Tag Archives: Anna

Uncategorized

Day 14- Camera Traps Make For Animal Mug Shots

Leave a comment

It’s our last day in Belize 🙁 so today we went and picked up our camera traps we set three days ago.  The hike really was not that bad this time and the suspense of discovering what we had on our traps was building.

Sacrificing Scott to the Mayans so we could get a cat on our traps!

We viewed all 14 this evening and while most had nothing, we got a lot of cool species.  Some highlights were 2 ocelots (one of which had a great photo), several pacas, a group of peccaries, a crochet deer, and a great currissow.  The great currisow is this large funny looking bird with a black full plumage on its crest.  Our most annoying camera to place did not get any photos, but overall I am pleased with the results.

On a bird note, I saw several Scarlet Macaws again today, but it’s funny how normalized this occurrence can become. That will be weird not hearing every day now.

AND THE BEST NEWS OF ALLL: ANNA 5- TICKS 0 !!! I also managed to escape the chiggers and I am very proud.  Team parasite free!

Uncategorized

Day 13- Pauraque Can Dance

Leave a comment

I saw a Pauraque today and they are the coolest birds.  They are most active at night, but we saw them during the day which was cool.  When spotted they will try to distract you from their young by flopping up and down, acting as if it is injured.  We saw it and went over and found two pauraque chicks and they were adorable.  They were fluffy an looked maybe 1-2 days old.  I want to take one home.

Two Pauraque Chicks

We also went into the Las Cuevas cave and it was so much larger than expected.  We weren’t able to go as far in as usual because archeologists are using the site, which was disappointing, but just going into the first two chambers were so cool.  We saw were our water has been coming from, the water at the bottom.

Inside the Las Cuevas Cave

From the cave, we climbed high up to the birding tower.  It had the most amazing view! It would have been better in a post card that I did not have to climb up to, I don’t like heights, but it was cool once I got up there.

View from the birding tower. This picture does not do it justice, it was amazing.

One more real day 🙁

Anna 4- Ticks 0

Uncategorized

Day 12- I Spy a Macaw!

Leave a comment

I saw a Scarlet Macaw today!!! Actually, I saw seven! At first, I just heard their call which sounds like a distinctive Cawing noise and then I saw a silhouette with a long tail perched.  It was in that moment I realized it was a macaw. This happened twice: the first was just two birds and the second time was five birds!  They were so pretty and colorful and I wanted to freak out, but we aren’t supposed to acknowledge them because it is dangerous for the macaws to be comfortable around humans since that could lead to poaching.

Scarlet Macaws!

Today was a lot less intense than yesterday.  We set up an experiment to determine if Arthropods are more common in the canopy or ground layer and which has more nutrients.  It involved our urine which was unexpected… but it will be interesting to see the results.

We also looked at leaf cutter ant colonies and I think I will have dreams about being swarmed with ants now.  Hopefully not, but I guess I’ll see.

Well, Anna 3- Ticks 0 still! That’s my real victory.

Uncategorized

Day 11- Never let me navigate.

1 Comment

So today I got the class a wee bit lost in the rainforest after setting our last camera trap off trail.  This wouldn’t have been as freaky if it wasn’t sunset already. So now GPS is my favorite thing ever.  We walked like at least 10 miles today through various elevations.  I think my feet are going to fall off. That’s okay, I could just become a fish. Team Surf.

I am exhausted and have been up since 4:30 am for birding.  That was nice because I got to see a bunch of birds with people that could help me identify them.  Some highlights: there is a plumbeous kite nest just east of Las Cuevas clearing that can almost guarantee a sighting.  There is also a social flycatcher nest in the gutter pitched on the railing of our building that I can look at.

Social Flycatcher nest on gutter

The real highlight was the keel-billed toucan that briefly ran overhead around noon when we came back from our first hike.  It was so cool to see a real toucan! Now I just have to find a scarlet macaw.

I am exhausted and my legs look like diseased at this point.  There are so many bug bites, injuries, bruises, scrapes, and bumps that I mostly cannot even explain.  I am not diseased I swear, I am just a biologist! A TFB to be exact! Well, I am going to pass out now for like as long as I can. Peace out.  Anna 2- Ticks 0 !!!

Uncategorized

Day 10- Anna 1- Ticks 0

Leave a comment

We finally made it to Las Cuevas! It seems like for days I have been saying that I am on my way, but now I am finally here! The road trip was pretty fun. We stopped at this waterfall site, Rio on Pools, to go swimming and it was refreshing and beautiful.

Rio on pools swimming break!
The view from Rio on Pools!

Now we are in Chiquibul and the birds are out!  I am going to start waking up at 5 AM to bird watch, so that will be tiring, but interesting to see. I have seen a few bird that I was able to identify.  I saw an oropendulla several times.  It forms these hanging nests and I saw it eat a tree fruit called horse balls.

I also heard a bird call that sounds very similar to a Scarlet Macaw, which have been known to be around Las Cuevas despite their few numbers.  I am hoping to see one while we are here!

So far I have escaped the bugs, but I might be jinxing this right now. oops…

Uncategorized

Day 9- Caves Remind Me of Corals

2 Comments

Today we went to a cave called Actun Tunichil Muniknal (ATM).  It was so cool! You swam into it and then you had to climb up and over all these rocks to get to the top part where the Mayan remains were.  There were remains of old pottery and Mayan human sacrifices.  We weren’t allowed to bring cameras in so I don’t have photos, but it was so pretty and interesting inside. One of the floors of it was all ridged and it looked like a giant coral, specifically a Pseudodiploria (@Adrienne I miss Glovers).

Me in front of the coral genus Pseudodiploria, the type of coral that the cave reminded me of

I did not really see any birds today, mostly since I was in a cave where they don’t live.  I saw some chickens on the side of the road, but nothing that exotic or new.

Picture someone took of me asleep on the table at Glovers. Accurately describes how I feel now.

We are staying in an eco-lodge in San Ignacio tonight and it has bathrooms in our own room, so luxurious! We briefly stopped in town and I tried a tiny banana.  It was really good, but really that’s been it for the day. I am tired. Good night.

Uncategorized

Day 8- I Want a Tapir

1 Comment

 

Looking back on donkey dung (a type of sea cucumber) and I
Looking back on all our quadrant work

Crying internally because today we left Glovers Reef.  I am going to miss snorkeling and finding random things like a donkey dung, a crustacean, or using my lovely quadrant.

We got to snorkel in mangroves on the way back to Belize City at least and even saw a seahorse and a manatee. I saw one mangrove crab today camouflaged really well, but that was the last crustacean I have seen.

When we arrived at the Tropical Education Center most people went for a hike, but I did not feel great so I slept it off and it was much needed.  When I woke up I felt somewhat better, but I got to see a few birds including a thicket tinamous pitched on a branch about the pond.  Its body shape (and the diagrammed picture of it on the observation tower) were what easily gave it away.

Tapir before we fed him

We went to the zoo at night and I saw a few birds. They were mostly owls including the spectacle and pygmy owl.  The pygmy owl was tiny and adorable and tiny.  This might have been overshadowed by my love of the tapir that we got to feed.  It is just so weird looking and interesting to watch.

I am realizing how buggy the next week is about to be and how little bug spray I have left.  Wish me luck.

Uncategorized

Day 7- Darth Vader is a Girl

Leave a comment
Yellow line arrow crab!

So today we went snorkeling for the whole morning and I finally saw the coolest crab that I’ve been dying to see.  I saw the yellow line arrow crab which looks like a spider with a top hat and gloves on and I love it.  He was missing a pincer and was a little feisty and resistant to being grabbed but it was still cool.

NURSE SHARK!!!!

I also saw 4 sharks!!!! I think my life has peaked… Also saw a spotted sun eel which was cool but sharks are better.

In the afternoon we dissected lionfishes that Scott and Javier caught.  I named mine Darth Vader so I wouldn’t feel about cutting it up.  Turns out Darth Vader is an infertile juvenile female, but Darth still tastes great as ceviche!

This was out last day at Middle Caye in Glovers Reef Atoll.  This was the most fun day we’ve had by far and I don’t want to leave, but I am excited for the rainforest.  I want to see some cool birds, but hopefully I can identify them… there are a whole lot of birds so we will see.

Uncategorized

Day 6- I PET A SHARK!!!!

Leave a comment

 

Squishy the octopus !!!

I saw a small shark in the sea grass (only 1 ft.) and I pet him and it was soon cool!!! Also, Hermy our trash crab died today before we could find him a shell and it was sad.  BUT we made a new friend named Squishy the baby octopus!!!

In regards to my taxon, crustaceans, I saw a boat load today (hehe get it, boat load).  I saw one spotted pony lobster and four Caribbean spiny lobsters.  Adrienne pushed one of the lobsters out of its hiding place in the coral from its tickle spot and I saw the full Caribbean spiny.  It as really cool and came up to me, not afraid at all. Finally, it retreated.

Batwing Coral Crab

I also got to hold a Batwing Coral Crab which was super cute.  It had a rounded carapace and really pretty patterns on it.  I had to hold it from the back end so it would not bite me.

Mantis shrimp, Ciliated False Squilla
Water louse of some kind, species unknown

We brought a bunch of little crabs, one shrimp, and one water louse back to the wet lab and I was able to look at it up close.  The shrimp was a Ciliated False Squilla (a type of mantis shrimp). It tried to attack the crabs so we had to move it to its own area.  The water louse was weird and reminded me of head lice and was scary.  Mostly it was fine and moved quickly.  The name still grosses me out.

Additionally, I found 3 green porcelain crabs, 3 mangrove crabs, and 2 decorator crabs.  They were all fighting and trying to camouflage on top of each other.  Eventually, I put them back in the ocean but a school of fish came by and possibly ate them. So all my children are dead now.  BUT I STILL PET A SHARK so life is alright currently.

Uncategorized

Day 5- Adventures of Hermy the Trash Crab

Leave a comment

 

Close up of the molt of the Caribbean spiny lobster

I held so many crabs today.  Today was a big day for crustaceans.  I found a juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster molt and it was much more intact than I expected.  Also the spines on it were very sharp.

We found a big piece of wood that we brought onto shore because it was disturbing the reef. On shore, I noticed so many crabs!!! I picked up a few and brought them back to the wet lab on the island and filled a bucket with salt water for them.  When they got in the water they all came together probably to try to camouflage themselves.

On the right, the two fuzzy crabs, on top of each other,  later identified as decorator crabs. To the left is a green porcelain crab. 

Two of them were species I had never seen before.  They looked like green algae and were fuzzy.  Their carapace was also more pointed which is very different.  It felt weird to hold them in my hands, they tickled.

Hermy the Trash Crab!

In the afternoon we picked up trash and collected data on it.  In one of the trash piles collected we noticed a land hermit crab hiding inside a styrofoam cap.  This makes it very vulnerable to predators because it is easily taken out of its “shell.”  We are in the process of finding Hermy (thats what we named it) a shell.

Me + Trash Crab 4 eva

Overall, it was a pretty good day with some free time at night and I can go to bed early (-ish)!