Steve Howell reports from San Blas, Mexico

Steve is heading home after finishing two consecutive tours to this wonderful destination. Both tours were the same in that they were similar yet also quite different—you never see ‘everything’ on a single tour, but with two combined we really didn’t miss much.

Just another day birding in tropical sunny Mexico (photo by Luke Seitz)

Highlights of both included classic species such as Russet-crowned Motmot

the stunning Black-throated Magpie-Jay

the handsome Laughing Falcon

and the tiny Bumblebee Hummingbird. Photo by participant Li Li.

The first group enjoyed close studies of Lesser Ground-Cuckoo...

And the understated yet distinctive Flammulated Flycatcher

Whereas the second group drank in a point-blank, male Red-breasted Chat

And was lucky enough to encounter the little-known White-fronted Swift, seen only a handful of times since being described as new to science in 1992. Photo by participant Li Li.

Non-avian highlights included numerous colorful butterflies, such as this Common Banner...

And some extremely large American Crocodiles.

Here, our last picnic lunch in the field after a wonderful getaway to sunshine, great food, friendly people, and colorful birds before reluctant return to Covid madness in the “real world”