Day 9 / March 9 – We awoke well before dawn to beat the heat on this picturesque ‘isla bonita’.  Common Paraques were still calling as we drove to the north side of the island, where the pavement ends, and the road continues as a bumpy but passable dirt road.  In a few kilometers we…

Day 8 / March 8 – Chichen Itza, the most famous of the Yucatan Mayan ruins, beckoned us with stories of a mysterious astronomical calendar, a gruesome ball court and children’s bones inexplicably piled inside a pyramid.  David, our local guide and expert in Mayan archeology, described these wonders of Chichen Itza, and much more.…

Rare Bird Alert :: Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers          Okay, not what you expected! Rare Bird Alert is actually a new album by Steve Martin (on banjo) and a fine group of musicians… with special guests Paul McCartney and The Dixie Chicks. The album title was inspired by the new…

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…

2011 IS THE YEAR TO LAND ON THE GALAPAGOS! The new regulations begin in 2012. The Galapagos National Park has issued a notice to all tour operators informing them that all Galapagos vessels must begin operating with a 15-day/14-night itinerary as of 2012. This would require an 17 or 18-day total trip to include the…

Day 6 / March 6 – Today we began a half-hour earlier than yesterday, in the hopes of seeing more wildlife during the wee hours of the morning.  We were thrilled when our efforts were so richly rewarded!  Driving slowly back down the 60-km road to Calakmul, we heard the spine-chilling roars of Howler Monkeys…

Day 5 / March 5 – Once the largest city of the Mayan Empire, the ruins of Calakmul are now recognized as a World Heritage site, and a critically important archeological site and Biosphere Reserve. Indeed, we found the fascinating pyramids and expansive wildlife of Calakmul were wonderful to explore. Based at the charmingly rustic…

I got a pleasant surprise when I opened the March / April 2011 issue of Wild Bird magazine – photographs of Wildside Nature Tours leaders – Adrian Binns, Glenn Crawford and Kevin Loughlin. The two photos accompany several articles – A Guide for Better Birding by Peter Stangel (above – Glenn, Crawford (l) and Adrian…

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…

Day 3 / March 3 – The town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto served as our home base for two nights, while we birded in this Mayan heart of Quintana Roo. We focused on the Vigia Chico Road, starting at the edge of town and working our way through tropical, semi-deciduous forest which hosts a high…

I waited a long time to get my new Verizon iPhone, so I definitely want to protect it! I am hard on equipment and am prone to dropping things, so I needed a case that would stand up to the abuse I might throw at my new phone. I also use many Apps on my…

Coopers Hawk Yesterday morning I finally had the opportunity to do a little bit of birding during my trip to San Diego for the annual Bird Fest. Mike from Nikon Sport Optics picked me up along with Marci from the Rio Grand Valley Bird Fest and Ben from Eagle Optics. The Cooper’s Hawk pictured above…