The plan following Chichen Itza was to head straight for San Felipe, on the northern coast, for a hotel, and put in a few hours at the coastal port of Rio Logartos. The problem was that the road from Tizimin to Rio Logartos quickly turns from forest to more open low scrub and fields, which proved superb country for raptors. It was also the start of Vermilion Flycatcher territory. A lagoon and separate small pool on the journey were also productive. The first (crocodile) lagoon produced Black-necked Stilts and Sora, whilst the pool (Blue-winged Teal originally stopped the car) attracted Indigo Bunting and an almost touchable Scrub Euphonia.

Entering San Felipe, finding a hotel was put off further by some enticing mangrove swamps surrounding tidal mud flats on the south edge of town. It was littered with waders, our first Mangrove Swallows, more Vermillion Flycatchers, and the ridiculous sight of what was probably a feral Muscovy Duck trying to land with dignity on the mud. San Felipe is a small town based on its fishing boats, and a haven for Laughing (and one rogue Bonaparte’s) Gulls and Frigatebirds. The day ended spectacularly from the hotel balcony, with hundreds of herons and egrets passing over the water's edge to roost further East in semi-darkness. One group contained a line of over 100 Tricoloured Herons.

The last day in the Rio Logartos to Los Colorados strip was probably the best of the week, with a totally new avifauna and much easier birding (as compared with the neck-breaking forest work). The morning birding started where it had finished - in semi darkness on the hotel balcony. The tide was out, leaving plenty of mud for Yellow-crowned Night & Green Herons, along with other egrets. Small numbers of American White Pelicans were fishing in the channel. The mangrove swamps and exposed mud were as good again, with most of yesterdays waders, Belted Kingfisher finally putting in an appearance, and flyovers of White Pelican, ibis, cormorants and waders.

We then aimed for the crossroads, immediately South of Rio Logartos, which signalled the start of the Los Colorados road - the specific target was Lesser Roadrunner, but the road from San Felipe to the crossroads was too lively. A pool next to the road signalled great birding after we had stopped for a static Roadside Hawk. It was only metres from the pool which contained Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and Belted Kingfisher. We stayed here for over half an hour - there were plenty of flypast raptors (Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture amongst Turkey, Hook-billed Kite, Crane Hawk). This is also where we started to see the first hummers of the day, although only female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was definitely identified.

Another unsuccessful search for Roadrunners found us in Rio Logartos, another fishing village with a semi-enclosed sea front, with a length of tree covered islands offshore. On exposed sandspits in the channel were collections of birds, including Skimmers, Long-billed Curlew, gulls, terns, etc. We escaped the many Flamingo touts, but did end up chatting to Diego Martinez, who showed us an impressive collection of his own lists of birds in the area. We were going to allow him to take us on a boat trip, but lack of time persuaded us to drop in to the rubbish tip next to the crossroads (recommended by Diego). Looking around the dump for the last 1 hours of daylight found many Yucatan Wrens & Bobwhites, and two Lesser Roadrunners legging it away at an incredible (and funny) speed. A Laughing Falcon at the edge of the pool here was a lot paler than expected.