Wilson's Phalarope - Mexico

In response to requests from regular readers, here is a picture of part of the huge flock of Wilson's Phalaropes currently 'staging' at Presa El Centenario.  This migrant wader passes through central Mexico in huge numbers on its way to winter off the coasts of South America...

Don't forget, check www.queretarobirding.com or contact jontyhiley@hotmail.com for more information and guided tours.

Migration Time

Queretaro enters its best period of the year for birding....

Each recent trip I've been on has resulted in great birds.

Despite extremely high water levels, muddy patches are  throwing up good waders.  Many Baird's and Least Sandpipers around, with some Western Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitchers and the  more common stuff.  Oh yeah, and about 3000 Wilson's Phalaropes still at El Centenario.

El Centenario was Hummingbird crazy last weekend.  As well as Violet-crowned and dozens of Broad-billed, there were half a dozen Black-chinned and some probably Ruby-throateds as well buzzing around.  Great stuff!

Constitucion holds a dozen Laughing Gulls, 2 Ring-billed Gulls, and best of all a Royal Tern, absolute mega inland...

Things got interesting at the Rio San Juan in Tequis, with lots of Western Wood Peewees and a DICKCISSEL, which is normally a coastal migrant in central Mexico.  What's next??

Remember - check out www.queretarobirding.com, or get in touch with me at jontyhiley@hotmail.com for more information or guided tours.

Desert Birding

Below are some of the better photos I took this morning from the desert near Vizarron.  Lots of Rock Wrens present and 2 Greater Roadrunners (pictured).  Other highlights included my first Black-throated Sparrow, several Canyon Wrens, Blue-throated Hummingbirds, American Robins, Hepatic Tanagers, and many more.  The full list is up on eBird.

Presa Centenario - Waders Building

High water levels at El Centenario at the moment and some marvellous waders.  A little look around the far end on Wednesday evening and I found some huge flocks of Wilson's Phalaropes (2000+), as well as lots of Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets and 15 Baird's Sandpipers.

Also present here were 2 Fulvous Whistling Ducks and 1 Bank Swallow in with hundreds of Barn Swallows.

Bentsen State Park and Cimarron Club - Texas

I'm up across the border in Mission, Texas, at the moment and took the opportunity to see some excellent wildlife this morning.  The Lower Rio Grande Valley has a lot of specialist species which, although common in Mexico, are difficult/impossible to find in the rest of the U.S.   Such species include Green Jay (pictured below), Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, Clay-colored Robin and Plain Chachalaca.

Queretaro Birding website opens

This blog will continue to run with occasional updates.  However, we have opened a new website with more regular updates and more features.

Please continue to read this blog and also check out the new site

www.queretarobirding.com

Thanks.

Trip Report - Presa de la Constitucion and Huimilpan Range

A superb day of birding on Saturday with Mary Gustafson from Texas saw us take in a good variety of habitats and score with some excellent species.

We arranged a 5.30 pick up in Queretaro, and got to Presa de la Constitucion for first light.  This reservoir usually throws up some interesting birds, and it delivered again - as the sun rose, 8 Wood Storks landed in the shallows of the reservoir, feeding with lots of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons.  Out on the spit, we picked up 2 Ring-billed Gulls, 3 American White Pelicans and 1 Franklin´s Gull.  In the surrounding fields were 8 Northern Bobwhite, and singing Horned Larks, Savannah Sparrows and 2 Botteri´s Sparrows.

Wood Stork

Next up was the ´Canyon San Juan´, a spectacular location which is home to breeding Cliff Swallows.  We also had Violet-green Swallows here, as well as Loggerhead Shrikes,1 more Botteri´s Sparrow, Phainopeplas, 2 Blue Mockingbirds, many Canyon Towhees, Canyon Wrens and a Red-tailed Hawk on the cliffs.

Some nice roadside stops between the Canyon and Laguna de Servin yielded Gray Silky-Flycatchers, Western Wood-Peewees, Chipping, Rufous-crowned, Black-chinned and Striped Sparrows, breeding Yellow Warblers, Green Kingfishers and some more common species.

As we headed into the forests, the birds got even better.  Countless singing Pine Siskins were trumped by 2 Black-headed Siskins.  At various points, we also had Hepatic Tanager, Olive Warbler, Crescent-chested Warblers, Slate-throated Redstarts, Painted Redstarts, Brown-throated House Wren, Spotted Towhees, Yellow-eyed Juncos (common), Common Ravens, American Robins, 2 obliging Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes, Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, 8 Black-headed Grosbeaks, Brown-backed Solitaires, and Pine and Cordilleran Flycatchers.

A few brief stops near Huimilpan on the way back allowed us to catch up with Cactus Wren and White-eared Hummingbird, and finish the day with about 90 different species.

Huimilpan Range

Before rain stopped play last night, we explored some spots near Amealco on the Queretaro/Michoacan border.  Some spectacular scenery in this neck of the woods, including a spectacular Canyon through which the Rio San Juan runs on the far side of Presa de la Constitucion.  A brief stop here produced breeding Cliff Swallows as well as Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Violet-green Swallows.  It also held a good number of Phainopeplas.

Further on, after turning off the San Juan - Amealco road towards Huimilpan, we stopped at a riverbed and found good numbers of Gray Silky Flycatchers with Western Wood-Peewees and a good variety of other residents.  Also along this road were several Striped Sparrows.

We headed up the Laguna de Servin access road, but only just reached the forest edge before a heavy down pour began.  Still had time to pick up a beautiful Olive-sided Flycatcher, a pair of Hepatic Tanagers, several Black-backed Orioles, Canyon Towhees, Western Wood-Peewees, 1 Yellow-eyed Junco and a few other bits and bobs.

On the way back to Tequis, a brief stop at Presa de la Constitucion revealed 3 lingering American White Pelicans, 1 Great Blue Heron, many Black-crowned Night Herons (they breed nearby), Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets, 2 Laughing Gulls  and 6 Ring-billed Gulls.  

Spring Sightings

Some highlights (camera-less and photo-less) over the last few months have included....

Presa de la Constitucion - Still over 60 American White Pelicans in early May, with a similar number of Neotropic Cormorants.  A few Laughing Gulls with 6 Ring-billed Gulls, but best of all an adult summer Caspian Tern.  In the scrub, 2 Northern Bobwhites and a surprising MacGillivray's Warbler.

Presa Centenario - In early May, there were over 1000 Wilson's Phalaropes and excellent numbers of Black-winged Stilt and American Avocet.  Still some wildfowl hanging around - Shovelers, Pintails, lots of resident Mexican Ducks and Ruddy Ducks, and some Gadwall and American Wigeon.  Mid-May, there were 4 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and 1 Black Tern with huge Barn Swallow migration.

Tequisquiapan - Quiet now with just resident birds remaining.  Many are feeding young.  In early May, however, I did see a Bell's Vireo and Warbling Vireo together, obvious migrants.

Birding Peru - Pucusana

No blog posts for a while I'm afraid as my camera took a nasty plunge into Rio Escanela in the Sierra Gorda.   Nevermind...I'm back up and running for a while at least, having borrowed a friends camera and found myself on a Cricket tour to Lima, Peru.

Arrived yesterday evening, and took advantage of a day off today to visit the fishing harbour of Pucusana, about 50km south of Lima.  'Big Phil' and I did the journey in a combi from Puente Primavera in south Lima. Straight to the fishing dock and we were amazed to see dozens of Peruvian Pelicans walking around the fishermen, with Belcher's Gulls and Inca Terns in close proximity, looking for a free meal.

Inca Tern

Peruvian Pelicans

Peruvian Pelican

 A walk past the 'grotto' south of the port and to the cliffs nearby allowed us to look out on to the Pacific and immediately see more Pelicans and Inca Terns, as well as new species - Red-legged Cormorant, Guanay Cormorant, Peruvian Booby, Blackish Oystercatcher and Gray Gulls.

Better was to come, though, as Big Phil put up the huge shout of 'Penguin', and I turned in time to see a group of 4 Humboldt Penguins swimming out into the Ocean.  This was the ultimate target bird here.

Humboldt Penguin

Other birds along the shoreline here were West Peruvian Doves, Ruddy Turnstones and House Sparrows.

Strickland's Woodpecker

On a school trip to Nevado de Toluca, I managed to get half an hour birding in the evening around the campsite.  It did not disappoint, as I managed to catch up with a central Mexican endemic, the Strickland's Woodpecker.

Strickland's Woodpecker

Also in the pine-forest were Mexican Chickadees, Olive Warblers, Red Warbler, Brown-throated (House) Wren, Bluebirds (sp), Yellow-eyed Juncos and Striped Sparrows.  

Striped Sparrows

Red Warbler

Higher up on the slopes of the volcano were many Northern Ravens, more Striped Sparrows and Yellow-eyed Juncos, 1 American Kestrel and a Peregrine.  

Monarchs - Valle de Bravo

Great trip over the long weekend to see the Monarchs wintering in central Mexico.  We saw them at the Piedra Herrada reserve near Valle de Bravo, about a 3-hour drive from Tequisquiapan.  Recommend getting there first thing in the morning to enjoy this spectacle undisturbed.  We arrived at the reserve about 8.30, and were the first tourists.

You have to see it to believe it, really.

Great cast of birds in the woods as well, including White-eared Hummingbird, Green Violet-ear, Clay-colored Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mexican Jay, Red Warbler, Golden-browed Warbler, Crescent-chested Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Townsend's Warbler and Pine Siskin.


In Valle de Bravo itself, some nice birds at La Pena.  A flock of White-throated Swifts, Vaux's Swifts and Chestnut-collared Swifts and also Black Vulture and Cliff Swallow up there.

Military Macaws at Sotano del Barro

A trip to Sotano del barro in the Sierra Gorda is not to be missed.  To access this birding hotspot, you need to take a dirt track for 25km to the small village of Santa Mario de Cocos.  From here, you are up at 4a.m. to climb the 5km track up to the Sotano before dawn.  I recommend horseback on the way up, and walking on the way down.

Despite the pain of the never-ending night hike, all is worth it as you arrive at the lip of the Sotano, which at over 500m deep, is the second largest sink-hole in the World.  As the sky begins to get lighter, the excitement and mystery grows.  Then,  suddenly at about 6.45, a crescendo of raucous screeching fills the Sotano.  You look down into the abyss and pairs of huge, colourful Military Macaws are waking up.

Military Macaws

For the next hour, the Macaws fly round in pairs, giving great views, especially as the sun lights up proceedings.  Other birds in the Sotano include Canyon Wren, Brown-backed Solitaire, White-throated Swifts and Magnificent Hummingbird.   Bat Falcon keep an eye on proceedings.

Bat Falcon

The Sotano is a great place to visit.  It houses the only colony of Macaws in Queretaro - and is of great importance to this species which is in danger of extinction.   The views are worth going for as well, and any visit helps the locals in the Sierra Gorda.  

Presa Centenario, Tequisquiapan

Some decent birds around La Presa yesterday morning, as it continues to battle the Water Hyacinth.  On the open patches of water were plenty of ducks (particularly at the western end), including 3 Bufflehead, 1 Ring-necked Duck, 1 Lesser Scaup and good numbers of Gadwall and American Wigeon.  As usual, plenty of Eared Grebes, and also 4 Least Grebes.  

Male Bufflehead with Eared Grebe and Ruddy Duck

Eared Grebe

 Even better were 9 American White Pelicans  and upwards of a dozen Neotropic Cormorants.  Might well be a few fish knocking around finally.

Raptors are great at the 'far end'.  Here, I had juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk, a stonking Peregrine and also Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrel and a Cooper's Hawk.

In the scrub, 10 Curve-billed Thrashers, 9 Loggerhead Shrikes, 9 Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, 5 Blue Grosbeaks, 1 Grey Flycatcher (my first for a while).  Good numbers of Marsh Wren and Common Yellowthroat were also found.

74 species all in all.

Grey Flycatcher

Inca Dove

Lincoln's Sparrow

Birding Oaxaca

A few days holidaying around Oaxaca at the beginning of January presented a few birding opportunities.  Below are some of the pics I took and species I saw.

Oaxaca was a haven for wood-warblers, many allowing excellent views:

Black-and-White Warbler

MacGillivray'sWarbler

Red Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

As well as the above lot, there were plenty of Nasville and Audubon's Warblers, as well as Hermit, Wilson's, Crescent-chested, Olive, Wilson's and Black-throated Grey Warblers.  In abundance also were other migrants such as Tanagers (Summer and Western) and Orioles (Bullock's, Baltimore, Orchard).

More specialist birds came in the form of endemic species Grey-breasted Woodpecker, White-throated Towhee, Dusky Hummingbird and Bridled Sparrow (all found in the area around La Villada hostel), and Grey-barred Wren and Ocellated Thrasher, which were staked out with the help of Eric Antonio Martinez in the La Cumbre area, where we also saw Hairy Woodpecker, Mexican Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo and caught glimpses of the elusive Dward Jay among others.

Grey-breasted Woodpecker

Ocellated Thasher

Oaxaca is good for a trip combining birding with other activities, such as visiting the beautiful Monte Alban ruins.  As well as seeing unbelievable views...you can keep your eyes open for birds such as Rock Wren, Hermit Thrushand Canyon Wren as well as mixed flocks of Warblers, Vireos, Tanagers and Orioles, and hummingbirds such as Dusky, Rufous,  Ruby-throated and Berryline (as well as others in season).

Monte Alban ruins

Hermit Thursh

Turkey Vulture

Rock Wren

Full list and site details to follow.