To my dear friends

Dear Friends,

The time has come to let you know that this is my last post, and Belize Field Notes has come to an end. After more than 25 wonderful years in Belize, Bruce and I are returning the USA. It is a difficult decision, more than a year in the making.  Advancing age, health and family issues, and research opportunities  have all contributed to to our decision.

I want you to know that I have loved writing this blog and sharing my love of Belize, its wildlife and the Gallon Jug Estate and Chan Chich Lodge with you. Many of you have visited and I've met you personally. You know the places, people and animals I have highlighted. Other readers are planning to visit. I am sorry I will not be able to meet you in person as that has always been a special pleasure. We've made some wonderful friends over the years in this way. 

The main take home message I want to leave you with is that Gallon Jug Estate is a very special place.  Thanks to the excellent protection and responsible ownership that this property has enjoyed during the past nearly 30 years, wildlife flourishes.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for so many heavily human-impacted places in Belize, in the region, in the Americas, in the world.  Our grateful and sincere thanks go to the memory of Sir Barry Bowen and Lady Bowen for making Gallon Jug and Chan Chich possible and viable, for so many years.  And to think -- we were lucky enough to live here.

Thank you for your interest in Belize's wildlife and its wildest place and for joining me at Belize Field Notes. Do please, visit Chan Chich Lodge. We hope to get back from time to time, and who knows, we may yet meet!

With warmest wishes from Gallon Jug,
Carolyn

Back to Back Cats

Our one remote camera came up with these nice images of an ocelot and a puma walking a trail in the Gallon Jug Estate.  It's wonderful to see these cats as they go about their nightly business and know that the Gallon Jug Estate harbors so many of these magnificent animals.  That makes another reason why our area is unique!

Hatchlings on the Way

This is a basilisk lizard (Basiliscus vittatus to be precise).  A female -- readily determined since she lacks the spectacular crest of the male.  Common in the tropics and Gallon Jug, well known as "the Jesus Christ" lizard for its ability to walk on water. Here she is in the gravel, right next to the staircase of our house.  And what, you may ask, is she doing?  If you look carefully (picture on the right) you can see she is poised over a hole she has excavated and is depositing eggs.  Within a hour or so, she'd apparently finished.  The area was completely covered over and you'd have no clue that there was a hidden nest.

The interesting thing is, since 1997, a basilisk lizard has excavated her nest cavity here at this exact -- so far as I can tell -- spot.   Is it the same female lizard?  Do they live that long?  Or do the hatchlings return to their nest site to dig their own nest hole?

Bats' Night Out

Last week was "Spirit Week" at the Casey Community School here in Gallon Jug.  It was kicked off on Monday, commemorating the second anniversary of the accident which claimed the lives of beloved teachers, Mike and Jill Casey, their two children, Makayla and Bryce, and Sir Barry Bowen, the owner of Gallon Jug and Chan Chich. Dear friends all and sorely missed.

The week was filled with fun activities for the students, including  Pajama Day and Dress Like a Wild Animal Day on Wednesday.  Wednesday also included a lecture from Dr. Bruce Miller about bats and why they are important.  That evening, the students accompanied Bruce into the field for a night of "batting" and the opportunity to meet some bats "up close and personal."  They listened to bat echolocation calls recorded via special equipment and were able to see a few small  bats, captured and released from the harp traps (see above; two tiny bats are clinging to the canvas capture bag).

Butterflies by the Dozens!

For those of you in wintery areas, you may especially enjoy this time-lapse clip I did recently.  This time of year is beautiful here in Gallon Jug/Chan Chich.  These vivid red flowers line our driveway.  You may recognize them as a variety of kalanchoe.    Kalanchoes are recognized as "medicine" in Belize, though I've never tried it myself and am not exactly sure what they are supposed to cure.  Being succulents, I like kalanchoes as they thrive in our rocky soil and don't require much care. As you can see, they are in bloom this time of year and must be nectar-rich -- they have attracted butterflies by the dozens!

White Heron ... or Egret?

This mystery bird has been hanging around Gallon Jug for the past several weeks.  More specifically, along the Rio Bravo in Sylvester Village.  My neighbor Alan finally snapped photos of it, which took the ongoing local debate to a higher level.  At first glance, you'd assume it was a Great Egret (Casmerodius albus).  Common enough and readily seen in Gallon Jug during the winter months.  Something about the bill doesn't seem quite right though ... and it is using a slightly different habitat than we are accustomed to seeing for Great Egrets.  This bird seems to prefer shady areas along the river rather than the more open areas where we Great Egrets are more readily seen.

That habitat preference seems a bit more Great Blue Heron-ish (Ardea herodias) and it sort of has the Great Blue's form.  In fact, there is a rare white morph (=form) of the Great Blue Heron called Würdemann's Heron found only in the Caribbean .  And it's apparently not been recorded inland.  So is this Würdemann's Heron?  Our references were inconclusive.We consulted an upcoming ornithologist here in Belize, Roni Martinez, to get his opinion.  This is what he had to say:

"This bird is almost certainly a white morph Great Blue Heron ... note the white plume originating on the back of the crown and the gray, not black, legs. Great Egrets have black legs and do not have neck/crown plumes. Also, the bill is too thick for Great Egret."

 The Audubon Society Master Birding Guide  shows yellow legs and yellow bill as a field marks for the "Great White Heron" (aka Würdemann's Heron).  The photographed bird clearly has dark legs. The same reference says "yellow bill, black legs and feet" on the immature Great Egret.  That said, I do agree that the bill appears heavier.

  Roni replied:

"The legs on the Rio Bravo bird are definitely darker than normal but they are not black. The bill is right on for Great White, and the single head plume by itself eliminates Great Egret. The Sibley Guide has an illustration of a Great White Heron that approaches the bird in the photograph. Also check out the bill shape and color in the photo at http://www.oceanwanderers.com/NYGWHeron.html  

"I am no expert by any means on Great White Heron, so you should get a second opinion from someone with more experience with the species. Keep in mind that soft part colors (legs, bill, eyes) on Great White Heron are likely to be more variable than in a true species like Great Egret. Various intermediate stage between the Great White morph and the Great Blue morph are frequent (e.g., Wurdemann's Heron), and the Great Blue morph does have dark legs."

 So what do you think?  Opinions?  Guesses anyone?  Alan is going to try to get another photograph of it ... thanks Alan!

Summary of the 2011 Gallon Jug CBC

The 2011 Gallon Jug Christmas Bird Count was held, in conjunction with the National Audubon Society, on December 31, 2011.  This marked the 22^nd year of the Gallon Jug Estate Christmas Bird Count (GJE CBC) since it began in 1990.  Over the years there have been ups and downs in species, individual birds counted as well as in the number of participants.  Along with the variation in number of observers, there has been a range of good, bad and mixed weather conditions that influenced bird activity and detectability.

Species numbers have ranged from a low of 171 to 238 (Figure 1), averaging 203. Individuals  counted have previously ranged from 1718 to 4772 (Figure 2), averaging 2,849.  This was one of the years when intermittent heavy rain impacted bird detectability and bird activity as well as “observer” activity.  All participants experienced rain that seemed to begin just when we thought it was safe to step out of the vehicle again.

Given the slow start of the count day and the many hours of light to heavy rain, we were pleased that the 183 species recorded this year was not the lowest on record (2006 and 2007 were tied at a low of 171). However, the number of individuals counted was at an all time low with 1,646.  An additional 35 species were recorded for the Count Week, but not seen on the count day.

Figure 1.  Summary of unadjusted species recorded for each year of the GJE CBC.

Figure 2.  Summary of unadjusted individuals recorded for each year of the GJE CBC.

This year’s Top 20 are listed in Table 1 and can be compared with 2010.  During the 2010 CBC there were scant frugivores (= "fruit eaters") as a result of the impact of Hurricane Richard (October 24, 2010).  As the forest regenerates, the birds are returning and many of the frugivores that had evidently moved elsewhere in 2010, made it back into the Top 20 list for 2011.

The top species this year as in 2010, was the Ocellated Turkey. While the individual numbers recorded this year were somewhat lower, many were no doubt huddled out of sight under vegetation trying to stay dry.  This was not the case for many of the observers who were soaked to the skin.

Notably low this year with only 10 counted, was the Gray Catbird, ranked 5^th in 2010 with 94 individuals. Last year the White-whiskered Puffbird was notable with a record 32 individuals recorded.  The average number of individuals of this species per count for the previous 20 years was only 9. This year we had none.  However, 2 White-necked Puffbirds were recorded.

Table 1. The 2010-2011 Top 20.  Comparison of species with the highest individual numbers.

2011
Species	Number
Ocellated Turkey	195
Olive-throated Parakeet	119
Montezuma Oropendola	116
White-collared Seedeater	63
Brown Jay	56
Red-lored Parrot	46
Tropical Kingbird	37
Cattle Egret	36
Social Flycatcher	35
Turkey Vulture	33
Roadside Hawk	30
Keel-billed Toucan	29
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	26
Yellow-throated Euphonia	26
Pale-billed Woodpecker	24
Plain Chachalaca	21
White-breasted Wood-Wren	21
Black-headed Trogon	20
Melodious Blackbird	20
2010
Species	Number
Ocellated Turkey	273
Cattle Egret	219
White-collared Seedeater	114
Melodious Blackbird	102
Gray Catbird	94
Turkey Vulture	87
Killdeer	86
Tropical Kingbird	83
Montezuma Oropendola	58
Wood Thrush	56
Clay-colored Thrush	54
Brown Jay	52
Black Vulture	51
Olive-throated Parakeet	48
Mangrove Swallow	46
Vaux's Swift	44
Great-tailed Grackle	42
Ruddy Ground-dove	40
Blue-black Grassquit	39

We had a total of six parties (aka “teams” or groups counting birds) with a combined time of 34 observation hours. Party results ranged from a minimum of 20 to a high of 72 species and individuals ranged from 38 to 624. Last year the number of parties and hours counted were significantly higher.

In order to compare the CBC results over time, the data is standardized by the number of party hours for each species. This is how results are posted on the National Audubon Society's CBC  web site for each year’s results. Party hours for the GJE CBC have ranged from 22.75 to 77.25 with an average of 52 per count year. By using the data standardized per 50 hours, even  with reduced hours of counting due to the rain, this year’s count of individuals, while down a bit, was actually not bad.

 

Figure 3. 2011 GJE CBC summary based on standardized number of individuals.

Based on the effort all participants put forth and standardizing the data we actually had an increase in species per party hour over last year (Figure 4).  So while there were fewer of us for a shorter time, we counted more species than the teams did last year under considerably more favorable weather conditions.

 Figure 4. 2011 GJE CBC GJE CBC summary based on standardized number of species.

As always we thank all participants, including Chan Chich Lodge guests and guides, and our Corozal contingent who traveled to be here on Count Day.  One their way to Gallon Jug, they stopped at the rice fields near Blue Creek to see the Gadwalls and Redheaded ducks, rare species for Belize.  They reported that Gadwalls were still around but the Redheads had apparently moved on.

Thanks also to Chan Chich Lodge for their continued sponsorship of the GJE CBC. We wish to especially acknowledge Victor Emanuel Nature Tours as they have contributed to all of the GJE CBCs since the beginning.  Our special thanks go to VENT leaders Brian Gibbons and Bob Sunderstrom who provided the VENT trip report that contributed to the Count Week birds, as well as their efforts during the day of the count.

Submitted by:

Bruce W. Miller PhD.

Carolyn M. Miller MSc.

Gallon Jug, Belize

January 10, 2012

Rainy Day in the Neighborhood

If these vultures look a little dejected, it's because they are soaking wet and have been for the past few days.  Seems we had near record rain ... and over the Christmas Bird Count too.  Still, we managed to muster a few teams of hardy souls, braved the elements and conducted our count on 31 December.  Those of you facing snow and ice on your Christmas Counts likely do not feel too sorry for us.  Even so, torrential downpours beginning late morning and lasting throughout the afternoon put a "damper" on bird activity.  We are still tabulating "count week" birds and I'll post the results next week. Stay tuned!

Christmas Count Turkey

With the 112th Christmas Bird Count underway across the Americas, and the Gallon Jug 21st Christmas Bird Count coming up this weekend, I thought this bird would be an appropriate subject.  It is, of course, the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata).  This colorful species has become something of an icon at Chan Chich Lodge, where a dozen can be seen at any given moment, and dozens more found in Gallon Jug.  On average, we record 119 each Christmas Bird Count.  The least we've counted was 37 (way back in 1990). And the overall best count for this near-threatened, endemic species in our count area  is 236 (see below).

Clearly, good management on the Gallon Jug Estate has helped the Ocellated Turkey thrive in Gallon Jug/Chan Chich.   Wonder if we'll break the record on Saturday?

Sneak Peek

We finally got a good "hit" on our single camera. We'd placed it at a junction near Laguna Verde over the past week.  Any idea what this animal is?

This is a tayra, Eira barbara, taking a sneak peek at the remote camera.  The tayra is a large member of the weasel family and in my experience anyway, is not often photographed.  It's a common diurnal animal, very curious and bold and frequently encountered.  Tayras seem always to be in perpetual motion and it is my guess that they move so fast and frequently that the remote camera is just too slow to catch them.  In this case, there were several "blank" photos (after an image of its departing backside) indicating it was still in the immediate area.

Pretty clear than animals notice what's new in their environment, even if it is camouflaged!

Sure to be Counted

 This time of year, our thoughts turn to the annual Christmas Bird Count (see my November 18 post).  Pictured here, thanks again to Frank Buck, is a bird that will almost certainly be recorded on the Gallon Jug count: the Chestnut Woodpecker, Celeus elegans.   It is a species that, with a little effort, can be seen on any given day here in our neck of the woods.  This particular bird appears to be a  male with its red cheek patch -- females lack this.  Otherwise, the sexes appear alike.  They are richly chestnut in color, even orangish in brighter light.  The Chestnut Woodpecker is fairly large in size.  It prefers dead trees for nesting and foraging in good quality tropical forest which the Gallon Jug Estate and Chan Chich Lodge are fortunate to have.  Join us, if you'd like to see this attractive species.

Nocturnal Visitor

So we had this hole in our downstairs door.  And after a while, there was a sort of well-worn path to it.

Finally got the remote camera up last night ... and here's the culprit: an opossum.  We have a few different opossum species in Belize but so far as I can tell, this is the common Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana).  Found not only in Virginia, and the eastern half of the US, this adaptable creature's range extends all the way through Central America as well.  It is fairly frequently seen here in the Gallon Jug Estate. As you know from personal experience, this is a creature that often raids the garbage.  Fortunately for us, it so far has left our garbage untouched.

Not a Peacock

Many people, used to the plainer North American version, can hardly believe this large bird is a turkey. In fact, I've heard it referred to as "that peacock that hangs around by the Lodge." This is the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), a species that has nearly been wiped out throughout its range. Fortunately for us, this gorgeous bird, is common, really common around Chan Chich Lodge and the Gallon Jug Estate.

While I don't often "guarantee" that visitors will see a particular bird, I'm not going out on a limb when I say I absolutely guarantee that you'll see this one. And you'll be lucky enough to get as close as Frank Buck did, to get some spectacular pictures of a spectacular bird.

Garden Innovation

Here's a bird's eye view of a an exciting new feature in Gallon Jug Estate: an organic garden! This impressive spread, complete with footpaths, is all thanks to the efforts of Jackie Bowen (above) who has put heart and soul into the design and plantings. And lucky for us, it is finally paying off with fresh, luscious organic produce for Chan Chich Lodge and the rest of our community. A variety of lettuce (or is that "lettuces?"), herbs too numerous to remember, squashes, melons, radish, peppers and cucumber to name a few are all beginning to produce.

Those gardeners among my readers appreciate how difficult it can be to "go organic" battling pests using old fashioned non-chemical ways. I think it is even more difficult here since we have so many more insects to prey on tender leaves -- and that's 12 months out of the year too! Jackie's got that figured out too as she has started tobacco in case she needs to make a natural pest repellent.

Other garden plans include a stream bed which has been cut where the natural stream drainage used to be. It's dry now, but should fill up when the rains come in a couple of weeks. If that's successful, then fish will be added which could possibly provide another organic protein source (in addition to the Gallon Jug beef) for the Lodge.

The garden is a very exciting innovation that both Lodge guests and Gallon Jug residents will likewise appreciate.

More Babies

Who can resist these little fawns? This pair was at the bottom of our hill recently. Not worried enough to dash under the fence, but checking me out for sure. They could be the same pair recently pictured with mama at our pond a cuple weeks ago. Or perhaps not. One thing Gallon Jug Estate is not lacking is white-tailed deer!

Forest Headlights

This is how we know it is late dry season: click beetles with headlights! We were recently doing bat surveys near Laguna Seca in Gallon Jug Estate, and the night was lit with these interesting large beetles. It is amazing how much light is put out by them!

In the family Elateridae, click beetles have the ability to make a snapping sound thought to help them avoid predation. If the beetle finds itself upside down, the ability to click pops it up and over, right side up.

Laguna Seca morning

How many Belize Field Notes readers (that are former Lodge visitors) have visited Laguna Seca? It's a wetlands system that extends northward across the Gallon Jug Estate property. If you are visiting Chan Chich Lodge, be sure to take the excursion from the Lodge for a leisurely Laguna Seca walk. There is a nice path wending its way through fairly extensive Maya ruins. Both spider and howler monkeys can almost always be seen there. For birders, specialties include the Agami heron, Northern Jacana, Least Bittern, and Black-collared Hawk. Of course the surrounding forest is filled with the "usual" cast of tropical birds.

There's more. Not long ago I posted about a "procession of peccaries." That video was taken at Laguna Seca. Last night when we returned to do a survey, there were the peccaries again, in the same spot. I could see they were attracted by the low water levels and nice cool mud wallows. Next project: get a photo of them wallowing...

A Procession of Peccaries

Gorgeous morning today in Gallon Jug, sunny, breezy, about 80F. We like to walk on Sundays, so we headed out to Laguna Seca, a vast wetlands system extending northwards across the Gallon Jug Estate property. The great thing about Gallon Jug is the sense that, even after our 25 years in Belize, anything can happen, that the jaguar is just around the next corner.

In this case, it wasn't a jaguar but rather, a procession of peccaries. White-lips, or warrie, to be exact (Pecari tajacu) . This is the "big" peccary and a species that requires large forested areas to forage for their preferred food items. I was able to get out of the car and approach them slowly on foot in order to get this video. You can see that they were fairly unconcerned. I didn't push it by going too close or attempting to make them scatter. They tolerated our presence for a long time before easing off into the bush when we finally slowly moved the car forward.

By our estimates, there were about 6o of them that crossed the road, a good sized herd. And I'll repeat my mantra: because of good protection here on the Gallon Jug Estate, this large herd of a heavily hunted species, appears to be thriving. Believe me when I say they are wiped out in many areas of Belize, Central and South America.

A Great Tinamou

Frank Buck visited Chan Chich Lodge last December with his family. He recently emailed the following:

"I thought that you might want to comment on the abundance and absence of shyness of the game birds at Chan Chich. Compared to my experience in other parts of Belize and Costa Rica, I was stunned to see so many Tinamou, Crested Guans, Curassows, and Turkeys so indifferent to my presence. I don't remember if I sent you this Tinamou photo. In my previous experience, they disappeared like ghosts. This one posed for me."

It certainly did ... and in my experience, the Great Tinamou (Tinamus major) is a very infrequently photographed bird. I love the red eye glowing like a little jewel on this otherwise plain bird. Also noteworthy for this species are the distinctive piping notes of its call, often given at dusk or dawn. The tinamou, a ground nester, has gorgeous "Easter eggs," normally a glossy porcelain blue.

And Frank is absolutely right about the lack of shyness here. I've commented several times on this blog about how the animals here are not afraid and very confident. Makes for great birding and wildlife viewing. That confidence comes because the Gallon Jug Estate (which includes Chan Chich Lodge) has been strictly protected for nearly 30 years with "no hunting allowed" strictly enforced. The Estate is buffered on all sides by large blocks of property. There are security gates one must pass through at the two road entrances. Would that the National Parks were so rigorously protected!

Ornate Hawk-eagle

Here's a great shot sent by recent Chan Chich Lodge guest, Frank Buck. The Ornate Hawk-Eagles (Spizaetus ornatus) are nesting! Here's one coming in for a landing ... look at the outstretched talons! The Ornate is a medium-sized bird of prey, a gorgeous bird that is really quite colorful with dark upper parts and chestnut head with crest.

They seem to thrive in the forests surrounding Chan Chich Lodge and have nested every other year in tall trees near the Lodge. A forester we knew, that worked in the Gallon Jug area in the 60s-70s, said that they were quite numerous then. Since Ornates prefer good quality forest, their continued presence here provides a "stamp of approval" for the Gallon Jug Estate.