Rich Hoyer on his just-completed tour, Mexico: The Yucatan and Cozumel

For such a short tour, we certainly packed in the sightings and wonderful experiences. Among the more than 230 species of birds in six days, a bold and inquisitive Ruddy Crake on Cozumel was the group’s favorite sighting,

Ruddy Crake

and an even more confiding Cozumel Raccoon that same afternoon will be remembered fondly.

A relaxed racoon

Our morning boat ride through the Ría Lagartos estuary and mangroves was delightful, highlighted by blindingly pink American Flamingos and  a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron.

American Flamingoes 

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

A Turquoise-browed Motmot on a power line earlier that same morning was also among the tour favorites.

Turquoise-browed Motmot

The incredibly birdy Vigia Chico road was worth every visit, and one of our first stops featured a huge Pale-billed Woodpecker that foraged for several minutes at close range.

Pale-billed Woodpecker

We also identified more than thirty species of butterfly, such as the Mayan Crescent, a fitting name as we wandered the Maya ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itzá, admiring the structures and pondering the history between distractions provided by birds.

Mayan Crescent

Chichén Itzá