Touring Yucatan (1 Viewer)

[Hamhed]

If you can locate San Salvador Ranch Road, we had good luck there with the Yucatan Wren, Sheartail and the Bobwhite. Bobwhite was in the scrub behind a low rock wall. Also saw a unexpected, nesting Jabiru there. There is a small pond at a left hand bend in the road where we saw the Jabiru a second time.
Peten Tucha, a small wooded preserve further down the road, had a Yellow-tailed oriole and Crested Guan. I think that entrance was just before a bridge over a small canal.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

Went birding in the area around Rio Lagartos searching for the two endemics, the Mexican Sheartail (hummingbird) and the Yucatan Wren. I found both of these plus the Black-throated Bobwhite which has a bit larger range which includes about half of Yucatan and Belize.
I got really lucky and found a Cinnamon Hummingbird on its nest. Other finds include the Bronze Cowbird with its strange red eyes, the Blue-black Grassquit, a Squirrel Cuckoo and a Torquoise-browed Motmot. It was my first sighting of a motmot. Didn’t see it too well in the bushes and hope to see another. Saw an immature Gray Hawk but hope to see an adult in its grey plumage.
Totals: 97 for this trip of which 44 were lifers.
The Cinnamon Hummingbird on its nest made my day and it was also my 400th life bird. Total now 404.

 

[Maroon Jay]

Hey Niels, this one looks like you.

 

[njlarsen]

Hi Maroon Jay, nice bird!

My photo is of this bird

Niels

 

[Maroon Jay]

My hotel room in Rio Lagartos has a view overlooking the lagoon. Yesterday I saw three Wood Storks, 18 flamingos, one Roseate Spoonbill, two Black-crowned Night-herons and a bunch of other common gulls, herons and other birds while having breakfast on my balcony. I had seen Wood Storks and Night-herons before in Florida. No new birds but trip total now 99.

 

[Hamhed]

Maroon Jay - I remember a large sandbar not far off the dock area that held many shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Sandwich Terns, Oystercatchers, Black-bellied Plovers, Black Skimmers, etc, around 20 species according to my notes. Can you see anything like it from your room?
Sounds like you are mopping up on the endemics. Someone showed us Zenaida Doves in Los Colorados in a parking area behind a tienda if you get by that way.
Ek Balam ruins, just south of you near Tizimin, was a good place to visit for both birds (including many Motmots) and the ruins themselves which were in very good condition.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

Hi Steve, yes, I can see two sandbars from my room. My hotel is right next to the lighthouse if you remember that area. I see a lot of birds right from my balcony but no new ones. I am going to Ek Balam next. Have not found the Zenaida Dove yet. Thanks for the tip. I will look for it there. Only one more day in Rio Lagartos. How did you get to Los Coloradas? There are no taxis here. Perhaps you had a rental car? I am travelling by bus which makes it difficult. Can't afford to rent a car. I take tours and taxis now and then. Not much here in Rio Lagartos.

 

[Hamhed]

Hey, Tom - Got a picture of the church in Los Colorados that was very near the tienda that had the Doves and a card from the guy who gave us 110% while Liz and I were there. If you can locate him, he knows his birds and where to find him. He may be willing to work with you on the price so be patient with him if his initial asking price is too high.
As far as locating Los Colorados, I think anyone could direct you. It is east of Rio Lagartos, a small pueblo that is there because of the salt ponds. Lots of flamingos there and other shorebirds. We saw our first Yellow-headed Turkey Vulture there. You'll pass Peten Tucha on the way on the right just before crossing a narrow canal. There's a nice trail through some second growth leading to a small pond you might want to find time for. Our best bird there was a Crested Guan eating fruits right above our heads.

I'm trying to attach a picture of the lighthouse from our boat tour but it may not make it.

Steve

 

[Hamhed]

Here's the lighthouse with Frigatebirds in the air and the Peten Tucha sign.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

Thanks Steve, I might go to Los Colorados on the bus. The cost of guides and car rentals is adding up. In your photo of the lighthouse, I am in the hotel behind the lighthouse. I sit on the deck at the front of the building and watch for birds while sipping my beer.

 

[Maroon Jay]

Today I wanted to go searching for birds at Las Coloradas. I intended to go on the 6 a.m. bus but it was raining and very, very windy so I didn’t go. It cleared up later in the morning and I managed to get a ride with a guy on the back of a motorscooter. It was still very windy and not many birds were flying around. I guess they were keeping to the underbrush to avoid the wind.
After much searching I managed to find the Zenaida Dove. This bird lives mostly on Caribbean Islands and can be found at only a couple of places in Mexico. On the way back I also saw the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.
Steve, I went on the trail that you recommended but was not lucky like you. I didn’t see anything of interest. I saw the church in your photo.
Today was my last day in Rio Lagartos. Time to move on. I failed to find the Boat-billed Heron or the Kelp Gull.
I had a good look at a Wood Stork close to shore right in town. Had seen this bird before in Florida but was nice to get a good close look and some photos.
Trip total now at 103 which includes 46 lifers. Life total 406.

 

[Hamhed]

Glad you found the Dove despite the wind. I remember we had some wind also, espiecially on our boat trip. That probably comes with being on the tip of a peninsula. Too bad about the Boat-billed Heron. Missed them in Sian Kaan also?

Looking forward to hearing about the next location.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

No, I did not find the Boat-billed Heron at any of my locations so far. Have not given up yet though. I am now in the city of Valladold to take in the Mayan ruins at Ek Balam and Chichen Itza. Who knows, I might even see a bird or two there at the same time. Tom

 

[Dave B Smith]

Tom,
Chichen Itza has some great birding. You should get some great views there of a colony of Turqouise Browed (from memory) Motmots who are raising families inside the Nunnery!
Looking forward to your updates as you progress through the Yucatan.

 

[Hamhed]

I agree with Dave, you should see plenty of Motmots at Chichen Itza. When busloads of tourists from Cancun arrive about mid-morning, the better birding is on the side trails. When Liz and I were there in '08, there was talk of stopping tourists from climbing some of the temples' steeper steps. Someone had stepped on a loose stone step and actually died from the resulting fall. For us, going up wasn't so bad; it was going down that gave one a view of the consequences of missing a step!

El Balam is likely to sidetrack you from birding with its various carvings, reliefs and paintings. The best birding we found was on a trail behind one of ruins, though there are a few others including one to a popular cenote with zip line. The photo below is of that trail.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

Back from my tours of Ek Balam and Chichen Itza. At Ek Balam I did not see any birds wothy of mention. AT Chichen Itza I saw one Torquise-browned Motmot and several common birds such as the Ruddy Ground-dove and Social Flycather. I hung around the areas that were suggested but didn't see anything. I admit that birding was not my main objective here and I spent a lot of time studying and photographing the marvelous Mayan structures. I wanted to photograph the pyramid and other buildings early befored they were surrounded by people so that used up the best birding time. It is difficult to get an early start as places do not open until 8 a.m. and I don't have a car. I spent some time studying the army ants and leaf-cutter ants. I saw a long column of army ants carrying eggs. They were on their way home after a raid on a termite nest. They march in narrow columns when they have a specific destination in mind and spread out when they are hunting. I find them very interesting. I am off to Merida area tomorrow to see some more ruins and then back to birding in Celestun.

 

[Maroon Jay]

At Dzibilchaltun ruins near Merida, I saw one new bird. After much deliberation and some advice from several other people, I determined that it was a Brown-crested Flycatcher. This brings my trip total to 106 of which 47 are new lifers. Off to Celestun tomorrow for four days of nothing but birding. Hope to see the Pygmy Kingfisher among others.

 

[Hamhed]

Good luck with the Pygmy Kingfisher. We made a special effort to find it on our boat trip out of Rio Lagartos but missed it. You have a good chance at the White-lored Gnatcatcher at Celestun also.

Steve

 

[Maroon Jay]

Having very bad luck. I arrived in Celestun all set for four days of serious birding. I checked out all the areas I wanted to search. But the next morning I woke up very sick and spent the next four days in bed with the flu. Also, the weather was terrible. Very, very high winds. All boats including fishermen and flamingo tours were confined to port for two days. Probably would not have found many birds in such wind anyway. Have to move on and keep to my schedule. I have some spare time when I get back from Belize and might try Celestun again. Things have to get better.

 

[Hamhed]

Tough luck, Tom! That's a lot of vacation time to be laid up. If you are going to get sick though, best do it when the birding is no good. Good planning!

Steve