How I Began to Become a Bird Nerd on Ambergris Caye

Yesterday was my very first day of birding class.  OFFICIAL birding class.

I’ve dabbled a bit.  I camped out in the amazing Chiquibil Forest Reserve to guard fledgling scarlet macaws – twice.  I’ve been birding at gorgeous Hidden Valley Inn to see some rare birds – ones that people visit Belize to see – the orange-breasted falcon, the King Vulture and swallow tailed kite.  All in some of the most stunning landscape in Belize.

And I’ve seen some great birds on Ambergris Caye – especially while driving back and forth to town and at the camp on Cayo Frances.  Crazy ones like a great horned owl sitting on a wire – the beautiful roseate spoonbill and impressive wood stork – chacalacas and yucatan jays chit chattering the morning…and my favorite olive throated parakeets.

I wish I had a better picture but I was SCREAMING!

Audubon Society runs an Urban Bird Watch in San Pedro every October – just as the migrating birds are moving in.

So when I saw the opportunity above – I knew I had to sign up.

My birthday gift – a pair of binoculars – couldn’t have been better timed!

Yesterday was my first day – classroom study.

I woke up early and headed to town.  A ridiculously gorgeous HOT morning.  Here are my pics.

Love the quiet streets at 8am.

Approaching Central Park, San Pedro.

Nook Restaurant – which used to be on the beach – has now moved to a cute little spot.  With lots more cart and food traffic.  (Here’s my last visit)

If I am in town before 9am (which is fairly infrequent) – I MUST get ham and cheese johnny cakes at Celi’s.  Warm and melty…with extra soda in the cake…so good.

So good that I posed with it twice.

I headed up to the class.

Hours later…

And then a few more hours later…I was signed up for ebird.com and ready to get out there.

More on that later.  But here are some of the pictures as I headed home for the day.