Our latest outing for our "A Day in a Birder's Life" series took us to
The Lodge at Chaa Creek, recently named as the Hotel of the Year in Belize by the
Belize Tourism Board. We were invited for an overnight stay so that we could join their birding tour early in the morning. They provided transportation from downtown San Ignacio to their property, which sits on a 400 acre reserve along the banks of the Macal river about 20 minutes from town.
Our driver, Dennis, parked the van and helped us with our luggage. He guided us to the front desk where we met Ms. Lydia and Christopher. Christopher had brought out a neat presentation of four glasses of sorrel juice and mint-infused wet towels that were rolled on a wooden display tray. Each of us got to taste the sweet notes of the juice and feel the iciness of the towels as it rejuvenated our energy after the fifteen-minute car ride from San Ignacio Town.
Refreshed, we were guided to our cabins where we were going to stay for the night. On the way there, we were also shown the different buildings and amenities that the surrounding area had. This would include their signature saltwater pool, the conference room/temporary bar, and their restaurant and dining area. The premises was lovely.
We got to enjoy nature in harmony of the establishment. Ms. Lydia mentioned that "Chaa Creek didn’t go green…they started that way." None of nature’s creations were intentionally removed or demolished in order to build any of the structures on the premises. Amazing!
Soon, nightfall hit us and we had to prepare for the next day. Although we wanted to stay up late little longer to enjoy the pool, we had to discipline ourselves to go to bed and to get up bright and early for our birding tour with Mr. Miguel. We were instructed by the concierge to meet with our guide at 6:00 a.m. in the conference room; and, we did just that.
The sun had barely risen, skies were still foggy and the atmosphere was still a bit chilly from the night wind. The only thing that we needed to be fully prepared, was a warm cup of coffee – preferably with milk and half spoon of sugar. After getting our energy boost, we were prepared to hike the trails of Chaa Creek.
After meeting with Miguel and receiving our birding gear, which included the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve Bird Guide that had a map printed on the back, some handy binoculars, and a scope, we were ready to start the birding adventure.
We begun near the pool, spotting a couple of birds that were perched on the tree branches. From the pool, we moved along the paved pathway that led to the entrance and parking lot. At the parking lot, we were able to see several other birds like the social fly catcher.
Although bird watching has become a fun activity for me, I still can’t manage to spot any birds on my own. I don't know if it's my blurred vision, or my lack of direction to pinpoint where the bird chirps and sounds are coming from.
As we continued on our Birding Tour, each time our guide or Nico spotted a bird or I simply saw someone pointing, I’d dash to the best location and lift the binoculars to my eyes to see which specie of avifauna it was. Some of the birds that we spotted would include Plain Chachalacas, Black-headed trogons, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and a Tropical Pewee to name a few.
We hiked the Chaa Creek trails until we were led back to the area where the restaurant and cabins were. On a couple of the palm trees, there were two cute little Collared Aracari Toucans nestled in a bunch of red fruits that grew out of the tree. They enjoyed these fruits before they flew off to a bigger tree in the distance. We were also able to spot a Keel-billed Toucan! Even though I knew what the National Bird of Belize looked like, I was still excited to see this beautiful bird and its colorful beak – it is Belizing.com’s mascot, after all.
I hurried to our guide so he could show me where this bird was. Sadly, I moved a little too slow and it had already flown away. -*Insert sad face here*- Mr. Miguel consoled my disappointment with a sight of two killer-sized iguanas chilling on a tree branch. These iguanas seemed like they thought they were birds too, perching on the branch and absorbing the sun’s warmth!
Overall, we spotted around forty species of birds on our trip. Birding with The Lodge at Chaa Creek was a wonderful experience. Not only did we get to go birding in their expansive 400-acre private nature reserve, we also had the opportunity of visiting their natural history center and butterfly farm. To get there, we had to climb around a hundred steps through a pathway of trees and other local plants. This was a great way to end our day at The Lodge at Chaa Creek!
A sincere thank you to The Lodge at Chaa Creek and all its employees who were so helpful and hospitable to us! It was a very successful and fun bird watching tour with Mr. Miguel. Our overnight stay and the food was beyond amazing! If you ever want to be wildly civilized, take a visit to The Lodge at Chaa Creek and let’s do some birding in Belize!