Easy Birding Photos: Female Summer Tanager at the Belize Zoo

Again with the cheap shots at the Belize Zoo! Just a second before we photographed the Chacalaca, a female Summer Tanager was seen eating fruit from the same bowl! It is best for guests to visit the Belize Zoo while getting a taxi ride to/from Lower Dover Jungle Lodge from the airport.

More Cheap Bird Photos from the Belize Zoo

Found in Belize during the winters, Birds of Belize, by H. Lee Jones describes the female Summer Tanager as mustard olive above, mustard yellow below, with some individuals orangish throughout.

Summer Tanager photos don’t get easier to take than this!

This female tanager is different than the Hepatic Tanager, due to her pale bill, and is not the Scarlet Tanager because Scarlet’s have shorter bills.

Summer Tanager – Bird Watching in Belize

Birds of Belize – Male and Female Russet Antshrike

While on our day tour to the Belize Zoo from Lower Dover Jungle Lodge we noticed something. There were just as many animals outside the cages as inside! The Belize Zoo is located in native habitat to many of these birds and other various small mammals, so it is not uncommon to get a few unexpected wildlife photographs on your trip.

Male Russet Antshrike bird photo from Belize

In this case, we saw both the male and female Russet Antshrike.  We found it difficult to identify this bird species. The red eyes helped. So did the bill. In the end we settled with Russet Antshrike given the similarities between sexes as noted by Birds of Belize, by H. Lee Jones.

Female Russet Ant-shrike at Belize Zoo

Archaeology at Lower Dover Belize Jungle Lodge (Videos)

These are some quick videos of the archaeological work done by students during the 2010 dig at the newly identified Maya settlement of Lower Dover.

 

Newly Identified Maya Site in Belize – Lower Dover (Video)

We have been a little lazy on the blog lately. That’s about to change with the summer archaeology dig season at Lower Dover Field Station & Jungle Lodge starting at the end of this month. Expect full updates and lots of pictures. Maybe even a couple of Maya vids!

To get you primed, here is a video shot two years ago while walking in the jungle area of our property adjacent to the lodge. As you will also notice, the ruins extend throughout the property even to the lodge area where the library sits.

Mennonite History at Spanish Lookout – Cayo District, Belize

This is a documentary from 2008 describing the journey of the Mennonite people from Europe, Canada, Mexico, and eventually to Belize. It’s a great bit of history, and glimpse into the hardship of settling forested land. It also captures the local Mennonite language, known as Plautdietsch. Most everyone can speak English and Spanish, but amongst themselves they use their own language. Luckily the film is subtitled!

Many people come to Western Belize and the Cayo District looking to see and interact with the local Mennonite community. It is very likely you will see Mennonites riding a bus on your way to Lower Dover Jungle Lodge, but that’s not very authentic!

Local Barton Creek Mennonite on the Western Highway going to Spanish Lookout

Belize has both industrious Mennonites using modern machinery at Spanish Lookout and off the grid, fundamentalist Mennonites at Lower Barton Creek.  The Barton Creek Mennonites are the ones with the horse and buggy, normally seen cruising at 4 m.p.h. on the Western Highway, or selling watermelons at the side of the road.  Lower Dover sits right between both of the communities.

Most of Lower Dover Jungle Lodge’s shopping is done at Spanish Lookout, a short 10 minute drive (even though its right across the river). If any guests are trying to see the community first hand, hop along for a ride and see what the buzz is all about!