On our last Yucatan Travel Movie filming visit to Yucatan in March 2009, we visited Hacienda Chichen adjacent to the world-famous Mayan ruin at Chichen Itza. We had the good fortune to interview Belissa Baranche, who calls herself the “keeper” of Hacienda Chichen, and her husband Bruce, who is the driving force behind the greening of the spa/resort.
During the interview, we learned that Belissa is passionate about birdwatching. Therefore, I am delighted to discover that Jim Conrad, a respected naturalist who is also passionate about birding, is staying at Hacienda Chichen as a volunteer. Here is an excerpt from his post on their blog site:
On one such late-afternoon birdwalk I photographed the fast-foraging bird: Rose-throated Becard, PACHYRAMPHUS AGLAIAE, common at forest edges, in open areas and the like, from Mexico to Panama. The Rose-throated Becard male has the rosy throat, making it easy to identify.
Jim Conrad’s Naturalist Field Work at Hacienda Chichen, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
Follow the link above for a gorgeous photo of the rose-throated Becard male – really cute.
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I felt happy as I put together the scenes for the Coba section of the Yucatan Travel Video. Today, I finally finished the bird-dances-to-music. When I showed it to John, he laughed out loud and had to see it again. That made me feel so good. Many birdwatchers come to Coba because the tropical songbirds around the lakes are phenomenal. There are also crocodiles. And, of course, the ancient ruins, which are always so fascinating. The first time we visited Coba, in 1999, hardly anyone was there. The parking lot had not been paved. No tourist buses parked there. The road to the site contained potholes from one end to the other. Now, everything is paved, spiffed up, touristy and very pleasant.
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I am really looking forward to making the tropcal birds living around the lakes in Coba fly in slow motion while putting together the Yucatan Travel Movie. One lovely little yellow songbird fluffs its wings while sitting on the top step of a tropical plant. A gorgeous irridescent huge blue heron-like bird drifts in for a landing. Can hardly wait to make them look gorgeous on film.
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