The Two Presas

I showed two representatives of DUMAC (http://www.dumac.org/dumac/habitat/esp/index.htm), a wetland conservation body, around Presas Centenario and Constitucion on Saturday and we had a bumper day, clocking up some huge flocks of ducks, waders and herons, and some really unexpected birds along the way.

The highlights were as follows:

1. Hooded Merganser - This duck is an accidental visitor to Northern Mexico, so we were very excited to find a female at Presa de la Constitucion.  Unfortunately, it stayed in cover for most of the time, so we couldn't photograph it.  However, this is a superb record for Queretaro.

2. Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Considered common and widespread across both slopes in Mexico, Queretaro is our of range for this duck according to the map in Howell and Webb.  Nevertheless, both species of Whistling Duck are renowned for being nomadic.  We found a nice pair at Constitucion.

3. Tricolored Heron - A winter visitor across parts of Central Mexico and recorded once by Pineda-Lopez and Arrelaon-Sannaphre (2010).  The individual we saw at Constitucion, however, represented my first sighting of this elegant heron in Queretaro.

4. Black Tern - We had three American Black Terns passing high over Constitucion.  Following my sighting at Centenario (Hiley 2012), this is apparently only the second documented record of this migratory marsh tern.

5. Long-billed Curlew - This juvenile Long-billed Curlew was at the far end of Presa Centenario, associating with American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts.  This is the first documented record of this species for the state of Queretaro.

6. Green Kingfisher - A fly by Green Kingfisher at Constitucion was an interesting record in as far as it confirmed (along with the presence of Cormorants and Pelicans) that Constitucion is a clean, fish-filled reservoir.  Also, my first sighting of any Kingfisher away from the Sierra Gorda in Queretaro.

Full list to follow.