Great Egrets, Brown Pelicans, & Ruddy Turnstones

A Ruddy Turnstone looking for food on the beach of a marina on the Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

The final sandpiper bird we saw on the shores of Isla Mujeres was the Ruddy Turnstone, which was hanging around the marina where we stopped to have a midday lunch before catching the ferry back to Cancun. Turnstones spend their summers in northern Alaska and the Northern Terretories of Canada in the arctic Circle and migrate to the southern U.S. as well as much of Mexico and the Caribbean islands for their winter homes. The photos (Above and Below) show the Turnstone in its winter plumage. Their breeding plumage is very similar but more reddish on the back and head instead of the duller gray.

A Ruddy Turnstone, with its plumage looking like a feathery shawl around its neck, Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

I had another great look at a Great Egret (Below) ( ( http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/08/great-egret.html and   http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/06/great-egret.html ) which landed near us while we were having lunch, which let me get pretty close for a photo op. before another curious non-birder type person scared it away.

A Great Egret resting on a pylon at a marina on Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

Another Great Egret which crossed the road in front of us while we were tooling down the road in our golf cart. It stayed in the grass on the side of the road, while I parked the golf course and snatched my camera, Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

We also saw plenty of Brown Pelicans (Below) hanging around the docks while we were waiting for our ferry to take us back to mainland Mexico.

Brown Pelicans taking a midday siesta on the docks of Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

An Iguana (of the day) chasing away another Iguana (not having a good day) who ventured into his territory, Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.