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.