700 or Bust – Lifer Countdown – Reflections of the Pure World

With an obnoxiously loud BEEP BEEP BEEP, my 5:00 am alarm woke me from a deep sleep. The adrenaline immediately kicked in and I used to be actually leaping off the bed. I used to be sure that at the moment would deliver me lifer species quantity 700. I used to be on a return go to to the paranormal Yucatan Peninsula, having simply visited there a month earlier than. I once more requested the companies of Amar Aves hen professional, Miguel Amar Uribe and had booked a 6-day tour of the peninsula. Miguel and Claudio Lopez had met me on the Cancun Worldwide Airport the night time earlier than and we drove to the city of Rio Lagartos to spend the night time.

I opened the door and regarded throughout the road to the malecón and watched the tour boats gently rocking with the water and will hear the waves lap towards them. I used to be sitting at 683 life Birds, with my final lifer being a Inexperienced-breasted Mango on the Isla de Cozumel in December of final 12 months (2021). The listing of potential life birds on this space was staggering and with visions of unique hummingbirds, colourful trogons and flamboyant flamingos in my head, I wandered alongside the malecón, attempting to get a way of simply how spectacular the day could be. At 5:30, Miguel, Claudio and I had been joined by “Chino” Santiago Contreras and we headed out to discover the close by forests with plans to return to take a noon boat tour of the bay. Moreover being one of many elite birders of the area, Chino could be our skipper for the tour by way of the Parque Pure Ría Lagartos.

Quick-forward to our arrival again at Rio Lagartos, having simply checked off lifers #695 Yucatan Wren and #696 Cinnamon Hummingbird.

We stopped briefly on the hummingbird home on Calle 17 to get a take a look at dozens of Mexican Sheartails (lifer #697) and Cinnamon Hummingbirds.

As we boarded Chino’s boat to start our tour of the bay we had a number of frigatebirds and cormorants and Laughing Gulls flying throughout us.

We cruised across the shallow bay adjoining to Rio Lagartos viewing an assortment of shorebirds and herons with a quick view of a Clapper Rail.

We continued our sluggish commute alongside the banks of the river when Claudio immediately yells out “Naked-throated Tiger-Heron”! Chino guided the boat skillfully as we floated in direction of a fantastic hen that acted as if we weren’t there in any respect. After a number of dozen pictures, we had been off in the hunt for my subsequent lifer.

At this level the bay narrowed to extra like a river with vegetation towering alongside both sides. First we heard, after which we noticed a Frequent Black Hawk #699. We received to see and {photograph} first an immature hen after which an grownup. ALMOST TO #700!

As we rounded a bend, the panorama opened up and earlier than us within the distance was a rating of lifer birds #700, in any other case often known as AMERICAN FLAMINGOS.

Chino was very thoughtful as to by no means hassle these magnificent wonders of nature, however my 500mm lens introduced me a lot shut sufficient to get some good pictures.

By this time the solar was beginning to get low on the horizon bathing the flamingos in a heat glowing gentle.

As we headed again in direction of Rio Lagartos, I used to be exhausted and exhilarated on the similar time. What a grand journey, and this was solely the primary day!

Lastly, an enormous thanks and shout out to the type people at Mexico Kan Excursions (Fb Hyperlink), Amar Aves (Web site Hyperlink), Miguel Amar Uribe, Claudio Lopez (Fb Hyperlink) and our skipper “Chino” Santiago Contreras (Fb Hyperlink).