Special Birding Week with Birds of Belize Author Lee Jones

January 8th - 15th, 2011

Join Lee Jones, author of Birds of Belize, for this special birding itinerary at Cotton Tree Lodge in tropical southern Belize. Participants will spend six full days exploring some of Belize’s most remote and rewarding birding sites. Plenty of alternative activities like caving, waterfalls, village tours, and Mayan ruins are available for non-birding partners and children through Cotton Tree Lodge.

Participants will visit several of southern Belize’s hottest birding spots, including:

Red Bank Village where a flock of Scarlet Macaws feeds on fruiting trees each year from January to April;

An extensive lowland pine woodland and savanna with such specialties as Aplomado Falcon, Stygian and Striped Owls, Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rusty Sparrow, Yellow-backed Oriole, and distinctive subspecies of Yellow-headed Parrot and Sedge Wren, Belize’s only true endemics;

The extraordinary Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve with its unspoiled rainforest and a bird list of over 300 species;

remote Mayan villages in the southwestern corner of the country where Band-tailed Barbthroat, Black-crested Coquette, Bare-crowned Antbird, Paltry Tyrannulet, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, and White-vented Euphonia reach the northern limit of their range;

The spectacular Moho River, which winds its way through some of Belize’s finest gallery forest;

Punta Gorda and environs, the heart of Toledo District, which boasts more than 85% of all the species recorded in Belize

Day-by-Day:
January 8th: Arrive in Punta Gorda; transfer to Cotton Tree Lodge.
January 9th: Birding around Cotton Tree Lodge and the general vicinity (Santa Anna, San Felipe area).
January 10th: Moho River (upstream in the morning, downstream in the afternoon.
January 11th: The Dump to Blue Creek and beyond.
January 12th: Red Bank to Cockscomb Basin (return to Cotton Tree late in the afternoon).
January 13th: Birding around Punta Gorda.
January 14th: Free day for additional birding or option tours operated by Cotton Tree Lodge
January 15th: Departure.

Pricing:
Rates per person based on Double Occupancy:
Standard Cabana: $1431.50
Deluxe Cabana: $1536.50
Honeymoon/Family/Jungle Cabana: $1641.50
Two Bedroom Deluxe Cabana: $1886.50
Additional adults sharing the cabana:$1,050
Children under 12 sharing the cabana: $525
A surcharge will apply to single occupancy guests

Rates include accommodations, all meals, soft drinks, bottled water, all tours in the itinerary, and transfers between Punta Gorda and Cotton Tree Lodge. Alternative activities as scheduled by the lodge, including caving, Mayan ruins, and village tours, are also included in these rates. All rates are in US dollars and subject to 9% Hotel and 12.5% General Sales Tax, which average to 11% tax. Gratuities are not included.

25% deposit is required upon booking to guarantee a reservation. Payment in full is required 60 days prior to arrival. Cancellations more than 60 days prior to arrival will receive a full refund less a $100 administration fee; cancellations less than 60 days and more than 30 days will incur a 25% charge; and less than 30 days prior to arrival will not receive a refund. This policy applies for all cancellations.