There is only one true endemic bird found in Honduras, the Honduran Emerald. This hummingbird is an endangered species found only in the dry forest of Honduras. It is one of the most wanted species for birders coming to Honduras. There is a reserve across the mountains from Pico Bonito. As the crow flies it is only about 12 miles, but, to drive there takes a bit longer. This is not a bad thing, as the lack of roads across the mountains is a protection for the many birds, mammals and reptiles found there.
Because the drive is so long, we had to depart at 4:00 AM. We dragged ourselves out of bed at 3:30 AM, got dressed and staggered up to the van. Besides the driver and our guide Esdras, we were joined by another birder, Paul and his guide, Jose. We had met Paul briefly on our first day. He was a lot of fun, very funny. His guide, Jose, is a total hoot, so we didn't mind a bit. We all snoozed on the van, except the drive, thank goodness. At about 8:00 AM we stopped on the road at a gas station that had picnic tables for breakfast and a bathroom break. Breakfast consisted of baleadas, a Honduran breakfast taco, with eggs, beans, cheese and some type of meat. They are really good, and very filling!
After breakfast we took off, making several stops before reaching the Honduran Emerald reserve. On our first stop we checked some fields and a small road that ran perpendicular to the highway. There were a lot of White-collared Seedeaters, Blue-black Grassquits and at least one Indigo Bunting. Esdras was very excited to see a Tri-colored Munia, an Asian exotic that has become established in Honduras. He said it was a new bird for him. I teased him a little by saying "Haven't you ever been in a pet shop?" He laughed, but I know he was excited to see it. A pair of Red-lored Parrots perched in the top of a tree and preened each other. We found a fairly rare bird for the area, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Unfortunately, we did not see our target bird, Double-striped Thick-knee.
We made a couple of other stops and finally found one a couple of our targets. White-lored Gnatcatcher had eluded me in the Yucatan. We found a pair in some scrub by the side the road. We also found Spot-breasted Orioles, another new bird. We stopped and played the call of Lesser Roadrunner in a likely looking place and were very happy when one answered. It sounded like it was getting closer. Martin spotted it sitting in a distant tree. We got great scope views.
We arrived at the reserve at about 10:00AM. We pulled into a small farm with a house. The family was sitting on the porch, the father, holding a rifle, the mother nursing a toddler, and several older children. The father pointed up in the tree by the house, and there was a Honduran Emerald. That was the easiest bird of the trip! We gathered our stuff up and took a hike into the reserve. We climbed through a narrow spot in a barbed wire fence, and Martin and I got a few tears in our shirts. I wore sneakers instead of boots, because it was dry forest, right? Big mistake. There were horses and donkeys in the field and quite a few puddles. The combination was not great for sneakers. Those shoes are still in Honduras.
Esdras pointed out the plant that the emeralds feed on. It is a succulent, similar to pencil cactus, with a tiny flower scattered here and there. I have no idea how these birds make a living on it. We found several more emeralds fairly easily. Cinnamon Hummingbirds were rather aggressive, chasing them off almost every time I tried to take photos. We tried for Lesser Ground Cuckoo, with no success. I asked Esdras if they ever miss the emerald there and he said no. I told him I was way too superstitious to ask him that question before we saw it.
After we left the reserve, we stopped for lunch. Instead of a restaurant we ate at a private home, where the woman of the house prepares traditional food for guests of the lodge who go the reserve. It was really nice to eat true Honduran food in a home. We had fried chicken, pork, some home made cheese, beans and tortillas. It was really good! While we ate, I sneaked tiny pieces of chicken and pork to their cat, a half grown calico. I know I was misbehaving, but the cat was really cute. After lunch I wandered around a bit and photographed some butterflies, including a Blue-eyed Sailor and a Gray Cracker. We looked for the Double-striped Thick-knee on the ride back, but had no luck.
Photos for the day:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157649412089339/
Birds seen:
Anatidae Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Anatidae Blue-winged Teal
Odontophoridae Crested Bobwhite
Ardeidae Great Egret
Ardeidae Cattle Egret
Cathartidae Black Vulture
Cathartidae Turkey Vulture
Cathartidae King Vulture
Accipitridae Gray Hawk
Scolopacidae Spotted Sandpiper
Scolopacidae Least Sandpiper
Columbidae Rock Pigeon
Columbidae Inca Dove
Columbidae Common Ground-Dove
Columbidae Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbidae White-tipped Dove
Cuculidae Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Cuculidae Lesser Roadrunner
Cuculidae Groove-billed Ani
Strigidae Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Caprimulgidae Common Pauraque
Trochilidae Honduran Emerald
Trochilidae Cinnamon Hummingbird
Alcedinidae Amazon Kingfisher
Picidae Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Picidae Lineated Woodpecker
Falconidae Crested Caracara
Falconidae American Kestrel
Psittacidae Olive-throated Parakeet
Psittacidae White-crowned Parrot
Psittacidae Red-lored Parrot
Psittacidae White-fronted Parrot
Tyrannidae Brown-crested Flycatcher
Tyrannidae Great Kiskadee
Tyrannidae Social Flycatcher
Tyrannidae Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannidae Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Corvidae Brown Jay
Hirundinidae Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Hirundinidae Mangrove Swallow
Hirundinidae Barn Swallow
Troglodytidae White-bellied Wren
Polioptilidae White-lored Gnatcatcher
Turdidae Clay-colored Thrush
Mimidae Gray Catbird
Mimidae Tropical Mockingbird
Parulidae Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Parulidae Common Yellowthroat
Parulidae Yellow Warbler
Parulidae Black-throated Green Warbler
Thraupidae Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupidae Blue-black Grassquit
Thraupidae White-collared Seedeater
Thraupidae Yellow-faced Grassquit
Cardinalidae Indigo Bunting
Icteridae Eastern Meadowlark
Icteridae Melodious Blackbird
Icteridae Great-tailed Grackle
Icteridae Orchard Oriole
Icteridae Spot-breasted Oriole
Icteridae Altamira Oriole
Icteridae Baltimore Oriole
Fringillidae Yellow-throated Euphonia
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