Birding Ixtapa

Got out for a few morning's birding during a lads long-weekend in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo recently.  We were staying by the Marina in 'Porto Ixtapa' and around the complex, I had Streak-backed Orioles, Olive Sparrows, Citreoline Trogons, Rufous-naped Wrens, Great-tailed Grackles, Grey-breasted Martins, Barn Swallows, Mangrove Swallows, West Mexican Chachalacas, Great Kiskadees, Social Flycatchers, Tropical Kingbirds, Cinnamon Hummingbirds, Orange-breasted Buntings and Blue Buntings.

Olive Sparrow

Rufous-naped Wrens

Streak-backed Orioles

Things were great at dawn at Playa Linda.  In the Crocodile Pen, there were breeding Roseate Spoonbills, Green Herons, Yellow-crowned Night-herons, Snowy Egrets and Boat-billed Herons. Nearby, there were breeding Wood Storks.  Along the beach and offshore, we saw Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Boobys, Royal Terns, Least Terns, Willets, Neotropic Cormorants and Laughing Gulls.

Brown Pelicans at Playa Linda

Neotropic Cormorant

Roseate Spoonbill

Willet

Roseate Spoonbill

Green Heron 

Yellow-crowned Heron

Wood Stork

Mick Dundee

Great-tailed Grackle pair

After the beach, I walked up into the hills behind Playa Linda.  Here, I found Northern Cardinals, White-bellied Wrens, the endemic and beautiful White-throated Magpie Jays, Hooded Orioles, Yellow Warbler, Zone-tailed Hawks, Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures and many of the birds also seen at Porto Ixtapa.

White-throated Magpie Jay

Santa Catarina

I checked out this site on an evening stroll yesterday.  It's located 20 minutes north of Queretaro, and some fantastic species have been reported here, such as Wood Stork (see http://birdingmexico.blogspot.mx/).

Lots of good muddy areas held Least Sandpipers, a few Baird's Sandpipers, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, some American Avocets, many Killdeer and this sublime Semipalmated Sandpiper.  Didn't check all waders properly, I can see however how this place holds the potential to attract really good birds.

Not many duck left now in Queretaro, most having returned to breed in North America, but I did see a few Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck (resident), Mexican Duck (resident) and Blue-winged Teal.

Also, still c.70 American White Pelicans loafing around.  Plenty of Neotropic Cormorants and White-faced Ibis too, as well as Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and the odd late Black-crowned Night Heron.

Migging Yellow-rumped Warblers abounded on the edges of the lake, and Barn and Bank Swallows were joined by some Nighthawk at dusk hawking for insects.

All in all, not a bad evening.  Certainly a place I will return to.

Wader Heaven at La Llave

A fine selection of waders was to be had at La Llave on Saturday morning.  Water levels are low at this reservoir as well, but the large expanses of exposed muds held some really interesting species.

As well as the gorgeous Wilson's Phalaropes pictured in the last post, I had the following (along with some notes about each one based on my observations).

American Golden Plover - 1.  A rare bird in Queretaro, and a first for me.

American Golden Plover

 2. Black-bellied Plover. 1. Again, a rarity in Queretaro, normally confined to the coasts in Mexico.

3. Semipalmated Plover. 4.  A good number of this coastal plover.

4.  Killdeer. Common.  Starting to get very territorial.

5. Spotted Sandpiper.  A lot, including two very territorial males (see below).  Do they breed round here?

Spotted Sandpiper

6. Least Sandpiper.  Several hundred.  Common winter visitor.

7. Baird's Sandpiper. 3.  Much more common in autumn, where they can be found in their 1000s.  I haven't recorded them previously this spring, though.

Baird's Sandpiper

 7. Pectoral Sandpiper. 6.  A good number of a bird only found here during passage.

Pectoral Sandpipers

8. Stilt Sandpiper. 5.  Winters in small numbers and more frequent in passage.

9. Long-billed Dowitcher.  >1000.  Huge numbers of this elegant wader, almost all of them  in breeding plumage as well.

10. Black-necked Stilt.  Quite common year round.

Black-necked Stilt

11.  Avocet. 5. Seem to be more prominent on passage.

12. Lesser Yellowlegs. c.20.  Seem to be many here and at Centenario during spring.

13. Greater Yellowlegs. 4

14. Wilson's Phalaropes. 200.

Not  a bad haul of waders all in all.  I'll try and get back there before the season is over, because it will probably get very quiet during the summer.

Non-wader highlights included hordes of White-throated Swifts, 1 Crested Caracara, 1 Northern Harrier, decent variety of ducks still (inc. American Wigeon, Gadwall, Pintail, all 3 Teals, and 1 Fulvous Whistler), Common Yellowthroat, Barn, Cliff and Bank Swallows. and plenty of other common stuff.

La Llave holds the key to Wilson

Brilliant session at La Llave this morning including getting close to this selection of Wilson's Phalaropes.  Many, many waders there altogether.  Full report to follow.  

Work Hard. Play Hard. Becard.

I was denied access to the Park late in the evening today, where I had wanted to take some sunset photos of the Heronry.  Instead, I went to a little patch just opposite Parque la Pila behind the 'Hotel del Parque'.  There, I encountered a great species for Queretaro - a pair of Rose-throated Becards.  This bird is common and widespread in the tropics of Mexico, but isn't found on the central plateau, and may indeed be a new species for the state.

Rose-throated Becard, female

Rose-throated Becard, male

At the same patch were some other interesting birds, including Western Tanager, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren and Nashville Warbler.

American Avocet and Wilson's Phalarope, Tequisquiapan

Some shots of two beautiful species, especially when in breeding plumage.  Taken at Presa Centenario, Tequisquiapan 10th April 2013.

Parque la Pila Heronry...feat. 'the Undertaker' and 'Kvak'

Parque la Pila in central Tequisquiapan hosts a Heronry which is starting to get nice and busy.  

The Great Egrets (aka the Undertaker) get started early.  Today, I counted at least 27 nests high up in the tree tops..

Less obvious are the Black-crowned Night Herons  (aka Perro de Agua, aka 'Kvak').  They nest in smaller numbers here and a bit later.  These characters were busy collecting nest material...

Watch out.  Kvak is about.