It was about an hour past sunset and the evening sky was jet black and filled with a million stars. I leaned back in the seat of the small refurbished wooden fishing boat and felt the cool night air wash over my face. As the boat motored along, my mind wondered back to all the amazing adventures that have transpired throughout the day and it brought a smile to my face. It would be another 30 minutes or so before we would arrive back at the dock so I sat back and enjoyed the night sky and my thoughts.
The boat skimmed across the still waters of the narrow tea stained river. The boat’s captain navigates through narrow tunnels not much wider and taller than the boat. The tunnels are cut out of the Red Mangrove trees that line the river bank. The arching branches and aerial roots of the mangrove form a thick dense stand and without constant pruning the passageways would be grown over in no time. Only a tiny light attached to the bow of the boat and the steady hand of the captain guides us safely down the river and through the maze of tree roots, dogging crocodiles and night-herons that are hunting on the river.
I am on the pacific coast of central Mexico about three hours north or Puerto Vallarta in a wonderful small fishing village of San Blas. I have just finished another wonderful day of photographing the wide variety of bird species that call this amazing area of Mexico home.
I am here for 10 days and as I write this I am on day five. Each day is similar. Get up about an hour before sunrise and pack up all the camera gear and food and water for the day. Head to the truck and drive either down to the beach to photograph the amazing variety of sea birds such as the Magnificent Frigate bird or drive up high into the mountains to locate and photograph rare and elusive birds such as the Colima Pygmy-Owl or Magpie Jays.
Today was a little different. At 3 PM I met up with a local guide and captain of this marvelous boat. My guide is a pleasant, retirement aged gentleman with a wide toothless grin and a nodding head. His English is limited to the names of all the birds in the area. So all you have to do is say the name of the bird and he nods, smiles and off we go to find the bird. What an amazing guide.
This evening was so amazing my head is spinning. We started out this boat trip with wonderful birds such as a Common Black Hawk which tried to kill and eat a Black Vulture. If you have ever seen the size of a vulture you know they are huge birds so this Black Hawk must have had a huge apatite and even a larger ego. Needless to say he didn’t manage to catch and kill the vulture but I got some great images of this bird.
We slowing made our way down the river with a new species of bird around each bend. As the sun was setting we found a colony of Boat-billed Herons. This crazy looking bird has a bill as wide as a boat, well not really but it’s very wide, and a loud raspy call that is unforgettable. I got so many great images of this secretive bird that I was just thrilled. And the best was yet to come.
By the time we got to the turn around point in the river the sun had set and the stars were starting to shine. Our guide turned the boat around and we started heading back in the dark. Using a large battery operated spot light he illuminated the narrow river. Slowly we made our way down the river until he suddenly called out Pottoe. There perched on a dead branch sitting bolt upright was one of the most amazing birds. These members of the night-jar family hunt at night using huge yellow eyes to gaze skyward watching for flying insects. When they see an inset they fly out and grab the bug before returning to their perch. What really amazed me was the size of these nocturnal birds. Nearly the size of a large owl each time this bird took flight to snatch up a bug I thought I was seeing an owl.
Earlier in the day when it was still light we found a Northern Potoo which is a bird of the topical lowlands, sitting on its daytime roost. It is a nocturnal bird that sleeps during the day. In order to avoid being eaten during the day by other birds and animals it strikes a pose on a tree branch that mimics a wooden branch allowing it to blend in so well you would swear it was part of the tree.
The guide held the spot light on the bird I was able to get some wonderful images of this crazy bird. While I was photographing the Potoo other nocturnal critters were rustling up some dinner. The spot light also illuminated a several Fishing Bats. These highly specialized bats have enlarged feet which allow them to snatch small fish off the surface of the river in the middle of the night. Will wonders never of coastal Mexico never cease?
Since I am here for almost another week I hope to write one more store about my adventures of photographing the wildlife in coastal Mexico. Until then…