Jim Conrad's Naturalist Field Work at Hacienda Chichen, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

The Maya Foundation In Laakeech and Hacienda Chichen welcomes JIM CONRAD, a respected Naturalist, as a volunteer supporting our green awareness and Mayan ecological programs dedicated to green awareness programs for rural local young adults working at Hacienda Chichen as well as to support the protection of this sustainable destination's private Maya Jungle Reserve and Wildlife.

Jim Conrad started to issue his weekly Naturalist Newsletters from Hacienda Chichen, next to the Maya ruin of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, since early November 2009; in his last newsletter, he shared lots of great information about the bird population found at the Hacienda Chichen's Bird Refuge and Wildlife Reserve.

Here is a portion of Jim's writtings:

"BECARD ALONG THE ROAD - When I first hiked into the Hacienda Chichen, I figured I'd be walking that same road many times, and I was right. It's the road I jog each morning just before dawn and also I walk there in early morning and late afternoon when the sun is low, flooding deeply into the scrub from the road, sometimes illuminating things that usually wouldn't be seen. 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. The Rose-throated Becard female bird is a bit more challenging, with its rusty back, pale underside and broad beak causing it to look like a Myiarchus flycatcher. "

If you are interested in birding and bird-watching, Hacienda Chichen in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico is one of the best bird-watching destinations in Mexico, check their website www.haciendachichen.com/birding.htm for further reading and details and Bird List.