Birding in Mexico: Parrots and Back to Monterrey

Interesting terrain on our route

The next part of our birding trip was a drive up Highway 20 south of Santiago. This is the road that had been all but destroyed by Tropical Storm Alberto in June. It was easy to see how the area wouldn't have been accessible in July and I was amazed that Rene's jeep could navigate it at all. 

This is one of the good sections

Damaged curb

There were some expanses of paved road, but most was just rocks and gravel with multiple stream crossing and lots of upended slabs of road.

How could a storm do so much damage 200 miles from the coast?

Well, the massive amounts of rainfall courses through the very steep canyons, washing away the soft limestone rock, leaving nothing but rubble behind.

Ironically, 20 years earlier, another Hurricane Alberto had done similar damage to the same area.

Now, there is hardly any water

The area we were headed for was some incredibly steep cliffs in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park with the funny name of Los Condominios (AKA The Highrise).

At first, I thought they were selling condo sites

I think the name comes from the straight-up-and-down limestone cliffs that resemble high-rise towers.

Cumbres de Monterrey was established in 1939 to conserve the flora and fauna of the area, which was threatened by the growth of the Monterrey metropolitan area. It owes its name to the mountains that comprise it and that form a series of canyons and waterfalls.

The Park has more than 3,460 species of plants and animals, of which 104 are at risk and 169 are exotic. This includes approximately 22 species of mammals and 120 species of birds.

A remote and dramatic environment

We were seeking the Maroon-fronted Parrot, the bird that Rene studied when doing his graduate work. Unfortunately, the closer-to-see nesting area was unreachable because of the storm damage, so we had to see these rare and endangered birds through camera, binocular and scope lens. Here's some video Rene took ...

They were very far away.

This is what they look like; Photos: Rene Valdes

The Maroon-fronted Parrot's habitat has undergone extensive degradation from logging, fires and agriculture; it is now restricted to a north-to-south 185-mile section of the Sierra Madre Oriental, breeding in only about 62 miles of that area. There is thought to be no more than 3,000 of these birds left.

The Parrots nest in holes, located in largely inaccessible rock faces, which protects them from predators.

Lots of places to nest

They eat primarily pine seeds from the cones of conifers. As the forests have shrunk, they have added agave flowers and fruits, for which they must travel long distances to reach. We saw quite a few and I was happy to even get a few photos that at least look like Parrots.

Got 'em

There were a few other birds around, including Lesser Goldfinches ...

A pretty little female Lesser Goldfinch

... and Black-headed Grosbeaks ...

A colorful male Black-headed Grosbeak (the same species I have in my yard all summer)

Both species were close and very amenable to having their photos taken.

Apple wine

Lunch was at another small local place with limited options (the hoped-for gorditas were not available, according to the rather dour woman in the open-air kitchen). The picadillo on a tortilla was basic, but the salsa was delicious. 

This was apple country and the restaurant was selling apple wine in bottles that had been placed over small buds, allowing an apple to grow in the bottle. We had seen a similar thing with pears in Italy years ago.

Near the restaurant was a Curve-billed Thrasher on a power line, just chillin' out.

Seen in the desert and mountains

Back to Parque El Manzano

We drove back toward Monterrey for our last night there, stopping back at a different part of Parque El Manzano.

Slightly gentler mountains

We saw ... 

One of a few Carolina Wrens

A female Great-tailed Grackle

A Rivoli's Hummingbird

Plus, there was a Turkey Vulture, some Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Brown Creeper, Black-and-white and Rufous-capped Warblers and some Painted Redstarts that I didn't shoot.

I was very sad that, although I saw a gorgeous Flame-colored Tanager, the best photo I could get under the dark canopy was a blurry mess. I hoped to see another later, but never did. 

I had lots of photos just like this – and worse!

As most of the places we visited, Butterflies flitted around while we were looking for birds.

A Butterfly I am still trying to ID and a Gilbert's Flasher

Water Birds

We made one more quick stop, at a rain-swollen segment of the a river that was filled with trash that hosted a Great Egret ...

Looks like an extra-long neck

... and a Muscovy Duck ...

Looks like it doesn't want to be seen

Rene was looking for something there, but didn't find it, so we moved on.

Dinner that night was the worst of the trip: a much-touted street taco place in a trendy part of San Pedro where the meat was tough, the grilled whole small potatoes fishy-tasting and the tzatziki-type sauce just plain odd. 

The salsas were Ok, though

I was losing faith in Mexican food. 

Trip date: August 12-18, 2024

Birding in Mexico: Around Monterrey

Blue-capped Motmot

The next morning started in Monterrey. Our first stop was Santiago Grasslands, a lovely park just south of Monterrey and north of the town of Santiago. 

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).

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.

The Flycatcher seemed unconcerned

Then, we headed on, passing a couple of Couch's Kingbirds ...

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 ...

Perching

Until she flew away

Next we saw two Rufous-capped Warblers, a lifer for me. 

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: 

Inca Dove (this name may change because Mexico didn't have Incas)

Long-billed Thrasher

Black-crested Titmouse

Black-and-white Warbler

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 ...

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.

Our first good view of a really tropical-looking bird

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.

You do the best you can (and, sometimes, you fail)

After Santiago, we went to grab some breakfast. 

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). 

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.

 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.

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. 

Crescent-chested Warbler

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. 

There were more Black-and-white Warblers (this one was showing off)

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.

Fortunately, sometimes you get another shot at a bird

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.

Painted Redstart

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. 

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. 

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.

A lovely place

Trip date: August 12-18, 2024