Sorry to rub this in your face, but I’m just back from holiday. Three weeks in the Americas, starting in Mexico and ending in Canada. Spectacular in every way, you, the reader, will now be subjected to a holiday slideshow in two parts. But don’t worry – It’s all birds, other wildlife, and some great views.

The Mexican and Oregon coastline. Both have their own unique beauty. (Photo: Jack Plumb)

Where better to start than on a deserted beach. After discovering several horseshoe crab shells with a foot still in the car, I was pretty excited to see what was about. The salt-water lagoon on one side of the spit of beachy land didn’t disappoint, and was alive with waders and one of these fetching birds.

My flamingo shot wasn't up to standard, so here's a bunch of American flamingos doing their thing in the Yucatan. (Photo: Sergey Yeliseev, Flickr creative commons)

These are only dead or discarded shells, but aren't they just amazing? Horseshoe crabs haven't changed much for hundreds of millions of years. (Photo: Jack Plumb)

The highlight of the beach day wasn’t the flamingos though. It was the pelicans fishing just above our heads. The dinosaur-like birds dived over and over again, crashing into the water in a corked stoop, completely unaffected by our presence.

It's quite amazing what you can capture on a phone camera these days... I think this is a brown pelican - what do you think? Leave a comment below. (Photo: Jack Plumb)

Animals played a big part in the religious beliefs of the Mayans. Many of their sculptures and great temples are adorned with birds, mammals and reptiles. This is hardly surprising with the wealth of wildlife seen all over Mexico. Our visit to Dzibilchaltún close to Mérida, the capitol of the Yucatan region, offered up a menagerie of bird species right from the off. Orioles, grackles, doves, and bee-eaters littered the trees around one Mayan temple. Check out this bird flyby!

I was pretty lucky with this shot. I think I've caught a rose-breasted grosbeak - thoughts? (Photo: Jack Plumb)

After the ruins had been explored, and I’d pretended to offer up a sacrifice, it was time for a dip. These iguanas thought the beautiful sinkhole, or cenote, nearby to the ruins was a great hangout, but I didn’t spot any of them joining in for a swim in the 35 degree heat.

They're pretty hard to see with sunglasses on, and I was amazed I didn't step on one. I think this is some kind of Ctenosaura (spinytail) - is there an iguana expert out there able to leave a comment identifying them? (Photo: Jack Plumb)

After a week in Mexico it was time to move on. Following the spring migration up the coast, we landed in San Francisco. First up was the Golden Gate Bridge. The route round the north coast towards the bridge gives some fantastic views as we expected, but the small wildlife park offered much more than we anticipated. This little chap for one…

I think he could hear our funny accents and was keen to say hello. I've discovered this is a pocket gopher. (Photo: Jack Plumb)

But more impressive and magical were the hummingbirds, darting between flowers and posing for the camera. Again, leave a comment if you know the exact species!

Good luck! Possible Anna's hummingbird. (Photo: Jack Plumb)

That’s about halfway. Expect some stunning coastline, national forest and mountains next week!

Jack

End of part 1