Today we birded at Yaxchilan Mayan ruins. To reach this site, we took a boat trip along the river that forms the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Our craft was a narrow hulled painted motorized canoe with a palm frond canopy, steered by our eagle-eyed skipper who took us in for close up views of an enormous crocodile basking on the river bank, the same bank from which locals were happily washing their clothes and bathing, sooner them than us!
Yaxchilan proved to be a fantastic birding venue and the few hours we had there were nowhere near long enough, we could easily have spent the whole day here, there were so many birds to see. After walking through a pitch black tunnel which gave no hint of what was to come, we emerged into a sunlit forest glade which had grown up around amazing Mayan ruins, some of which still bearing incredible carvings, which we admired after birding! One fruiting tree held us captivated for two hours alone. The undoubted highlight here was Lovely Cotinga, not one bird but at least four of these gorgeous birds including adult males in striking turquoise blue and purple plumage. Add to the mix Keel-billed Toucan and Yellow-winged Tanager and Black-headed Trogon, and you can see why we were so absorbed by just one tree! On the return boat trip, not only were we treated to a wonderful rosy sunset but also scored Lesser Nighthawk over the river.
8.1.08 Posted 11.1.08