Another Anhinga

A late report from a birding trip two Sundays ago with Rosalinda Paez from Queretaro and JP Murphy from Ireland.  

We had a good walk around Presa Centenario - all the way from the dam to where the Rio San Juan joins the highway between San Nicolas and Bordo Blanco.  Plenty of raptors made for interesting viewing...as well as American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk and a stunning male Northern Harrier, we were treated to good views of this Turkey Vulture and more impressively, only my second ever Red-shouldered Hawk in Queretaro. 

Ugly Vulture

Red-shouldered Hawk

The best bird of the day, though, was surely this Anhinga.  Two in two weeks?  A mini-invasion perhaps, or more likely the same one as we saw at Presa Constitucion.  Here it is.  Same type of tree, same pose as the last one.

Anhinga...bird of the day

Another interesting sighting was two Neotropic Cormorant nests complete with youngsters.  The first breeding pairs I have seen here, although there must be others around.  This was pleasant news against the rather grim backdrop of a huge Water Hyacinth invasion, which is taking hold of the chain of reservoirs.  Fingers crossed that this weed is stopped somehow.

Other nice sightings around the Reservoir included prolonged views of Curve-billed Thrashers.

Curve-billed Thrasher

As well as a lot of Mexican Sister butterflies attracted to a pile of rotting Oranges..

Mexican Sister

 Good walk, good company, and a good time had by all.