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| Pretty surroundings |
Before we even got to our first stop, we pulled over to admire a Gray Hawk at the top of a dead tree. Not a lifer for me, but also not a bird I've seen very often (and certainly not sitting still like this one).
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| Early morning Hawk |
Near by (very near by), a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher rested on a branch looking not at all disturbed by the Gray Hawk.
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| The Flycatcher seemed unconcerned |
Then, we headed on, passing a couple of Couch's Kingbirds ...
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| So many Kingbirds that all look like each other |
... and then stopping for a couple of other great birds, including a female and male Blue Grosbeak ...
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| Perching |
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| Until she flew away |
Next we saw two Rufous-capped Warblers, a lifer for me.
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| One was at very close range, warbling his heart out |
We spent a lot of time with those birds, but finally moved on to the spot Rene had picked for us. The area where we birded has been undergoing lots of development, leading to destruction of much of the land and erection of a number of fences.
We actually birded off the road, seeing a rich diversity of birds including the familiar:
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| Inca Dove (this name may change because Mexico didn't have Incas) |
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| Long-billed Thrasher |
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| Black-crested Titmouse |
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| Black-and-white Warbler |
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| Green Jay |
But, it was the new birds (for me) that really impressed. Absolutely gorgeous male Crimson-collared Grosbeaks with their bright red and glossy black feathers were tricky to see as they hopped in and out of the trees, but one gave us a few nice views, as did its pretty yellow-and-black mate ...
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| They were in the shade, hiding their beautiful colors |
And, now for a more tropical turn, was a Blue-capped Motmot, sitting way back in the trees singing its distinctive "mot-mot mot-mot" song. We had seen a variety of Motmots in Costa Rica, but this was a new one.
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| Our first good view of a really tropical-looking bird |
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| Look at that tail! |
By the way, this bird does not have a naturally occurring racket-tail. Instead, it plucks its long tail feathers to create this effect. The Turquoise-browed Motmot I photographed in Costa Rica, right, had an even more dramatically cropped tail.
We also saw a lot of birds I didn't get photos of: Turkey Vulture, a White-tipped Dove, a
Tropical Kingbird, Great-tailed Grackles, a Bronzed Cowbird, some Olive Sparrows and Lesser Goldfinches, a Clay-colored Thrush, some Carolina Wrens, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a White-eyed Vireo (the same bird I saw and failed to capture in April in South Texas). We also saw a lifer for me – an Audubon's Oriole that was too tough to get.
You may ask why there are so many birds we see that I don't photograph. Sometimes they are too far away. Sometimes too deep in thickets to even grab focus. Sometimes in bushes so dark my camera won't even focus. Sometimes they fly by so quickly they barely register. And, sometimes, I am concentrating on another bird that is more important to me because it's a lifer or a bird I have not yet photographed. I wish I could get them all, but I am not that quick or skilled.
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You do the best you can (and, sometimes, you fail) |
After Santiago, we went to grab some breakfast.
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| Photo: Starbucks |
I am not a coffee-drinker, so I would never suggest Starbucks. But, Heather did and it was there that we had the best breakfast of the trip.
They had these delicious cheese-and-poblano pastries, served steaming hot with chipotle dip.
I also had a nice berry drink. I don't normally drink juice, but we weren't getting much fruit or veggies, so this was a good nutritional boost.
It was so good that we had breakfast there again the next day. Am I a poor tourist because Starbucks provided the best food of the trip?
Parque El Manzano
I mentioned that this part of Mexico grows lots of apples. So, how appropriate that we next headed to Parque El Manzano (in English: Apple Park).
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| It is also a recognized birding route |
Located in the northern portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the area boasts limestone peaks ranging from 4,970 to 7,410 feet high.
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| Sierra Madre Oriental |
Grutas de García (García Caves), one of the largest cave systems in Mexico, is a popular attraction within the Park. But, of course, we didn't head there. We went looking for birds. And, we found some.
We saw – and I actually got a few photos of – a Brown Creeper doing what Brown Creepers do: creeping up and down a tree.
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| They spend at least half their time upside down |
Both male and female Brown Creepers have streaky plumage that provides amazingly effective camouflage. When threatened by a predator, they spread their wings and freeze in place against a tree trunk, becoming virtually invisible against the bark.
A new bird for me was a beautiful yellow, black and white bird with a dark rufous stain on its neck that resembles a wound.
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| Crescent-chested Warbler |
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| I'm ready for my close-up |
If I were naming this bird, I might call it a Cutthroat Warbler, but its more civil name is Crescent-chested Warbler.
I had not heard of (or remembered that I had heard of) this bird even though its range does include the mountains of Arizona and the Big Bend area of Texas.
Sometimes birds make photographing them tough and sometimes they make it so, so easy. I loved the way it used a curved twig as a frame.
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| There were more Black-and-white Warblers (this one was showing off) |
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| Bridled Titmouse |
I got redemption on the Audubon's Oriole that I missed at Santiago Grasslands, snagging some excellent photos of this lovely bird at Manzano.
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| Fortunately, sometimes you get another shot at a bird |
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| Worth two |
I have seen Painted Redstarts a few time in the U.S., but never got a good photo. This time, we saw a few and one really put on a show.
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| Painted Redstart |
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| This is a simply gorgeous bird |
Redstart, it seems, is a corruption of the Old German "rothstert," meaning red tail, and was applied by the British to the European Redstart, which has a rusty red tail. It was later applied to the American bird, which resembles the European bird, but, as you can see, does not have a red tail.
One bird we saw was a drab little Flycatcher that Rene pegged as a very out-of-range Acadian Flycatcher (lifer!) based on its song. But, after our trip, he consulted with several other bird guides and changed the ID to Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
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| No problem! Still a lifer! |
We saw a Hooded Warbler, a treat because it's a pretty bird and an extra treat because it was rare for that place at that time.
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| This photo proves that it was there |
The gallery of seen-but-not-shot includes Band-tailed Pigeons, a Rivoli's and a Broad-tailed Hummingbird (too fast), Turkey Vultures (too far), Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, Hutton's Vireos, Green Jays, Common Ravens, more Black-crested Titmouses, a Carolina Wren, a still-to-shaded-to-photograph Brown-backed Solitaire, a Clay-colored Thrush, another Rufous-capped Warbler and a Black-headed Grosbeak.
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| A lovely place |
Trip date: August 12-18, 2024
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