Birds of Belize: On the Wing

It's always a trick getting a good shot of a bird in flight, and I "wasted a lot of film" in Belize trying to do so.  But luck plays a big role, and I got lucky a few times...

Magnificent frigatebirds are truly magnificent to watch as they soar above the water. 

 

Here, a juvenile frigate (white head) seems to be getting a fishing lesson.




 

 

 

 

 

 

During a snorkeling outing off of Caye Caulker, we fed flying frigatebirds, a bit of a tropical "parlor trick."  Here's a video.


A Ringed kingfisher takes off on the hunt.


Not sure what this Black-crowned tityra is up to, nest material?

Neotropic cormorant levitating

Swallow-tailed kite


White-fronted parrot ... outta here!

Collared forest falcon - We watched and listened to this falcon for a long time; it was mostly hidden deep in the branches of a far-off tree as it wooed a mate.  I did get some decent shots despite the thick foliage, but was surprised that I managed to capture it in flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Mark GardnerApril 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM

    Very nice shots with a high degree of difficulty

    ReplyDelete
  2. MaryApril 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM

    Wow! Gorgeous birds. So brave to hold up the food- Hitchcock anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Betty McCoyApril 11, 2025 at 8:46 PM

    Great video!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Birds of Belize - Culinary Adventures

Image
Birds gotta eat, and they exhibit all kinds of interesting behaviors when hunting for the food they like, whether insects, fish, or the juice of flowers.       Always fun watching woodpeckers poke and hammer to find their morsels.  Here a Pale-billed woodpecker, top left, a Golden-olive top right, and a Chestnut-colored woody, lower right.       Woodpeckers aren't the only birds to probe for insects; below, a White-necked puffbird has a feast of termites in this huge mound high in a ceiba tree.   The Gartered trogon, right, is also eating termites, but only incidentally, as it's main task here is to carve out a nice comfortable nest in this mound for its expected brood. Speaking of young, we watched this adolescent Osprey, below, cry to be fed, looking this way and that for its parent.  Maybe the successful fisher below right?            We saw many other water birds feeding in and around Caye Caulker, inclu...
Read more

The Belize Blog - Lamanai Outpost

Image
We had a bi-modal transit from Belize City to Lamanai Outpost Lodge in the Orange Walk district, first a van to the banks of New River, then a fast boat ride down the river (fast, except multiple stops to sight birds!).  The fellow who piloted the boat somehow knew when to shunt left at this meander, right at that mangrove, without the aid of street signs or anything!    What's more, he was quite a good bird spotter, like most of the Lamanai staff we met, whether they were official guides, office workers, or servers in the lodge restaurant.  Lamanai sits on a large lagoon of the New River, a short walk or boat ride from the Lamanai Mayan site and just downriver from Shipyard, a Mennonite community.  The Outpost Lodge is a compact site with about 15 "cabanas" that are quite large and comfortable, no AC but good ventilation with fans and airflow through windows and thatched roofs.  The dining room and group tours offered opportunities to meet other guests, in...
Read more

From Salsa to Hummingbird Heaven

Image
The shortest transit of our trip was the one-hour drive from Cali to Araucana Lodge nestled in a palm and bamboo grove of the Western Andes range.  This boutique lodge was established by Christopher and Vivian, American and Colombian, respectively, on a finca originally purchased by his grandparents in the 1950s as a retreat from city life.  Besides the lodge, the finca grows organic vegetables, fruit, flowers, and coffee and employs a small army of locals.  Christopher's father started and still runs a nursery business on site. The lodge's meals were excellent and the rooms spacious and comfortable.  Among our fellow lodgers was a group of 8 or so hyper-serious birders (we could tell by the long and intense evening debates about what they saw and by they early early departures each morning) and a lower-key trio from northern Ontario with whom we had more relaxed conversations. The lush interior garden of the Araucana lodge The view from one of the lodge's common are...
Read more