Belize Travel Planners Update
Posted onGuests who have booked through Emily Meegan of Belize Travel Planners should note that her email address has changed. We’ve posted her new information below so that you may update your contact info.
Emily Meegan
Belize Travel Planners
PO Box 1088, Vineyard Haven MA 02568
800-343-8009 or 508-645-8006, FAX 508-645-8006
Gallon Jug 22nd Annual Christmas Bird Count Summary
Posted onClick the above link to view a summary of the 22nd annual Christmas Bird Count. Special thanks goes to the authors Bruce W. Miller PhD and Carolyn M. Miller MSc.
January 2012
Posted onHappy New Year from all of us at Chan Chich Lodge. We’re very proud to bring in 2012 with a brand new look to our website. As you might be able to tell, a couple of the old pages including the checklists page are missing. We’re still working on them and will have them up as soon as possible.
The year is off to a great start. We’ve hosted many delightful guests who’ve enjoyed the great weather and a plethora of wildlife sightings. December ended with many guests seeing multiple Pumas in the Gallon Jug area. The first week of January brought us a Jaguar sighting just a couple miles from the lodge. The same Jaguar was spotted only minutes apart by two different people.
The 22nd annual Christmas Bird Count was held on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. We thank the great folks from the Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours (VENT) group who participated in the count as well as all the others. Some of the highlights were a Lovely Cotinga which was the first bird of the day for the counters from Corozal. The VENT group spotted two Black and White Hawk-Eagles on the Upper Escarpment. The preliminary results are showing lower numbers than normal but weather was a factor as rain limited both counting time and visibility.
We’ll have those results posted as soon as we can.
Gallon Jug Area Sunset
Welcoming Mrs. Jacke Willis, Ms. Anna Mazzaro and Mr. Greg Willis
Posted onDon’t forget to read Mrs. Carolyn Miller’s blog about our wonderful part of the world!
http://bzfieldnotes.blogspot.com
Special Update
This week we welcome Mrs. Jackie Willis, Ms. Anna Mazzaro and Mr. Greg Willis. This is one of many visits they’ve made to Chan Chich as part of the Rainforest Connection, a project out of Montclair State University. Rainforest Connection allows the group to connect with hundreds of students in various schools via webcam to deliver lectures on Monkeys, Snakes and last but not least Jaguars.
Mrs. Willis has also been kind enough to lug down new Reconyx remote cameras each of the past several years. These cameras have allowed us to capture some great images of critters of all types. Unfortunately even the best technology gives way to nature sooner or later. Mrs. Willis is aware of this and hauled down a whopping nine remote cameras this year. We’re start sharing images of the installation and setup along with captured images as soon as possible.
In the meantime we encourage you to click on the link and learn more about the Rainforest Connection.
http://csam.montclair.edu/prism/videoconferences/indextopicsbelize.html
December 2011 Update
Posted onIt’s that time of the year once again where our staff is in full gear awaiting the arrival of groups, families and many familiar faces. The weather has been typical for December, alternating between cool sunny days and cool overcast days with a refreshing light drizzle.
The trees at the lodge are full of Olive Backed Euphonias and Yellow Throated Euphonias among other birds such as Green Honey Creepers and Masked Tatyras.
Raul spotted a couple Jaguars on the property the other day while driving a couple guests around. He also mentioned that the Lovely Cotinga at Laguna Seca is back at it’s traditional roost of the past couple years. Zander tried to catch a glimpse based on Raul’s description but had to settle for an Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Blue Crowned Mot Mot, Sulphur Rumped Flycatcher and a Black Headed Trogon.
We’ve made some changes to the lodge which we hope everyone will like.
The landscaping around the lodge has been refreshed since the passing of hurricane Richard. Many of the plantings from last year have matured and look fantastic.
The parking lot was relocated to an area near the entrance of the lodge. The old area has been landscaped to perfection by Landscape and Design manager Jacalyn Bowen.
Jackie’s also done some renovations to the two main buildings by adding bush stick railings for looks and safety.
One of the our favorite changes are the new light fixtures in the bar and on the outside of the buildings along with the new bar furniture. Jackie, Juan and Jeremias designed and built the aforementioned items with salvaged Mahogany and worm eaten Jobillo for wood. The bar stools were topped with leather from Gallon Jug’s cattle.
All of our managers and staff are well and looking forward to seeing both new and familiar faces this season. The one exception is Head House Keeper Agripina “Pina” Carillo who retired last August. Her daughters Shaira and Massiel are still at Chan Chich tell us she is doing well and enjoying her grand children.
Please check back in the new year for our brand new website and our new offerings. We’ve got some great stuff in store and look forward to serving all who come our way in 2011 and 2012 to the best of our ability.
