Birding at the Mystical Yoga Farm Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Me with my son and daughter at the entrance to the "farm" from the dock where the boat lands on arrival.

After my guided birding trip in the Guatemala City, Antigua, and the Lake Atitlan area I joined my son, daughter and son-in-law at San Pedro de Lago for a few days and then spent 3 nights at the Mystical Yoga Farm on Lake Atitlan. https://mysticalyogafarm.com/ “The farm” is a wonderful isolated permaculture farm and yoga retreat a boat ride across the lake from Santiago de Atitlan. I got out each morning birding there, and despite knowing only the bird calls and songs I managed to learn on the previous tour, I managed to identify 45 species with repeated excellent looks at many of these.

Sora Porzana carolina seen walking out of the reeds in front of the Mystical Yoga Farm as the sun rose. This was the only rail I saw in Guatemala.

Daily water birds not often seen on the rest of my time in Guatemala including Great and Snowy Egrets and Great-blue and Green Herons were seen off and on throughout the day, and one morning I spotted a Sora sneaking a walk outside the reeds. Morrelet’s Seedeater, Lesser Goldfinch, and Rufous-necked Sparrows were seen every time I walked past the garden area by the lake. Baltimore Orioles, Tennessee Warblers, and various Swallows and Vaux Swift were seen intermittently, and Black Vultures and Red-billed Pigeons used the cliffs uphill of the site.

A Green Heron Butorides virescens at dawn in front of the Mystical Yoga Farm.

The birding was definitely not the primary attraction of the farm. Seeing family, and the community were the primary attractions, but for me enjoying the avifauna daily added to the visit. I even led a birding tour of the farm one morning for about 8 volunteers where we got to see several of the aforementioned birds and share some birding tips.
If you enjoy yoga, meditation, vegan food or just a relaxing adventure you would enjoy a visit to the Mystical Yoga Farm of Lake Atitlan.

View of the lake with my family.

Good Birding. Steem on!