Steve Howell on his just-completed private tour to San Blas and Colima

I just completed the first part of a private tour (the second part is ongoing with Rich Hoyer in Baja California). Great birding, warm weather, stunning scenery, good food, and, of course, friendly people everywhere, made this a wonderful trip with a great group of people. 

We traveled from idyllic sandy beaches (where a Black-vented Shearwater fed among pelicans in the surf!

To the spectacular Volcanes de Colima, which offered countless photo ops…

As well as many great birds, including the stunning Red Warbler.

One highlight was a procession of mesmerizing murmurations of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds (estimated in total at over a million birds!), which held us spellbound for half an hour!

Among the many Mexican endemics, this Blue Mockingbird showed well.

And rarity of the trip went to this wintering Purple Sandpiper at San Blas (a long way from the cold North Atlantic!), here alongside a Surfbird.