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Trip Report By: Jesse F. Fagan
Participants: Dan Canterbury, Nora Jordan, Mark Ludlow, Virginia Reynolds, Deb Stegall Daily Summary: July 31st, Sunday: The group met at Toncontín airport on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa (“Teguz”). The final members of the group, and one leader, arrived late on the American Airlines flight at 1:30 PM. We introduced ourselves, a small group of eager birdwatchers, and met our driver, Pluvio. Plenty of room in the van as we loaded our bags and headed northeast out of the city to the cloud-forest of Parque Nacional La Tigra and the former mining town of El Rosario. We quickly climbed out of the arid valley in which Teguz is located, encountering Spanish moss-draped pine forest and flowering agaves that cloak the landscape at this elevation. The town of Valle de Angeles was bustling with gringo tourists and Hondurans from Teguz out for a Sunday afternoon of shopping. After Valle de Angeles, we reached the small town of San Juancito (road now paved through the town) and the turnoff to El Rosario (not paved and a steep climb about 25 minutes up from San Juancito). As we climbed, I heard the raucous calls of Bushy-crested Jays and the group quickly exited the van for our first look at this northern Central American endemic and target species for the trip. Several jays raised their crests in an excited display; it was easy to understand at this point how they got their name. Common at La Tigra, we would see numerous jays over the next two days. We arrived at the lodge around 4 PM and, as the driver unloaded our bags, we took advantage of the remaining light and walked up the trail from the visitors’ center. These few hours of birding were very productive as we observed Green-breasted Mountain-Gem and watched a singing Slate-colored Solitaire. We made it up just to the edge of the cloud-forest before turning back. We enjoyed a simple plato típico dinner and nice conversation before heading to bed. August 1st: The group had a very early morning breakfast (one of several on the trip) and we headed up the trail at 5:30 AM. The birding below the cloud forest was very good with Blue-and-white Mockingbird (singing in a leafless tree), Yellow-backed Orioles, and numerous singing Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes just above the lodge. The birding slowed as we entered the cloud forest, but we took a break at the large waterfall before turning back toward the lodge. As we walked slowly down, we found singing Rufous-browed Wrens and several calling Great Swallow-tailed Swifts. We made it back to the lodge around 11:30 AM for lunch and a quick siesta (though some preferred to wander up the trail and look for more birds!). Around 2 PM, we headed down out of the cloudforest northeast into the arid scrub and tropical dry gallery forest of the Valle de Morocelí around the town of Cantarranas (AKA San Juan de Flores). We had a great walk, picking up many Pacific Slope specialties including Rufous-naped Wren (several dust-bathing in the trail), White-throated Magpie-Jays, and a large flock of Orange-fronted Parakeets. On the return trip, in pine forest, we found several Rusty Sparrows. We ended up at the lodge around 6 PM for dinner and the nightly checklist run-down. August 2nd: We birded several trails above the lodge in the early morning fog and heavy cloud cover. A Scaled Antpitta and several Unicolored Jays were nice finds. We left El Rosario around 10:00 AM and birded the highland pine-forest at several spots as we made our way down to Teguz. In the capital city, we took the main highway north, crossing the Continental Divide and descending into the Honduran Depression (a region where three large Tectonic plates meet-- geologically intriguing, albeit confusing). We birded from the car in the Valle de Comayagua, then had lunch in Siguatepeque. Afterwards, we headed southwest towards La Esperanza, taking a dirt road off the main highway to birdwatch near the pass over the Cordillera de Montecillos mountain range. The road eventually led to a shaded coffee finca. It was here that we had an unforgettable experience. We had been birding for about an hour when an elderly man approached me and in polite, yet frantic tone, declared “Yo tengo una emergencia.” I was a bit lost in what he wanted next, but Mark B. quickly translated to our group that his daughter was pregnant and very ill, apparently in labor. They were poor, had no money, but needed to get her to a doctor in Seguatepeque. Could we assist? I was deeply impressed with our group as they quickly agreed to take the daughter, along with her mother, into town for the care she needed. Our group also left the women with a generous donation for meals and a bus ride home. The experience touched all of us. We continued north, descending into the Lago de Yojoa basin—wettest spot in Honduras--and into a large rainshower. We arrived at the Hotel Agua Azul around 4:00 PM and birded the grounds until dinner. An evening thunderstorm ended our night prowl early. For logistical reasons with our van rental agency, it was here that we switched drivers and vans; Pluvio was replaced by Oscar. We were saddened to see Pluvio go as we enjoyed his company and he seemed to be truly interested in birdwatching (he even owned his own pair of Tascos). August 3rd: We awoke around 5 AM, grabbed some coffee and cookies, and headed down to the lake. Looking east, we could see the cloud draped peaks of Cerro Azul-Meambar National Park (a place we would visit tomorrow). The area around the hotel was very good for birding and we quickly ticked off several new trip birds including Spotted Rail (glimpsed by Mark L.), Grayish Saltator, Spot-breasted Orioles, and Limpkin, to name a few. Ruddy Crakes called everywhere. We had breakfast at the hotel before driving over to Finca Las Glorias. We birded the grounds and lake for several hours searching for crakes and other waterbirds. After lunch at Agua Azul, we had arranged for a boat ride over to Isla del Venado. This is a small peninsula blanketed by dense, second-growth tropical rain forest. A Rufous-breasted Spinetail was the first bird we found as we exited the boat. Other species included Ivory-billed Woodcreeper and Rufous-and-white Wren. After making it back to the hotel, we took a break before driving back out to Finca Las Glorias for a bit of night birding and dinner. At dusk, we had a calling Gray-breasted Crake almost at our feet (the bird never revealed itself). August 4th: We left Hotel Agua Azul and made the trip up to Cerro Azul-Meamber N.P. Our first stop was well below the park entrance at an area called Embalse de Yure. Just up the road from the dam we found a Striped Cuckoo and sitting just above it in the same field of view, a Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow! (Virginia ranked this her top bird of the trip.) We walked the dirt road below the dam for several hours before finally driving up to the visitor’s center at Cerro Azul-Meambar N.P. The park is well-established with a good system of trails, visitor’s center, comedor (restaurant), office/gift store, and cabins for rent. Mark B. arranged for breakfast while I took the group for a short walk around the grounds. We watched at eye-level several Golden-hooded Tanagers foraging in a Cecropia. The hummingbird feeders at the visitors’ center were attracting several species including Long-billed Hermit, Stripe-throated Hermit, and the showy Violet Sabrewing. As we started one of the trails above the visitors’ center, we were accompanied by an orphaned White-nosed Coati. The young coati was being cared for by the park workers, but was quickly adopted by our group. We enjoyed his antics as he foraged for insects, climbed trees, and got in our way. A few times we stepped on his tail, which elicited from him an annoyed series of twitters. On the trail to the overlook, the group heard and eventually spotted a Keel-billed Motmot. A lifer for most in the group, this was a target species for Mark B. and me. We hiked back down to the visitors’ center where we had an excellent lunch. We then headed towards the Caribbean coast, driving north and then east as we paralleled the Cordillera Nombre de Dios. Most of this was done in intermittent rain showers and the tops of the mountains were shrouded by heavy clouds. We arrived at the Omega Jungle Lodge along the Rio Cangrejal south of La Ceiba, on the western edge of Pico Bonito National Park, around 5 PM. We enjoyed a nice candlelit dinner before crashing. August 5th: We left the lodge around 5 AM for the 2-hour drive to the Aguan Valley west of Olanchito. This area is in the rainshadow of the Caribbean coast range and is a stronghold for the only known Honduran endemic, the Colibrí Esmeralda Hondureña or Honduran Emerald. We made only a few stops to tick off new trip birds such as Osprey and Wood Stork. At Olanchito, the paved road turns to dirt, but is in good condition for at least the first 15 miles or so. Our first stop on a dirt road to the right was rather unproductive. Though the habitat appeared suitable for the hummingbird, we managed only glimpses of flybys. We did note that there appeared to be little that was flowering. The group found several Crested Bobwhites and the disjunct population of White-bellied Wrens among pineapple-like terrestrial bromeliads. By this time, the temperatures in the valley had begun to climb precipitously. We made a second stop a bit further west in the official Honduran Emerald preserve, the Polígono de Tiro, an area with a profusion of cacti (several species including the tall Cephalocereus organ-pipe cactus as well as the prickly pear) and spiny acacia and mesquite trees covered in epiphytic plants. The epiphytes can survive in this arid environment by using the morning fog (that frequently forms in the valley) for moisture. This fog lasts several hours in the morning before burning off. The other obvious component was a red-flowering ocotillo-like plant known as the pie de niño. It was here that we found the Honduran Emerald to be quite common. We enjoyed lengthy scope looks before turning our attention to other species. As we waited for a White-bellied Wren to show itself, a Gray-necked Wood-Rail ran across the road in full view. It seemed a little out of place in such an arid environment! We headed back to Olanchito for lunch and then on to La Ceiba for another night at the lodge. Several of us birded the entrance road before dinner, and were rewarded with excellent views of a pair of Ruddy Foliage-Gleaners and a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. After dinner, we spent an hour or so walking the road along the Rio Cangrejal searching for night birds, and encountered a vocal pair of Vermiculated Screech-Owls that stayed hidden in the dense vegetation. August 6th: We left the jungle lodge around 5:15 AM and drove to The Lodge at Pico Bonito (www.picobonito.com). The lodge sits at the base of the Cordillera Nombre de Dios at the southeast edge of Pico Bonito National Park and is nestled between two mountain streams, the Río Corinto and Río Coloradito. Several miles of trails lead up from the lodge into secondary rain forest at the edge of the 150,000-acre national park’s virtually impenetrable nucleus. The lodge staff unloaded our bags as the group headed immediately up into the forest. The trail rises quickly since these mountains have very little foothill element. Our group split: I took the lead group and Mark B. stayed with the second group. Comparing our species at the end of the day, it was if we had hiked two different parts of the forest. However, the group led by Mark B. found two big highlights of the trip: Gray-headed Piprites (seen by Dan, Deb, and Virginia) and Palm Tanager (a species suspected to occur in Honduras, but never before recorded). My group found Lovely Cotinga, Spotted Woodcreeper, and a perched Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, among others. We had a fantastic lunch at the lodge and later hiked the boulder strewn Río Corinto looking for Sunbittern, said to be common there. At the end of this, our boots and pants were completely soaked and we never did find the Sunbittern. In the evening, we sipped cocktails and cold beers, ate a gourmet dinner, and headed to bed. August 7th: Mark and I had arranged for a guided hike to another area of primary forest (just east of the lodge through private property). Our guide was friendly and spoke English. The beginning of the trail wanders through cocoa and coffee plantations in the buffer zone of the park. It was here that we found red-flowering trees called varitos. These were alive with numerous species of hummingbirds. Brown Violet-ears were abundant. We scoped a Black-crested Coquette and a female Sparking-tailed Woodstar. We even had a Green-breasted Mountain-Gem at an unexpectedly low elevation. Once in taller forest we found White-breasted Wood-Wren, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, and a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper. As we hiked back, we encountered a sizable mixed flock with Black-headed Grosbeaks, White-shouldered Tanagers, and a Royal Flycatcher. The afternoon was left for participants to wander on their own. Several of us took a dip in the pool and watched a family of Black-crowned Tityras. Mark L. enjoyed a dust-bathing Spot-breasted Wren while Deb and Dan picked up a pair of calling Crested Owls just at dusk! Only a handful of records of this bird exist for the country. Several group members returned in the evening to look for the owls, but we never did find them. August 8th: In the morning, we hiked the loop trail above the lodge. We found yet another Keel-billed Motmot that we digiscoped and enjoyed for at least 10 minutes. We also drank in awesome views of a Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, calling Long-billed Gnatwrens everywhere, and White-collared as well as Red-capped Manakins. After lunch at the Lodge, we headed west to the Lancetilla Botanical Garden near Tela. Mark B. and our driver went back into town to drop off the luggage and make arrangements for the next day. Meanwhile, the group birded the large bamboo stands near the visitor’s center and gradually made our way up into the watershed reserve. As we entered the forest on the other side of the river, we had fantastic looks at a Rufous Piha. Slaty-tailed and Black-headed Trogons were easily found. We were caught in an afternoon rainshower just as we made it back to the visitor’s center. Mark and Oscar picked us up around 6 PM and we drove into Tela and the Maya Vista Hotel (www.mayavista.com) where we would be staying the next two nights. This is a fabulous 5-story hotel with breath-taking views of Tela Bay. The food here—particularly the langostino--is also very good. From the rooftop, we spotted terns, Pale-vented Pigeon, and even a Zone-tailed Hawk at eye-level. That evening, Mark B. and I heard a Vermiculated Screech-Owl in the trees nearby. August 9th: Another early morning. We ate a quick breakfast arranged for us by the hotel and headed to the entrance road at Lancetilla. We worked several mixed flocks, but the highlight was a Great Antshrike. We also found a Yellow-throated Warbler, one of less than ten N.A. migrants detected on the trip. We slowly made our way to the visitors’ center. We paused for a few snacks before heading back up into the watershed reserve. The birding in the reserve was very slow and after several hours we decided to head back down to Tela for lunch. The last notable bird for Lancetilla was the Thick-billed Seed-Finch. After a few hours of rest, we loaded the van up and headed east toward the Punta Izopo National Park. A soaring immature Great Black Hawk was a nice find and new for the trip. Flanking the reserve are Garífuna villages; the Garífuna are a unique mix of African and indigenous people with a distinct cuisine, music, and language. Our group made a spontaneous stop at a small house selling handmade musical instruments (mostly drums). This turned into an impromptu musical jam as Don Norales played the drums and his children danced around him. What an amazing experience! Continuing east toward the nucleus of the reserve, we stopped at a place that looked good for crakes. Dan played tape for Uniform Crake—one of Honduras’s scarcest (or most-underrecorded) birds. Soon after, all of us stopped, as we had distinctly heard a response. Unfortunately, the bird never called again, but it left us wondering. We ended the day a little disappointed, but headed back to Tela for the countdown dinner at Cesar’s Mariscos down at the beach. We enjoyed our last night together; the end of a great adventure. We had logged 282 species for the trip as a group, without even the benefit of a significant Neotropical migrant component. We had seen more individual motmots than some imagined possible, and an amazing 23 hummingbird species (out of 41 known from Honduras). August 10th: Departure day. We left early in the morning for the Ramon Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro Sula (about 1.5 hours from Tela). Trip Key: h = heard only
Species List: The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows that of the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds (updated as of Jan. 1, 2005). Group highlights, target birds, and other species of note are in black. Total numbers and number of days seen (total # / # days) is given, along with location, and possibly a brief note. 1. Great Tinamou Tinamus major (2+h / 2, PB) ???Accipiter sp. – Mark B., Dan, and I studied a bird along the Pico Bonito loop trail on 8/8. It was perched across the river (looking west) on a high-ridge atop a bare snag. It was an Accipiter in structure, long-tailed and hunch-backed in appearance and we could rule out any type of forest-falcon. The distance made it difficult to see any subtle details. Overall grayish upperparts, gray face with what appeared to be a yellow/orange cere and bill. Pale or buff underparts. Long tail with three wide black bands interspersed with thinner white bands. In appearance, the bird came closest to Bicolored Hawk, but it would be difficult to rule out White-breasted Hawk.??? 33. Gray Hawk Asturina nitida (4 / 2, AV, LB) ???At the Punta Izopo N. P. on 8/9, Mark L., Dan, Deb, and I heard what sounded like a Uniform Crake in response to tape playing. Unfortunately, the bird never responded again. Habitat here looks quite good with wet tall grasses and an understory of ferns with surrounding hedgerows and secondary forest. More exporation is needed in this area.??? 45. Spotted Rail
Pardirallus maculatus (1 / 1, LY, glimpsed by a few participants
as it foraged at the edge of the marsh) ???Two large Amazona parrots were seen on a ridge above the cabins at Cerro Azul-Meambar N.P. on 8/4. Based on calls and size, I believe these were Mealy Parrots, but I would have liked to confirm with the scope.??? 74. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana (8+ / 5, LT, LY, PB, LB) ???On the morning of 8/5, along the road that parallels the Rio Cangrejal, twice we saw what appeared to be Caprimulgus nightjars flying up from the road. Neither bird settled long enough for us to scrutinize it. There are few possibilities for this area--Spot-tailed Nightjar, Yucatan Nightjar (neither recorded from this region of the North Coast), or a N.A. early mig. This road is worth exploration in the future.??? 83. Black Swift Cypseloides
niger (1 MAB / 1, LT)
1. Sylvilagus sp. (at Finca Las Glorias) Herp List: Highlight(s): a Cloud Forest Pit-Viper Cerrophidion godmani sitting
along edge of trail at La Tigra N.P. It struck at Mark B. several
times before it wandered off into the brush. |
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