9 - 15 JANUARY 1993

by Greg & Debi Jackson

Notes on birding spots (supplementing Edward's guides):

Cozumel Island - best near Hotel El Presidente (old road in guide, hotel grounds, and old road along shore n. of hotel).  Also good along paved El Cedral Road (where Cozumel Thrasher was found).

Felipe Carillo Puerto - dirt road for selective logging east of 307 0.8 km n. of signed turn to Laguna Ocum south of town.  Goes at least two miles through great forest with large trees; easy walking; many side trails not explored (less well-travelled).

Bacalar - south of Bacalar is dirt road to east from 307 leading to Baleaneraio Restaurant 6.5 km n. of junction with 186.  Mixed habitat.

Bacalar - 186 west of 307 has several interesting areas.  Gated dirt road to south at 10.5 km west of 307 is good pulloff for viewing marshy ponds with waterbirds such as Gray-necked Wood-Rail and N. Jaçana (best light in AM).  About five km west of this pulloff is large gravel road to south (only road of this type in area).  This goes for miles through mixed habitats of sugar cane fields, scrub woods, and forested ridges.  Many branch roads to explore.  Continue 20.0 km w. of 307 to dirt road on s. leading up to microwave tower.  The east side of this hill gives good vantage point in late afternoon.

Kohunlich - Good forested habitat at and just before ruins on access road.

Tulum - not much birding, mostly open area, good sea views.

Cobá - Lake shore good for orioles and others at Villas Archaeogicas, marsh good at spots, especially near ruins.  Ruin grounds excellent, with many easy trails.  Birding also good along paved road near turn to Cobá.

Chichén Itzá - good birding on grounds of Mayaland and Hacienda Chichén hotels.  Walk through gate of latter and walk east staying to the left of the hotel.  Take dirt road to southeast near old church through good low woods, leads to old Mayan complex.  Ruin grounds also provide access to woodlands.

Uxmal - Good birding in parking lots and access road, as well as in ruins.  More trees than Chichén Itzá.  Good woodland trail to Temple of the Phalli.  Also good patch of trees to left just before Pyramid of the Magician.

Progreso - Take turn to east on good road toward Chicxulub Puerto along south side of lagoon before reaching town of Progreso.  Good access to waterbirds, with easy pulloffs and little traffic.  At Chicxulub Puerto, turn south to wet scrub.  Road goes through this for miles, and has little traffic.  Park in various drives along way.

Hotels:

Villas Maya, Akumal - very nice, good beach; very good restaurants
Hotel Laguna Bacalar - inexpensive, clean, basic, great views; food acceptable
Rancho Encantado, Bacalar (inspected only) - very nice, great grounds; good food
Villa Arqueológica, Cobá - very nice, very good food
Mayaland, Chichén Itzá - older, clean, large rooms, nice grounds
Casa del Balam, Merida - good location downtown, nice, stylish, street noise

Restaurants (other than at hotels):

Villa Arqueológica, Chichén Itzá - very good
La Bella Epoca, Merida - excellent
Los Almendros, Merida - very good (Mayan)
 

Sites visited: Cozumel Island (CI) (one day)
  Felipe Carillo Puerto (parts of one AM, one PM)
  Bacalar to Kohunlich (1 1/2 days)
  Cobá (one day)
  Chichén Itzá (ChI) (one AM)
  Uxmal (one AM)
  Progreso (one late PM)

[h] = heard only

Life Birds: GDJ (26), DGJ (18), GDJ & DGJ.  Total species GDJ: 171 (69 new for Mexico).

Slaty-breasted Tinamou [h]
Least Grebe (C)
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant (P)
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green-backed Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Roseate Spoonbill (P)
Wood Stork (B-K)
Greater Flamingo (P)
Blue-winged Teal
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Black-shouldered Kite
Gray Hawk
Roadside Hawk
White-tailed Hawk (CI)
Crested Caracara (P)
Laughing Falcon (w of Xcan, Yuc.)
Bat Falcon (B-K)
Peregrine Falcon (CI)
Plain Chachalaca
Gray-necked Wood-Rail (B-K)
Purple Gallinule (C)
Common Moorhen (C)
Killdeer (CI)
Black-necked Stilt (B-K,P)
Northern Jaçana (C)
Greater Yellowlegs (B-K,P)
Lesser Yellowlegs (P)
Solitary Sandpiper (B-K)
Spotted Sandpiper (CI)
Ruddy Turnstone (Playa del Carmen)
Laughing Gull
Gull-billed Tern (P)
Royal Tern
Forster's Tern (P)
Rock Dove
Red-billed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Common Ground-Dove (CI)
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Olive-throated Parakeet
White-fronted Parrot (B-K,ChI)
Yellow-lored Parrot (B-K)
Mangrove Cuckoo (CI)
Lesser Roadrunner (w of ChI)
Groove-billed Ani
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (C) [h]
Mottled Owl (C) [h]
Vaux's Swift
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (C)
Green-breasted Mango (CI,B-K)
Fork-tailed Emerald
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (B-K)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (B-K)
Violaceous Trogon (FCP,C)
Collared Trogon (FCP)
Blue-crowned Motmot (C)
Turquoise-browed Motmot (ChI)
Ringed Kingfisher (B-K)
Belted Kingfisher (C)
Emerald Toucanet (s. of Akumal)
Collared Araçari (n. of FCP)
Keel-billed Toucan (FCP)
Red-vented Woodpecker (n. of C)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (U)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (B-K)
Golden-Olive Woodpecker (B-K)
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper (FCP)
Olivaceous Woodcreeper (FCP,C)
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (FCP,C,ChI)
Barred Antshrike (B-K) [h]
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (C)
Caribbean Elaenia (CI)
Yellow-bellied Elaenia (U)
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher (FCP)
pewee sp. (U)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (FCP)
Least Flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher (P)
Bright-rumped Attila (B-K,C)
Yucatan Flycatcher (C)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher (C) [h]
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Gray Kingbird (CI)
Rose-throated Becard (B-K,C)
Masked Tityra (C,U)
Black-crowned Tityra (C)
Red-capped Manakin (FCP)
Tree Swallow
Mangrove Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cave Swallow (Tulum,U)
Green Jay (C,ChI)
Brown Jay
Yucatan Jay
Yucatan Wren (P)
Spot-breasted Wren
Carolina Wren
House Wren (CI)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Tropical Gnatcatcher (C)
Wood Thrush
Clay-colored Robin
Gray Catbird
Black Catbird (CI,P)
Northern Mockingbird
Tropical Mockingbird
Cozumel Thrasher (CI)
White-eyed Vireo
Cozumel Vireo (CI)
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yucatan Vireo (CI)
Tawny-crowned Greenlet (FCP)
Lesser Greenlet (C)
Rufous-browed Peppershrike (CI,C,ChI)
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (CI)
Hooded Warbler
Golden-crowned Warbler (FCP)
Bananaquit (CI)
Scrub Euphonia (C,U)
Yellow-throated Euphonia (C)
Red-throated Ant-Tanager (FCP,C)
Rose-throated Tanager (FCP,C)
Summer Tanager
Grayish Saltator (U)
Black-headed Saltator
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (U)
Blue Grosbeak (C)
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting (CI)
Green-backed Sparrow (B-K)
White-collared Seedeater (B-K,C)
Yellow-faced Grassquit (CI,ChI)
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Yellow-backed Oriole (C)
Orange Oriole (C,U)
Altamira Oriole
Northern (Baltimore) Oriole (B-K)
Yellow-billed Cacique (C)

Greg D. Jackson