Puerto Vallarta - Masters of the Ocean

This is the first of a number of blogs about my past week in Veracruz. I'll concentrate here on one of my favourite genres of birds - tropical seabirds. The Bay of Banderas was excellent. Despite the throngs of tourists on the beaches, a number of quality seabirds fished close in, allowing for some nice photos.

Most noticeable were the Brown Pelicans, loafing around on boats, and divebombing spectacularly into the ocean.

Equally impressive were the Magnificent Frigatebirds. Class acts, and masters of the sky.

This adult male soared for a while before dipping down to the ocean to grab some food.

I'd seen the Pelicans and Frigatebirds at Veracruz, but next up were two members of a new family - the Boobies.

There were plenty of Brown Boobies in the bay, often joining up with the Pelicans in fishing parties.

The rarer Blue-footed Boobies took some picking out, though, and I was pleased to capture this one plummeting from the sky.

Terns were a constant presence offshore. Hordes of Elegant Terns fished close in, and further out were a mass of Black Terns, wintering in these warm waters.

Perhaps the biggest bonus, though, came on a boat trip to Yelapa. I picked out a Black Storm-Petrel skipping along the waves. Superb birding!