Birding in Mexico: Park Natural La Estanzuela

A Crimson-collared Grosbeak at Park Natural La Estanzuela

The next morning, we went to Park Natural La Estanzuela, a beautiful park just south of Monterrey. 

Green, cool and full of Butterflies (right is a Tawny Emperor)

A Natural Park is "an area of environmental, historical, cultural, aesthetic, recreation and other values, where ecosystems, nature complexes and separate objects can be used for environmental, ecological awareness and recreational purposes."

La Estanzuela means "resting place." We didn't go to to La Estanzuela to rest; we went for birds and it certainly didn't disappoint. 

Lots of rules for Green Jays!

We actually just birded on the edge of the Park, so we missed the waterfalls and pools that they advertise. It was just a brief stop.

The birds we saw that I didn't capture included a Plain Chachalaca that flew rapidly across the road, a flying Red-billed Pigeon, White-tipped Doves, Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Turkey Vultures, a Golden-fronted Woodpecker, a Black-crested Titmouse, Barn Swallows, a Carolina Wren, Olive Sparrows and a Rufous-capped Warbler. Yeah, that's a lot that I missed. But, I was able to get photos of quite a few birds, including ...

Male Blue Grosbeak

Long-billed Thrasher

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Male Lesser Goldfinch

One of two Rose-throated Becards

One of several Green Jays

Clay-colored Thrush

We had an even better view of Crimson-collared Grosbeaks, including one that posed nicely for us ...

Out in the open

What a pretty bird!

We saw a pair of Blue Buntings (another lifer). The brilliant blue male was down in a ravine that was way too dark to even focus. But, his golden mate jumped between wires and trees right above our heads.

Unlike this female, the male is bright blue

In the same ravine was a Golden-crowned Warbler, also a new bird for me.

A cute little bird

Very interesting were two Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, posing on a branch.

Very regal

After sitting quietly, they started flying madly about and squawking at each other. Then, Rene noticed that they were feeding a begging Yellow-billed Cuckoo that was much larger than they were.

This one was begging to be fed

Cuckoos, like Cowbirds, are parasitic birds. They lay their eggs in other birds' nests. The unsuspecting parents accept the egg as their own and raise the chick. 

The Cuckoo is hidden in front; see how much bigger?

Some Cuckoos can even evolve over time to lay different colored eggs depending on the most common birds (and potential hosts) in their environment. Because the Cuckoos are so big, they often take too much effort and food, resulting in the real chicks dying of starvation.

We didn't see any Flycatcher chicks, so that could have been the case here.

But, the coolest birds we saw at La Estanzuela were two Ferruginous Pygmy Owls. I saw a lot of these in Costa Rica, but you just can't beat seeing an Owl, especially in broad daylight.

Ferruginous means "red," which this Owl is

These cute little (six inches tall!) guys are diurnal, so that's not unusual. But, getting such a good shot of an Owl is.

Sitting still

At one point, one of them was squabbling with a Green Jay. Hard to photograph, but fun to watch.

Interaction with the Jay in the tree

A pretty bug

When we stopped by the Park's information center, I thought that the parking lot was filled with Cicadas (indeed, we had seen – well, heard – a lot of them in Costa Rica). 

But, it turns out that the heavily veined critters were actually Katydids. 

They were in the trees, on the ground, crawling on the fences and I even saw one drifting down on pale blue wings.

At 2+ inches long, a large bug

It was a successful morning, but we had a four-and-a half-hour drive to our next spot. So, off we went.

Trip date: August 12-18, 2024