Day 05: February 22, 2014

Today after some early birding and breakfast, we left Belize and crossed the border into Guatemala, heading to the Tikal Camino Real Hotel located on the banks of Lake Peten. This is a beautiful setting and the birding is great along the road in the BioTopo Cerro Cahui, as well as the gardens and grounds of the hotel.

By the time we finished with our birding, the bags had been sent to the rooms and we had a chance settle in and take a nap or go for a swim.  The pool was refreshing, if not a bit cool for me, but with the heat and humidity, it was perfect for most.

The group met as usual before dinner to go over the bird list

Birds of the Day: Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, American Coot, Northern Jacana, Olive Throated Parakeet, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-bellied Emerald, Black-headed Trogon and Violaceous Trogon!

Day 06: February 23, 2014

We were all so excited to visit the Tikal Ruins today! On the drive we picked up our local guide who prepped us for our visit! Tikal is one of the largest archeological sites of the pre-Colombian Maya civilization that was at its zenith during the Classic Period, ca. 200 to 900 AD.

As we entered the site, we were surrounded by the large patches of forest with wide paths connecting different sites to one another. Because of the fairly dense woodland, we had the opportunity to start birding right away which made everyone happy.   After a short shaded walk, we entered the Great Plaza where we saw the detailed stelae and sculpted alters, as well as the temple of the Great Jaguar!

After a fascinating journey back to the times of the Maya, we moved through the jungle again, gaining refuge from the sun, to our next destination, LUNCH!

Lunch was a welcomed break as we all were quite hungry and glad to be resting in the cool air of the restaurant.  Soon we were on our way again, walking towards the exit, and low and behold we spotted the Ocellated Turkey at one of the lesser plazas.  The colors on this turkey are in stark contrast to our dull brown domesticated version.

After a quick stop to view a large rendition of the entire Tikal complex and some time to shop at a small souvenir store, we boarded the bus and returned to our hotel. There was time for a nap or a swim before we met Alex at the end of the oath overlooking the lake for some pre-dinner birding on the grounds of the hotel.

Birds of the Day: Ocellated Turkey, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Orange-breasted Falcon, Bat Falcon, Gray-headed Kite, Hooked-billed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Ornate Hawk Eagle, Laughing Gull, Gray-chested Dove, Common Yellow Throat, Golden-winged Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Montezuma Oropendola, Flamed Colored Tanager, Red Throat Ant Tanager and Red-legged Honeycreeper.

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