YUCATAN: Balamku Raptors and Bat Spectacle

Day 4 / March 4 – Today we drove deeper into the Yucatan, heading south towards Chetumal, then veering west to Calakmul, our destination. We stopped several times during our journey, enjoying sightings of Keel-billed Toucan (above) sunning themselves at first light, along with Blue-black Grassquits and White-collared Seedeaters feeding in the grasses.  Aside from numerous vultures, Roadside and Gray Hawks were the most common raptors, often perched on poles or tall trees giving them good vantage points.

A stretch of agricultural fields hosted many calling Black-throated Bobwhites, as well as Blue Grosbeak, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Bronzed Cowbirds.  Gray-breasted Martins hawked insects overhead, and we had excellent looks at a Laughing Falcon (above).

We reached Balamku (above) after lunch, giving us about two hours to explore this important archeological site located near the mouth of the road that leads to Calakmul.  Discovered in 1990, Balamku means “Temple of the Jaguar” in Mayan, so-named because of the well-preserved icons and friezes found on the structures.

In the midday heat we were pleased with the quality of avian activity, if not abundance. A Hook-billed and Crane Hawk were perched conspicuously near the entrance, along with Collared Aracari, Green-backed Sparrow, Gartered (above) and Black-headed Trogons.  Bob found an elusive Bicolored Hawk well-concealed deep in the woods, and we studied it through a scope for a long time before it flew off.

We checked into our nearby lodge before driving several kilometers back down the highway to the site of a well-known bat cave, where we eagerly prepared for the evening spectacle. The nickname “Volcán de los Murcielagos” (Bat volcano) references the huge number of bats emerging at once like an eruption, but the official name is Balamku, the same as the nearby ruins.

We positioned ourselves safely on the side of the fast-moving highway, not far from a “Bat Crossing” sign – an interesting variation of the common wildlife-crossing signs that dot the highways.

We focused on the ridgetop where the bats would emerge at dusk.  Raptors appeared shortly, awaiting the same show as us, but eager for a meal, not photos!  A Short-tailed Hawk circled over the ridge, followed by Gray and Roadside Hawks, then a pair of Bat Falcons.  Suddenly, one bat was spotted, opening the floodgates for hundreds of thousands more.  For nearly 30 minutes we watched in awe the spectacle of at least a million bats pouring out of their underground cave.  They swirled in a continuous, undulating stream of motion, soaring up and away from the ridge line in waves, their calls audible but not loud.  We were unable to find exact details, but several reports mention 2 million individuals and 8 different species.

We witnessed 4 raptors snag a bat and fly away with it in its talons.  As the light faded, we realized that some bats were crossing the road at eye level.  We saw them zip out of the shrubs and zoom straight for us, veering away at the last second in a whir of wings.  Miraculously, we didn’t see any get hit by the trucks that were passing at high speed.  This was a wildlife encounter that I will never forget.