In late February, we travelled to Tikal, Guatemala and Belize with Eagle-Eye Tours. Tikal National Park is situated in the jungle of northeastern Guatemala and is one of the major sites of Mayan civilization. It was inhabited from the 6th Century BC to the 10th Century AD. Most of the larger Mayan buildings have been largely excavated, however the majority of structures remain covered by the jungle. The site is exceptional for biodiversity, with more than 300 species of birds, five species of cats, two species of monkeys, more than 100 species of mammals, more than 200 species of trees, as well as reptiles, amphibians, abundant insect types (I still have bites that itch!) and an incredible diversity of plants and flowers. The following photographs were all taken in Tikal. I will make subsequent postings from Belize.
Temple 1, also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar.Orange-breasted falcon. This falcon is about the size of a peregrine and roosts on the Mayan structures.Orange-breasted falcon roosting on one of the Mayan ruins. This species is critically endangered.Ocellated turkey. This bird has the most incredible feathers. The refraction of light from its feathers result in a metallic sheen and changing colours.Ocellated turkey.Keel-billed toucan, tossing back a seedTawny-winged woodcreeperTropical royal flycatcherYucatan spider monkeyChestnut-coloured woodpeckerBlack-headed trogonCoatis
Roadside-hawk, on the nest.
American pygmy kingfisherAgoutiNorthern potooBoat-billed heronPale-billed woodpeckerPurple gallinuleBlue-grey gnatcatcherWhite-crowned parrotRed-lored parrotChachalacaBrown jayBarred forest falconRusset-naped wood rail, on the nest.View of one of the courtyards of the Mayan ruins.Mayan ruins “emerging” from the jungle.
