Back to the Tropics!!

Isla Cozumel

In about 16 hours, I will be on a flight back to the tropics.  This time, the destination is Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Belize and Guatemala.   I, along with a couple friends, will be alternately backpacking, birding, hitchhiking, bus-touring this region for the next two weeks.

Our goal is to see as many birds as possible including as many of the region's endemic species as possible.

After flying into Cancun, our first destination will be Playa Del Carmen to catch the ferry to Isla Cozumel to search for the four endemic species of birds found there.  

We will then bird along Vigia Chico road for a couple days before catching a bus to Belize City, and from there, to the small town of San Ignacio.  Once there, we will head up into the Mountain Pine Ridge preserve which is a spectacular preserve of sub-tropical pine trees, mountain streams, rocky pools, and awesome scenery.  

After birding there for a few days, we will catch the bus to Guatemala where we will head to the world-famous Tikal National Park where we will spend a day and a half birding the ancient Mayan ruins before catching a bus back to San Ignacio.

From there, we'll head back to Mexico to spend a couple days at Calakmul reserve where it sounds like we have our best chance for seeing a Jaguar, among other things.  

After that, we'll head north to Ria Lagartos estuarine preserve for some coastal mangrove and waterbirds including Flamingos.  Two days spent birding there will end our tour of the Yucatan Peninsula. We'll catch a bus back to Cancun and be back in the States for Christmas.

I will then have much to blog about and many photos to share.

Til then,
Happy Birding!
See you in a couple weeks!