Progreso, Mexico I

A great feeling to be back in The Yucatan, but no dreams this time of Chechen Itza, as Billy Crumble and I did back in 2004. No, armed with some very useful information, provided by Birding Pal Bev who was traveling in Cuba so unable to guide me, it was to be a day amid the ruins of a far smaller and less well known Mayan complex and the adjacent ‘salt pans’. However, there was one small snag before visiting either as the docks were simply full of birds which were hard to drag myself away from.

Out of a radient sunrise came he ever reliable

PILOT BOAT

this time, and strangely, escorted by a military power boat of sorts?

On the way to the berth there was a flotilla of birds including

these splendid LAUGHING GULLs

Magnificent Frigatebirds, Royal Terns etc.

Not too sure about status of the so called CABOT'S TERN but more of that later.

This is the first MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD we have noted with any 'red' about it. Throat pouch getting ready for a bit of serious nonsense I guess?

 

AMERICAN HERRING GULL

was an addition to the 'Trip List' and later in the day there were a good number of 'first winter' juveniles but none within photographic range.

So, back to CABOT'S TERN, with this looking every bit like a Sandwich Tern to me. However, they say there is, or was, a debate going on to 'split' the two??

Most obliging nonetheless!

Here's one for the Lifton's, do you have this as part of your LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY?

So, eventually we got alongside to a warm welcome from even more LAUGHING GULLs and the odd DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. The same old banter followed in an effort to agree a price on the taxi, with them wanting $1,000 and me wanting a 'free' ride, $50 sounded good for all day.

On the way to the ruins, the salt pans held a good number of

GREATER FLAMINGOs, these few being close at hand.

At the destination

once again I was short of a small camera,

an item you would have thought easy to purchase on such a trip,

but no so the views are a little stinted to say the least.

First to show were this pair of

 

AZTEC PARAKEET, which was thought to be a prospective 'lifer' until consulting the book to find that they and Olive-throated are one and the same bird.

Next on scene

YUCATAN WOODPECKER

and in the depths of the 'wet ' forest

PALM WARBLER

First 'lifer' of the day was GREY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT

followed by splendid male AMERICAN REDSTART

and NORTHERN PARULA

What came next I still don't know

 

just don't seem to be able to find this in the book.

Any ideas, answers on a postcard please!

TROPICAL KINGBIRDs were all over the place as were

3 species of Oriole, this one being BLACK-VENTED ORIOLE

the other 2 being Hooded and Orange.

GROOVE-BILLED ANI were also numerous

but the lower bird in this shot (in company with a YELLOW-RUMPED CACIQUE) was not picked up until editing and thought to be

YELLOW-BACKED ORIOLE

SOCIAL FLYCATCHER were

 

as the name suggests, 'social' and numbered about the same as close relative the

GREAT KISKADEE

Finally, for this half of the story at least, we leave you with the ubiquitous TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD.

Two Days In The Caribbean

Two transit days at sea and the hope of a decent sea-bird or 3. As many of you know, not exactly my 'cup of tea' sea watching but on day one alone I put in 9 full hours at the taff-rail even taking my lunch down to the 'hide'!

It may be of note that we are now a full 6 hours 'behind' GMT, which could effect the timing of daily posts.

 DAY1

We have encountered a good many RED-FOOTED BOOBIES

but at first light this one was circling Voyager and did so until mid morning. Apart from a single Magnificent Frigatebird and a dozen Royal Terns that was the lot for the day.

DAY 2

 

An altogether better day today starting with a group of distant Terns which appeared to be dark on top and white below. According to the book just about the only candidates would be BRIDLED or SOOTY the latter being more pelagic but guess we'll never know for sure.

On the other hand, the small Tern that arrived alongside later in the day allowed for a series of decent photos

which by my reckoning made it a COMMON TERN.

However, when it first arrived it looked so dinky and fine billed that it was thought to be one of the 'Marsh Terns'.

Cruising 50 miles south of Cuba and half way to mainland Mexico around noon the last thing expected was a BROWN PELICAN, and while it never got close to Voyager it did land on the sea briefly allowing this shot.

 

The nearer we got to land, the more birds showed up starting with a group of

c7 ROYAL TERNs

closely followed by a swarm of very high flying MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDs.

Whether it was the same BROWN PELICAN or not remains unknown, but this one was far more obliging flying directly over the ship.

MAG FRIGs

The only CETACEAN thus far

was captured by the lens, with closer inspection showing a 'bottle-nose' of sorts!

COCK-UP CORNER

It has been a while getting around to it but just have time to clear up a couple of miss/unknown identifications.

 

Seems my suggestion of Common Tern for this fella landing among Royal Terns in Tobago was well off the mark.

It is in fact a CAYENNE TERN, not as yet a full species in its own right but a form of Sandwich Tern.

I didn't even take a stab at this one, but am reliably informed it is a

BLUE-CHINNED SAPPHIRE, also in Tobago and to make up the 'hat-trick' from the same Island

my Caribbean Martin turns out to be a WHITE-WINGED SWALLOW.

and whatever I noted these at was wrong as they are GREY-CHESTED MARTIN
it's making me giddy trying to keep pace.
Thanks go to all those who helped me out!