Wildlife by Kevin Harris: January 2009

Here are various pictures from my recent holiday to Mexico. We stayed at the RIU Yucatan in Playacar, Quintana Roo, about 1 hour South of Cancun airport.

Wildlife seen at the Hotel

In the grounds

The most frequently seen birds around the Hotel were Great-Tailed Grackles. These were often very noisy and seemed to mimic a variety of sounds. The males were all black with a long fan-shaped tail. The females were browner.

Great-Tailed Grackle (quiscalus mexicanus)

In the garden area outside our room the splendidly colouful Yucatan Jays were regular visitors. As were the less colourful Brown Jays.

Yucatan Jay (cyanocorax yucatanicus)

Brown Jay (cyanocorax morio)

In the garden behind the room there was also the occasional Iguana and, Agoutis were always running around the lawns all over the Hotel.

Central American Agouti (dasyprocta punctata)

One day a family party of Howler monkeys came over the roof of the Hotel and climbed away through the trees. The party included 1 male and 1 youngster.

Howler Monkey (alouatta pigra)

A few Parakeets were also seen flying around the Hotel and a Yucatan Woodpecker was in a tree near the swimming pool one day. A large bat was also seen on the first evening flying around the hotel garden, but was not seen again.

At the Beach

The Hotel beach also proved to be a good place to watch birds.

Artificial sand banks had been constructed all along the beach, about 10m from the shoreline, as a hurricane defence. These sandbanks attracted a number of Laughing Gulls, Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones.

Laughing Gulls (larus atricilla)

Sanderling (calidris alba)

It was possible to swim right up close to the birds without disturbing them.

Brown Pelicans were also regularly seen. We had to take care when we were swimming as the Pelicans would swoop down to catch fish with no regard to swimmers! They are very big birds.

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Turkey Vultures could also be seen flying over the trees over Playacar and occasionally a Snowy Egret would fly by.

At sea two types of Terns were often seen close to the shore and Magnificent Frigate Birds would be gliding along further out.

Tern

Wildlife around Playacar

Playacar is a private development just South of Playa del Carmen. The area consists of a number of hotels, up-market houses and condos around a central golf course. A number of birds were seen around the resort and one morning on the way out I saw a Squirrel Monkey out of the coach window, close to the junction with the main highway.

A very small lizard was seen across the road fom the entrance to the RIU Yucatan.

Lizard

Yucatan Woodpecker (melanerpes pygmaeus)

Ash-Throated Flycatcher (myiarchus cinerascens)

Northern Parula (parula americana)

Turkey Vulture (cathartes aura)

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)

Northern Mockingbird (mimus polyglottos)

Great-Tailed Grackle (quiscalus mexicanus)

Social Flycatcher (myiozetetes similis)

A particularly good spot was a small lake at the edge of the golf course by the entrance to the RIU Lupita hotel. A Snowy Egret was also seen here one day from the coach.

Juvenile White Ibis (eudocimus albus)

Black-Necked Stilt (himantopus mexicanus)

American Coot (fulica americana)

Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors)

Coba

On the journey to Coba many Turkey Vultures were seen. A few birds were seen in the area including this dove.

Coba from the top of the pyramid.

An important food source to the Mayan people was honey a few of the indiginous Mayan Bees were seen. These are much smaller than normal honey bees.