Monkey River - bird watching and jungle trek

Snooze, breakfast, and on a small private boat by 8 am to start our tour of Monkey River. The mouth of the river is about 15 miles south of Placencia.

 

 

 

We stopped at a mid-sea mangrove to learn about how pelicans who happen to become injured or blinded commit suicide by diving to their deaths into mangrove trunks. There was a deceased specimen drying in the sun to attest to our guide Alex's story. The living residents of the mangrove included many Great Egrets and their fluffy headed chicks. Even out in the middle of the channel, the chics are susceptible to predation by boa constrictors. 

Zipping along, watching cormorants diving and a reflective sea like glass, we soon arrived at the very small township of Monkey River. Originally, the town housed upwards of 3,000 people but with the collapse of local farming, merely 200-some residents remain. Most villagers make a living from fishing, lobster, hunting, or the tourist trade.

From the town, we started our venture upriver through mangrove channels and broadleaf forest. Our guide had an impeccable eye! He spotted everything that deigned to move or be visible along the way. 

Bird nerds rejoice as everywhere we looked was the flitting of wings and bright flashes of colour. We spotted:

- Great Blue Heron

- Juvenile Blue Heron

- Bare-Throated Tiger Heron and chick 

- Ringed Kingfisher

- Osprey

- Social Flycatcher

- Blue-gray Taninger

- Tropical Kingbird

- Montezuma Oripendola and their sack-nests

- Grey necked wood-rail

- Lineated woodpecker

Along the way our debts guide also spotted a Morolet's crocodile bathing in the sun, who quickly slithered away when he saw our boat approaching. The 3-4 foot iguana napping by the river bank was not as shy.

Next, the guide adeptly spotted a small colony of proboscis bat. What cute fluffy things with pointy noses!

We shored up for a guided wander through the forest in which we spotted a big eye owl butterfly and a yet-to-be-identified yellow and black beetle. Keep your eyes up or you'll bump into something less pleasant in the trees...

Our group was not alone in the jungle and I missed the chance to see a bush dog (Grison) due to crowding and loud talking. 

Walking along we found the incredibly noisy family of Black Howler Monkeys. Just listen to all that hooting (and not only from tourists). 

Next we walked through a large grove of bamboo and approached a termite mound just in time for a snack. Fun fact: termites are minty!

Around this point on the trek *someone* dropped her expensive prescription sunglasses. Forging on ahead a little ways, our guide pointed out the furry bum of a red rumped tarantula and her egg ball.

Circling back, we recovered my...er... *someone's* sunglasses. Don't worry. She bought everyone beers back in town to make up for the hassle. 

Before we left Monkey River Town, the guide showed us a captive Gibnut (affectionately known as Bambi Rat). It's a large rodent but spotted like a fawn. Apparently it's delicious. They even fed one to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Belize in 1985. 

Back on the boat and onward to find the majestic sea cow!