Morning Birding at Río Lagartos and driving to Chichén Itzá (Day 2)
Another early start of the day as we climbed on Diego's 4x4 to explore land part of the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve to try to locate as many endemic bird species as possible. Few sips of fresh coffee and sightings of Groove billed Ani’s and Mot Mots on the way jump started our brains.
This unique 230+ square mile of protected land boasts of 9 different ecosystems namely mangroves, small estuaries, semi-evergreen forest, low deciduous forest, coastal dunes, coastal lagoons, marches and savannas, grasslands and finally reed beds. It also has Mexico’s first Ramsar (a wetland site of international importance under UNESCO’s Ramsar convention in Iran) wetland site.
We kept driving along the area for a few hours till 10 am as the sun became too hot for the small birds to be out in the open. During the trip we went through 5 of the different ecosystems and saw numerous types of birds from pygmy owls, motmots,ani, roadrunner to reddish egret, roseate spoonbill, wood rail. We came back to the lodge wishing we had another morning there.
We had a quick late breakfast of pescado soup and went out on the water with Andrea towards los coloradas. Before taking off Diego was gracious enough to let me fly the drone from his property to capture the beautiful and colorful world of Rio Lagartos from the air.It was sunny and hot , but once we were on the water it cooled off. As we sped towards los coloradas for the 2nd time, we saw numerous birds of prey on tree tops like gray hawk, peregrine falcon, crested caracara etc. Once we reached the shallow waters of the los coloradas region we stopped for some shore birds and then watched while pelicans fly in and out of a small sandbar crowded with 5-6 different species of birds. This is where they make a touristy stop to get a mayan mud bath , but we pushed on.
Little bit further we spotted a few flamingo pairs trotting around in the shallow water along with a wood stark. Even though we wanted to keep exploring, we had a long drive ahead to Chichen itza that day and it was already past noon. Knowing very well that we will keep stopping on the way back we decided to turn around. Andrea was more than happy to keep exploring and it's a lot more enjoyable for everyone when the guide relishes birdwatching with you.
On the way back we only stopped for new species and as soon as we crossed the road bridge for los coloradas we saw some green heron and crocodiles hanging out in the mangrove , basking in the sun.
As we reached the lodge area , reluctantly Shay agreed for only 30 mins more on the water. We did not stop for bird species that we had seen already till in one of the mangroves channels we saw a peregrine falcon on the tree top. After watching and photographing it for 10 mins or so we had to turn back , even though Andrea was excited to keep showing us the wonders of her neighborhood.
After chilling with a few artisanal beers and fresh grilled pulpo , we said goodbye to Diego and Andrea and the rest of their family before loading the car and taking off towards Chichen Itza. All the way we talked about all the new and unique birds we saw and also that we made some new friends drawn by the passion of bird watching.
Our night stay was in one of the unique hacienda adjoining the Chichen Itza archaeological zone. They actually have a walking path to the site but it was closed by “INAH, Mexico's National Institute of Archeology and History," for restoration . Most of the tourists stay in the nearby town of Piste or a bigger town of Valladolid. We had chosen this place due to its proximity to the sites as well as its uniqueness of being surrounded with a private mayan forest reserve. Later on we found out from different sources that this reserve was quite known to the local birdwatchers.
Apparently this hacienda was built with some of the fallen stones from the Chichen Itza sites. It's a beautiful and serene place with around 12 cottages housing a total of 28 guest rooms surrounded by a Maya Jungle and Nature Reserve. The cottages are all uniquely decorated with Mayan crafts and Spanish Colonial accents. They have both an indoor and outdoor dining area and they grow all their own vegetables in a garden in the back for their restaurant menu.
Arriving around 6:30 PM, we swiftly checked in and inquired about the details of our pre-booked morning birdwatching tour and the regulations for visiting Chichen Itza. They instructed us to meet the tour guide at 6:45 AM the following day. We wanted to attend the nighttime light show at Chichen Itza ,however, due to evening rain, all night tours were canceled, and refunds were being issued. Disappointed but undeterred we opted for a enjoyable sit down dinner reservation outdoors at 8:30 PM instead.
Entering our charming room adorned with a hammock, we found solace in its beautiful decorations. Though the veranda was shared with another room, the design ensured privacy, with windows overlooking the surrounding nature preserve. The room boasted old hacienda-style furniture and vibrant Mexican pottery, adding to its rustic charm. After a quick shower to rejuvenate, we indulged in a brief nap before venturing out for dinner.
Their menu is part of a growing trend of ecological lodges all over the world , which serve garden to table. We love the fact that they were serving authentic Mexican cuisine strongly influenced by Mayan cuisine. We went with cochinita pibil , which is a yucatan style mayan barbequed pork and Chicken in black mole sauce. The black mole sauce is from Oaxaca and a must try for every one. It is one of the best types of mole sauce out there. We loved the fact that they had preserved the flavor of different chiles without making it hot, a stark difference from Tex-Mex, also due to the availability of different types of flavorful chillies.
A satisfying meal after a great first half of birding , kinda made up for the lost opportunity of seeing the night lightshow at chichen itza and we walked to our room content and fell asleep immediately.