YUCATAN : Final Morning in Mexico

Day 10 / March 10 –  Our final morning in Mexico was full of bright sunshine, delicious food and spectacular scenery.  We returned to Cozumel’s north grid at dawn, where we got good looks at our final target, a Cozumel Rufous-browed Peppershrike.  Cave Swallows and Grey-breasted Martins swooped overhead while we scoped some perched White-fronted Parrots (above), and found Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and male Painted Bunting.

We briefly visited a local Country Club Golf Course (above) where American Coot, Moorhen, Spotted Sandpiper and Northern Jacanas were feeding around a pond.

We found a Green-breasted Mango on a nest directly over the parking lot, and watched it aggressively try to chase away a feeding Cozumel Yucatan Woodpecker (above). We pointed out the nesting hummingbird to the manager who was delighted to photograph it, and would surely share it with his patrons.

Amid the attractive, natural landscaping, we saw a Collared Peccary and two reptiles – a small Brown Anole (above) flashing his red dewlap, and a Brown Basilisk slithering through the undergrowth.  As we left the grounds, Bob spotted one of several White-crowned Pigeons flying quickly across the road.

We spent our final hour in Cozumel relaxing over fresh orange juice and delicious breakfast pastries at a local café.  We admired sleek, sparkling street decorations for the carnival festival, and ogled super-sized cruise ships anchored at the dock, overflowing with tourists.

We boarded the ferry and returned to the Cancun airport to catch afternoon flights home.  We were thrilled to see 250 bird species including a great number of Yucatan endemics, wonderful mammals highlighted by Puma, and amazing cultural experiences at the Mayan ruins.