Tuesday, October 15, 2013

An Island To Call Home


Far away from home up on a balcony above the world, we sat and watched the world pass by.  It was a place where we could sleep in and not stress out about the equipment.  I drank my coffee and watched the beautiful waterways around the island of Flores, Guatemala.  Some of the easiest birding ever.

Green Heron
I watched for birds and my friend Lynda watched for.....well other forms of wildlife.  There happened to be a marathon brewing around Guatemala and everyone was getting in shape for the big day.


It's interesting that from our rooftop views, we could see many wonderful things.  The flycatchers were incredible!

Great Kiskadee
And of course the sunrises and sunsets were pretty spectacular.


Many tourists stop in Flores and then head to Tikal for a day or two.  Personally, for me, Flores was a much needed break from the chaos of Guatemala.  It's a safe little island for the traveler to let down their hair. There are nice accommodations, great restaurants, and travel agencies around this half mile island.

Ringed Kingfisher

One night we walked the perimeter of the island and found this massive Ringed Kingfisher perched on a phone line.  Mother of Pearls!  I've seen this bird twice in my life and each time I've forgotten how big it is!

Mangrove Swallow

But do you know what's not big?  These adorable Mangrove Swallows.  I love swallows, but these little guys stole my heart.   They were everywhere along the island. Along the way, we stopped for coffee, drinks and food.  I really had some wonderful sleep during this leg of the trip. Maybe because there was air conditioning?:)  Also note that there are ATM machines here.

Bananaquit

There were Grackles everywhere.  Keep your eyes open for the Bananaquit. In the center of the island, there is a lovely little park.  It's a wonderful little place to restore your energy after many rocky and bumpy trails out in the wild.


Have you ever heard of a Bananaquit?  As you can imagine, it's a bird that loves plantains....and bananas!  Pretty cool tropical bird.  More to come.....
Today I'm linking up with Wild Bird Wednesdays

21 comments:

  1. Sometimes we get so intense about our mission we forget the simple pleasures. The little swallows look like sweet creature, created to bring a smile. Nice post Chris!

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  2. Now that's my kind of birding paradise.

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  3. Beautiful birds and it sounds like a very interesting place to visit.

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  4. Looks and sounds fantastic... love your flight shots.

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  5. Other forms of wildlife... LOL! I love the sunset and the swallow.

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  6. Z takiego cudownego miejsca jak na pierwszym zdjęciu można podziwiać nie tylko ptaki, ale i cudowne widoki. Pozdrawiam.
    With such a wonderful place like the first picture you can admire not only birds, but also wonderful views. Yours.

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  7. Great photos! And love your little "banana bird"! He looks a little like our Carolina wrens.

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  8. sounds like a really nice 'break' on your trip.

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  9. Flores looks fantastic Chris! Nice to have a bit of down time and see so many birds without even trying. I've always loved the swallows, they're very sweet little creatures.

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  10. Chris, your post prompted me to look up the Ringed Kingfisher and -wow! you're right, they're huge! I'm used to the much smaller Belted Kingfisher. You're in birding paradise by the look of it.

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  11. What a wonderful Getaway Island, Chris.... Glad you had this place to come to --in order to RELAX a little. Sounds incredible--and the birds are all RIGHT THERE....

    Great post and I love the Bananaquit....

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  12. Well, Chris, this looks more like the sort of place that I COULD spend time at, even with my advancing years - civilised and relatively secure, but with a whole raft of natural beauty on hand! Must add this one to the list!

    Thanks and best wishes - Richard

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  13. Looks like the place to be at, lovely bird species too...... cant go wrong with this

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  14. Sounds like a great place to have a break!

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  15. HI Chris that looks like a great place to relax and see birds. Great shots for this post.

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  16. If there's one place I would pick to see before I die, it would be Guatemala.

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  17. Qué lugar tan maravilloso .. Yo sería feliz.. Un saludo desde España.

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  18. The bananaquit is a charming litte bird and the balcony is most idyllic for chilling out.

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  19. Looks a wonderful place to chill out and relax :) Great photos and I love the video at the end what a gorgeous bird :)

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Thanks for stopping by!