Steve Howell on his just-completed tour to San Blas, Mexico

It was another ‘wonderful as usual’ San Blas tour in West Mexico. From great views of eponymous San Blas Jays the first morning to an amazing Lesser Ground-Cuckoo our last morning the birds kept us busy, but in a relaxed way based at a very comfortable hotel with excellent food. The area’s diversity was typified our first morning in San Blas, when we found Russet-crowned Motmot, Cassin’s Sparrow, and Surfbird within walking distance of the hotel! The mangrove boat trips with Boat-billed Herons, Northern Potoos, and Rufous-necked Wood-Rails were a favorite, and among many other highlights were Mexican Woodnymphs, Purplish-backed Jays, Squirrel Cuckoos, some large American Crocodiles, and of course the color-clashing male Painted Bunting. The weather was near perfect—warm and sunny except for one cool early morning, but just hot enough to make siestas a good idea. The range of habitats, from mangroves and cool pine-oak forest to deserted beaches and shade-coffee plantations, produced over 250 species in a week of birding, but all too soon it was over.

Compare this immature San Blas Jay on our first morning...

...With an adult Purplish-backed Jay, later in the week.

Birding in the shade-coffee forest we found many species, including...

 
This Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, which sunned itself at point-blank range!

 
The second of two Cassin’s Sparrows we found, a very rare migrant in the area.

 
White-eared Hummingbird was the commonest hummer on our day trip into the nearby mountains.

 
And as usual we saw good numbers of gaudy Painted Buntings, here an adult male.