Sarah Takes Up Birding

A hobby involving nature, travel, history, mythology, ecology, not too much sweat AND I get to keep something called a life list?  Count me in!  

My first true birding outing took place in Laguna Manialtepec, which proved a good place to begin.  The sheltered laguna hosts a mangrove forest, myriad flora and fauna and connects to the ocean.  Our guide Eve, son of owner Lalo of Lalo Ecotours, took us out in an outboard motor boat and pointed out many migrating birds that, like us, have moved here for warmer climes.  I think I even recognized a few of the great blue herons from the rookery outside Christian's place in Vancouver.

In three hours we saw 67 different species including Black-necked Stilt, Northern Jacana, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Elegant Tern, Inca Dove, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Amazon Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Scissor-tailed Flycather, Mangrove Vireo, Woodstork and Great-tailed Grackle.  We also spotted a massive green iguana sunning himself on a dead branch at the top of a tree and another large black iguana sunning himself on a rock.  

Alas, the peregrines do not arrive until December...

Pelicano (Pelican - it is very handy that many words in Spanish are similar to their English counterpart)

Snowy Egret on sandbar separating laguna from the ocean

American Anhinga or "Snake Bird" 

Gabilon Negro (Black Hawk)

Green Heron