Laura and Jay in Mexico 2005 - Day 6

Random Recollections

• Our last day in Mante started an hour later: breakfast at 6, checkout before 7, and bus departure at 7 am. We managed to get some pictures of the hotel, our guides, and other birders in the early morning light. The bus drove around Mante, especially the aqua ducts for the sugarcane fields, and here we saw great looks at several Jacanas. We also saw Ringed, Belted, and Amazon Kingfishers. Migrants were in the trees lining the water. I kept trying to form an image of what the locals thought of us; two touring buses cruising the back roads, occasionally backing up or stopping in a random manner. Our driver, Fernando, was the best and we all donated funds for a tip to recognize his ability to respond to thirty birders.
• After about two hours of birding, we went back to Mante, debused at the city square, and spent some time sightseeing. Kathy and I wandered the busy streets but the minute I left her side to window shop, she entered a courtyard, missed the step down, and took imaginary steps in the air before hitting the ground in a stumble. She managed to keep her body from making contact with the cement. After her third fall we decided to get back on the bus to avoid more mishaps. Besides, it was time to get moving to come back to the States. As the bus rolled closer and closer to Harlingen, we continued to bird, seeing several species to add to our total species list. By the end of the week, total bird species seen was 227, over 20 more than the Saltator's had seen. Imagine our surprise when we rolled up behind them to stop for lunch and saw their hand-painted sign on the back of their bus which read: Saltators #1, 204 (species seen). Notice the Sungrebe's added graffiti: U Wish!!