200 species in four unforgettable days! Heart to Honduras (HTH) staff members Kaleb and Otto were joined in July 2019 by a group of three visiting birders from the US Midwest for four days (+2 travel days to/from USA) of birdwatching and wildlife observation in the Lake Yojoa region of Honduras. Based out of the HTH facilities in Santa Elena, the team observed approximately 200 resident species in their short time including many local endemics. All photos in the following report were taken during the trip.
DAY 1 - Arrival
After an hour of driving from the San Pedro airport, we started our ascent out of the hot Sula Valley into the mountains surrounding Lake Yojoa. A passing Broad-winged Hawk encouraged us to pull over and we stopped along the roadside several times to observe a few of the region's more common residents as we neared the office. Before we could even arrive, we were seeing Social Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, White-Collared (Morelets) Seedeaters, Blue-Gray Tanagers, Clay-Colored Thrush, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Blue-black Grassquit, Buff-throated Saltator, and Collared Aracari.
We knew that we were in for a good week, when we had fly-overs from a wood stork and a zone-tailed hawk within moments of climbing out of the truck. The office's colony of Montezuma Oropendolas were in action, swinging and screeching their bizarre song. The forest near the HTH office and cabins yielded Keel-billed Toucan, Gartered Trogon, Olive-throated Parakeet, Red-legged Honeycreeper, and several others before we called it a night - resting for an early morning.
DAY 2 - SANTA BARBARA CLOUD FOREST
Calls from our resident Collared Forest Falcon greeted us in the morning as we left the HTH premises at 5:30AM. An hour later, we were at the house of our guide, Leonel, in El Cedral, Santa Barbara, at 4,500 feet, ready to hike up into the cloud forest above his home. We knew that we would see fewer species, but hoped to see some of the forest's famous specialists.
We were not disappointed! As we passed through the high-altitude coffee farms in our way into the forest, we encountered White-faced Ground Sparrow, Flame-colored Tanager, Bushy-crested Jay, and White-naped Brush Finch. Climbing through the virgin forest, we were constantly serenaded by Slate-Colored Solitaire, Wine-throated Hummingbird, Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush, and the occasional Resplendent Quetzal. On our ascent were thrilled to actually sight Rivoli's and White-eared Hummingbird, Emerald Toucanet, Collared Trogon, Yellowish Flycatcher, Black-capped Nightingale Thrush, several Resplendant Quetzals and some truly fantastic views of Blue-crowned Chlorophonia at eye-level! As we lunched in the clearing at 7500 feet, we enjoyed local reptile life and a flock of Swallow-tailed Kites chasing dragonflies overhead.
Our final count for the day: 32 species.
DAY 3 - Luna del Puente
Just 20 minutes away from our office, Luna del Puente Eco-Park offers an incredible variety of birds due to its variety of habitats and fantastic management by owner and guide - Damian. Thanks to Damian, we were able to visually observe some of the parks most well-known residents. Striped Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Roadside Hawk, Olivaceous Piculet, Green-backed Sparrow, Tody Mot-mot, Cabanis's Wren, Slate-headed Tody Flycatcher, and many others made for an incredible day. However, the hummingbirds stole the show, with a total of 11 observed species in a single day (Green-breasted Mango, Long-billed Starthroat, Cinnamon, Rufous-tailed, White-bellied Emerald, Beryline, Azure-crowned, Canivet's Emerald, Blue-throated Goldentail, Sparkling-tailed, and Mexican Violetear). The morning's total? 88 Species!
For dinner, we drove five minutes up the road from the HTH office to PANACAM - a remarkable national park with a great restaurant - complete with Violet Sabrewings flitting around the feeders!
As the sun set, we walked up into the woods to see the birding observation towers and scan the tree tops for the resident White Hawk - no luck. We did have a bit more luck back at the HTH cabins that night though! Our resident Mottled Owls made a dramatic appearance, while Barn Owls screeched back in the forest.
DAY 4 - El Rancho, Santa Cruz de Yojoa
Another early morning, breakfast and coffee at 5AM at the HTH premises before the 45 minute drive to El Rancho - near El Cajon hydroelectric dam in Santa Cruz de Yojoa. We had a reason for visiting this dry oak/pine scrubland... Honduras's only endemic species - the Honduran Emerald - resides year-round in the area. Thanks to local guide Alex Matute, we had an outstanding morning!
Not only did we find several individual Honduran Emeralds, but were incredibly fortunate to see White-necked Puffbirds, Green Jay, Blue Bunting, Gartered Trogon, Yellow-tailed Oriole, and Eastern Meadowlark. Our day finished with a shocking observation of Lesser Roadrunners as they courted and mated.
Our morning concluded with a fantastic lunch at Matute's restaurant, where we were able to look back over an incredible morning with a total of 47 observed species. That evening, back at the CPH site, we were joined by Dr. Oliver Komar, co-author of the Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Northern Central America, who helped us locate a beautiful Middle American Screech Owl on the road near the HTH office and cabins.
Day 5 - Lake Yojoa
Joined by Dr. Oliver, we took a quick 15 minute drive for our final day of birding along the shorelines of Lake Yojoa. We started off on the dock at Rancho Bella Vista and were able to observe many of the Lake's most common residents: multiple species of ducks, herons, and egrets in addition to Northern Jacana, Purple Gallinule, Roseate Spoonbill, and many others. As usual, we heard multiple Ruddy Crakes and the occasional Gray-breasted Crake - but they were well hidden in the surrounding marshes.
We wrapped up quickly though and headed to El Cortijo del Lago to get up close and personal with the marshes... in canoes!
As we glided silently through the marshes, our patience and stealth paid off handsomly. Not only were we able to observe White-tailed Kite, Snail Kite, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, and Least Bittern up close, but we were astounded and thrilled to actually observe one of our target slink out of the marsh and into full-view... Yellow-breasted Crake!
Our luck was far from over however! With dozens of species under our belts from the morning, we headed back to Rancho Bella Vista for some fried tilapia and banana chips as raptors circled overhead. A Gray-breasted Crake continued to call from the marsh below us as we ate. Persistence eventually paid off. Lunch ended with an incredibly rare sighting of the bird, and even a quick photo of it as it passed through a dense brush tunnel near the boardwalk.
Later that evening, as we wrapped up our final evening by dining and sleeping on the Lake's edge at El Cortijo (truly a birder's paradise), we tallied up the day's species count at nearly 100 SPECIES.
Day 6 - Wake up at El Cortijo / Transport to Airport
A filling breakfast, and quiet morning of (optional) birding rounded out our incredible week - adding Rufous-and-White Wren. In our four full days, we had observed approximately 200 species - the vast majority of them visualized! What an incredible week - all in Heart to Honduras's back yard. We never traveled more than an hour from our office!
JOIN US NEXT TIME!
Heart to Honduras now offers birding trips - just like this one! If you are interested in learning more or in scheduling your own trip, you can contact Kaleb Eldridge at keldridge@hth.org or register online at the following link.
What else did we see in one week?
And so many more... Every photo in this report was taken during this single 4-day birding trip! (Photo credits to Jesse Green and Kaleb Eldridge). Next time, it could be you taking the pictures and walking the trails!
Credits:
Kaleb Eldridge and Jesse Green