Lago de Cuitzeo

This unbelievable wetland site is slightly out of state (located in nearby Michoacan).  Xander and I stopped here on the way back from Puerto Vallarta last month for a morning, and we were rewarded with some spectacular birding.

Ducks were obvious - Blue-winged Teals, Green-winged Teals, Cinnamon Teals, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Pintails, Mexican Ducks, Canvasback (1), Lesser Scaup (2), Ruddy Ducks...

Blue-winged Teals

Cinnamon Teals

We were only able to check out a small part of what is a massive site (either side of the 'flyovers'), so heaven knows what else was out there that we missed.

The most obvious wader here was American Avocet.  We came across huge wintering flocks of this elegant bird.

American Avocet

 Also present were the usual collection of Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer.

Herons and Egrets were everywhere - Great, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and a good number of Louisiana Herons.  As were Pelicans, flocks of hundreds and hundreds of American White Pelicans constantly loafing and soaring above the lake in spectacular formations.

Louisiana Heron

Other highlights included large numbers of Clark's Grebes, hawking Caspian Terns and Forsters Terns, high concentrations of Northern Jacanas, and a great selection of scrubland birds including Indigo Buntings.

We didn't do this site justice in one morning, it deserves days of exploration.