Belize
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Male Green Iguana in Breeding Colors
A magnificent green iguana in its breeding colors rests on the bank of the New River in central Belize. These grow to over five feet which posed a problem for me to frame it standing on a rocky boat.
A magnificent jabiru stretches its wings during feeding at sunrise. These are one of the signature species of northern Belize and we were lucky to see a few of them during our stay there.
A common black vulture soaks up the sun at start of the day. They are common in rural parts of Belize, but it was rare to see them on the ground or eye level.
A rufous-tailed jacamar sits on a forest tree not far from its nest in a central Belize forest. These birds are another sought after species in that area.
In the Yucatan Mayan parlance, Lamanai means "submerged crocodile". Lamanai is also the site of one of the first discovered Mayan ruins. Coincidentally, on a river trip to see the Lamanai ruins, we passed by a baby crocodile hiding under a bed of leaves in the water.
A black collared hawk scours the lake for potential food. These colorful hawks are usually found close to water and prey mainly on fish.
A pair of roseate spoonbills searching for food early in the morning. The spoonbill in the rear is an immature individual as seen by lack of pigmentation.
Curious Black Howler Youngster
A curious black howler monkey youngster examines my camera at the Baboon sanctuary in central Belize. The monkeys at the sanctuary are somewhat acclimatized to human presence and can be viewed close by. Photographing them, though is more difficult, given their high level of activity and the low light in the forest.
A pale-billed woodpecker, the closest living relative of the legendary ivory-billed woodpecker, looks around for a feeding site in a forest in central Belize. Bird photography in a rain-forest is a challenging endeavor because of the low light which reduces shutter speed.
Also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard for its ability to skim over water, they are common in central Belize. I found this lizard sunning on a cut down coconut tree trunk.
This great black hawk landed a few feet from our boat in the process of hunting. It was always a thrilling experience to have raptors land close by. In this case, it was even more so as the bird was completely indifferent to our presence.
A grey-necked woodrail scours the lake shore in search of food early in the morning. It was a treat to see this shy colorful bird in the open, especially with great lighting.
One of the signature species of Belize, this heron usually hides in the undergrowth near rivers. I was lucky to see this specimen out in early morning.
