Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico

 We skirted the eastern side if Central America from Costa Rica with our first stop in Roatan, Honduras and the Carolimba Gardens on a thickly overcast and slightly drizzly norning.

It was not a very birdy morning but we did see two species. An American Redstart male in non-breeding plumage teased us in the foliage. 

At the small visitor center we saw two Canviet's Emeralds, male and female, at the hummingbird feeders. This is the male below:

 The next day we sailed into the port at Belize City, Belize.

We took a bus ride from the port to the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. 

 

 It was nicely birdy in such a beautiful and historic place. In addition to a few migratory species we see at home in spring and summer, we saw several new to us species including a Northern Jacana in a pond when we took a less traveled but well-marked path behind the ruins.

 

Back among the ruins we saw  Great Kiskadee:

 

 Yellow-winged Tanager:

 And Bat Falcon:

Two days later we arrived at the very touristy and bustling port of Cozumel, Mexico. The port, we would soon learn, would be our only opportunity that day to photograph birds. We took a bus tour to the Mayan ruins of San Gervasio only to find out that the Mexican government officials don't allow "professional" cameras but cell phones are ok, from an archaic law of the 1970's. We did bird the ruins and saw more migratory species from home in spring and summer like Grey Catbird, Palm Warbler, and Cape May Warbler. In the parking I saw a Cozumel Emerald but had no camera but a cell phone to capture this diminutive beauty.

 

Back in the bustling port we looked in the palms and found a few species as well as attracting attention with the big camera lens.

Yellow-throated Warbler:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker:

 Tropical Kingbird:

We got a taste of all of these beautiful places and would love to return and do more in depth birding with experienced guides.