Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Ebb and Flow

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”  J.R.R. Tolkien , Lord Of The Rings



Our trek would continue.  After much hiking, I explained to my friend that she would enjoy this next birding venture.  A trek down the Río Dulce.

Masked Tityra-lifebird
We hiked for many days in the heat and humidity.  Our bodies needed a break, but I also needed to continue finding birds.  Everyday, the area hostels offered treks from the town of Río Dulce to the town of Livingston by boat for about 25 US dollars. It's a beautiful ride down this river.

Put a bird on it!  In this case a Great Egret:)
With the breeze on our backs, we navigated around the river picking up people from their  huts.  Many of the places were tucked away on the side of the river hidden by beautiful vegetation. We were so tired that at one point on this boat ride, I almost fell asleep but an Osprey or Tern would fly by quickly awakening me.
It was still fun to find birds that I had already seen like the Osprey, Cattle Egrets, Neotropic Cormorants or Royal Terns in the area.  It was a game.  How many species could I find from sitting in my boat?  
Brown Pelican-I have never seen one in its breeding plumage!
 This river led to the Caribbean Sea and it was this particular habitat I needed in order to find all of these species.  For my friend Lynda, it was an introduction to the Garifuna people of Livingston.  It is a secluded town surrounded by rain forest.  For me, it was retracing my steps on this river once again as I had in the past.....searching for birds.
The iconic men in their wooden canoes were still there fishing in the great waters, but there were also Magnificent Frigatebirds flying over our heads this time. I had finally hoped to add this species on the Guatemala list for the year.  This time around I was able to watch them in flight and notice their various molts.  Some were all black while others were black with white.

Magnificent Frigatebird
 Meanwhile we passed many homes built on this river. The only access was by boat.


Along the shores, I added the Northern Jacana(below) to my Guatemala list.  It wasn't a lifebird, but it certainly was my first time really looking at the bird.  Before, I had taken its presence for granted.  The Jacanas are an interesting group of birds.....especially the Wattled!

Northern Jacana
 I told the Captain that I was counting birds on the river.  The older gentleman smiled and understood the purpose of my visit.  He told his navigator to make sure we stopped by "Bird Island".  And he had my instant respect. Most of the time, the tourists were thrown in a bus and taken to and from their destinations without any considerations.  It is rather common in Guatemala to have rough rides anywhere you go, especially if you're a traveler looking to save some money.  So be aware.....


We stopped near "Bird Island" and my heart melted at the sight of this Groove-billed Ani. They are such unusual looking birds and this particular one reminded me of my cat at home.  I love how it perches on the branch!  Cassie, our cat, puts her paw down the same way the Ani puts the wing down. Plus this has to be one of my favorite birds:)

Groove-billed Ani
 The trip also added another lifebird to my list....the Pale-vented Pigeon!

Pale-vented Pigeon-lifebird
So remember to put those lazy birding days in between the difficult ones to let your body rest.  It can be very draining.  This was a perfect way to bird and relax at the same time.  My friend said to me that it was a vacation and indeed it was, but time was ticking and I only got one shot to find birds here.  It wasn't like back home where I'd be able to go back the next day if I dipped on a bird. On this day, I'd pick up two new lifebirds and 20 new birds for my Guatemala list.

Royal Terns
On the way back, I closed my eyes and slept to the rhythm of the boat bouncing gently on the river.  

23 comments:

  1. exotic bunch - even the pigeon is fabulous!

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  2. I enjoyed this post and the photos of birds I hope to see in Costa Rica next year. It's a dilemma birders face, especially when travelling, to keep going or rest - what will we miss out on, and no easy answer!

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  3. Wow, awesome sightings from your boat ride. The Groove-billed Ani is my favorite. Great report and post. Happy Birding!

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  4. Hi Chris, i can't seem to diligently come back and follow your whereabouts, but i am awed with your travels. Am not particularly interested with your birds because i don't know nor be able to see them, but i love to see the backgrounds and the wonderful environment you're traversing so far. So this is Guatemala!

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  5. HI Chris Another great post. I love birding from a boat and you managed to see quite a few interesting birds. I am enjoying your adventures.

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  6. You'll have a section in your "bird atlas" reserved for awkward ones!

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  7. A great read Chris. Kept me on my toes wondering what you might see next on such an adventure. Those Magnificent Frigatebirds are certainly awesome as I remember them flying along the beaches of Cancun terrorising everything in sight.

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  8. How fortunate you are to be able to travel to wonderful destinations and see all these exotic birds. It's so much fun reading about your travels. Very cool birds! Beautiful photographs!

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  9. It's interesting to see all this, the birds, the way the people live on the water. I like that Northern Jacana. That's a pretty bird!

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  10. I truly like this way of birding and relaxing. When I lived several months on the beach south of Tulum I'd daily watch the frigate birds soar over the returning fishermen as they cast out fish guts. They are huge. (Bigger than a condor?)

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  11. They are large Gaelyn but I think the Condor is still larger. However when these birds made a low pass, they had a healthy wingspan on them:)

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  12. Thank you, Chris, for this great post and for reminding me how wonderful birding from a boat can be. We gave up our boat nearly three years ago, and birding from it is the one aspect that I really miss!

    Have a great weekend - Richard

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  13. All of your trips sound like so much fun, even if I can only identify about 5 birds. :o)

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  14. Jacana...I even like the sound of it's name. Pretty bird, and I will probably never see one in my lifetime. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Chris, a wonderful adventure and so many wonderful birds! I have yet to see a frigatebird myself!

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  16. Another great adventure Chris - what a summer you have had. So enjoy reading of your exploits and seeing your lovely photos :)

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  17. Guauuu. precioso lugar.. Y bonitas imágenes. Yo quierooo. ja.. Un saludo

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  18. Wonderful birds. What an amazing experience.

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  19. What a great trip you must have had! I love all the birds and other sights that you shared with us.

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  20. What a wonderful adventure with so many bird sightings!

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  21. great post, I can relate to some of these species from Venezuela when I visited last year

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  22. Awe, my favorite...those wonderful Pelicans...what a treat!

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Thanks for stopping by!