Sites visited


1. Celaque National Park, near Gracia      3-4th January, 2005

   Gracias (about 700m altitude) was used as a base to visit the Celaque National Park. It was 7km from town to the park boundary which is as far as I went on the first day. This was a good walk and there were many birds in the farmland and patchy pine forests. On the second day I left in the early morning and walked into the park proper. On the lower slopes was good pine forest. Golden-cheeked warbler was seen in pine forest in a mixed-species flock about 1,640m. Higher up, the habitat changes to evergreen forest and finally great cloud forest by the second campsite called El Naranjo at 2,560m. Quetzals had been seen here the previous day but I didn't see any. I do not recommend doing it in a day trip from Gracias. I climbed up about 1,800m and was exhausted. There is a basic dormitory at the park HQ at 1300m (bring a sleeping bag). Camping at one of the campsites (2,050m or 2,560m) would mean getting to good habitat early in the morning. Entry and accomodation fees are payable at a house on the way up from Gracias. More time at higher altitudes should produce many more cloud forest species. I saw 56 species including 3 lifers

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Inca Dove Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
White-fronted Parrot ? Amazona albifrons
Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris
Mountain Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium gnoma
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl ? Glaucidium
White-eared Hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis
Azure-crowned Hummingbird ? Agyrtria cyanocephala
Mountain Trogon h Trogon mexicanus
Collared Trogon Trogon collaris
Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
Yellowish Flycatcher Empidonax flavescens
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Black-capped Swallow Notiochelidon pileata Rare/Accidental
House Wren ? Troglodytes aedon
Brown-backed Solitaire Myadestes occidentalis
Slate-colored Solitaire Myadestes unicolor
Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
Bushy-crested Jay Cyanocorax melanocyaneus
Black-throated Jay Cyanolyca pumilo
Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus
Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys
Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
Crescent-chested Warbler Parula superciliosa
Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia Endangered
Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
Painted Redstart Myioborus pictus
Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus
Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons
Golden-browed Warbler Basileuterus belli
Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Buarremon brunneinucha
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
Melodious Blackbird Dives dives
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater
Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis
Streak-backed Oriole Icterus pustulatus
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Black-vented Oriole ? Icterus wagleri
Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria

2. Olanchito to Chorrera      6th January, 2005

   Olanchito was reached by bus in 2 hours from La Ceiba, a large town on the northern coast of Honduras. I planned to visit in a day trip leaving La Ceiba at 6:30am but missed the last bus back at 3pm so had to stay the night after spending the day birding. There are a few places to stay in Olanchito and it would have been better to used it as a base to get an earlier start. From the Esso station on the main street in Olanchito, I walked about 2.3km West where there was another smaller Esso station at an inverted Y-junction where the road met up with the unpaved Route 23. From here it was exactly 5km (on the right hand side) to the site where the Honduran Emerald has been seen. It is apparently difficult to see here and proved so. I had a brief glimpse of a hummingbird but nothing more. I saw none of the plant the bird is associated with, Pedelantus. This has long bare stems without leaves and hangs down from trees like dreadlocks. The next site I tried was described on the website www.mayanbirding.com. It was 17.4 from the Y-junction but the directions were complicated and I got lost, finding the site by accident. The following may be easier if travelling by public transport. Take a bus heading to La Lyma from Olanchito and get off at the village of Chorrera. It is only 17km but takes a detour via another town and took about an hour. Don't worry when you turn off the highway. The bus rejoins it further along. In Chorrera there is a concrete bus stop on the right hand side reading 'Bienvenidos a Chorrera' in big letters. From here it is 400m to a turning on the left. At this point a wire goes over the road and there is a lampost on the left and a large white sign on a gate. Walk 500m straight on this track. There is a field of clumpy grass on the right and just after this comes to a end there is a pile of metal scrap on the left followed by a couple of big trees with Pedelantus in them. This is where I saw the Honduran Emerald. The small hut with a blue wooden door (mentioned on Mayan Birding)is 500m further along on the left. The thorn forest here didn't appear to have any Pedelantus although it said there was a lot on the website. I saw 49 species in the area including 2 lifers.

Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Snowy Egret Egretta thula
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Wood Stork Mycteria americana Between Choluteca and the Nicaraguan border
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Gray Hawk Asturina nitida
Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina
Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
Inca Dove Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
White-fronted Parrot ? Amazona albifrons
Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris
Pauraque ? Nyctidromus albicollis
White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
Honduran Emerald Polyerata luciae Endemic Critically endangered
Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus
Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Tree Swallow ? Tachycineta bicolor
House Wren ? Troglodytes aedon
Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus
White-lored Gnatcatcher Polioptila albiloris
Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
White-eyed Vireo ? Vireo griseus
Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis poliocephala
Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina
White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola
Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea
Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
Melodious Blackbird Dives dives
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
Montezuma Oropendola Gymnostinops montezuma Between Olanchito and La Ceiba
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species
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