Amigo's restaurant and citrus groves

Description: Surrounding Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, including the Amigo's properties, are more open lands where Black-throated Bobwhites scurry through brambles.  Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures stay low while King Vultures soar high.  White-tailed Hawks regularly hunt over the savanna.  Aplomado Falcons often perch here on dead snags, and flocks of Yellow-headed Parrots can be heard approaching before they fly over.

If you visit Amigo’s Restaurant—adjacent to Monkey Bay—inquire about birding the extensive orange groves and along the private road to Sibun River and a public gravel pit.  Winter birding, especially along the river frontage, can be quite good.  This would also be a good site to find migrants because of the decaying fruit and the small insects it attracts.  About four miles from this location, in similar citrus groves, a fall mist-netting study captured 47 species, including 23 warbler species.

Here are directions to Amigo’s groves: After securing permission, pass through the white gate (locked) leading to the orchards and river.  Zero your odometer.  Take the right fork (straight) at 0.8 and stop at 1.4 where a cane brake, cohune trees, and creek provide habitat for birds.  Continue to 1.6 and curve left on a gravel road, curve right at 1.8 just before an orange dump, and stop again at the bamboo stands at 1.9.  The river viewpoint is at 2.3, amongst tall trees and disturbed forest.  Bird here and continue, curving right, to 2.8 and the gravel operations along the river at N 17° 17.17' W 88° 34.08'.

Contact: Sue Hufford, Amigo’s Restaurant, Mile 31 2/3, Western Highway; (011) 501-802-8000; fax (011) 501-820-2015; hriex@hughes.net.

Location: N 17° 19.13' W 88° 34.23'; elevation 158 feet at entrance road off Western Highway. Within three miles are multiple birding sites and accommodations.  Using the Western Highway log for direction, here is an abbreviated section of the log heading west.

13.5     Tropical Education Center / Belize Zoo Jungle Lodge
13.7     Belize Zoo
14.3     Coastal Highway turnoff to Belize Zoo River Camp and
            Fresh Catch Belize
15.8     Cheers Restaurant and Cabanas
16.0     Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
16.1     Amigo’s Restaurant

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