Having bought our ferry tickets the evening before we were able to do a bit of birding in the park and on the beach next to the pier as we waited for it to depart to Cozumel where we hoped to connect with endemics. At the time of travel there were three endemics, although one, the Cozumel Thrasher, may have disappeared, or be so low in numbers that nobody sees it. We knew we wouldn't see this, but we were hopeful of finding the Hummingbird, Cozumel Emerald, and the fawn-coloured Cozumel Vireo. Shortly after we got back to the UK House Wren underwent a huge split and the bird on Cozumel was elevated to species. Unfortunately we didn't see one! |
| Funny Pigeons.... |
So, back to the ferry. There are a number of different companies all operating a slightly different schedule, and they go very frequently with the trip taking about 45 minutes. In the park were Great-tailed Grackle and a few Collared Dove, a Great Kiskadee, a Tropical Mockingbird and two Tropical Kingbird. A small number of Northern Rough-winged Swallow flitted south with a single Barn Swallow. Most of the activity was on the beach and over the sea, with a few Magnificent Frigatebird flying over and also sat on the pier, plenty of Brown Pelican, four Least Tern and six Royal Tern. There were also a lot of Laughing Gulls on the pier. White Ibis, Snowy Egret and Great White Egret also flew over, and there were Sanderling and Turnstone on the beach.
The crossing itself was virtually bird free, with birds only reappearing as we arrived into San Miguel. Having picked up our wreck of hire car a blocks away from the pier we drove a short distance to an eBird hotspot in town that had seemed good for Hummingbirds including Cozumel Emerald. Whilst we found a few Green-breasted Mango, mostly these were just flying very rapidly from one flowering plant to another and we didn't see anything perched for longer than a nano-second.
Our next stop was Parque Corazon, also allegedly good for Cozumel Emerald. Could we find one? No we could not! There were lots of Black Catbird and Yucatan Woodpeckers on the short loop here, but the best bird was easily a single Western Spindalis about a quarter of the way along anticlockwise. This is a Carribbean species, and Cozumel is the only place in Mexico where it occurs. I'd hoped we might see this as it was a world lifers, but to have it fall so easily and quickly was rather a surprise. Warblers were represented by Ovenbird, American Redstart, Northern Parula and Yellow Warbler.
By now it was gone midday, where does the time go? We stopped for a quick lunch and then birded the Planetarium. No Hummers once again, but it was decently birdy for the middle of the day. Our first Yucatan Vireo of the trip was here, with Vaux's Swift, Black-and-White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler and a Yellow-faced Grassquit.
Heading further south we drove along the coast to the village of El Cedral. Bizarrely there is an entrance fee, perhaps as this is a spot from where you can take quad bike tours and visit cenotes and caves. It's a good way to get ino the jungle, and the fee was minimal in the grand scheme of things. And we finally found Cozumel Emerald here visiting some nectar feeders on the south side of the village. These were in the garden of a resident American who knew his birds a bit and knew why were here. He stayed in his garden, and we stayed on the street, but it was all very friendly. The trip list here grew significantly, with Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Clay-coloured Thrush and Bananaquit. There was another Western Spindalis in the village.
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| Cozumel Emerald |
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| Ruddy Ground Dove |
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| Groove-billed Ani |
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| Yellow Warbler |
With the clock ticking we headed back to San Miguel for one last go at Cozumel Vireo at a spot on the southern side of the town quite near the Planetarium. Thankfully we found one in some trees on a track behind some houses, and what a lovely bird it is. Excellent view ensued, and even some photographs, perhaps the first decent ones of the day. We also found Yellow-throated Warbler here, Summer Tanager, Eastern Wood Pewee and Ruddy Ground Dove, and in some pools no bigger than large puddles a Solitary Sandpiper and a Least Sandpiper. With our spirits buoyed considerably by the Vireo, and feeling that we had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat we drove back into town, handed our car back, and caught the next ferry back to Playa del Carmen. We had seen exactly 50 species on the island. By now Parque Fundadores was buzzing with activity, families and groups of young people out eating, drinking and dancing. I treated myself to a daiquiri at a nearby bar and reflected on a very positive day with both the primary targets seen.
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| Cozumel Vireo |
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| Solitary Sandpiper |
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