HONDURAS
NORTHERN HONDURAS FEBRUARY 19-27, 2005
COPAN (Extension to Northern Honduras) February 27 – March 2, 2005 Tour Report By Robert Gallardo-Tour Leader
ITINERARY
February 19, 2005- Arrival at San Pedro Sula int’l airport with connecting flight to the Lodge at Pico Bonito. February 20- Early morning bird walk on Lodge grounds. Birding on Lodge ridge trail in a.m. hours and first tower in the late afternoon. February 21- Visit to the Cuero y Salado W.R. in the morning. Birding on the Lodge grounds in the afternoon. February 22- Morning birding on the Lodge grounds then transfer to Olanchito. February 23- Birding the Honduran Emerald reserve and Aguan Valley. Afternoon transfer to Tela. February 24- Morning birding at the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens. Afternoon transfer to Lake Yojoa. February 25- Early a.m. birding on hotel grounds. Birding at Cerro Azul Meambar N.P. Lunch at Los Remos restaurant at lakeside. Afternoon pontoon boat ride on lake. Evening night walk on entrance roads. February 26- Early a.m. birding on hotel grounds. Birding at Los Naranjos arch. Site. Afternoon birding at Finca El Paraiso. Evening night walk on entrance roads. February 27- Early a.m. birding on hotel grounds. Transfer to San Pedro Sula int’l airport. Departure for some clients. Transfer to Copan at Hotel El Jaral for trip extension. Afternoon visit to Enchanted Wings Butterfly House and Nature Center. February 28- Early departure for Malcote Nature Preserve. Hike and birding. Afternoon visit to Copan Ruins Arch. Site. March 1- Early departure for Miramundo. Hike and birding. Afternoon visit to Las Sepulturas Arch. Site. March 2- Morning departure for San Pedro Sula int’l airport. Departures.
VENT broke new ground in northern Central America with its first Northern Honduras tour this last February and March 2005. Our group had such a varied itinerary that took them into lush lowland and mid-elevation rainforests, arid thorn-scrub forest, mangrovelined lagoons, a high mountain lake and its wetlands and semi-deciduous forest, together with two archaeological sites. Such a mixture of stunning landscapes and habitats would have to reveal a variety of birds, and it did. The Lodge at Pico Bonito and its luxurious accommodations adjacent to Pico Bonito N.P. were an ideal place to bird. Up on one of the canopy towers we were afforded a close up look of a male Lovely Cotinga who sat on his lookout post. Who could have ever thought up such a crazy combination of metallic turquoise blue and royal purple? A Purple-crowned Fairy, Green Honeycreeper, Golden-hooded Tanager, Olive-backed Euphonia and Green Shrike-Vireo also paid us a welcome visit while up top. Next to the conference room a pair of Scrub Euphonias were busy building a nest in a Myrmecophila orchid and were Nancy’s favorite bird of the trip. Deep in the rainforest up on the ridge trail we were blessed with a sighting of the elusive Keel-billed Motmot. After coaxing him in he called incessantly from a low perch and was finally spotted by Tony. An adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle was also spotted on an adjacent ridge. At the Cuero y Salado Wildlige Refuge Sarah spotted the secretive Mangrove Cuckoo perched on the side of Red Mangrove who was just as curious about us as we were about him. Howler and White-faced Capuhin monkeys, American Crocodiles and Long-nosed Bats were also seen that day. In the arid Aguan Valley we picked up the endemic Honduran Emerald, Doublestriped Thick-Knee ( a new family for Marie D.), White-bellied Wren and other area specialties. At the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens we were awarded with a pair of the diminutive Olivaceous Piculet, a gaudy male Great Antshrike and the uncommon Scaly-breasted Hummingbird. Our visit to Lake Yojoa proved to be one of the most memorable parts of the trip as we saw a number of sought after species. Voted as the trip bird was the Spotted Rail. An adult was coaxed out into the open using a chick call and it eventually walked out to the tip of a piece of floating reed and could go no further. If it could have walked on water it would have. Instead, it flew right toward Peter and I. This bird has only recently been recorded in Honduras and our sightings constitute the few existing records. Along a canal we obtained great views of the migratory Sora and two Least Bitterns. We also found the Gray-breasted and Ruddy Crakes and had a fly-by of what was probably a Gray-necked Wood-Rail. Peter thought I was letting them out of my backpack as we were “up to our necks in crakes and rails!” To top our aquatic list off we
found an American Bittern during a lunch stop. The last Honduran record was in 1936. River otters fed nearby and Snail Kites fished out snails. Around the Lake we also saw the Ferruginous, Mountain and Central American Pygmy-Owls. To top off our list some night walks produced a bunch of Pauraques as well as the Buff-collared and two Spot-tailed Nightjars. The later of which is very local in Central America. Fork-tailed Flycatchers were seemingly everywhere and flitted about trailing their beautiful, long, black tails. Black-necked Stilts, Fulvous and Black-bellied WhistlingDucks, Muscovys and Limpkins were everywhere we turned. The extension to Copan was rewarding both culturally and naturally. At the Malcote Nature Preserve we saw the Golden-crowned Warbler, Spotted Woodcreeper, Yellowish Flycatcher, Slate-throated Redstart, Violet Sabrewing and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird. At the main Copan Archaeological site the birding was slow, but the ruins were great. Our local guide, Oscar, is always a great and knowledgeable host. Later that day at Hacienda San Lucas we had an authentic, gourmet, candlelit dinner and were visited by a flock of White-throated Magpie-Jays. Plain Chachalacas clacked away in the brush nearby. On our Miramundo (View of the World) day trip we ran into some mixed flocks of birds. The resident Grace’s Warbler greeted us all the way up the hill and we watched the charismatic Brown Creeper probing the bark of pines. Bushy-crested Jays abounded and were accompanied by Yellow-backed Orioles. At the shaded coffee plantation itself we got to see the uncommon Cerulean Warbler, Mountain Elaenia and Flamecolored Tanager. To end the last day we visited the Las Sepulturas archaeological site and were rewarded with great views of the Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Orange-billed NightingaleThrush, and Green-breasted Mango.