Birding Puerto Vallarta - Mismaloya

We stayed a couple of days in 'Casa Iguana' in Mismaloya over the weekend.  On the track up from the hotel were some classic species of this stretch of coast in Western Mexico, including Citreoline Trogon and Russet-crowned Motmot (both pictured below).

Citreoline Trogon

Russet-crowned Motmot

Very easy to find were large flocks of Orange-fronted Parakeets, Yellow-billed Caciques and West Mexican Chachalacas.  There were also Golden-cheeked Woodpeckers, Greyish Saltators, a variety of warblers and a showy Ivory-billed Woodcreeper.

Perhaps best of all, though, were screaming Military Macaws flying overhead in the late morning.

Rio Ayutla, Sierra Gorda

This particular spot, near 'Las Adjuntas' south of Conca in the Sierra Gorda, is certainly one of the best spots for birding that I have come across in Queretaro.

I bumped into Chuck Aid, a visiting birder from the States in the morning, and we had a very productive time.  All together, I encountered 60 species.  My personal highlights were Montezuma Oropendola, Masked Tityra and Plain Chachalacas (none of which I've previously seen in Queretaro).  There were a lot of other very good birds to keep us occupied, though, including Squirrel Cuckoos,  several Black-throated Green Warblers, Wedge-tailed Sabrewings, Golden-crowned Warblers, Golden-browed Warbler, Elegant Trogons etc.

Here's a few photos, and below them is the day list.  Incredible spot, and highly recommended.

Squirrel Cuckoo

Plain Chachalaca

Plain Chachalaca  3
Neotropic Cormorant  1
Black Vulture  15
Turkey Vulture  6
Common Black Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Inca Dove  1
White-tipped Dove  3
White-winged Dove  2
Squirrel Cuckoo  2
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing  4
Elegant Trogon  5
Green Kingfisher  2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  2
Bat Falcon  2
Tufted Flycatcher  10
Greater Pewee  4
Western Wood-Pewee  1
Black Phoebe  6
Eastern Phoebe  2
Dusky-capped Flycatcher  3
Brown-crested Flycatcher  1
Great Kiskadee  6
Boat-billed Flycatcher  4
Social Flycatcher  4
Masked Tityra  1
Cassin's Vireo  1
Blue-headed Vireo  3
Warbling Vireo  1
Green Jay  6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  5
Black-crested Titmouse  2
Canyon Wren  4
House Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Clay-colored Thrush  5
Blue Mockingbird  3
Northern Waterthrush  1
Black-and-white Warbler  2
Nashville Warbler  1
MacGillivray's Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  6
Rufous-capped Warbler  14
Golden-browed Warbler  1
Golden-crowned Warbler  3
Wilson's Warbler  10
Yellow-winged Tanager  1
Olive Sparrow  1
Lincoln's Sparrow  1
Hepatic Tanager  4
Flame-colored Tanager  1
Altamira Oriole  4
Audubon's Oriole  12
Baltimore Oriole  1
Montezuma Oropendola  1
Scrub Euphonia  3
Yellow-throated Euphonia  2

Remember - for any further information or tours, drop me an e-mail at jontyhiley@hotmail.com

Elegant Trogon!

Despite all of the good birds I've seen recently around Tequisquiapan, today brought a new high - a magnificent male Elegant Trogon in the mountains above Fuentezuelas.  I found this bird putting on a show in some tall trees at the base of a cliff over a small stream.

Elegant Trogon

Elegant Trogon

Over the course of a 3 hour walk throughout this undisturbed part of Queretaro, I bumped into other fantastic species.  The Trogon was sharing the cliff face with Northern Cardinals, many Northern Mockingbirds, Phainopeplas, and a nice selection of Warblers including Virginia's, McGillivray's, Nashville and Black-throated Grey.

Northern Cardinal (male)

Virginia's Warbler

In the more scrubby parts of the walk, I found another many Scott's Orioles, Grey Flycatchers and lots and lots of Sparrows (Brewer's, Chipping, Clay-colored, Lark, Vesper, Lincoln's, Canyon Towhees and another Green-tailed Towhee).  

50 species in total.  Definitely be returning soon.