Tours
So Many Birds-So Little Time…
Because the terrain within 30 miles of Yelapa is so varied there are a myriad of tours to offer birders. The names of the tours reflect the length of the tour-not the species we are going to see. We cater to the new and intermediate birder-people who want to get lost in the beauty that is birding and appreciate all the fantastic things nature will offer us along the way. Although we will count our species and add them to our life list-these are not tours where we go as fast as we can to get all the birds we can. (There are many wonderful and experienced tour operators in Mexico that provide that). Our wish is for everyone to see the birds well and be able to learn about what they have seen. We also try to include a local child or teen in our tours to teach them about the species and the tour business as this is their pueblo and under their stewardship now and in the future.
The Vermillion Flycatcher Tour
(200 pesos/person with reduced rates for groups over 4)
This tour offers newcomers a look at the dozens of local and migrant species within walking distance of the lagoon. With binoculars and a spotting scope (and depending on the season) we can see Vermillion Flycatchers, two members of the cuckoo family-the Groove-billed Ani and the Squirrel Cuckoo, 11 members of the egret or heron family, two or three types of kingfishers, pygmy owls, Golden-Cheeked Woodpeckers, Pale-billed Woodpeckers and many more. If we are fortunate we can see the rare Solitary Eagle.
The Military Macaw Tour
(400 pesos/person with reduced rates for groups over 4)
This tour is a 4-5 hour walking tour to the waterfall up the River Tuito. One of our goals is to see the Military Macaws up close. In addition we might have the opportunity to see the Orange-breasted Bunting (Spring only), Happy Wren, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Solitary Eagle, Common Black Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Blue-hooded and Scrub Euphonia and others.
The Trogon Tour
(600 pesos/person with reduced rates for groups over 4)
This is an early morning tour where we take a dawn 4 wheel drive trip up into the mountains above Yelapa and walk down. We will be looking for several of the more colorful species, the White Hawk, Elegant and Citroline Trogon, Russet-Crowned Motmot, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Mexican Blue-Rumped Parrotlet, Bat Falcon, Rufous-backed Robin and many others.
El Tuito Pine-Oak Forest Horticulture Center Tour
(800 pesos/person)
This pays for your tour on two hundred acres of Rancho de Primavera in El Tuito, all day use of a van, breakfast in El Tuito, entrance into the Botanical Gardens, boat taxi to and from Boca de Tomatlan. Participants pay for their lunch at the Botanical Gardens-approx. 150 pesos. We will look for the Crested Caracara, Masked Tityra, Green Jay, Reddish Egret, Northern Jacana, Broad-billed Hummingbird and many others. We leave Yelapa at 8:30 in the morning and return on the last boat from Boca De Tomatlan at 6 PM.