Guatemala: Friday

The itinerary for the third and last day of the Nikon EDG launch took us to Los Tarrales Reserve, a wonderful facility with a checklist of almost 280 bird species. The property encompasses three habitats: subtropical humid forest, cloud forest and pine-oak mountain forest.

After we consumed a yummy breakfast, Mike Freiberg put me in the group for the upper trail, and 12 of us piled into vehicles for another bumpy drive up the volcano's slope. Along the way, we glimpsed a perched Gray Hawk and views like this.

(As always, click on an image to see a larger version.)

On the way up, we stopped to form smaller groups. Two cars continued up the road to a small village, where the children came out to see us and where we saw a Common Tody-Flycatcher.



Our excellent guide, Josue, led us up the trail on our quest to see Azure-rumped Tanagers. I didn't see a lot of birds but thoroughly relished the long looks at White-winged Tanager and Blue-crowned Chlorophia -- egads, what colors!

Perhaps this will get me drummed out of the club, but the lack of species didn't bother me in the least. I enjoyed the experience for what it was rather than wishing for more. How could I complain when given these views and memories?



We returned to the village, and the children joined our short walk to a deserted building with nice views. After I snapped a photo of the kids and showed it to them, they turned into circus performers and exclaimed "Una foto! Una foto!" An amusing end to the outing.


After an E ticket ride back to the main lodge, we feasted on another delicious meal amid colorful decorations in the warehouse. Feeling the beginning of a food coma, I opted to remain at the lodge rather than venture out for more birding.

A group of us coalesced in a room with comfy chairs, and we enjoyed good conversation while the sky grew darker. Then the rain began... and it really came down. We congratulated ourselves for remaining under a roof.

At one point, we learned that our bus wouldn't start, so we joked about staying overnight at Los Tarrales -- a possibility that didn't bother me in the least. It's a fantastic property, operated by really nice hosts... and I wouldn't mind taking a gander at the Long-tailed Manakins -- in drier weather.

After everyone in the group returned to the main house and dried off, we consumed another tasty meal, complete with gifts and live music by Colibri. What a delightful finish to a wonderful introduction to birding in Guatemala.

Guatemala: Thursday

Thursday's destination: Los Andes Private Nature Reserve. After conquering an adventurous road up the mountain, the buses finally reached the lodge, Casa Oliver...


where we met Olga and her father, Jim. They spoke of the property's history and habitats on the slopes of the volcano; the land lures species such as Resplendent Quetzal, Blue-throated Motmot, Cabanis Tangager, Green-throated Mountain-gem and White-throated Magpie-Jay.

(As always, you can click on an image to see a larger version.)

We split into groups, and the first group -- which included me -- climbed into the bed of a small pickup truck. Like sardines in a tin, about 10 of us stood in the bed and tried to maintain our balance as the truck trundled, fish-tailed and spun its wheels on the muddy road up Atitlan volcano. We dismounted a couple times when the mud thwarted the driver's skills, adding to the sense of adventure.

At the beginning of the quetzal reserve, we enjoyed views of the coffee and tea crops.


On the trail, we were surrounded by lush vegetation everywhere. It felt dazzling and overwhelming and breathtaking (and not just because we kept going up-up-up).


Then the clouds rolled in and added an ethereal atmosphere to an already incredible scene.




While in the cloud forest, I didn't see many birds, but that didn't diminish my pleasure or awe. The forest looked like a wonderland, and the birds provided a soundtrack to the sights. I did glimpse a Forest Falcon that had called almost continuously, and I watched a Golden-winged Warbler perform a distraction display across the trail about five feet in front of us.

Back at Casa Oliver, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a couple hours of relaxed birding on the grounds. I soaked up views of a Cinnamon Hummingbird, Red-legged Honeycreeper (Thanks again, Pete!) and a Green-throated Mountain-gem. The lawn chairs offered a perfect spot to sip the incredible iced tea, give attention to the resident pooches, and watch hummingbirds buzz into the plants below...


before zooming back to the feeders and foliage. Los Andes also stands out as my first encounter with fire ants, which found me during the group photo. Despite that, I easily could spend a few days at the reserve, walking the trails, soaking up the cloud forest and reveling in the location.

Guatemala: Wednesday

The day began early -- actually, every day began with coffee, tea and pan (bread) at 4:30 a.m. -- and off we went to Patrocinio Reserve. The bumpy road to the plantation's main facilities provided welcome glimpses of the abundant green vegetation in the southwestern region of Guatemala.


Clambering off the two buses, we walked to the cafeteria and its large viewing platforms, where we enjoyed views like these. Aaaahhh.




While our hosts prepared breakfast, we soaked up that scenery and a few species. A Violet Sabrewing took my breath away; what an incredible hummingbird! Clay-colored Robins abounded, and Rufous-naped Wrens intrigued me with their plumage. A Blue-gray Tanager looked decorative while perched on a branch, and a Gray Hawk appeared to preside regally from its distant perch.

After eating a delicious and filling breakfast in a beautifully decorated setting...


we split into three smaller groups and set out to explore the trails. I benefitted from the company and skill of one of our Guatemalan guides, Hugo Enriquez (far left); Jessie Barry (tan shirt), who writes book reviews for WildBird and now works at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library; and Ben Lizdas (green jacket), a seasoned field trip leader.


The trail led us through coffee plants, where Jessie and I sampled coffee cherries. Ick. The outer skin takes a while to chew, too. The hanging bridge proved much more fun albeit in a slippery way.




While enjoying looks at Yellow-winged Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper (three bright males!), Masked Tityra, Black Vulture and Turkey Vulture, I also enjoyed peering at the colorful bugs.



My favorite birds of the morning, aside from Red-legged Honeycreeper, included Rose-throated Becard -- male and female -- and White-winged Tanager. Hugo traded calls with the male becard for many minutes before we finally glimpsed him, and the bright red color on the tanager made me envious (my hair never will match that shade of red).

After seeing a perched Laughing Falcon on the other side of a gorge, we enjoyed this view...


before trekking back to the cafeteria amid light drizzle. We came across a stream of leafcutter ants, which combined with another stream to create a river of ants carrying small, bright-green and red leaf bits. What an interesting spectacle.

Back at the cafeteria, we enjoyed another tasty meal while chatting about the morning's sights. Some of the group ventured into the drizzle for more birding on the observation tower, while many of us remained under cover.

The birding didn't end when we reboarded the buses. From the back of one vehicle, I could hear birders in the front asking the driver to stop so they could get better looks at this or that species. Those of us in the back briefly spied the Blue-crowned Motmot perched in a tree near the road -- very cool bird.

Sitting in the back of the bus can lead to amusing moments. We heard someone in the front ask "Can I sit on your lap?" while trying to get a better look at a bird. Needless to say, we chuckled.

Our first day of birding with the new Nikon EDG binocular ended at the hotel with a discussion about the model's development and a dinner accompanied by a mariachi band. The highlight: Another restaurant guest, a woman, spontaneously joined the band and sang a few tunes. Such a delightful finish.

Guatemala: Monday/Tuesday

My first trip to the Land of Eternal Spring began Monday night with a 2 a.m. flight out of Los Angeles International Airport. The plane landed in Guatemala City at 7:30 a.m., when I met up with other birders and our hosts from Nikon and Guatemala.

Because most of our group wouldn't arrive until the late morning or early afternoon, we -- including our guides Hugo Enriquez and Miguel Marin -- visited a nearby park, part of ongoing efforts to create a greenbelt: Parque Ecological Cayala (Cayala Ecological Park: Home to more than 80 bird species).


Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes repeatedly revealed themselves in the brush, and I became smitten with the demure birds with blazing orange legs and bills. After spending so many hours sitting in an airport and on a plane, it felt delicious to walk, smell the fresh morning air, continually look around at the plants and marvel at the birds, new (Bushy-crested Jay) and familiar (Great-tailed Grackle).



And in case we forgot the point of visiting the park, the helpful sign says "You want to listen to and observe animals."

Retracing our route from the airport, we stopped at an open-air market to await the rest of the group. The timing turned out perfectly, as the rain intensified while we sipped warm beverages and ogled the handicrafts.

Thanks again, James, for the cafe con leche.

We ate lunch at a restaurant at the market, and I tried hibiscus drink -- yum. The larger bus carrying the rest of our group arrived, and off we went for a four-hour drive to our hotel in Retalhuleu.


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Quick! I'm going to Guatemala on Monday night...

Any suggestions about an essential item that must go with me (other than a binocular) and can be purchased this weekend? Thanks in advance.


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