oriole birding 2018.pdforiole birding honduras 2018 3 violet sabrewing. esdras pointed out a...

ORIOLE BIRDING

TOUR REPORT

HONDURAS

11TH – 25TH FEBRUARY 2018

www.oriolebirding.com [email protected]

http://www.oriolebirding.com/

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Oriole Birding Honduras 2018 2

SUNDAY 11TH FEBRUARY – 30C and sunny spells We arrived into San Pedro Sula just after midday, having travelled from London the previous day and connected via Minneapolis and Atlanta, where we had made an overnight stop. The heat struck us as we disembarked the plane, and after a seamless transition through passport control and baggage reclaim, we soon met with our driver and Esdras, our birding guide, for the 2.5hr transfer east along the north coast of Honduras to Pico Bonito National Park. The journey was basically direct, though of course we saw our first roadside Tropical Kingbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, Cattle and Great Egrets, Turkey and Black Vultures and Ruddy-ground and White-winged Doves along the way. Once we reached the Pico Bonito Lodge entrance road, we made a short stop to check fruiting trees for its iconic resident bird – the Lovely Cotinga. It certainly didn’t take long to connect with this sought-after species, as a female flew over as we got out of the van and soon after we spotted the gorgeous male perched up in typical fashion high in the canopy of an adjacent tree. We hadn’t even unpacked our scopes by this point, so it was binocular views only, but still very nice indeed. Summer and Yellow-winged Tanagers were in the same tree and a small flock of Brown-hooded Parrots flew over – we were off the mark!

Social Flycatcher – a bird we would become very familiar with over the next two weeks! Once at the lodge, we were met with a fantastic welcome and within half an hour we were ready to get out into the field properly to enjoy that last hour or so of daylight. Just around the main garden, we saw Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Olive-backed Euphonia, Summer Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Melodious Blackbird, Social Flycatcher, Black-cowled Oriole, Grey Catbird and enjoyed some excellent views of White-crowned Parrots feeding just above us. Both Chestnut-headed and Montezuma Oropendola’s were around too, and in the sky way above us was an astounding flock of White-collared Swifts numbering around one thousand birds together! The hummingbird feeders along the verandah were attracting a selection of species with which we would become very familiar over the coming days – Crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Long-billed Hermit and the hugely impressive


Violet Sabrewing. Esdras pointed out a roosting Great Potoo to us, high in a tree at the far end of the garden – what superb views! Walking up the trail a bit we were able to get virtually underneath the bird and marvel at its amazing plumage on full zoom through the scope.

Great Potoo – roosting on the same branch every day at Pico Bonito! We ended our brief session as the sun began to sink behind the mountain, from the top of the Toucan Tower. Here we had excellent close up views of Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker, Stripe-throated Hermit, Chestnut-sided and Magnolia Warblers and Yellow-olive Flycatcher, while Purple-crowned Fairy and Violet-headed Hummingbird both put in the briefest of appearances. Olive-throated Parakeet and White-crowned Parrot were also noted, the latter using one of the nest boxes viewable from the top of the tower. A Collared Aracari was the last bird of the day in the trees behind the bar, as we sunk our first beer of the trip and took stock of a whirlwind first hour or so of Neotropical birding! MONDAY 12TH FERUARY – Overcast and humid, 25C We had breakfast at 6am this morning, before setting off on foot through the lodge grounds. The garden was already busy with the calls of many species, and parties of Chestnut-headed Oropendola were moving through the canopy as we set off up the Senderos Trail. Just around the cabins, we saw two Yellow-crowned Night-herons perched high up in the trees, no doubt just returned to their


roosting place from a busy nights work. A Wedge-billed Woodcreeper appeared in front of us as we made our way up towards the Toucan Tower, where we enjoyed fantastic views of Purple-crowned Fairy at the flowering vines at eye level from the top. Stripe-throated Hermit was also present again, and we could see two male Lovely Cotinga glowing on the top of a dead tree across the other side of the river. Pico Bonito is perhaps the best place in the neotropics to see this species, being so regular in the fruiting trees around the lodge at this time of year. An altitudinal migrant, very little is actually known about their exact movements and breeding biology, perhaps surprising for such an iconic species. Flocks of White-crowned and Brown-hooded Parrots were seen again, looking stunning as they flew against the forest with the rising sun behind us, and also small groups of the longer tailed Olive-throated Parakeet were noted. Regular scanning of the treetops for cotingas also produced several nice sightings of Masked Tityra, and a stunning Keel-billed Toucan.

Broad-billed Motmot – amazing views around Pico Bonito lodge grounds


Descending the tower, we began to walk down the trail back towards the lodge, where a noisy Spot-breasted Wren gave itself up for us and we watched a Rufous Mourner catch and eat a small mantis in the canopy above. Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker was seen again, and close to the trail we had excellent views of a female type Lovely Cotinga. A beautiful bird when seen close up, we all felt it deserved as many plaudits as the gaudy adult male! In fact, close inspection of the birds plumage revealed a single bright blue scapular feather – it was a young male. A couple of Collared Aracari were seen in the trees behind us, and then another half dozen in a distant dead tree along with another male Lovely Cotinga, Black-cheeked Woodpecker and Masked Tityra. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, American Redstart and White-bellied Emerald were also seen, while a group of Red-throated Ant-tanagers posed uncharacteristically on the path ahead. The yoga platform offered us a good view down into the trees below, and a muffled honking call alerted us to the presence of a Broad-billed Motmot, a scarce species around the lodge which is usually found at higher elevation. The bird appeared on a branch at eye level right in front of us, and sat there calling for several minutes. The first of a potential seven species of motmot we could see on the tour! Trogons are always a popular group, and we found two species cheek by jowl here in the canopy. First a fleeting Black-headed Trogon appeared above us, calling away, and then it was replaced by a more confiding Collared Trogon – a very useful one to add so early in the trip. Heading down along the entrance road to the lodge, we reached a more open area where we found Black-crowned Tityra in the treetops and then a small mixed feeding flock in some fruiting trees, dominated by Clay-coloured Thrushes. A quick rendition of the Ferruginous Pygmy-owl call by Esdras pulled in a tree full of American warblers – Chestnut-sided, Yellow-throated and Black and White Warblers and American Redstart all appeared alongside a Lesser Greenlet. A movement in the canopy revealed another Black-headed Trogon, and this one perched in the open long enough for everyone to get a scope view – very nice indeed! We followed a narrow side trail for a short way into the forest, finding a Tawny-winged Woodcreeper and playing cat and mouse with a beautiful White-breasted Wood-wren, while females of both Red-capped and White-collared Manakin were also seen.

White-collared Manakin – fairly common on the Senderos trails


Back at the lodge before lunch, we spent some time watching the hummingbirds around the feeders – Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Crowned Woodnymph, Long-billed Hermit and Violet Sabrewing. Lunch itself was frequently interrupted by Olive-backed Euphonia, Green Honeycreeper and a stunning Magnolia Warbler. Best of all though, the food was abandoned altogether when a Ferruginous Pygmy-owl appeared and perched in the open in the garden – superb! There were some good birds to found in the forest around our cabins too, with some of the group enjoying good views of Wood Thrush and Lesson’s Motmot before we reconvened at 1430 for our afternoon walk.

Wood Thrush – at least two were wintering around the cabins at Pico Bonito It was drizzling as we set off up on the trail towards Mermaid Falls. Boat-billed Flycatchers showed well around the upper reaches of the gardens, and two Squirrel Cuckoos were bouncing around in the treetops gleaning insects from the foliage. As is typical though for walking on the primary forest trails, we had to endure some quiet spells with few birds in order to enjoy some pockets of activity. Another Lesson’s Motmot was seen below the trail, and a Violet-headed Hummingbird was expertly spotted by Esdras, perched on tiny twigs high above us singing. We took the rather steep trail down towards the second observation platform, and along this section we found White-throated Thrush and some of the group saw Hooded Warbler. From the tower, we spent half an hour or so waiting for birds to come to us. Males of both Red-capped and White-collared Manakin were the highlights, sharing the same tree for a while with a noisy Grey Catbird. A Wood Thrush perched in the open, and down below us we watched two feisty White-breasted Wood-wrens, a


bird responsible for most of the sounds we had been hearing along the trails today! A pair of Slaty-tailed Trogons showed well, sitting quietly for long periods in between rather cumbersome sallies to pick large insects from the foliage. This large trogon is perhaps the most distinctive, with its combination of red underparts and totally dark underside to the tail. Overhead, a large raptor – one of the hawk-eagles – drifted over unidentified as a silhouette among another throng of White-collared Swifts. Heading back along the trail towards the lodge, we chanced upon a White-faced Quail-dove walking along the trail ahead. This was very fortuitous, since this species is normally found at higher elevations, and any quail-dove of course is always going to require some luck to connect with! Back down at the lodge, we watched the Great Potoo wake up and begin stretching as dusk approached at the end of a very enjoyable first full day. TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY – Hot and humid in sunny spells, 32C After a 6am breakfast, we set straight off for the Cuero y Salado wildlife refuge just a short drive away from the lodge. From the village, we took the rather rickety ‘train’ which runs through open countryside to the coast, and meets the small jetty from where the boat trips run onto the river. The railway was originally built in the 1920s for transporting fruit, and now serves as a mode of transport for toruists wishing to visit the refuge, and of course the local villagers. The journey out produced a few birds around the station, such as Melodious Blackbird, Inca Dove, White-winged Dove, Masked Tityra and Crested Caracara. From the train itself, we saw White Ibis, Snowy, Cattle and Great Egrets, Little Blue Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-heron and Roadside Hawk. Meeting with our boatman, we then took a 2,5hr trip on the river, exploring many small mangrove creeks for birds and wildlife. Boat trips the world over can be a variable experience – always good fun, but a lot of the birding is hit and miss. We were certainly very lucky today, seeing our two top target birds easily. The first of these was a cracking Sungrebe which we picked up slowly and unobtrusively picking its way along under the shade of the mangroves. This species is notoriously difficult to connect with throughout much of its range, and this was a really fortuitous sighting. Other species noted as we chugged along included Lineated Woodpecker, Amazon Kingfisher, Keel-billed Toucan and Green Heron, before we got a call from another tourist boat out on the river – they had found an Agami Heron! Thankfully we were close by, and able to speed over to the spot within minutes. The other boat kindly moved away having had their fill, and allowed us to cut the engines and drift in close. We watched the bird belly deep in the shallows under the mangroves, watching intently for small fish. What stunning heron, with lance-like bill and maroon and purple plumage. A new bird for most of the group and excellent views too.

American Pygmy Kingfisher – one of five kingfisher species seen today!


With two top birds in the bag, we could trundle up and down some of the channels looking for other birds – Yellow-crowned Night Heron and Green Heron showed particularly well close to the boat, and we had glimpses of Belted and Green Kingfishers. Brazilian Long-nosed Bats were also seen, roosting on the underside of a tree trunk, and a troop of Mantled Howler Monkeys entertained us in the trees above. A real highlight of the trip was a stunning American Pygmy Kingfisher which performed beautifully for us, and a Grey-necked Wood-rail was equally obliging at the water’s edge. The journey back produced more great views of herons in close up, and best of all, a Lesser Nighthawk roosting high up on a tree branch. No doubt a regular crowd pleaser for the boatmen, it was still nonetheless impressive firstly remembering which tree it was in, and then spotting it! Once back on dry land, we took a short walk to the beach, noting some nice views of nesting Inca Doves, and a few American migrants such as Magnolia Warbler and American Redstart. A Magnificent Frigatebird flew over, and we saw some more distantly off the beach. Three Sanderling were also noted here, plus a Brown Pelican and some distant American Royal Terns. A Common Black Hawk flew along the beach, perching up on the mangroves for a distant scope view, before heading off again. The train ride back was actually more birdy than it had been earlier, and we saw groups of Groove-billed Ani, lots of Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret and a single Tricoloured Heron. Another Bare-throated Tiger-heron was standing motionless in a field edge as we passed, and a Grey Hawk showed superbly, perched in a palm and spotted by the driver of the train! We returned to the lodge around 1300 for lunch – it had been a really enjoyable morning.

Turquoise-browed Motmot – this stunning bird was almost a daily occurrence in Honduras


Our short afternoon session involved a walk down through the secondary growth forest around the butterfly farm. It was pretty quiet generally, as is often the case during this late afternoon period, but we still saw a few nice birds. Black-headed Saltator and Golden-fronted Woodpecker were among the new spcies seen, while Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Black-crowned Tityra, Summer Tanager and Baltimore Oriole were also noted. A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, one of the empidonax genus best identified by call, showed extremely well close to the trail and gave us some nice vocalisations to confirm the identification. A pair of Turquoise-browed Motmots were also seen, though as is often the case with this species there were far more elusive than the other motmot species. With patience though, we all managed a view through the scope of this strikingly marked motmot. Flocks of White-crowned Parrots were noisy overhead as we made our way back up the trail towards the lodge – everyone was feeling pretty weary after the last couple of days had caught up with us! Some hammock time was therefore in order, before we met up for beer and checklist prior to dinner. WEDNESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY – Overcast and humid, 30C Today we drove about one hour west back along the Pan-American Highway to Rio Santiago, a small eco lodge famous for its hummingbird feeders. Along the entrance track up to the lodge, we stopped for a while beside the river and enjoyed a really productive early morning spell. Both Amazon and Green Kingfishers showed well along the river, where Spotted Sandpiper and Snowy Egret were also found and two Black Phoebe were sallying from the boulders mid-channel. Surrounding trees proved really busy with small birds – Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Baltimore Oriole, Summer Tanager and a pair of Common Tody-flycatchers. Golden-fronted Woodpecker and White-collared Seedeater were also noted, before we carried on another kilometre or so up the very rough track to the lodge. Looking down into the trees by the parking area, we saw Slaty-tailed Trogon and had several good views of Masked and Black-crowned Tityras, before we made our way back down the hill a short way to look for roosting Spectacled Owl. Two adults were seen, sitting out in full view in beautiful light – what magnificent owls these are! A Streak-headed Woodcreeper was working high above us amid the branches of a big emergent tree – our third species so far of this challenging group.

Green-breasted Mango and Scaly-breasted Hummingbird – one easier to photograph than the other!


There are a network of trails which run up into the hillside forest behind the lodge, and first we walked down to the waterfall, before taking one of the more difficult trails [with a lot of steps!] up into the trees behind. This was, in truth, a disappointing walk for birds and in two hours hiking we saw very little. As is the way in this terrain, if you don’t find a mixed feeding flock, then it can be hard going. We did have a stand out highlight though, as three White Hawks were seen – two of which circled right overhead calling and were mobbed by a Short-tailed Hawk! Back at the lodge, we wandered up to the hummingbird garden [two of us went to check again for the owls, not finding them in the same place but instead enjoying excellent views of Lesson’s Motmot]. With around two hundred hummingbird feeders this is quite a remarkable spot – Violet-crowned Woodnymph, White-bellied Emerald, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing, Stripe-throated and Long-billed Hermits, White-necked Jacobin and Green-breasted Mango all showed brilliantly well here. Green Honeycreeper were also at the feeders, and Olive-throated Parakeets were in the trees around. Back by the parking area, the trees had suddenly come alive and we saw Buff-throated Saltator, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Squirrel Cuckoo, Baltimore Oriole, Red-throated Ant-tanager and a superb Kentucky Warbler which was a new bird for many. The ‘baby’ Spectacled Owl could also now be seen, sitting up in the nest and looking around – superb! From here it was back to the lodge, where we arrived about 1pm and went straight for lunch. The woodland around the cabins was productive shortly after with White-throated Thrush, Lesson’s Motmot, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker, Wood Thrush, Collared Trogon and Yellow-olive Flycatcher all seen. The Great Potoo was back in its usual perch too – perhaps on our ‘night walk’ this evening, we would get to see it in action! Our night walk was in fact almost hampered by heavy rain which came in during dinner, but thankfully it passed and despite everything being a bit ‘drippy’ it was now fine and clear and we could see the spectacular starry sky overhead. We didn’t find any owls, or see the potoo, but we did have a couple of nice highlights. First was a Four-eyed Opposum which scuttled across the track in front of us and then posed briefly in a small tree just above the ground. And then at the frog pond, we found a couple of stunning Red-eyed Tree Frogs, so not a bad walk.

Red-eyed Treefrog – the highlight of our nightwalk at Pico Bonito


THURSDAY 15TH FEBRUARY – Hot and humid after a cool start, 30C Today we planned to stay around the lodge and tackle one of the longer trails, in order to try and get up a bit higher and maybe find some mixed feeding flocks that might give us a chance for some different species. We ended up walking the whole of the ‘Loop Trail’, which took around 4.5hrs and while pretty steep in places, was tackled at a relaxed pace and interspersed with some superb birding! As we headed up past Toucan Tower, we had more views of the Spot-breasted Wren and then found a calling Bright-rumped Atilla which perched in the open for nice scope views. Steadily making our way up the trail, we found an Ovenbird feeding on the track in front of us, and were able to spend a bit of time following along behind getting some good views as it stalked back and forth across the path with its peculiar ‘Moorhen’ style action. Breaking out into an open spot on the crest of the first ridge, we had a great few minutes watching Long-billed Gnatwrens, another Spot-breasted Wren, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Tropical Gnatcatcher and Paltry Tyrannulet. The highlight here would have been a Worm-eating Warbler, had the bird lingered long enough for everyone to get a good look. Pushing on further up the trail, we heard a call from the undergrowth and wondered if it could be a Tody Motmot. The initial call didn’t sound quite right but when we played the motmot call, the bird instantly responded and flew in to a thicket beside the path. Initially we couldn’t see it at all and it was quite frustrating, but then we found a little window where we could get a scope on it – what a fantastic little bird! It sat very still, its tail swinging like a pendulum in typical motmot fashion, for several minutes, allowing everyone to fill their boots. Its congener the Keel-billed Motmot was heard calling at three or four points along the route this morning, but despite our best efforts we could not see one – we would have to leave that one for later in the tour! Another break at an open spot allowed us to see another White Hawk soaring above the forest, and take a well earned rest at a well placed bench, after negotiating the many dozens of steps up!

Tody Motmot and Lesson’s Motmot on the Pico Bonito loop trail On the second half of the loop, we heard another one of our target birds – Central American Pygmy-owl. Again we could hear the bird calling, but the forest was dense and we couldn’t get a decent window to try and see it. Green Shrike-vireo and Slaty-breasted Tinamou remained similarly frustrating, though a couple of us did at least glimpse the tinamou briefly by the side of the trail.


Pushing on, we found ourselves in pretty dark humid forest, and there were a few Red-crowned Ant-tanagers roving through and we saw Wedge-billed Woodcreeper again. Black-throated Green Warbler was another new American migrant for our trip list, and we also found a White-vented Euphonia foraging overhead with a group of the more familiar Olive-backed. The ant-tanagers were clearly attracting one or two other species to join in with them, and we had a lovely Northern Barred Woodcreeper appear over our heads, and then one of the star birds of this high elevation trail – a female Black-throated Shrike-tanager. This species is an easy one to miss, so we were really pleased not only to see it but to get great views of the bird low down at eye level. An Ivory-billed Woodcreeper then joined the party, running up a big bough up above us and compounding our ‘birders neck’! Tawny-crowned Greenlet was equally neck-aching, flicking around calling overhead. The next part of the trail saw us winding back down towards the Rio Coloradito which we could hear gushing in the distance, and just when we thought our chance of the Central American Pygmy-owl had gone, we heard one calling really close to the trail! Try as we might, we could not see it, even though it sounded as if it was right above our heads! After several minutes of patient searching, Esdras exclaimed that he had it – it was much higher than we had been looking. The bird was perched in the open though, so everyone got a great view in the scope – a really tricky one to find so we were very pleased! By this point we had almost completed the full loop, and our last bird before we re-joined the main trail back to the lodge was an obliging Sepia-capped Flycatcher crossing back and forth over the path ahead. Back down at the lodge, a Ferruginous Pygmy-owl was calling and sitting out in the big bamboo, a really nice comparison to the Central American Pygmy we had just seen. It was particularly comical watching a Collared Aracari land on the branch next to the owl, both staring each other out before the owl flew off. It had been a superb morning, seeing many of our target birds, and we returned to the lodge in time for lunch.

Central American Pygmy-owl – a highlight of the Pico Bonito loop trail


In the afternoon, we planned to chill out a bit after our mornings exertions. Around the cabins, we had cracking views of Lesson’s Motmot, a pair of excavating Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, and a Grey-chested Dove. The main species we wanted to catch up with though was the White-throated Thrushes, two of which had been hanging around the lodge but eluding most of the group. We found them in their favoured spot, and had some nice views through the scope. Two beautiful Wood Thrush were also in the same area, and we had a Stripe-throated Hermit visiting blossoms by the decking. After a bit of a break, we met up again around 4pm, to take a walk down the entrance road and check the fruiting trees one last time for cotingas. Around the cabins again we had more views of the White-throated Thrush and Lesson’s Motmot, and we saw a superb male Collared Trogon here too. At one point it was perched in the same tree as the motmot! Further down the entrance road, we found a Gartered Trogon perched in the open, but this was the only other species of real note before we returned to the lodge.

Violet Sabrewing – the largest and most dominant hummer at the lodge feeders


FRIDAY 16TH FEBRUARY – Hot and humid, 35C Today we had a lot of travelling to do, as we left Pico Bonito and headed south-west to Copan, close to the border with Guatemala. First though we had a mornings birding planned at Lancetilla Botanical Garden, and we arrived here around 0730 just as the day was starting to warm up! We birded first along the entrance road, picking up our first Barred Antshrike, and enjoying great views of Turquoise-browed Motmot and Black-headed Trogon. It was really birdy here, with lots of Great Kiskadees, Boat-billed Flycatchers and common species such as Chestnut-sided and Black and White Warblers, American Redstart, Wood Thrush, White-collared Manakin and Variable Seedeater. Taking a side track, we walked in pleasant shade and saw lots of good birds in quick succession. One tree hosted Dusky-capped and Yellow-Olive Flycatchers, Smoky Brown Woodpecker and two superb Olivaceous Piculets which posed beautifully for close scope views. Rose-breasted Grosbeak was also seen here, and we had our first dazzling male Passerini’s Tanager too. Cocoa Woodcreeper, Magnolia Warbler, Keel-billed Toucan and a trilling Ruddy Crake were also noted – though the latter of course remained unseen! A bit futher down the main track, we stopped to marvel at an amazing tree, towering above the surrounding terrain and festooned with the nests of Montezuma Oropendola’s – it was quite an amazing sight and the whole area was resonating to their amazing calls. Two Giant Cowbirds were keeping watch in the same tree, for an opportunity to lay an egg in a completed nest, and a lovely Grey Hawk was also perched close by. Just before the centre, we took another track off to the side through some big stands of towering bamboo, and here we had good views of Dusky Antbird in the lush pathside vegetation, and a Rufous-tailed Jacamar which advertised its presence overhead with its distinctive call. Three Yellow-throated Euphonia were also seen here, and another Smoky-brown Woodpecker. Finally, at the centre, we tried again unsuccessfully for the crake and picked up our first House Wren of the trip, but it was now very hot out in the open and with an early lunch planned, it was time to move on.

Barred Antshrike – the most charismatic of the inhabitants of Lancetilla Botanical Garden


The coastal town of Tela, just a short drive away from the botanical garden, would be our lunch stop today. The beach here overlooking the Caribbean was popular with tourists generally, but we wanted to check it out in case any terns or shorebirds were present. We found a nice group of Royal Terns roosting on the beach, but were very surprised when an Arctic Skua came charging along the beach towards us, chasing one of the terns over our heads! The bird doubled back, and landed on the beach, where we were able to get some record shots – a rare bird in Honduras requiring a rarity description! Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds and two Cabot’s Terns were also noted here, before we retired to the shade of the restaurant for an excellent lunch of local fish dishes. After this we had a bit of a slog in store, with five hours driving to navigate around San Pedro Sula and on to Copan. The road to Copan was in a bad state, being heavy with traffic, full of pot holes, and half of it being dug up by roadworks. This made what should have been an hours journey take two instead, and we eventually reached our excellent hotel around 6pm. After a quick turnaround, we headed down into Copan itself for dinner – what a fantastic, lively place! The sight and smell of street food greeted us in the cobbled streets of the main square, but Alex steered us to a tucked away restaurant for an excellent meal of Burrito’s and local hot sauce, washed down with a cold beer. We were back in the hotel just after 8pm!

Arctic Skua – there are few documented Honduran records, so this second year bird on the beach at Tela was a great surprise SATURDAY 17TH FEBRUARY – Hot with sunny spells, 30C A comparatively leisurely breakfast at 0630 this morning at our rather excellent hotel, saw us then heading down towards the Mayan ruins at Copan just a short drive away in time for opening to beat the crowds. We detoured on the way though of course, for a bit of birding! Alex took us to a riverside spot on the edge of Copan, to look for a flock of Painted Buntings which were wintering in some


crop fields on the other side of the river. We had nice views through the scope with the birds mixed in amongst White-collared Seedeaters and Lesser Goldfinch. While we watched the buntings, Alex began calling birds on the hillside behind us and in quick succession we saw Salvin’s Emerald, Cinammon Hummingbird, Rufous-capped Warbler and two Laughing Falcons which circled the ridge above us calling. Turning our attention back to the bunting flock, suddenly all the birds in the area flushed and a large, Goshawk-like raptor cruised into view. It was a Cooper’s Hawk, the American equivalent of our own powerful accipiter. We had time for one more quick stop by the bridge, where Alex told us we would find White-fronted Parrots. Sure enough the birds were there and showed beautifully, with a Ferruginous Pygmy-owl thrown in. In nearby blossoms, we watched four species of oriole in one tree – Baltimore, Spot-breasted, Streak-backed and Altamira Orioles – quite a sight!

The ancient Mayan ruins at Copan, the non-birding highlight of the trip! Arriving at the Mayan ruins just as it opened at 8am, we met up with our archeological guide and set off into the site. Copan is one of the best Mayan sites in the world, with some of the most amazingly well preserved elements and it attracts foreign visitors from all over the world. None of us were really sure what to expect, but it was a quite spectacular place. Alex was of course spotting us birds as we wandered round, and we were soon marvelling at our first Scarlet Macaws and enjoying close views of Altamira Oriole, Kentucky and Hooded Warblers, and fleeting White-throated Magpie-Jays. Our guide explained everything we needed to know about the Mayan culture and how the site had been restored from its original state when it was first discovered – the carvings and spectacular stair cases were quite something, and the site was so big it took us a couple of hours to wander round. Other good birds here included Lesson’s and Turquoise-browed Motmots, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Short-tailed Hawk, Hook-billed Kite and Red-throated Parakeet – one of the key Meso-American endemics which we had hoped to connect with here. All the while the raucous calls of Scarlet Macaws were resonating around the place, and it was easy to imagine how they would have been flying around here in the times of the Mayan people over one thousand years previously. We saw twenty or more of these magnificent birds here, reintroduced to the region having become extinct in Honduras by the turn of the millenium. After lunch just a short ride up the road to the next village, we set off on our long journey back to San Pedro Sula, and then south-east towards our next base at Panacam. The journey overall should have take about five hours, but it in fact took more than six. This was due to a series of bad accidents along the highway south of San Pedro Sula, and some truly shockingly bad driving from the locals which essentially blocked the road in both directions for miles. No ‘merge in turn’ exercised here, just free for all cramming in front of one another until the road became blocked. Some people were even driving off the road and along the grass verge before cutting back in, some getting stuck in the process! We watched a bus almost roll down an embankment trying to undercut everyone, and three more smaller accidents as a result of the main one. It was total carnage! Eventually we made it through thanks to the patient driving of our man Jonathan, and reached Panacam Lodge about 7pm. It was a quick turnaround again for dinner then unfortunately, but everyone was still tucked up in bed by 9pm ready for an early start tomorrow!


Scarlet Macaw and part of the Mayan ruins at Copan SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY – Hot with sunny spells and a heavy downpour, 30C A different set of habitats today as we made a very early start departing the lodge at 5am for the dry forest about an hours drive away from the lodge, to the east of Lake Yojoa. We arrived at our breakfast stop at 6am, a lovely small restaurant run by a budding loca birder whom Alex had befriended and was helping to learn about the birdlife in the area. The benefit for Alex was that this chap, Alexis, was now quite a good birder and had many spots pinned down for the local specialities himself! After an excellent breakfast, we saw Keel-billed Toucan, Melodious Blackbird and Blue-grey Tanager around the restaurant before following Alexis in his truck, into the dry forest nearby. We stopped at a lovely cool spot where we hoped to find the endemic Honduran Emerald, and after negotiating a short but rather uneven and prickly pathway through the bushes, we were in the right spot to watch and wait for the bird. Alex told us which twigs it liked to perch on, and by playing the Ferruginous Pygmy-owl call, the hummingbird whizzed in. The trouble was, it whizzed out again just as quickly, and it took three or four attempts before any of us even saw a bird! Eventually though, the emerald settled on the said twigs right in front of us, and everyone had a lovely view through the scope. Uncharacteristically for the dry forest though, the heavens opened, and caught us totally unawares – we got drowned! It was short and sharp though, and with the sun following along behind we soon steamed dry! Heading back out along the same little trail, we found Berylline Hummingbird, complete with white ‘socks’, and had some views through the scope. There were few


other birds around in this habitat, but they were good ones – such as the party of Green Jays which moved through the oak trees, only perching in view occasionally. We also found a smart Black-throated Green Warbler, and overhead a White-breasted Hawk soared into view. A recent split from Sharp-shinned, this distinctive bird is now set to be top of many birders target lists when visiting the region. Back out on the dirt road, and we slowly started to pick up more typical birds of this habitat – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was in fact common, and we had a lovely one perched at the edge of the road which was being mobbed by many small warblers. Another Honduran Emerald also came in to join the party, perching high on some dead twigs and fanning its tail. A Northern Parula appeared briefly, and two Olive-throated Parakeets looked stunning in the sunshine.

Honduran Emerald in the rain – in the dry forest! The only time we got wet on the tour! Next we drove about ten minutes to another spot, where we would try for the elusive Lesser Ground Cuckoo. This tricky bird tends to walk around on the ground underneath dense thickets of low scrub, and can be rather difficult to view. This is certainly an example of a bird that you would simply have no chance whatsoever of seeing without using playback, and as it happened within about thirty seconds of Alex playing the call at the chosen spot, then one could be heard responding close to the road. Alexis, who had wandered off a bit further up the hill, called to us that he had a second one and this was on a small slope right beside the road and gave a real chance for a view. We could hear the bird, and with everyone patiently scanning it took several minutes for Alex to spot it among the grasses. For the next half hour we watched the bird, occasionally walking along beneath the shrubs, grabbing the odd tasty morsel, and then popping out to call from an exposed perch. We had some absolutely superb views, a real treat indeed. Acorn Woodpecker was also added at this spot, working away on a telegraph pole in the valley below, but Alex assured us that we would get much


better views of these later in the trip. Dusky-capped Flycatcher was also seen well here, another representative of the tricky myiarchus group. Lunch was next on the agenda, back at the same restaurant – a truly superb spread of barbecued meats with refried beans, avocado, salad and salsa.

Lesser Ground Cuckoo – remarkable views of this stunning skulker today! The afternoon was no less exciting than the morning had been, as we headed back into the undulating hills to look for another target bird – Lesser Roadrunner. It was quite birdy just around the parking spot, and we had nice views of Grace’s Warbler, and enjoyed our first Azure-crowned Hummingbird feeding at some flowers right beside the road. Rusty Sparrows were skulking around in the bottom of the bushes here too, a new species for all of us, but we dropped all of these when Alex exclaimed that he had the roadrunner! It was perched on a dead branch just behind our vehicles! The light was excellent, with the sun behind, and everyone enjoyed their first Lesser Roadrunner through the scope and took some good photos as it sat sunning itself on its branch – what a bird! From here it took about an hour to bump and bounce our way along the dirt roads back to the lodge – the tarmac road was blocked again with another accident. Arriving back at Panacam for about 2pm, we had a two hour break through the hottest part of the day before meeting up again for some birding around the grounds at 4.15pm. It was rather sultry and quiet around the lodge grounds late afternoon, but we wanted to try and connect with a couple of the key species found here, starting with the tiny Black-crested Coquette. We eventually found it briefly feeding high in a flowering tree, and while everyone got a look at it, the views were not quite satisfactory – one for another day! An Osprey drifted high overhead here, and several White-collared Swifts were rushing through at breakneck speed, just above the treetops. The other key species found at Panacam is the Keel-billed Motmot, and this one was particularly high on the agenda since we had heard it several times at Pico Bonito but not managed a sighitng. Eventually we had good views of one from the observation tower, which affords views across the canopy of the rainforest. A great bird to end an amazing day, and we wrapped things up with a Broad-winged Hawk overhead and Collared Forest-falcon calling from the depths of the forest nearby.


Lesser Roadrunner – right beside the road! MONDAY 19TH FEBRUARY – Breezy day with sunny spells, 32C A superb days birding today as we spent time birding in the lowlands around Lake Yojoa, not far from Panacam Lodge. After a rather civilised 0630 breakfast, we drove a short distance in the bus to a small reservoir at the bottom of the hill. We hoped to try and find Sungrebe here, which one person in the group had missed on the Cuero y Salado day due to being unwell. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find it here – but we saw plenty of other birds! It was a beautiful, tranquil spot to be in the early morning, and on the water we saw Least Grebe, a party of Lesser Scaup and several Common Gallinules. A dazzling American Purple Gallinule was picking along the water’s edge, and in the bushes along the dam we found Great Crested Flycatcher, Rusty Sparrow, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Elaenia and a brief party of Indigo Buntings. Taking a small trail off into an area of forest which had been cleared for agriculture, we tried for two more sparrows – Prevost’s Ground Sparrow and Green-backed Sparrow. Despite hearing both calling, we couldn’t manage a satisfactory sighting of either, but instead enjoyed good views of a young Great Black Hawk and found a bush brimming with American warblers! These birds had presumably found a snake or other predator which we couldn’t see – we had Chestnut-sided, Magnolia and Golden-winged Warblers, American Redstart, White-collared Manakin, Wilson’s Warbler, Rufous-capped Warbler and Worm-eating Warbler, all in the same bush! The best tactic was to focus in on the area with a scope, and then try and catch up with each species in turn as they popped into view. It took a while for everyone to see everything on offer, but we got there in the end! Next we drove a short way and stopped by a small cemetery beneath some pines, where coffee and pineapples were being grown. Here we found some new species typical of this habitat including


Black-headed Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch and Orchard Oriole, as well as more nice views of Grace’s Warbler. A Yellow-faced Grassquit also perched in the open for us, and there was another chance to catch up with Yellow Warbler for those who had missed it. From here it was another ten minutes in the bus to drop down to the shore of Lake Yojoa, and Finca las Glorias which would be our birding destination for the rest of the morning. This proved to be an outstanding location, with a lot of new birds for us, as well as being a beautiful spot. In the grounds, we saw Cinammon Hummingbird, Green-breasted Mango, Orchard and Spot-breasted Orioles, Common Yellowthroat and Turquoise-browed Motmot. Once we reached the water’s edge, Lesser Yellowlegs and Snail Kite were added, and an Osprey drifted over, but the highlight was the scarce White-throated Flycatcher – a poorly known Meso-American endemic member of the tricky empidonax group. There was an extensive marshy area between us and the edge of the main lake, and this proved attractive to many water birds such as Great Blue Heron, Northern Jacana, Common and American Purple Gallinules, Blue-winged Teal and a cracking Bare-throated Tiger-heron which perched out in the open for us. There were flocks of Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and we managed to pick out a few Mangrove Swallows, Grey-breasted Martins and Barn Swallows too. The light was excellent from this vantage point, and we kept finding new birds – a family of Pied-billed Grebes riding their chicks on their backs, mixed flocks of American Coot and American Wigeon, a stunning group of Ring-necked Ducks, and several groups of Red-winged Blackbirds. The Snail Kites showed better from here too, and we also found our first gulls of the trip – three Laughing Gulls settled on the water. The ranch here had a large restaurant, which was completely empty, and rather convenient for another slap-up Honduran lunch!

Pied-billed Grebe and young


After we had ploughed through lunch, we drove a short way to another small lodge where Alex had arranged for us to make a visit specifically to see roosting Mottled Owls. One of the gardeners met us and took us to the spot, where we had fantastic views of two owls roosting right out in the open. Around the same location, we found a photogenic Green Kingfisher along the river and a Louisiana Waterthrush popped up briefly too. A superb mix of general birding with some target species thrown in, and all within a short distance of our accommodation too – it really was an excellent day.

Mottled Owls roosting near Lake Yojoa We had found generally, that the afternoons went rather quiet for birds so it was a pleasant surprise at the next stop to find the activity had continued as Alex took us to a forest reserve at Los Naranjos where we would walk for a kilometre or so – accompanied by many mosquitoes! Despite being nibbled, the woods were simply busting with American warblers and we saw lots of Chestnut-sided, Magnolia and Black & White Warblers, plus another lovely Kentucky Warbler and the odd American Redstart. Great Crested and Yellowish Flycatchers were also seen, and a pair of Ivory-billed Woodcreepers showed well. The warblers kept appearing in small mixed flocks, and inevitably we would find something new amongst them. Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos were both added, and we had much better views of Rose-breasted Grosbeak with a male and female perched together low down in the open, allowing everyone a good scope view. The mosquitoes kept us moving, though we had to pause for each Turquoise-browed Motmot, a bird which we just could not get tired of seeing! Concentrating our efforts out of the canopy and into the dark tangled


understorey, Alex called us a pair of Rufous and White Wrens, another regional speciality which we were keen to clap eyes on. This was a tricky one though, and only half the group managed to connect despite several bites at the cherry – there was only ever one small little window through the vegetation each time the bird perched, and it was always way back inside a dark tangle. Not easy! The final section of the walk took us along the edge of more agricultural fields being used to grow beans, and here we flushed a Short-tailed Hawk up into the trees ahead of us. We were surprised that it settled again so close to us, but soon realised why as it was carrying prey. This meant we could watch it for some time devouring its meal, and get some good photos too. Another White-throated Flycatcher showed well at the edge of the lake by the reserve centre, where we met back up with the bus and our driver Jonathan.

Short-tailed Hawk – just after it had finished its lunch! It was now around 1530, and we all had enough energy for one more stop on the way back to the lodge. We decided to call in again at the reservoir where we had started the day, since it was on our way back to base. There was a surprisingly different spread of birds around compared to the morning, and best of these were two male Crimson-collared Tanagers which showed beautifully well by the parking area. A stonking male American Redstart was also seen, and Social Flycatchers were particularly photogenic as they sallied for insects from the small trees just below us. The other dazzling tanager here was Passerini’s Tanager, and we also enjoyed Squirrel Cuckoo through the scope and had a beautiful Wilson’s Warbler in the open at close range. It really had been a super day indeed, with too many highlights to choose from! TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY – Hot & sunny, 35C We opted for a short birding walk around the lodge at Panacam this morning, and we were not disappointed – though it was very much quality rather than quantity. Lesson’s Motmots were really common here, and we could hear the Keel-billed Motmot calling again away in the forest as we set off


along the entrance road. Common birds here included Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Squirrel Cuckoo and Masked Tityra, but we also caught up with White-breasted Wood-wren in the forest understroey and a lovely Louisiana Waterthrush which flipped out of the roadside culvert and landed in the open for us. As we walked down the road, we could hear the unmistakable, somewhat spine-chilling call of the Little Tinamou, and Alex said it was close enough for us to have a chance to see it. We assembled and quietly watched a narrow clearing through the trees, where Alex said it might walk. Sure enough, the bird appeared twice in the opening for us, and everyone got a good view of this forest floor skulker. Back at the hotel, we saw the Black-crested Coquette again, and our first Golden-Olive Woodpecker posed nicely on a mossy trunk. Departing Panacam Lodge, we made our way down to the shore of Lake Yojoa and stopped by a restaurant overlooking an extensive marshy area leading out to the water. A footbridge took us out onto the marsh, where we could watch Snail Kites, and find Bare-throated Tiger-heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, flocks of Lesser Scaup and some stunning American Wigeon dabbling in the shallows in beautiful sunlight. Ruddy Crake continued to tantalise us with its monotonous trilling calls, but remained well hidden. In the distance, we found individuals of both Scissor-tailed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers perched on the waterside vegetation, the Scissor-tailed making a nice fly past in front of us. Once again, this was a lovely spot with the forested mountains reflecting in the lake and amazing clear light for viewing the birds.

American Wigeon at Lake Yojoa – stunning views!


Next we entered a property on the landward side of the main road, and took a walk for about 1.5hrs up the hillside. It was really hot now, and we had to make use of the patches of shade cast by the larger trees along the side of the trail. Otherwise this was fairly open terrain with scattered trees and bushes among grassland, and so the species encountered were again quite different. We saw our first Western Tanagers, Plain Wren and Tropical Parula, the latter showing amazingly well at point blank range on a branch just above our heads. Black-headed Saltator was a ‘catch up’ bird for some who had missed it earlier in the trip, and there were also several Blue-grey Tanagers around. Grey-crowned Yellowthroat gave some brief views in between skulking in the grass, but our main target bird here, the Green-backed Sparrow, knocked the other skulkers into a cocked hat! We had tried and failed for this bird a couple of times on the trip already, and now we had one calling really close to us. For twenty minutes we stared intently, the call moving around us but no-one even seeing so much as a leaf move! Eventually it moved around into a more open patch of bushes, and we could actually see it! Alex even managed to get a scope on it for some, but the bino views were pretty decent anyway. Excellent! Our other nemesis, the Ruddy Crake, called again from a wet channel of grass on the hillside, but we quickly realised we had no chance of seeing it there! Walking back, we had excellent views of Golden-hooded Tanager, and a Black-crowned Tityra perched right out in the open for us too. Painted Bunting, White-throated Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Vireo were also seen on this productive walk.

Blue and White Mockingbird – one of the highlights from the highlands part of the tour We drove about forty minutes along the main road towards Tegucigalpa, stopping next at a roadside services for lunch. Not quite as nice as some of our other lunch stops on the trip, but a decent buffet


was available and with ice creams to follow, everyone was in good spirits! From here we had about another 2.5hrs to travel, through the capital and onto the mountain road to La Tigra National Park just beyond the city. With no ring road, the journey was arduous, but once clear of the suburbs we very quickly reached our quaint accommodation at Los Gloriales. Billed as the most basic of the places we would stay, it was actually perfectly comfortable, and Alec assured us that the birding in the grounds would more than make up for any lack of luxury – he wasn’t wrong! Bushy-crested Jays greeted us on arrival, and after a quick check in we couldn’t wait to get out into the gardens to see what else we could find. Yellow-backed Oriole and Band-backed Wren were two stunners which gave themselves up quickly, and a mass of mobbing birds, perhaps watching a cat, seemed to attract many other species. This included one of our top targets for the area, the superb Blue and White Mockingbird, and we were soon eye-balling one of these beauties which hopped up along a branch briefly in full view before slinking off. Alex was amazed we had seen it so well, as it is a notorious skulker, but as one of the group missed this brief sighting anyway, we would need to keep working on it! A fruiting fig tree was attracting Emerald Toucanets to forage in stunning light right in front of us, and we set up camp by this tree to see what else would appear for us. Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Black-headed Saltator and a lovely Rufous-browed Peppershrike all showed up and gave great views, while an Azure-crowned Hummingbird sat preening on a perch allowing everyone a look through the scope. An empidonax flycatcher flashed into view, and Alex expected it to be a Hammond’s Flycatcher given the upland pine habitat we were in. This identification looked to be well supported by the birds sullen grey appearance, and was confirmed when it uttered its diagnostic call, so often the best way to tell this tricky genus apart. This clearly was an amazing birdy area, and we carried on adding new species [Ruddy Crake aside!] without moving from this one spot. The mockingbird even popped out a couple more times, but we still had work to do on that one before everyone was satisfied. Totally unexpected and far more obliging, was a female Resplendent Quetzal which flew into our fruiting tree full of fun! She perched right in the open, right in front of us – absolutely stunning! We hoped the male might show up too, but perhaps we would have to wait for the morning for that. An Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush hopped in and out of view in a shady hollow in the bushes, and proved to be our final new bird of yet another remarkable days birding here in Honduras. WEDNESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY – Cool and overcast, 15C A real contrast in temperature in the highlands of La Tigra National Park this morning, where we had to dig our fleeces out from the bottom of our bags as we entered the cloud forest around 6500ft in elevation. It was only a short drive from our accommodation, but it certainly took all of Jonathan’s driving skills to get us there as the track was really only fit for 4x4 vehicles. Two stops before we got to the main park entrance enabled us to find several typical species of this new area, and in amongst the clouds overlooking some small allotments, we found White-naped Brush Finch, Rufous-collared Thrush and Rufous-collared Sparrow. A Guatemalan Flicker also appeared briefly, but we would get much better views of these later on! At a second short stop overlooking some flowering shrubs, we got to grips with some of the hummingbirds on offer, including perhaps the key target species of our time here – the near-endemic Green-breasted Mountain-gem. Equally delightful were the more common White-eared Hummingbirds, and a Cinammon-bellied Flowerpiercer also put in an appearance for us.We took a short walk around the edge of a football pitch to try again for Ruddy Crake, but despite Alex getting a glimpse this time, the rest of us were still left wanting! Soon we reached the entrance to the park, where we would make a hike of about two hours up the rather steep but wide trails to look for some of the special birds of the cloud forest. It was initially very quiet, and were it not for Alex picking out the odd call we would have struggled to see anything at all. But gradually we began to find more and more, and a belting Slate-throated Redstart next to the trail was the start of a good run of birds. Next we tried for the Singing Quail, and soon had one standing on the edge of a little ridge belting out its song to us and allowing everyone a view in the scope. We heard several more calling during the walk, but this was our only sighting. Soon we reached a spot where Alex said the exquisite Wine-throated Hummingbird liked to come and perch, so he assembled us all and got to work on the vegetation with a knife so we could see through


to the said dead twigs. After seconds the bird appeared, and despite being tiny and very fast, it did indeed like to come and perch for just a few seconds at a time. Due to the strong wind today though, it was avoiding the high branches and favouring instead the ferns just below us. Every now and again we would get a dazzling flash of claret as the bird turned into the sun. An absolute gem and another key target bird for these highlands. Only a few yards further on, and we were stopped in our tracks by a trogon right beside the trail. It flew and perched, typically rear on – it was a male Mountain Trogon. We saw it again a few minutes later, but unfortunately all the views were of its rear as it looked back over its shoulder at us. A small clearing with flowering shrubs provided another chance to watch the Wine-throated Hummingbird, and we also had a brief view of a female Garnet-throated Hummingbird too. Retracing our route, small groups of Common Chlorosphingus were now roving through the mossy branches and bromeliads by the trail, and careful inspection of anything moving with them revealed two Crescent-chested Warblers, another highland speciality. Wilson’s Warbler was also more common at this elevation, and we had more sightings of Slate-throated Redstart. Flame-coloured Tanager, a species often seen at bird tables in other parts of Central America, seemed to be an elusive bird here, and we had to work quite hard to get everyone a view. Almost back at the entrance, three of the group retired to the bus for a rest while the rest of us climbed another 200m or so further up the trail to try for Fulvous Owl. We couldn’t find one, but instead saw the Meso-American endemic Rufus-browed Wren, and had nice views of Spot-crowned Woodcreeper. A White-faced Quail-dove was walking among the leaf litter by the trail, as we descended to the main buildings and small café for lunch.

Acorn Woodpecker at El Picacho park, Tegucigalpa


In the early afternoon, we returned to the lodge for some downtime, before meeting up again for a trip out to a municipal park called El Picacho on the fringes of Tegucigalpa. This involved a pleasant circular amble around among pines and open habitats, where Bushy-crested Jays were common and Acorn Woodpeckers adorned every tree! We saw loads of woodpeckers here, with as many as five Acorn’s on show at once, and also several nice views of the red-shafted subspecies of the Northern Flicker, also known as Guatemalan Flicker. Golden-olive Woodpecker was also seen, coming down to drink from a puddle, and we saw a nice flock of Black-headed Siskins perched on the top of a bare tree like Christmas decorations. Our only outright new trip bird here was a singing male Eastern Bluebird, perched up in one of the pines, but really it was the Acorn Woodpeckers which stole the show. We found a couple of their favoured larder trees, riddled with holes each one containing a well positioned acorn. Sweeping views were had of the sprawl of Tegucigalpa, and a Ferruginous Pygmy-owl glowered down at us from a pine as we walked below. Back around Los Gloriales on our return, we had some superb views of the Blue and White Mockingbird, and also noted Black-headed Saltator, Lineated Woodpecker, White-tipped Dove and Emerald Toucanet. Another action-packed day!

Whiskered Screech Owl before dawn at Los Gloriales


THURSDAY 22ND FEBRUARY – Cool with sunny spells, warmer later -15C-30C Our morning burst into life at 0545 as Alex knocked on our rooms to exclaim that there was a pair of Whiskered Screech Owls behind the restaurant! We had fantastic views of the birds by torchlight, including one which flew up and perched at eye level right in front of us – superb! After breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed down the hill into Tegucigalpa. Our quest was to cross the city, and out into the hills on the south side to try a site for the Ocellated Quail. This journey was rather arduous, and took around ninety minutes, but then we found ourselves in the tranquil and deserted mixed pine and oak forest habitat favoured by the quail and several other mountain species. It was decidedly cool here, and we needed coats on as well as fleeces! The walk started off very quiet, a bit like yesterday, and then gradually we began to pick up more species as we wandered slowly along listening for calls. White-eared and Azure-crowned Hummingbirds were common, and Wilson’s Warbler was now the most numerous American wood warbler on offer. Our first new bird was a dazzling Painted Redstart, an absolutely superb little bird which we went on to get more excellent views of along the rest of the walk. Our tactic was to walk along slowly, checking the drystone walls and open spots for the quail. Sadly, we did not have any luck with it, but we knew it was always going to be a long shot anyway. Other new species noted here though included close views of Greater Pewee, a brief Hermit Warbler and Black-vented Oriole which took our list of this genus to seven species! White-eared Hummingbirds were again quite common along this trail, and we glimpsed White-naped Brush-finch and Orange-billed Nightingale-thrush too. We had filled our boots yesterday with woodpeckers, but we did see both Guatemalan Flicker and Acorn Woodpecker again on this walk, but Brown Creeper remained a heard only despite our best efforts. Returning to the bus, we now had about a 90 minute drive to get around the east side of Tegucigalpa and head north-east along a good but winding main road up towards La Paz. Two stops included one for lunch at a roadside services, and the second for three stunning American Swallow-tailed Kites, which drifted low along a pine-clad ridge next to the road. Another 90 minutes beyond the lunch stop, and we reached our final accommodation stop at Hotel La Casona, near Marcala. It was around 3pm when we arrived, so it was pretty much a case of drop the luggage in the rooms, unpack a few bits and freshen up before heading out on foot to do some birding around the grounds. It was quite hot, but there still seemed to be plenty of activity – our first quarry though was slumbering high up in a pine tree. The Whiskered Screech Owl we had seen before breakfast, was missed by two of the group, so two roosting birds presented an opportunity to catch up. One was grey, the other a rufous phase, and they were sitting pretty much out in the open giving excellent views. A nearby open grassy area produced a pair of hunting American Kestrels, and then superb views of two Eastern Meadowlarks. They allowed a really close approach – what beautiful birds! Dropping back down through the grounds, we saw two (wild!) Muscovy Ducks in a small marshy area, and found Common Yellowthroat skulking around in the lush vegetation along the river. Our target though, not for the first time on the trip, would be the Ruddy Crake. It was becoming something of a standing joke, since we had tried so many times, and not even come close to a sighting. Nevertheless Alex convinced us we had a chance, and we followed instructions to ‘keep an eye’ on the edge of the lillies around a small creek, while he played the call. For ages we saw nothing, and then a Ruddy Crake flew across the channel! It took twenty minutes more, but eventually we began to piece together more and more acceptable views. This culminated in two crakes coming right out and sitting in the water in the middle of the channel and calling back to us, before proceeding to walk back into the lillies and feed right out in the open! There was something of a degree of relief involved in this sighting, but since it was also a lifer for everyone, it really was a tangible success! Back in the garden, we finished the day watching a large flowering tree and enjoying more orioles. Here we had Baltimore, Black-vented, Spot-breasted and Streak-backed Orioles all feeding together, bathed in beautiful evening light. Just before dinner, Alex came and knocked on our cabins calling that we had better come quick if we wanted to see Spot-bellied Bobwhite! A covey of about ten were crouched in the leaf litter in the small banana plantation behind the rooms. It took us a lot longer to spot them than it had Alex! What a fine way to end the day!


Eastern Meadowlark at Hotel La Casone, Marcarla FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY – Cool and dry with sunny spells, 18C Our final days birding took us into the Opataro highlands of south-west Honduras, only about 50km from our hotel but on probably the worst roads of the trip so far – and that is saying something! What materialised though was probably our most spectacular days birding of the tour so far, with some dazzling and exciting birds which had everything from rarity value to wow factor. We departed the hotel very early at 5am, and found ourselves at the first birding spot on the winding road up to the highest point accessible in Honduras at 7500ft. Right away we could hear the incredible song of Brown-backed Solitaire, and were soon scoping one perched high up on the top of an oak. Walking along the road a bit, we found a calling Mountain Trogon, and enjoyed point black views of at least three different birds in the pines by the side of the road. This was one of our key target birds, and having only seen the back of one so far, we were very pleased to get front on views! A Roadside Hawk perched in the open here too, and White-eared Hummingbird was common. The tactic then was basically to keep driving a short distance higher up the road, and then walking along a bit listening for calls. We had breakfast at the next stop, an excellent spread laid on by Alex including some very good coffee which went down extremely well! A Townsend’s Warbler was seen close by, and we began our quest for the next big target – the range restricted Blue-throated Motmot.


At the next stop, we took a walk down through the trees, and found the other solitaire which we were after here – the Plain-coloured Solitaire. Both these species where not particularly attractive birds to look at, but their songs were both complex and amazing. Alex then called in perhaps the biggest ticket of the day – a stunning Fulvous Owl which flew in and perched on a mossy bough right in front of us. We were all gobsmacked with the views through the scope, and despite Alex’s best efforts to drag us away to look at a Green-throated Mountain-gem, we just couldn’t get enough of the owl! All this before 0800 in the morning! Several more stops were less fruitful, but we saw a few Tennessee Warblers, White-naped Brush-finch and Flame-coloured Tanager. Alex was still working hard on the Blue-throated Motmot, which he said was very difficult at this time of year because it was not calling. Suddenly though, while we were watching something else, we heard the motmot calling right by the road! A dash along to find a window where we might see in, initially proved fruitless. But of course Alex’s sharp eyes didn’t fail him and he spotted the bird perched through loads of branches, way inside the bushes. With a bit of careful positioning of the scope, we could get superb views, as a shaft of sunlight was glinting through and illuminating the bird perfectly. The last motmot on the tour and for most of us, completing the full set of Central American motmots too. A second bird came in while we were watching, and the pair began calling again on the same branch. Just amazing stuff.

Fulvous Owl in the Opotaro highlands – a trip highlight!


We continued up the mountain road, with Jonathan having to negotiate some pretty serious pot holes. The van grounded out a few times, but we made it! A lovely open meadow near the top provided some superb birding, with several new species in a few minutes. Rufous-collared Thrush was a real delight, as we had only seen the female previously and this time we had a stunning male. The previously skulking Blue and White Mockingbird gave itself up signing in the top of a bush, and we found several Steller’s Jays up in the pines behind. Alex tried hard for us to see Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge, but despite hearing them, we weren’t lucky with a sighting. Rufous-collared Sparrows were common here, and a Chestnut-capped Brush-finch showed briefly among them. Mexican Violet-ear was a new hummingbird for the trip, and Mountain Elaenia gave good views in the blackberry hedges along the roadside. It was strange to see bramble growing here [though no doubt a different species] alongside blooming Hydrangeas!

Resplendent Quetzal – what an end to the trip! Lunch was the next stop, and again Alex had a spread for us, which we enjoyed under the shade of the pines near the summit of the road. In the trees around, Alex pointed out the nest hole of a pair of Resplendent Quetzals, and it didn’t take long for us to get great views of the female! We then discovered a fruiting wild avocado tree in the forest, and decided to hang around as perhaps the birds were feeding there and we might see the male. After about half an hour, the male Resplendent


Quetzal appeared and what a bird! We had it perched in the open on a mossy branch just above us! Over the next forty minutes, we enjoyed the most jaw-dropping views of three different quetzals including two males, and to top it all off, another Fulvous Owl was seen ridiculously close – much to the annoyance of the quetzals! We all sat speechless in the leaf litter scoping up these amazing birds from the top of an embankment in the forest, views of which had surpassed all of our expectations. We couldn’t have picked a better bird to end the trip on – how would we pick a highlight from this amazing tour! SATURDAY 24TH FEBRUARY We departed the hotel at 6am this morning and made the four hour drive, with breakfast stop en route, to San Pedro Sula airport. The journey went without a hitch and we arrived at the the airport with plenty of time to spare. The journey back to the UK via Atlanta went smoothly, and we arrived back in London on time at 10am the next morning. SYSTEMATIC LIST

1. Little Tinamou

2. Muscovy Duck

3. American Wigeon

4. Blue-winged Teal

5. Ring-necked Duck

6. Lesser Scaup

7. Spot-bellied Bobwhite

8. Singing Quail

9. Least Grebe

10. Pied-billed Grebe

11. Brown Pelican

12. Neotropic Cormorant

13. Magnificent Frigatebird

14. Bare-throated Tiger-heron

15. Yellow-crowned Night-heron

16. Cattle Egret

17. Green Heron

18. Little Blue Heron

19. Tricoloured Heron

20. Snowy Egret

21. Great Egret

22. Great Blue Heron

23. Agami Heron

24. White Ibis

25. Turkey Vulture

26. Black Vulture

27. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

28. Osprey

29. Hook-billed Kite

30. American Swallow-tailed Kite

31. White-tailed Kite

32. Snail Kite

33. White-breasted Hawk

34. Cooper’s Hawk

35. White Hawk


36. Common Black-hawk

37. Grey Hawk

38. Roadside Hawk

39. Broad-winged Hawk

40. Short-tailed Hawk

41. Crested Caracara

42. Laughing Falcon

43. Collared Forest-falcon (H)

44. American Kestrel

45. Ruddy Crake

46. Grey-necked Wood-rail

47. American Purple Gallinule

48. Common Gallinule

49. American Coot

50. Northern Jacana

51. Sungrebe

52. Lesser Yellowlegs

53. Sanderling

54. Spotted Sandpiper

55. Laughing Gull

56. Royal Tern

57. Sandwich [Cabot’s] Tern

58. Pale-vented Pigeon

59. Red-billed Pigeon

60. White-winged Dove

61. Inca Dove

62. Ruddy Ground-dove

63. White-tipped Dove

64. Grey-chested Dove

65. White-faced Quail-dove

66. Red-throated Parakeet

67. Scarlet Macaw

68. Olive-throated Parakeet

69. Orange-fronted Parakeet

70. Brown-hooded Parrot

71. White-crowned Parrot

72. White-fronted Parrot

73. Red-lored Parrot

74. Squirrel Cuckoo

75. Lesser Ground Cuckoo

76. Lesser Roadrunner

77. Groove-billed Ani

78. Whiskered Screech Owl

79. Spectacled Owl

80. Central American Pygmy-Owl

81. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

82. Mottled Owl

83. Fulvous Owl

84. Great Potoo

85. Lesser Nighthawk


86. White-collared Swift

87. Long-billed Hermit

88. Stripe-throated Hermit

89. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird

90. Violet Sabrewing

91. White-necked Jacobin

92. Green [Mexican] Violet-ear

93. Green-breasted Mango

94. Violet-headed Hummingbird

95. Black-crested Coquette

96. Salvin’s Emerald

97. Violet-crowned Woodnymph

98. White-eared Hummingbird

99. White-bellied Emerald

100. Honduran Emerald

101. Azure-crowned Hummingbird

102. Berylline Hummingbird

103. Cinammon Hummingbird

104. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

105. Green-throated Mountain-gem

106. Green-breasted Mountain-gem

107. Garnet-throated Hummingbird

108. Wine-throated Hummingbird

109. Purple-crowned Fairy

110. Resplendent Quetzal

111. Slaty-tailed Trogon

112. Black-headed Trogon

113. Collared Trogon

114. Gartered (Violaceous) Trogon

115. Mountain Trogon

116. Elegant Trogon

117. Ringed Kingfisher

118. Amazon Kingfisher

119. Green Kingfisher

120. American Pygmy Kingfisher

121. Belted Kingfisher

122. Broad-billed Motmot

123. Turquoise-browed Motmot

124. Keel-billed Motmot

125. Blue-crowned (Lesson’s) Motmot

126. Tody Motmot

127. Blue-throated Motmot

128. Rufous-tailed Jacamar

129. Emerald Toucanet

130. Collared Aracari

131. Keel-billed Toucan

132. Olivaceous Piculet

133. Acorn Woodpecker

134. Black-cheeked Woodpecker

135. Golden-fronted Woodpecker


136. Golden-olive Woodpecker

137. Smoky-brown Woodpecker

138. Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker

139. Guatemalan Flicker

140. Lineated Woodpecker

141. Pale-billed Woodpecker [H]

142. Tawny-winged Woodcreeper

143. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

144. Northern Barred Woodcreeper

145. Cocoa Woodcreeper

146. Streak-headed Woodcreeper

147. Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

148. Strong-billed Woodcreeper

149. Barred Antshrike

150. Dusky Antbird

151. Rose-throated Becard

152. Masked Tityra

153. Black-crowned Tityra

154. Lovely Cotinga

155. Red-capped Manakin

156. White-collared Manakin

157. Black Phoebe

158. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

159. Fork-tailed Flycatcher

160. Tropical Kingbird

161. Boat-billed Flycatcher

162. Bright-rumped Atilla

163. Social Flycatcher

164. Great Kiskadee

165. Rufous Mourner

166. Brown-crested Flycatcher

167. Great Crested Flycatcher

168. Dusky-capped Flycatcher

169. Ash-throated Flycatcher

170. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

171. Greater Pewee

172. White-throated Flycatcher

173. Hammond’s Flycatcher

174. Yellowish Flycatcher

175. Yellow-olive Flycatcher

176. Common Tody-flycatcher

177. Yellow-bellied Elaenia

178. Mountain Elaenia

179. Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

180. Sepia-capped Flycatcher

181. Paltry Tyrannulet

182. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

183. Grey-breasted Martin

184. Barn Swallow

185. Black-capped Swallow


186. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

187. Mangrove Swallow

188. Brown Jay

189. White-throated Magpie-Jay

190. Green Jay

191. Bushy-crested Jay

192. Steller’s Jay

193. Band-backed Wren

194. Spot-breasted Wren

195. Rufous and White Wren

196. Rufous-browed Wren

197. Plain [Cabanis] Wren

198. House Wren

199. White-breasted Wood-wren

200. Orange-billed Nightingale-thrush

201. White-throated Thrush

202. Clay-coloured Thrush

203. Rufous-collared Thrush

204. Wood Thrush

205. Grey Catbird

206. Blue and White Mockingbird

207. Tropical Gnatcatcher

208. Long-billed Gnatwren

209. Eastern Bluebird

210. Brown-backed Solitaire

211. Slate-coloured Solitaire

212. Yellow-throated Vireo

213. Philadelphia Vireo

214. Blue-headed Vireo

215. Tawny-crowned Greenlet

216. Rufous-browed Peppershrike

217. Lesser Greenlet

218. Black and White Warbler

219. Golden-winged Warbler

220. Crescent-chested Warbler

221. Tennessee Warbler

222. Tropical Parula

223. Northern Parula

224. Yellow Warbler

225. Black-throated Green Warbler

226. Townsend’s Warbler

227. Hermit Warbler

228. Yellow-throated Warbler

229. Grace’s Warbler

230. Chestnut-sided Warbler

231. Magnolia Warbler

232. Worm-eating Warbler

233. Ovenbird

234. Kentucky Warbler

235. Hooded Warbler


236. Northern Waterthrush

237. Louisiana Waterthrush

238. Grey-crowned Yellowthroat

239. Common Yellowthroat

240. Wilson’s Warbler

241. American Redstart

242. Painted Redstart

243. Slate-throated Redstart

244. Rufous-capped Warbler

245. Chestnut-headed Oropendola

246. Montezuma Oropendola

247. Giant Cowbird

248. Bronzed Cowbird

249. Melodious Blackbird

250. Great-tailed Grackle

251. Orchard Oriole

252. Spot-breasted Oriole

253. Streak-backed Oriole

254. Black-cowled Oriole

255. Black-vented Oriole

256. Yellow-backed Oriole

257. Altamira Oriole

258. Baltimore Oriole

259. Red-winged Blackbird

260. Eastern Meadowlark

261. Yellow-throated Euphonia

262. Olive-backed Euphonia

263. White-vented Euphonia

264. Black-throated Shrike-tanager

265. Golden-hooded Tanager

266. Green Honeycreeper

267. Shining Honeycreeper

268. Blue-grey Tanager

269. Yellow-winged Tanager

270. Passerini’s Tanager

271. Crimson-collared Tanager

272. Summer Tanager

273. Hepatic Tanager

274. Western Tanager

275. Flame-coloured Tanager

276. Red-throated Ant-tanager

277. Red-crowned Ant-tanager

278. Common Chlorospingus (Bush-tanager)

279. Black-headed Saltator

280. Buff-throated Saltator

281. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

282. Blue-black Grosbeak

283. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

284. Painted Bunting

285. Blue-black Grassquit


286. Yellow-faced Grassquit

287. Cinammon-bellied Flowerpiercer

288. White-collared Seedeater

289. Variable Seedeater

290. White-naped Brush-finch

291. Black-headed Siskin

292. Lesser Goldfinch

293. Green-backed Sparrow

294. Rusty Sparrow

295. Rufous-collared Sparrow

296. House Sparrow All images copyright Oriole Birding

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