On the 12th day of Christmas, Yucatecan nature gifted me:
12 HUMMERS HUMMING
Cinnamon Hummingbird
11 PIPERS PIPING
Black-necked Stilts are sandpipers
10 LIMPKINS LEANING
Limpkin
9 OR SO LADIES DANCING
9 or so American Flamingos dancing
8 COWBIRDS STRETCHING
Male Bronzed Cowbird
7 SNOWY EGRETS SHOWING
Snowy Egret
6 DUCKS AIR DANCING
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
5 GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKERS A PAIRING
4 CALLING BIRDS
Social Flycatcher, screaming as usual
3 BUNTINGS BATHING
Indigo Bunting males
2 YUCATAN JAYS A JAWIN’
Yucatan Jay adult on left
and to you, a GALLON YULE tide cheer throughout the year!
Purple Gallinule
MERRY CHRISTMAS, FELIZ NAVIDAD, HAPPY HANUKKAH,HAPPY KWANZAA, BUONE FESTE NATALIZIE, JOYEUX NOEL, FROEHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN,FELIZ NATAL, KRISMASI NJEMA, SAWAT DEE WAN, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Mentioned Species:
Cinnamon Hummingbird, Amazilia rutila, Colibrí Canela (Spanish), X ts’unu’um (Mayan)
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus, Monjita Americano (Spanish)
Limpkin, Aramus guarauna, Carrao (Spanish)
American Flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber, Flamenco Americano (Spanish), Mekoh (Mayan)
Bronzed Cowbird, Molothrus aeneus, Tordo Ojos Rojos (Spanish), Dsiuw (Mayan)
Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, Garza Dedos Dorados (Spanish), Ka’an ook (Mayan)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis, Pijije Alas Blancas (Spanish) Pijiiji (Mayan)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons, Carpintero Cheje (Spanish), Ch’ejum, Ch’ajum, Ch’ujum (Mayan)
Social Flycatcher, Myiozetetes similis, Luisito Común (Spanish), X takay (Mayan)
Indigo Bunting, Passerinea cyanea, Colorín Azul (Spanish)
Yucatan Jay, Cyanocorax yucatanicus, Chara Yucateca (Spanish), Ch’eel (Mayan)
Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus, Gallineta Morada (Spanish)
Cherie Pittillo, “nature inspired,” photographer and author, explores nature everywhere she goes. She’s identified 56 bird species in her Merida, Yucatan backyard view. Her column, published on the 7th and 21st of each month, features anecdotes about birding in Merida, Yucatan and beyond. Contact: [email protected] All rights reserved, ©Cherie Pittillo
