Heavy rain fell most of my first night at the Villa Maya resort near the airport in Flores during my recent visit to Guatemala. I enjoyed the sound of it falling upon the roof of my bungalow. My room was   along the shores of what I learned is the Monifata lagoon . This smaller lagoon is next to the larger  Petenchel lagoon where the main lodge is located. Both are noted for the many species of birds that live along their shores.

The heavy rain had stopped when I awoke at sunrise but it was still cloudy with a light drizzle. . There is no coffee machine in  my room so I walked up to the lodge and found the dining room open.   I sat and had  a cup of coffee hoping the drizzle would stop but it didn’t. So I began my hike and  exploration of the trails in the resort. I walked on the cobblestone  sidewalk past my room.

and had to make a decision when I came to three trails I saw on my hike the previous evening, the monkey trail, the jaguar trail and the bicycle trail. I decided on hiking  on the monkey trail since it seemed to wind through the densest  woods in the jungle around  the lagoons. 

As I began my hike on the trail I saw a couple of birds I was familiar with from my many hikes in the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania. a hooded warbler,

and a magnolia warbler.  These birds spend the Winters here in Central America and migrate north to breed in the Spring.  I now enjoy spending time and observing them in their Winter homes.

I  saw  a few local birds too, a clay colored thrush.  These birds are common in Central America, I have seen them, in Panama, Costa Rica and now Guatemala.

I also saw a scrub blackbird, the first time I saw one of these birds.

I followed the monkey trail up a hillside above the lagoon and took a side trail which took me to a little grove with chairs, seashells,

and some Mayan ruins.

The trail took me back to the monkey trail and bicycle trail.  A heavier rain began to fall, and I decided to follow the bicycle trail rather then walk through the thick wet vegetation along the monkey trail.

Once the rains started I didn’t see  much more bird activity. I was glad I wore my poncho as I continued my hike in the rain.  Rain was predicted for the next few days as a tropical storm approached Central America. I decided I  may as well get my miles in hiking in the rain so I followed the bicycle trail.

The trail took me to a bridge over a small stream,

and through a  wetlands.

I kept my camera under my poncho except when I took some photos of the lush vegetation along the trail,

or some of the rain covered wildflowers  I saw along the trail.

The trail was muddy and

there were large puddles I had to walk around or through.

The rain continued and it wasn’t a pleasant hike. I hiked out about two miles.when I started back. I saw no wildlife on my hike back to the lodge but I did see a few wild mushrooms, 

some interesting ferns on my hike back in the rain.

I finished my five mile hike and walked back to the lodge,

When I arrived at the lodge  the rains eased up so . I decided to take another walk along the private  entrance road to the Villa Maya resort.   As I thought  I saw a lot of birds perched in the trees along the road and on the utility wires

including this pair of white-winged doves,

a Couch’s kingbird,

a roadside hawk,

a few noisy brown jays

and a beautiful collared trogon.

I also saw a few lesser greenlets in the  trees along the road. Unfortunately  it was still overcast with a light occasionally drizzle so I didn’t get the best photos.

I finished another two  mile hike and walked to the lodge for a great breakfast buffet.

The rain  got heavier again  so I walked back to my bungalow  . It rained the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. I edited photos and was able to call my law office back home and  make some phone calls. I watched the local radar on my computer and saw a break in the rain around 3 pm. As soon as the rain stopped I was back outside walking on another bicycle trail.

The trail took me into some dense woods were I saw a few more Mayan ruins

and a few butterflies taking advantage of the break in the rain, including a red postman butterfly and

a zebra long winged butterfly.

I followed the trail and came to a utility line right of way.

Here I heard the beautiful song of a rufous tailed jacamar. I waited and  this beautiful bird perched on a branch and continued to sing.

I also saw a wedge billed wood creeper,

and this barred antshrike in the trees along the right of way. I was glad to see these birds because the rain began again and I was again glad I wore my poncho. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hikes. Guatemala Day Eighth. Villa Maya birds November 15 2024.

I walked back to my room passing the white tail deer preserve and seeeing a few of the deer including this big buck. I finshed this one mile hike, and I had now hiked almost 9 miles again.Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my hikes on a rainy day in Guatemala. . Guatemala Day Eighth. Villa Maya hikes November 15 2024.

I was tired and hungry so took another outdoor shower and walked to the lodge for dinner.   This time I had shrimp with garlic, rice and mixed vegetables. It was another great meal,

and I had room for dessert, a moist chocolate cake. It was good too. I now walked back to my room in another torrential down pour. I fell asleep listening to the heavy rain from tropical storm Sarah. The forecast didn’t look good for Saturday either.  However, sleeping in a bungalow in a rainforest in a rain storm  was not a bad way to spend a November evening.

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow