A note from Gretchen Schramm
I have been a nature photographer for most of my life, becoming more and more passionate about capturing images of birds in the last decade. I have traveled the world in search of our beautiful birds, and in Central America to Costa Rica, Belize and Colombia in the last few years on birding expeditions. Am having a coffee table book published next year with several hundred of my bird images.
Birding in Belize
There are over 570 bird species in Belize you can expect to view, depending on where you plan to visit. Once you have purchased a copy of Birds of Belize by H. Lee Jones and studied it well, plan your trip around the birds you most want to see. If you would like to experience the most of Orange Walk and this part of Belize, I would recommend the following:
- Book a guide in advance. El Gran Mestizo Resort can provide you with expert birding guides to enhance your birding experience. Remember these guides communicate with each other on a daily basis and can pinpoint where your ‘lifer birds’ will be found. When I visited Orlando and his hotel, there were birds on the property and up the New River that included a variety of kingfishers, woodpeckers, herons, egrets, gallinules, jacanas, hawks, many American visitors over-wintering in the warm climes, plus an incredible variety of wildlife apart from birds.
- The boating adventure up the New River to Lamanai Mayan Ruins is a must. You can board the boat right outside your door for a day of amazing scenery, birds, Mayan ruins and more. Toucans, parrots, limpkin, jacamar, puffbirds, to name a few.
- Booking a cottage at El Gran Mestizo on the New River is very convenient. You could spend your entire time there, wandering the property, happy with your birding results. There’s great food, wonderful employees, a quiet place to lay your head, and birding until you’re dizzy!
Go. Prepare and study your birds. Enjoy. – Gretchen