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Vacational Trip Reports
Yucatan January 2017 - Birds, Bikes, and Fish
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<blockquote data-quote="ovenbird43" data-source="post: 3513156" data-attributes="member: 64478"><p><strong>Jan 4: Morning Birding, Cozumel</strong></p><p></p><p>The state of Quintana Roo is geographically in the same time zone as U.S. central but observes what is effectively year-round daylight savings. This meant a rather late sunrise a bit after 7 am. To be out with the birds in time, I headed out on my rental bike a quarter after 6. It was a pleasant and easy ride through town, onto the main road heading northeast out of town toward the sewage plant as described in Howell's birdfinding guide.</p><p></p><p>As I left the outskirts of town and the road turned to dirt, I heard several <strong>Common Paraques</strong> calling in the predawn twilight, with a <strong>Tropical Mockingbird</strong> on the ground underneath a streetlamp my first sighting of the day. I pedaled slowly along the road, listening to familiar mewing of <strong>Grey Catbirds</strong> and chip notes of <strong>Yellow Warblers</strong> among the many less familiar calls. As it got brighter I spotted the first of many <strong>Black Catbirds</strong>, jet black and very vocal.</p><p></p><p>The birdfinding guide describes several different stops along this road, but having no way to measure kilometer markings other than a rough sense of distance, I just stopped here and there along the road to listen and look. Birds were everywhere, not a dry spot to be found. <strong>Yellow Warblers</strong> and <strong>Yellow-faced Grassquits </strong>were abundant, with many <strong>American Redstarts</strong> in the mix. A <strong>Bright-rumped Attila</strong> called repeatedly in the distance. The <strong>Cozumel House Wren</strong> was quite common by voice, with a song reminiscent of the more widespread northern races yet distinctly different, and a few obliged me with good views. Most little warbler flocks held a <strong>White-eyed Vireo</strong> or a <strong>Yucatan Vireo</strong>. The <strong>Cozumel Emerald</strong> was an easy and smart target, the male a glittering green with longish forked tail. Several <strong>Northern Beardless Tyrannulets</strong> were about and very vocal, their plaintive calls somewhat different than I recall hearing in Arizona and Sonora, and their funny tail-wagging a behavior I hadn't noticed before.</p><p></p><p>It was still early when I reached the end of the road, at the entrance to the sewage treatment plant where a sandy track leads on another kilometer or so through some wetlands. This is a great spot for <strong>Ruddy Crake</strong>, and I could hear many from where I stood. However, due to recent rain the entrance to the track was engulfed in a huge puddle, continuous with the wetlands to either side. I couldn't ride through or walk around it without getting my shoes soaked. Ruddy Crakes would be nice but not a lifer, so I decided to turn around and focus the rest of the morning on the scrub birds - I was still looking for one Cozumel endemic, the Cozumel Vireo.</p><p></p><p>As I worked my way back I spotted the beautiful Cozumel race of <strong>Bananaquit</strong>, with a white rather than gray throat, and the duskier Cozumel race of <strong>Blue-gray Gnatcatcher</strong>. I could hear <strong>Rufous-browed Peppershrike</strong> singing in several areas but never got a look. <strong>Yucatan Woodpeckers</strong> were fairly common, although I never got better than quick in-flight views, with identification aided by voice. Partway back down the road I found a trail leading off to the right and decided to explore it. The trail led down into an open area with several little marshes. Here I got to see a <strong>Ruddy Crake</strong> after all - right out in the open in one of these big puddles! Then I heard a <strong>Cozumel Vireo</strong> calling from the other side of the opening - I couldn't quite get through the maze of puddles, but I still managed to spot the bird working its way edge of the scrub on the far side. What a smart-looking vireo, subtle beauty with bold wing bars and eye markings!</p><p></p><p>The trails also produced<strong> Northern Waterthrush</strong> and <strong>Caribbean Elaenia</strong> before a good rain set in. I hunkered underneath some trees while the worst of it passed, careful not to stand underneath a poisonwood tree - I'm not particularly susceptible to its poison ivy relative, but having heard from others that it's worse than poison ivy and can be contracted by sensitive persons without direct contact, I didn't want to tempt fate. The rain eased up a bit but by now it was approaching 10 am, bird activity was slowing, and I hadn't yet had coffee or breakfast - I needed to head to town to eat and get ready for my afternoon snorkeling trip. So I pedaled back to town and had a tasty brunch right on the waterfront at Restaurant Palmeras.</p><p></p><p>Complete checklist from the morning:</p><p><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33432166" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33432166</a></p><p></p><p>Next up... the reef fish!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ovenbird43, post: 3513156, member: 64478"] [B]Jan 4: Morning Birding, Cozumel[/B] The state of Quintana Roo is geographically in the same time zone as U.S. central but observes what is effectively year-round daylight savings. This meant a rather late sunrise a bit after 7 am. To be out with the birds in time, I headed out on my rental bike a quarter after 6. It was a pleasant and easy ride through town, onto the main road heading northeast out of town toward the sewage plant as described in Howell's birdfinding guide. As I left the outskirts of town and the road turned to dirt, I heard several [B]Common Paraques[/B] calling in the predawn twilight, with a [B]Tropical Mockingbird[/B] on the ground underneath a streetlamp my first sighting of the day. I pedaled slowly along the road, listening to familiar mewing of [B]Grey Catbirds[/B] and chip notes of [B]Yellow Warblers[/B] among the many less familiar calls. As it got brighter I spotted the first of many [B]Black Catbirds[/B], jet black and very vocal. The birdfinding guide describes several different stops along this road, but having no way to measure kilometer markings other than a rough sense of distance, I just stopped here and there along the road to listen and look. Birds were everywhere, not a dry spot to be found. [B]Yellow Warblers[/B] and [B]Yellow-faced Grassquits [/B]were abundant, with many [B]American Redstarts[/B] in the mix. A [B]Bright-rumped Attila[/B] called repeatedly in the distance. The [B]Cozumel House Wren[/B] was quite common by voice, with a song reminiscent of the more widespread northern races yet distinctly different, and a few obliged me with good views. Most little warbler flocks held a [B]White-eyed Vireo[/B] or a [B]Yucatan Vireo[/B]. The [B]Cozumel Emerald[/B] was an easy and smart target, the male a glittering green with longish forked tail. Several [B]Northern Beardless Tyrannulets[/B] were about and very vocal, their plaintive calls somewhat different than I recall hearing in Arizona and Sonora, and their funny tail-wagging a behavior I hadn't noticed before. It was still early when I reached the end of the road, at the entrance to the sewage treatment plant where a sandy track leads on another kilometer or so through some wetlands. This is a great spot for [B]Ruddy Crake[/B], and I could hear many from where I stood. However, due to recent rain the entrance to the track was engulfed in a huge puddle, continuous with the wetlands to either side. I couldn't ride through or walk around it without getting my shoes soaked. Ruddy Crakes would be nice but not a lifer, so I decided to turn around and focus the rest of the morning on the scrub birds - I was still looking for one Cozumel endemic, the Cozumel Vireo. As I worked my way back I spotted the beautiful Cozumel race of [B]Bananaquit[/B], with a white rather than gray throat, and the duskier Cozumel race of [B]Blue-gray Gnatcatcher[/B]. I could hear [B]Rufous-browed Peppershrike[/B] singing in several areas but never got a look. [B]Yucatan Woodpeckers[/B] were fairly common, although I never got better than quick in-flight views, with identification aided by voice. Partway back down the road I found a trail leading off to the right and decided to explore it. The trail led down into an open area with several little marshes. Here I got to see a [B]Ruddy Crake[/B] after all - right out in the open in one of these big puddles! Then I heard a [B]Cozumel Vireo[/B] calling from the other side of the opening - I couldn't quite get through the maze of puddles, but I still managed to spot the bird working its way edge of the scrub on the far side. What a smart-looking vireo, subtle beauty with bold wing bars and eye markings! The trails also produced[B] Northern Waterthrush[/B] and [B]Caribbean Elaenia[/B] before a good rain set in. I hunkered underneath some trees while the worst of it passed, careful not to stand underneath a poisonwood tree - I'm not particularly susceptible to its poison ivy relative, but having heard from others that it's worse than poison ivy and can be contracted by sensitive persons without direct contact, I didn't want to tempt fate. The rain eased up a bit but by now it was approaching 10 am, bird activity was slowing, and I hadn't yet had coffee or breakfast - I needed to head to town to eat and get ready for my afternoon snorkeling trip. So I pedaled back to town and had a tasty brunch right on the waterfront at Restaurant Palmeras. Complete checklist from the morning: [url]http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33432166[/url] Next up... the reef fish! [/QUOTE]
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