 |
| Río Frío in La Bocatoma |
 |
| Crops and Bernal Mountain; Photo: L&M |
On the road we noticed two peculiarities of Mexican driving that you won't see in the U.S. First, it is illegal to pass on the right and teh police actually take it seriously. So, a slowpoke in the left lane can wreak havoc. We saw people passing on the right out of desperation when one guys was just cruising about 20 mph under the limit on the left. But, they were risking a citation by doing so. Second, on a two-lane highway with ample shoulders, people pass when there is oncoming traffic because the drivers on both sides politely pull over partially onto the shoulders to create a safe middle lane. Easy. Polite. Efficient.
Along the way, we stopped for lunch and, just as I was losing faith in having a decent meal, we had a delicious lunch. Yes, it was just a rearrangement of things we had seen elsewhere, but the enchiladas suiza had tender, well-shredded chicken, a lovely verde sauce, a drizzle of crema and some nice salsa roja on the side. They came with refired beans and French fries, which seemed an odd combo.
 |
| Whatever! It was gooooood! |
As we got closer to Gómez Farías, we entered an area know for mangos.
 |
| Heather and Rene check out the mango store |
We stopped at a very popular stand known for its mango pie. Apparently, this is a favorite of Mexicans traveling to El Cielo for vacation. We stopped and got some. I found it rather meh. The thick, too-sweet cookie crust overpowered the filling, which was a highly congealed mango puree with a too-delicate mango flavor. I think that less gelatin, more concentrated mango and some lime would have done the trick. At this point, I was starting to feel like an ugly American as regarded food.
As we approached town, the roads got narrower and started to climb. We stopped a power pole that has long been a nesting site for Bat Falcons. There was no nest, but there was a cute little Bat Falcon.
 |
| Bat Falcon on a pole |
I have seen this bird twice before: once in South Texas and once in Costa Rica, but it's a favorite of mine, so it was a nice stop.
The mountain area of Gómez Farías is one of 43 municipalities that make up the Mexican state of Tamaulipas (Tah-mau-lee-pas). It actually comprises 115 separate towns, the largest of which shares the name Gómez Farías (named for Mexican President Valentín Gómez Farías, who served in 1833) and was where we stayed.
 |
| An impressive welcome sign |
Tourism and wood products are major businesses. The town boasts of the Jaguars that live in the surrounding cloud forest, although there are no commercial Jaguar-viewing tours.
There are lots of four-wheel-drive truck tours up the mountain into El Cielo, but they seem to be mainly focused on scenery. Even with a diversity of birds and a large number of endemics, there are only two local bird guides. We were slated to go out with one, Mario, in his truck the next day.
 |
| El Cielo Biosphere Reserve Interpretive Center |
And, that's just the stuff I know about.
We so hoped to see a Jaguar, but that apparently is rare. Not unheard of, but rare.
 |
| The hotel's cats were as close as we got |
Our hotel in Gómez Farías was Casa de Piedra en El Cielo (the House of Stone in the Sky).
 |
| Our home for a few nights |
It was a lovely property with local stone buildings (the area boasts stone walls everywhere), leafy green grounds and decent food.
 |
| Simple, comfortable and air conditioned! |
Plus, it had a deck with a magnificent view of the mountain we would be traveling up the next day.
 |
| Heather looking at the view from the deck |
Susan was still craving (and failing to find) flan. When Rene inquired whether Casa de Piedra served flan, the answer was, again, no. But, when we returned for dinner that evening, the proprietress, Elena, had made one for us! Special!
 |
| El Cielo is in Gómez Farías |
About El Cielo Biosphere Reserve
We would be spending the next few days in the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve
(Reserva de la Biosfera El Cielo), which protects 558 square miles in the he Sierra Madre Oriental of the northernmost extension of tropical forest and cloud forest in Mexico. El Cielo means "the Sky" or "Heaven." The Park is made up mostly of steep mountains rising from about 660 feet to a maximum altitude of more than 7,500 feet. The limestone mountains have many caves, sinkholes and rock outcrops.
 |
| El Cielo; Cave photos: Programa Destinos México |
Vegetation in the drier northern and western portions of the reserve up to an elevation of 5,200 feet consists of desert and semi-desert shrubs and small trees that are generally less than 16 feet tall except near rivers. In the eastern part of the reserve, where we were, the subtropical semi-deciduous forests found at elevations of up to 2,600 feet create a closed canopy averaging about 70 feet tall. From 2,600 to 4,600 feet are cloud forests distinguished by heavy precipitation, fog, abundant mosses and fungi and closed-canopy forests reaching 100 feet tall. Really great for birds – but really difficult to see them in.
 |
| Cloud forest |
Drier oak forests, mixed oak-pine forest and pine forests are also found at elevations from 2,300 feet to the top of highest summits. More than 1,000 species of plants have been recorded from the cloud forests consisting of 56 percent tropical, 20 percent temperate, 19 percent cosmopolitan and 5 percent other.
 |
| Forest plants |
The principal reason for the establishment of El Cielo was the prevalence of cloud forests, distinguished by heavy precipitation, fog and abundant mosses and fungi. The El Cielo cloud forests receive precipitation of about 98 inches a year. We never had more than a sprinkle, which is apparently unusual.
Black Bears and six species of cats, none abundant, are found in the reserve. The cats are: Jaguar (as I said), Mountain Lion, Ocelot, Margay, Jaguarundi and Bobcat. The cats are generally regarded favorably by the people living in the reserve. Mountain Lions are more often seen in the cloud forests and the higher elevations of the reserve, while Jaguars are more common in the lower-elevation tropical forests. The estimated density of Jaguars is about six per square mile!!!!
 |
| This was our best view |
At least 255 species of birds are resident in the reserve and more than 175 migratory species have been recorded. I'll get to what we saw shortly. Birds and mammals are a mixture of temperate and tropical species.
 |
| Lots of variety |
Although Morelet's crocodile and several species of turtles occur in Tamaulipas, they are largely absent from the mountain slopes of El Cielo. I saw only one lizard, some Geckos at the hotel, lots of Turtles on the River trip we took the first evening and no frogs or snakes. That surprised me a bit.
 |
| Turtles on the river |
The few roads in the cloud forest are suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles only.
 |
| A narrow, rocky road |
The El Cielo area attracted little attention until 1935, when Canadian farmer and horticulturalist John William Francis Harrison established a homestead he named Rancho El Cielo at 3,740 feet in the cloud forest. In 1941, Ornithologists George Miksch Sutton and Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr., spent extensive time in the Gómez Farias region, including studying birds near Harrison's ranch. Sutton's protégé, Paul S. Martin, conducted fieldwork in the region from 1948 to 1953, publishing herpetological studies (I guess he found snakes!).
 |
| View from the mountain |
Extensive logging and roads penetrated the area in the 1950s. In 1965, to protect the ecosystem, Harrison transferred his land to a non-profit corporation in cooperation with Texas Southmost College and the Gorgas Science Foundation. In 1966, Harrison was murdered in a land dispute with local farmers. Harrison's farm is now the El Cielo Biological Research Center (or Rancho del Cielo).
La Bocatoma
The first afternoon, we took a boat trip on the Río Frío ("Cold River") in La Bocatoma. The flat-bottomed boat left from what appeared to be a popular tourist area with outdoor tables, snack stands and lots of tourist boats. We went late in the day, so it wasn't too crowded.
 |
| La Bocatoma |
The river is clear and green.
 |
| Lovely |
Upstream is a cascade and, downstream, a small dam with a drop-off. Our brief trip was between the two.
 |
| We couldn't go that way |
"Bocatoma" is a Spanish word that translates to "water outlet for irrigation." A bocatoma is a simple construction that usually includes a control gate and a device to measure water levels above and below the control gate. Because of frequent flooding, it is not unusual to have to rebuild a bocatoma every year.
 |
| Still life |
Indeed, the boat pilot told us that the previous week, the water had been over the dock and in the picnic and parking areas.
Our ride was cool and leafy, with a fair amount of wildlife, including the aforementioned (and very abundant) Turtles ...
 |
| Specifically, these were Meso-American Sliders |
... and lots of Dragonflies, damselflies and Water Striders ...
 |
| American Rubyspot |
 |
| Sungrebe and Amazon Kingfisher from Costa Rica |
The birds that Rene had targeted for our boat trip in Bocatoma were the Sungrebe and the Amazon Kingfisher. We saw neither, probably because the water was so high. I had seen both in Costa Rica, so I was good. Targets are always tricky, but I love birding by boat, so no problem.
We did have a good look at several Green Kingfishers, including a male that sat and preened as we glided by.
 |
| The rust on the Green Kingfisher signals male |
We also saw ...
 |
| Louisiana Waterthrushes |
 |
| Inca Doves in mud left over from the flood |
 |
| Brown Jays, adult (black bill) and juvenile (yellow bill) |
 |
| One of many Social Flycatchers |
 |
| Altamira Orioles and their lovely hanging nests |
 |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager |
 |
| Black-headed Saltators |
We also saw a too-quick-to-photograph fly-by of a couple of Red-crowned Parrots
 |
| Thick foliage |
None were new for me, but it was a lovely afternoon.
 |
| Returning to the dock |
Despite my insect repellent, something bit my forehead a few times, resulting in a large, itchy bump that wasn't quite healed even two weeks later.
On the Way Out
After we left, we didn't get too far before we had to stop to observe some local specialties.
The stars were a pair of Tamaulipas Crows.
 |
| A small crow with a very limited range in northeastern Mexico |
Rene seemed surprised to see them. I guess they are rarely spotted in La Bocatoma.
 |
| They were rather noisy |
I was also thrilled to be able to get some fairly close-range (although dark) photos of a Plain Chachalaca foraging by the road.
 |
| Boom! |
I have struggled capturing this bird in the past.
We saw a few Couch's Kingbirds and Yellow-winged Tanagers that I shot and more White-winged Doves, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, a Bronzed Cowbird and a Social Flycatcher that I didn't.
 |
| Couch's Kingbird with dinner |
 |
| Yellow-winged Tanagers |
It was getting late ...
 |
| Sunset |
... and dark ...
 |
| The day winding down |
So; we headed back to Casa de Piedra.
And, Even Later
After a nice dinner (same basic ingredients – tortillas, rice, salsa, cheese, shredded chicken, but great execution, along with the delicious flan), we headed out to look for some Owls. Apparently, both Stygian and Mottled Owls are known to perch in the tall trees in the middle of Gómez Farías town, so staking out the town center generally proves successful.
 |
| Mottled and Stygian Owls; Photos: Wikipedia and Birdfinding.com |
 |
| She was no doubt freaked out by the Owl calls Rene and Mario were broadcasting |
We saw a nice assortment of bugs.
 |
| Calosoma Angulatum Beetle, an orange moth I can't ID and a Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth |
 |
| A big guy |
I have been trying, without success to determine what species of Scorpion this is.
It is my understanding that the large ones have a less dangerous sting than smaller ones. But, who wants to check?
You better bet I checked my shoes before putting them on after that!
It got late and Rene said it was past the time the Owls usually show up, so we headed back. We had a big day the next day.
 |
| Night, night |
Trip date: April 12-18
No comments:
Post a Comment