I took a boat trip to Yelapa for an afternoon with some friends. Yelapa is a small coastal inlet with a gorgeous beach and river mouth. I knew straight away that the birding had real potential, but unfortunately couldn't escape the attention of Gringo - our annoying Mexican tour guide. He didn't realise that I wanted to bird, not listen to his dodgy stories or buy weed off him!
I finally broke free of the group and managed about an hour exploring the river mouth. The beach was packed with some pretty nasty customers...these Black Vultures allowing a close approach.
Nearby were some nicer bids, though. Black-necked Stilts waded as elegantly as ever, and this Spotted Sandpiper hopped along the side of a boat, reminiscent of the Turnstones at Bridlington Pier.
I expected the birdlife to be best up the river, though, and so employed a controversial tactic - the river wade. This allowed me to get very close to some great birds. Firstly, I picked up a couple of White Ibises on a sand bank with a Snowy Egret, and then things started to kick off on the forest edge. A Lineated Woodpecker alighted on a nearby tree, and underneath it a big, clumsy bird smashed through the undergrowth. It's white belly and rufous chest revealed it as a West Mexican Chachalaca, quite a find.
It was time to head back to the group, but not before I got very close to a Neotropic Cormorant and a fine Little Blue Heron.
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