National Flower of Belize

Right here, right now, the black orchid, national flower of Belize, blooming in our yard.

#nationalflowerofbelize #belizeecolodge

An Old Corner

Julio and Tom have been trying to flatten a dirt area for more parking.  They found one dirt bump that refused to be flattened, so Julio went at it with a pick ax, assuming it was a rock under the ground. As he chipped off the top layer, he realized that the bump was made of dry laid stones at right angles, probably the corner of a Maya structure buried over the years. We have found a number of artifacts in that area, so this was not too much of a surprise, but still interesting. 

#backyardarcheology #remotejunglelodge #MoonracerFarm

A beautiful visitor

This beauty dropped in for a visit the other day. We are not sure if the chicks were the attraction, but once we and our guests crowded around with cameras, the snake retreated to the tops of the trees and made its way back towards the jungle. I was hoping it would stop and clean the varmints out of the thatch on my kitchen, but it disappeared. 

#belizewildlife 

Birders Welcome!

Saturday night, we were lucky to host a birding group here at Moonracer Farm.  This first Birding Big Day covered the Mountain Pine Ridge, and we are the perfect staging area. Roni Martinez described the Big Day, as well as supplying the following photos:

The first of 12 Birding Big Days to cover Belize in 2017.  Our 15 participants were from all over the country.  Orange Walk, Belize, Cayo and Stann Creek Districts.  Plus from Peten Guatemala.  105 species in 11 hours of intense Birding. Including: Chestnut-collared Swift, Stygian Owl, Orange-breasted Falcon, Cabanis's Wren, Barred Forest-Falcon, White-winged Tanager, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Lovely Cotinga and Ornate Hawk-Eagle.  Thanks to the Belize Audubon Society for inviting past Bird Guide students and helping with logistics.

It was great fun to sit in the background and listen to a group of people who are passionate about what they are doing. Besides learning a lot about the local birds, we were inspired by the energy of the group. We hope to see more of everyone in this group in the future!