YUCATAN: Flamingos of Las Coloradas

Day 7 / March 7 – We awoke early, eager to explore the northern part of the Yucatan. Valladolid (pronounced Bye-yah-doe-leed) makes a comfortable base from which to reach surrounding areas. With a population of over 50,000 people, the colonial town features interesting architecture, good restaurants and colorful shops.

We drove north out of the main plaza square, reaching the coastal town of Ria Lagartos in 1.5 hours where we met up with Ismael, our knowledgeable local guide. He was happy to show us our target Yucatan Wrens (above) moving noisily among shrubby thickets, along with a covey of Black-throated (Yucatan) Bobwhites. Turquoise-browed Motmots were staking out territories in a limestone quarry full of Black Iguanas, and Mexican Sheartails flashed their forked tails and brilliant plumages in the bright sunshine.

We saw Eastern Meadowlark, Common Ground-Dove, Vermillion Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Savannah Sparrow, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Orchard Orioles and a Merlin. A nice find was a Cinnamon Hummingbird (above) on a nest. The skies were filled with soaring vultures, along with frequent flyover White-fronted Parrots, Osprey, White-tailed Hawk and Great Black Hawk. Shallow ponds hosted Blue-winged Teal and Black-necked Stilt.

Arriving at the salt flats of Las Coloradas, we were amazed and thrilled to see thousands of American Flamingos (above) feeding on brine shrimp.  Groups of vivid pink birds stalked in the salty waters, with unbelievably tall legs and long necks. It was evident in the pairings that the males were significantly taller than the females.

Large flocks of shorebirds included Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers, Sanderlings, and a Snowy Plover (above) chasing brine flies.

We visited the Las Coloradas town beach, where many fishing boats bobbed in the waters just a few meters from shore, anchored by long ropes in the sand.  Ruddy Turnstones posed on the dock, while a Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, and Brown Pelicans swarmed around the fishermen, eager for scraps.  Magnificent Frigatebirds circled overhead, ever-vigilant for an opportunity to steal another bird’s hard-earned meal.

Ismael escorted us to his family’s restaurant, “Isla Contoy” situated dock-side on a picturesque lagoon.  The ceaseless activities of fishing boats, gulls, terns and pelicans just outside the window distracted us from our delicious seafood meal.  Immediately after lunch we took a two-hour boat ride along Ria Lagartos to the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico – a wonderfully interesting and relaxing ride in the gorgeous blue waters and brilliant sunshine.

Our boat meandered past mangrove coves where we saw Roseate Spoonbill, Tri-colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, two Bare-throated Tiger-Herons including an immature (above), Boat-billed Heron, White Ibis, Belted Kingfisher, and Morelet’s Crocodiles.

Moving on, we encountered Reddish Egrets of both morphs dancing in the shallows behind a sandbar full of sitting birds (above), including Black Skimmers, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, American White Pelicans, Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Foster’s Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Black-bellied Plovers.  We spotted two Great White Herons tucked against a shrub with their wings cupped open, behavior not exhibited by Great Egrets.  Our boatman, Santiago, picked out a lone Anhinga soaring high over our heads among a flock of frigatebirds.

We returned to Las Coloradas to look for Zenaida Dove, with success. This is the only part of Mexico where they are found. As daylight faded, we enjoyed the spectacle once more, of thousands of American Flamingos feeding in the salty waters, silhouetted by a brilliantly-colored sunset. We moved around the dirt roads of the salt pans, seeking the best angle for photos in the setting sun.  We came across a Willet, adding another species to our long list of shorebirds, and, a lone Peregrine Falcon crouched against the ground, concealing himself to ambush the unsuspecting flocks.  Several Long-billed Curlews were seen feeding in tall grasses as we left the area. It was a glorious ending to our day on the coast.