Holiday to the Yucatan, Mexico - Part 2

After the commercialism of Cancun we took a car transfer for the two and a half hour drive to Chichen Itza.

We arrived at a most attractive Hacienda nestled amongst the rainforest - wonderful!

The accommodation is in little cottages which were originally used to house the archaeologists working on the ruins and they have been converted into plain but immaculate rooms.

 Whilst waiting to get to our room, there were hundreds of birds just flying about the trees.

Cave Swallows were nesting in the main terrace and Social Flycatchers, bright red Summer Tanagers and numerous others were in the trees. I did not have access to my bird book at this stage but it filled me with huge promise!

 Social flycatcher

Cave Swallow

It was getting dark by the time we sorted out our cases and got ready but I had booked a local guide for an hour at 7am the following morning.

That evening we had super Mexican food and were serenaded by a three piece Mexican group - much more like it!

I woke at 5am the following morning but it was not light until 6am. I sat on the terrace and got going at first light just wandering outside the hotel and around the grounds to while away the time until my 7am meet.

I still saw more birds in that one hour than in all the time in Cancun!!

The first was the endemic Yucatan Woodpecker followed by a small colony of White Fronted Parrots and a White Winged Dove.

I met the guide at 7 - a typically short Mayan chap called Ernesto who happened to be the lead guitarist of the band playing the night before!

He was very knowledgeable and in the hour I spent with him I had Laughing Falcon, Eastern Kingbird, Groove Billed Ani, Masked Tityra,  Black headed Saltator, Gray Saltator, Melodious Blackbird, Clay Coloured Robin, Mourning Dove, Altimira Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Green Jay, Yellow Winged Tanager, White Eyed Vireo, Mangrove Vireo and the stunning Turquoise Browed Motmot in addition to some other common birds.

 Gray Saltator

 Clay Coloured Robin

 Masked Tityra

 Turquoise Browed Motmot

 Hooded Oriole

 Turquoise Browed Motmot

 Groove Billed Ani

Green Jay

Black Headed Saltator

We then went to Chichen Itza which is very interesting though does not have quite the wow factor we were expecting and spent the afternoon at leisure round the site.

I spent the next two morning getting up early and having a couple of hours birding before breakfast and did another hour or so late afternoon thus avoiding the heat of the day and giving us some family time too!

Many birds were seen but due to their location in thick bushes or trees photos were difficult. These included Violaceous Trogon, Great Yellowthroat, Boat Billed Flycatcher, White Tipped Dove, Rufous Browed Peppershrike and Yucatan Wren - another endemic!

However, I did get some photos of other specialities.

Black Vultures were often seen overhead but one landed only 20 feet away!

Perhaps the prettiest bird seen only once was a Painted Bunting.

Last but not least, a glance in a tree to see a small flitting bird gave me magnificent views of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl.

I was really sad to leave this birding paradise and as it was back to the coast, felt I was leaving the best of Yucatan birding behind - I was wrong so see part 3!