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HONDURAS -- LA CEIBA
18 -21 October 2007
by Dave Klauber
This was a long weekend to northern Honduras primarily to search for
the Honduran Emerald and possibly a few other birds. Unfortunately I
never got definitive looks at it. The primary reason for this report is
to provide updated information and to encourage others to obtain
updated information, if any can be found.
GENERAL
COMMENTS
For a bird guide I used Steve Howell’s A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico, and
found it to be very good as always. I used a May 1996 trip report from
Ron and Marcia Braun, found on Blake Maybank’s Birding the Americas website. I
also consulted Nigel Wheatley’s Where to Watch Birds in Central America,
Mexico, and the Caribbean from 2001. Both gave the same
information for the emerald, which was not completely accurate, causing
me much lost time. I found very little information available regarding
Honduras, especially the northern coast. Honduras has suffered two
major hurricanes since the mid-nineties, and I didn’t (and don’t) know
how they affected directions and conditions. In addition, from my
experience in other Central American countries, there have been
infrastructure changes in the last decade, generally for the better,
especially regarding road conditions.
For accommodation I used the Lonely
Planet Honduras and the Bay Islands, 1st edition, January 2007.
Although it’s a recent book a couple of places were not operating. I
used the International Travel maps of Central America, which was
adequate for the major routes. I had arranged a car rental from Hertz
but wound up using Service Rent a Car, two booths down from Hertz. Note
that insurance is mandatory, even when your credit card covers LDW. The
Hertz rate was $108 for 3 days for a mid-size automatic (excluding
insurance), which was not available when I arrived. The Service rate
was about $137 including insurance for an automatic. This was the rainy
season, and I encountered some rain, but it did not adversely affect
me. It was very hot during the day, although some breezes provided
occasional relief.
MONEY
MATTERS
The bank at the airport was closed when I arrived around 5:30 PM,
but there was an ATM available. Credit cards, when accepted, can
involve an extra charge of about 4%-10% from what I’ve read, although I
wasn’t charged the two times I used mine. When using an ATM be careful
of multiples of 500, since you will only receive 500 bills, which can
be difficult to change in smaller locations. Add or subtract a couple
of hundred from the nearest 500, like 1200 or 800 rather than 500 or
1000, to guarantee that you will receive at least a few 100 notes. The
exchange rate was somewhere around 18 or 19 lempiras to the dollar.
Gas is more expensive than in the US. I’m not sure of the exact
conversion rate, but I believe it averaged about $3.50 - $4 a gallon,
and I used a tank and a half of gas driving about 900 kilometers. The
roads were in surprisingly good condition, with very few potholes. I
stayed in moderate to low budget hotels. Room prices ranged from
$15-$40. The main inspiration for the trip was a special airfare of
$278 round trip from New York to San Pedro Sula on American Airlines.
BIRDS
I saw 102 species and heard one more. No doubt the total would have
been higher if I had not spent most of two out of the three days in the
same habitat, but I was not after a big trip list. Inquiries about
specific species will gladly be answered at:
davehawkowl@msn.com
THE TRIP
October
18, Thursday – flight to San
Pedro Sula and drive to La Ceiba
My flight from Miami to San Pedro Sula was delayed an hour due to
non-arrival of a passenger and an hour’s search to remove her luggage,
so it finally arrived around 5:30 PM, an hour later than scheduled.
Note there is another flight that arrives around noon from Miami which
would be better, but I couldn’t get that flight with the special fare.
My automatic rental from Hertz was not available (I don’t drive a
stick, sad but true) and they found an automatic from Service Rent A
Car and Tour Operator, two booths down. The car was fine, with some
dings (preferred, as any new ones wouldn’t show easily!) but otherwise
in good condition.
By the time I set off it was just after 6:30 and dark. It’s almost
exactly 200 kilometers to La Ceiba on good highway. Fortunately the
airport is 15 km east of the city, on the way towards Tela. The first
town reached is El Progreso, about 15 km away. You can get gas and
meals here if desired. I filled up the tank and continued, stopping at
a roadside restaurant outside Tela, and arriving at La Ceiba just after
9 PM. I stayed at the Hotel Monserratte a bit east of the Parque
Central. They let me pay in US dollars, $37, and the room was pretty
good, although the water pressure in the shower was dismal. They have a
secure car park with a guard.
October
19, Friday – Olanchito area
all day
I left the hotel just after 5 AM, driving the 76 km to Saba (or Sava),
then the 40 km to Olanchito in about 90 minutes. The road was surfaced
and in very good condition, so you can drive 100 km per hour or more.
It got light around 5:30. Here is where the confusion started. As
mentioned in Wheatley and the Braun’s report, there is a Texaco station
outside Olanchito, where you continue straight, rather than turn right
to Olanchito (which I never did visit). This road is now paved until it
ends at about 2.6 kilometers with a gas station on the right. This is
where you turn, at the end of the road. I probably read the distances
too literally. The Brauns mention a road at about 2 km, and Wheatley
refers to an inverted Y junction at about 2km. Dennis Rogers, who had
studied the bird in the nineties, had advised me to look for whatever
thorn forest I could find, and that the emerald should be relatively
common in the rainy season.
So I figured any back road into thorn forest should be OK. I turned
left on a dirt road at 2 km which passed some houses and ended at a
fence at about 1km, then ended at a small river to the left shortly
afterwards. The habitat looked alright, as there were some trees and
some scrub. I did not see any hummingbirds, only a Crane Hawk and some
Baltimore Orioles. I decided to return and re-trace my steps. There is
an inverted Y of sorts at 2.3 km, and I took this dirt road, which
returned me to the same location. I figured a river would have been
mentioned in the reports, but that maybe this was a change due to the
hurricanes. I took off my boots and crossed the river, and wasted the
rest of the morning walking along a dirt road that passed through
pasture with some minor thorn scrub but no cactus.
After an hour I saw two double fence paths to the north as described in
the trip report, about .1 km apart. I walked through 12 foot grass to a
fence that bordered very dense thorn forest, virtually impenetrable. I
walked along the fence bordering the scrub seeing a few warblers
including Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, then decided to return. Earlier
there had been a breeze but that had died and it was very hot.
It was now nearly 11AM. Not far from the river I asked a rancher in a
pickup for a lift across the river. He was somewhat knowledgeable, as
he told me the name of the bird in Spanish (Esmeralda de Honduras?) and
also mentioned an endemic lizard that could be found 35 km up the road
at a place called Poligano de Tiro near the village of San Geronimo.
Apparently it was a reserve of some kind. He also told me the
hummingbird requires cactus and pointed out a favored type of shrub. I
drove back to the road past the Texaco station, to its end at a major
dirt road with a gas station on the right. There was also a small store
just before this where you could get a cold drink and basic snacks. I
decided this was where I should have been, but could not find two
double fence lines as described in the report at 4.9km, just a path
with the name of a ranch. I walked in and it ended at a private house
after a few minutes.
At 4 km there were two double fences, about 1 km apart, so I tried the
second one per Wheatley and the Brauns. This passes a private house,
goes through a small muddy corral, then continues into thorn forest,
probably the intended place. I spent 2 hours in this area from roughly
12 to 2. There were a couple of gates, and the forest / path ended at a
fence and open pasture, so the area is not that extensive. There were
some tall trees here and I did see some North American migrants, mostly
warblers. There is a larger road going south that I visited, but this
also ended at a river after a short distance, and I didn’t see much of
note there. I decided to try and find the Poligano de Tiro, as the dirt
road seemed to be OK. After about 10-15 kilometers I ran into some road
construction after which the rocks in the road seemed more frequent and
the ride got rougher, so I decided to return and explore side roads for
thorn forest. Two hummingbirds flew over the road while I was driving
but disappeared.
There were several sections with extensive scrub along the road, but
with minimal access. I parked by several roads that went north and
walked up a ways, with no luck regarding hummingbirds. It was also
quite hot, although some clouds blew in providing some cover. One of
these paths opened into a main road, probably the alternate road to La
Ceiba near San Jose, but it didn’t have thorn forest, at least not the
first 4 km that I drove. About 4:45 I decided to give up and drive to
Saba, where Lonely Planet had recommended a budget hotel and where I
could access Internet. In retrospect I should have checked out hotels
in Olanchito – I saw two advertised along the road. I stayed at the
M&S Hotel and supermarket, just off the main road for about 270
lempiras (~$15), with A/C and better hot water and pressure than the
Monserrate. They also have a secure parking area. The local restaurant
mentioned in Lonely Planet was closed and I ate at a local eatery at
the intersection with the main road, decent and cheap. The internet
place was open but couldn’t get on line.
October 20, Saturday –
Olancito
Rematch. Feeling more confident I left Saba at 5;15, arriving around
6AM and drove to the second double fence at km 4, which now had its
gate locked. I decided to explore and found a promising road to the
north about 2km further, just before a tan building with blue trim on
the left, with a tall red and white radio tower visible ahead. I parked
and walked in. The preceding kilometer or so had good thorn scrub on
the north, with occasional tall cactus, although few trees. On the left
was mostly pasture but good scrub was on the right. The paths forked
after a couple of minutes, and I bore right along the scrub.
After about 10 minutes there was a fence running perpendicular to the
right, with a small path going into the bushes. I spent about 45
minutes in this scrub, hearing but not seeing Spotted / Crested
Bobwhites, some birds and a Box Turtle. White-lored Gnatcatcher was
fairly common in most places. I walked back near to where the fork was,
and saw a flock of buntings and seedeaters. A hummer flew over headed
west, but disappeared. I waited about 45 minutes but it never
reappeared.
I returned to the km 4 location and the gate was unlocked. I parked
along the road and the friendly owner suggested I park in 100 feet in a
nice shady spot to avoid any cattle that might pass by on the main
road. I think his name was Rolando, and he said it was fine to bird on
his property. I returned to the same area, spending a while in the
taller forest, again seeing migrants. I returned part way back and
noticed a path in an unfenced area off to the east (to the right as you
walk in) just past a deep ravine in the road. This went into decent
scrub and forest, and was bordered on the south by a fence.
I finally saw a perched hummer briefly in the scrub just past the
fence, but it was a Cinnamon Hummingbird. I also saw a Ferruginous
Pygmy-Owl catch a lizard over my head. I spent a couple of hours in
this area but did not see any other hummingbirds. I decided to try and
explore other side roads off the main road with no luck. Just before
noon I returned to the path where I had seen the flyover hummer (appox.
km 6). I saw the bunting / seedeater flock again just past the fork. A
hummingbird flew to a nearby tall cactus with pre-emergent flowers but
unfortunately disappeared instantly. Given the habitat it was probably
the emerald but it was gone before I could get a decent look.
I waited an hour here but never saw another hummingbird. I couldn’t
find any flowering cactus, which was generally scarce. It was nearly 1
PM and looked like rain, so I finally gave up and drove back to La
Ceiba. It rained off and on while I was driving back. I arrived in La
Ceiba sometime before 4, found an internet café along the
highway, and was directed to a nearby shopping mall that had an ATM.
I decided to try my luck scouting the Pico Bonito park, supposedly
accessed at El Pino, 19 km west of La Ceiba. Lonely Planet mentioned a
good cheap hotel, Posada del Pastor, but nobody was home and it looked
closed. I decided to go to The Lodge at Pico Bonito, a very expensive
eco-resort, for information. The guards phoned reception and the
friendly manager let me in and showed me around the extremely luxurious
grounds and gave me a DVD, but said I could not bird there in the
morning, as it was for guests only. He did tell me about an access to
the park. It was now dark so I gave up and drove back the 19km to La
Ceiba, this time staying at the Hotel Ceiba for 493 lempiras, about
$26. This was nice and centrally located, a better deal than the
Monserrate, also with secure parking. I had dinner at Ricardo’s,
supposedly the best restaurant in town. It was nice but not that great
– decent sangria.
October 21, Sunday 10 –Pico
Bonito Rio Zacate trail
I was told the park did not open until 8, so I slept in and didn’t
arrive until just after 7 AM. The Cascada Zacate trail turnoff is about
3 km west of El Pino, in the middle of a pineapple field. There is a
sign on the highway that says Cascada or Rio Zacate, but with no arrow
that I could see indicating you should turn. Turn left or south and
drive about 2 km along this dirt road through the pineapples until you
reach a gate. A family lives here so I think you could arrive earlier
and get in. The entry is $6 or 120 lempiras. There is a waterfall a
couple of hundred meters in that I didn’t visit, and a trail off to the
left that goes uphill for 3 km to a higher waterfall at about 400
meters elevation. This trail goes through nice (very) humid forest, and
supposedly changes to cloud forest higher up.
I saw a Tody Motmot a bit past the first mirador, where the trail turns
sharply to the left, uphill on the left. Otherwise some different birds
and a few new warblers, like Buff-rumped and Kentucky. Two female
manakins had me puzzled, as they had red legs and were entirely olive
above and below. If they were White-collared they should have had a
yellow belly.
Although there were many kids at the lower falls when I returned around
noon there was nobody on the upper trail, even though it was Sunday,
and I had it to myself. I drove back towards Tela, stopping there for
lunch. It’s a pleasant somewhat rundown beach town that looked
like a good place to unwind. I set off for the airport about 2:30. It
rained off and on most of the way from Pico Bonito to the airport,
although not in Tela. The car rental place was closed when I arrived at
3:45, so I left the keys with Hertz and a note on their counter. I took
a cab for $12 to the Hotel Ejecutivo where I had made a reservation
previously. The base rate was 661, 767 lempiras with tax, about $41. It
was a nice business hotel with a very noisy air conditioner.
October 22
– flight home
Taxi to the airport and flight home. Taxi price is between $12
and $15 and takes about 20 minutes.
Some notes on thorn forest and habitat
–
There seem to be several different types of thorn habitat past
Olanchito. The most degraded was pastureland with many trees (acacia?)
with yellow flowers and occasional scrub along the edges. Next was
scrub habitat that had thorny shrubs but no visible cactus. Better was
denser scrub with several tall cactus stands but few tall trees.
Lastly, and much scarcer and harder to access was the scrub with cactus
and taller trees other than acacias that had some bromeliads, the only
easily accessible location which I found only at km 4. I would guess
the last two would be the preferred habitat.
Hopefully this report will provide some pointers for others,
specifically what NOT to do. The bulldozers were destroying habitat
near kilometer 4 and this will surely get worse over time, so further
exploration will probably be required. Any information on the Poligano
de Tiro would be welcome, as this sounded like a nice place. The locals
I spoke to in the small towns past Olanchito had heard of it but had no
detailed information, other than it had “lots of birds and
hummingbirds”.
SPECIES LIST
Brown Pelican
– 2 flying from beach at Tela
Neotropic
Cormorant – 1 flyover outside Tela
Great Egret
– seen daily
Little Blue
Heron – 1 seen roadside pond outside Olanchito
Cattle Egret
– roadside last day
Bare-throated
Tiger-Heron – 1 in ditch near Pico Bonito entrance
Wood Stork
– 1 flyover at SP Sula airport
Roseate
Spoonbill – 1 seen roadside pond outside Olanchito
Black Vulture
– seen every day
Turkey
Vulture – seen every day
White-tailed
Kite? – 1 possible flyby near La Ceiba, not counted
Crane Hawk
– near Olanchito by river crossing
Gray Hawk
– outside Olanchito
Roadside Hawk
– outside Olanchito in scrub, several both days
Short-tailed
Hawk – km 6 outside Olanchito soaring high, light morph
Crested
Caracara – en route to Olanchito
American
Kestrel – en route to Olanchito and la Ceiba
Bat Falcon
– 1 en route to Olanchito Oct 19
Crested /
Spot-bellied Bobwhite – a few heard only at km 6 outside
Olanchito
Greater
Yellowlegs – 1 seen roadside pond outside Olanchito
Spotted
Sandpiper – river crossing and roadside ponds outside Olanchito
Peep sp – one
at roadside pond outside Olanchito, probably Semipalmated
Rock Dove
– common in urban areas
Pale-vented
Pigeon – common between Tela & SP Sula airport
White-winged
Dove – common outside Olanchito
Common
Ground-Dove – fairly common
Ruddy
Ground-Dove – fairly common
Inca Dove
– outside Olanchito
Olive-throated(Aztec)
Parakeet – 2 or 3 small groups outside Olanchito Oct 19
Red-lored
Parrot – 2 or 3 small groups outside Olanchito both days
Groove-billed
Ani – common
Ferruginous
Pygmy-Owl – one at km 4 – caught a lizard over my head, very
rufous
White-collared
Swift – flying from 1st waterfall at Pico Bonito
Chaetura sp.
(Chimney / Vaux’s Swift?) – flying over scrub, not counted
Blue-throated
Goldentail – a hummer with a bright yellow flash viewed from
rear at
Pico Bonito was probably this bird
Cinnamon
Hummingbird – one seen briefly perched in forest scrub at km 4
HONDURAN
EMERALD?? – probable brief flybys, not counted Gr-r-r-r-r-r
Black-headed
Trogon – 1 seen in denser forest at km 4 Friday
Green
Kingfisher – 1 by river outside Olanchito, another at Pico
Bonito
Tody Motmot
– 1 seen well past Mirador at Pico Bonito, the best bird of the trip
Turquoise-browed
Motmot – 1 in forest at km 4
Collared
Aracari – two separate birds at Pico Bonito
Golden-fronted
Woodpecker – common in dry habitat
Lineated
Woodpecker – 1 or 2 along road in taller trees outside Olanchito
Buff-throated
Foliage-Gleaner – 1 or 2 at Pico Bonito
Slaty Antwren
– 1 female at Pico Bonito
White-collared
Manakin – 2 or 3 female types with all-olive underparts. Should
have
yellow belly
Greenish
Elaenia – outside Olanchito in trees and scrub
Yellow-Olive
Flycatcher – outside Olanchito in trees and scrub
Sulphur-rumped
Flycatcher – 1 at Pico Bonito
Empidonax sp.
– several in the scrub, silent, not counted
Eastern Wood
Pewee – outside Olanchito in trees and scrub, heard and seen
Black Phoebe
– Pico Bonito river
Great
Crested Flycatcher – outside Olanchito in trees and scrub, 1
definite, others
probable. Other different Myiarchus seen but unsure of ID
Great
Kiskadee – common
Tropical
Kingbird – common
Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher – 1 outside Olanchito about 10 km along road near
stream, out
of range according to Howell & Webb
Fork-tailed
Flycatcher – 1 outside Olanchito along road
Rose-throated
Becard – a few outside Olanchito, no rose on throat, males
& females
Mangrove
Swallow – a few en route to SP Sula at stream crossing Oct 21
Barn Swallow
– common outside Olanchito
Spot-breasted
Wren – 1 seen outside Olanchito, others heard
Plain Wren –
a few outside Olanchito
White-breasted
Wood-Wren – Pico Bonito
Gray Catbird
– outside Olanchito
Tropical
Mockingbird – fairly common outside Olanchito
Swainson’s
Thrush – Pico Bonito, 2 or 3
Wood Thrush –
1 on trail at Pico Bonito
Clay-colored
Robin / Thrush – a few outside Olanchito
Long-billed
Gnatwren – Pico Bonito
White-lored
Gnatcatcher – common in scrub outside Olanchito, a Central
America bird
for me
Brown Jay –
common and noisy in scrub with tall trees outside Olanchito
White-eyed
Vireo – one at km 4 outside Olanchito, my other Central America
bird
Red-eyed
Vireo – Pico Bonito, a couple
Lesser
Greenlet – Pico Bonito
Blue-winged
Warbler – one at km 4 outside Olanchito
Tennessee
Warbler – fairly common outside Olanchito
Northern
Parula Warbler – one at km 4 outside Olanchito
Yellow
Warbler – common all 3 days
Chestnut-sided
Warbler – 1 outside Olanchito and 1 at Pico Bonito
Magnolia
Warbler – a few outside Olanchito at km 4
Bay-breasted
Warbler – 1 at Pico Bonito
Black-and-white
Warbler – 1 or 2 each day both locations
American
Redstart – outside Olanchito and Pico Bonito
Ovenbird –
1 at Pico Bonito on trail
Northern
Waterthrush – 1 outside Olanchito
Louisiana
Waterthrush – 1 at Pico Bonito by river
Kentucky
Warbler – 1 at Pico Bonito
Gray-crowned
Yellowthroat – one outside Olanchito
Hooded
Warbler – one female at km 4 outside Olanchito
Buff-rumped
Warbler – one at Pico Bonito at waterfall, singing
Scarlet
Tanager – Pico Bonito parking lot
Summer
Tanager – 1 at Pico Bonito
Blue-gray
Tanager – outside Olanchito Oct 19
Scrub
Euphonia – outside Olanchito
Yellow-throated
Euphonia – outside Olanchito
Golden-hooded
Tanager – 1 at Pico Bonito
Blue-black
Grassquit – open areas outside Olanchito
Variable
Seedeater – 1 or 2 km 6 outside Olanchito
White-collared
Seedeater – common at km 6 outside Olanchito
Yellow-faced
Grassquit – a few outside Olanchito
Rose-breasted
Grosbeak – a few outside Olanchito
Blue
Grosbeak – a female km 6 outside Olanchito
Indigo
Bunting – a few km 6 outside Olanchito
Great-tailed
Grackle – everywhere
Bronzed
Cowbird – a pair outside Olanchito
Altamira
Oriole – a few seen
both days outside Olanchito
Baltimore
Oriole – a few seen
both days outside Olanchito, also Pico Bonito
OTHER
Box
Turtle – km 6 outside Olanchito
Several
large lizards in Pico Bonito forest
Gray
squirrels (Yucatan? Deppe’s?)
Dave Klauber
davehawkowl@msn.com