Pok ta Pok golf course

As usual with golf courses abroad, this area was very good for birds - and right next to the hotel as a bonus. Between the fairways were scattered clumps of trees, with one side of the course adjoining the lagoon. The bushes and trees on the perimeter of the golf course were lower and quite dense, and sheltered all sorts of local and migrant birds. Wood warblers (presumably on passage in most cases) were in the latter areas as well as Flycatchers and Hummingbirds. The trees scattered throughout the centre of the course were good for Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds, and more wood warblers. The greens and fairways also held a small selection of birds, in particular Ground & White-winged Doves, Sparrows, and Grackles. The main lagoon in the centre of the hotel area is extensive - perhaps 10km in length - and seems in the main devoid of birds (motorised watersports are held on here). Those that did appear included Frigatebirds, Ospreys, Cormorants and Pelicans overhead, in reasonably regular but small numbers. The strong winds perhaps kept some of the passerines under cover of the bushes. Species such as Bananaquit and Common Tody Flycatcher were unexpected, and again kept to the denser areas of vegetation.

Jardin Botanico Dr. Alfredo Barrera M. (Botanical Garden)

A deserved lie in got us to the gates of the Botanical Gardens at 7:30am, but the English-less gardener wouldn’t let us in, so we went to the seafront east of Puerto Morelos instead. The area covered was low coastal scrub, bounded by trees and mangrove pools, and was a good move, with long awaited Scissor-tailed Flycatcher along with male Blue Grosbeak & Common Tody Flycatcher. If the gardener had been more accommodating, we would have missed out !

We finally entered the gardens at 9:15. It was reminiscent of our earlier forest birding, but on a smaller scale and with lower tree canopies - not as painful. Just as much patience was needed, however. The gardens were not as impressive as we had expected - a week’s solid birding and its toll might have contributed! The local speciality of Yucatan Vireo did appear on a few occasions. Laugh of the morning was adding Moorhen as one of the last species to the trip list. Additional interesting birds in the gardens were Black-capped Tityra, Hooded Warbler, Squirrel Cuckoo and Bright-rumped Attilla.