rufous Mourner Rhytipterna holerythra
- Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
- Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae
- Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata
- Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor
- Mangrove Swallow Tachycineta albilinea
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
- Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
- Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea
- Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
- White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
- Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
- Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
- Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
- American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
- Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus
- Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
- Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla
- Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus
- Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
- Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea
- Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza
- Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus
- Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina
- White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola
- Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris
- Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps
- Black-faced Grosbeak Caryothraustes poliogaster
- Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives
- Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
- Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com
