Birding Queretaro: Reservoir...immense

I cycled through the rain and wind to Martin Mere to see my first Wilson's Phalarope some time in late summer last year. I remember huddling in the Ron Barker hide with the windows closed to avoid being drenched as the Phalarope showed as a small dot at the far end of the marsh.

I saw my next 1300 Wilson's Phalaropes yesterday afternoon. I finally got round to visiting the reservoir on the Western edge of Tequisquiapan, and as soon as I got there, I was cursing myself for not going earlier. I literally didn't know where to look. Whole sections of the water were covered with vast rafts of Phalaropes, using the reservoir as a feeding station stop off on their migration routes. Absolutely spectacular.

As I launched a huge scan grenade with the scope from the dam, I realised the Phals weren't the only waders in town. A dozen or more Killdeers piped away from the water's edge. In amongst them were a fine selection of smaller American shorebirds. 30 Baird's Sandpipers, and others which were too distant for me to confidently identify in the dying light.

As I got closer to the waters edge, some birds swam out of the reeds. These were much easier to identify. 8 Eared (Black-necked) Grebes were still in their fine summer plumage. 20 American Coots drifted amongst them, and further out, I picked up a flock of 30 Ruddy Ducks. 2 Mexican Ducks were knocking about as well. Formerly a separate species, these are now considered conspecific with Mallards.

It was birding paradise, and, I was again left cursing myself that I didn't have enough time in the evening to complete the circuit of the lake. However, the time of day did allow me close views of 100 Cattle Egrets and a dozen Snowy Egrets flying over the water to their roost site in Park la Pila. A Northern Shoveler was next to zip over my head, and a final scan would yield yet another lifer. A small Least Grebe was skulking along in the shallows amongst the reeds, easily identifiable by its yellow eye and bluey black plumage.

I'll be back there as much as possible over the next month or so, which should see a continuation of the wader passage and a build up of wintering duck numbers.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera, but here's a few more shots from around El Sauz.