Birding El Salvador

Some nice birds around El Salvador during a cricket tour last weekend.  Not much chance for birding in general, but a quick stop at the beach at Costa Del Sol outside of San Salvador gave me the chance to take a few photos.

Brown Pelicans are a common site up and down the pacific coast of Central America.

As are various types of waders.  I picked  up some nice flocks of Black-bellied Plovers, as well as some Short-billed Dowitchers.

Also knocking around was a large flock of Royal Terns, which also held Sandwich Terns and Laughing Gulls.

Other than these characters, I also saw Inca Doves, White-winged Doves, Red-billed Pigeons, Ruddy Ground Doves, Tropical Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, White-tailed Kites, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures...

The Big Day

In a birder's 'big day', the aim is to see as many species as possible.  To hit up big numbers, you need an early start, good local knowledge and enough energy to keep going until sunset...

My route last Saturday took me round the best spots I know within biking distance of Tequisquiapan.

- Fuentezuelas Farmland (FF)
- Lago Pelicanos (LP)
- La Laja (LL)
- Presa Centenario (PC)

Here were the results:

American Wigeon (LP, PC), Mexican Duck (LP), Blue-winged Teal (PC, LL), Green-winged Teal (LP, LL, PC), Cinnamon Teal (LL), Northern Shoveler (LP, LL, PC), Northern Pintail (LP, LL), Redhead (PC), Canvasback (PC), Ring-necked Duck (PC), Lesser Scaup (PC), Ruddy Duck (PC)

Eared Grebe (PC)

American White Pelican (LP), Great Blue Heron (LP), Great Egret (LP), Snowy Egret (LP), Cattle Egret (FF), Black-crowned Night Heron (LP), White-faced Ibis (FF), Roseate Spoonbill (LP)

American White Pelicana

Turkey Vulture (FF), Red-tailed Hawk (FF), Sharp-shinned Hawk (FF), Northern Harrier (FF), Peregrine (FF), Merlin (PC), American Kestrel (FF), Crested Caracara (FF)

Common Moorhen (LL), American Coot (LP, PC, LL)

Killdeer (FF), American Avocet (LP), Greater Yellowlegs (LP), Lesser Yellowlegs (PC), Long-billed Dowitcher (PC), Black-necked Stilt (LL, PC), Least Sandpiper (PC), Spotted Sandpiper (LP, LL, PC)

White-winged Dove (PC), Inca Dove, Collared Dove (FF), Common Ground Dove (FF), Mourning Dove (FF), Rock Dove

Broad-billed Hummingbird, Ladderback, Golden-fronted Woodpecker (FF)

Black Phoebe (LP), Say's Phoebe (FF), Vermilion Flycatcher (FF), Cassin's Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Mockingbird

Chihuahuan Raven (FF), Northern Raven (LL),  Barn Swallow (LP), Violet-green Swallow (LP)

Cactus Wren (FF), Bewick's Wren, House Wren, Marsh Wren (LP)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (LP), Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat (LP, FF)

Clay-colored Sparrow

Canyon Towhee, Chipping Sparrow (FF), Lark Sparrow (FF), Clay-colored Sparrow (FF), Grasshopper Sparrow (FF), Savannah Sparrow (FF), Lincoln's Sparrow (FF), House Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting (LP)

Grasshopper Sparrow - can you spot him?

Eastern Meadowlark (FF), Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch.

Total: 83 species

Notable Absentees Abeille's Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Bronzed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Varied Bunting, Phainopepla, Wilson's Warbler, American Robin, Clay-colored Robin, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, White-tailed Kite.

The White Wizard - Merlin at Presa Centenario

A bumper raptor day yesterday included 8 different species - Red-tailed Hawks, Crested Caracaras, Turkey Vultures, Peregrine Falcons, American Kestrels, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 gorgeous male Northern Harriers, and perhaps best of all a Merlin.

I've had fleeting glimpses of a Merlin only on one occasion before in these parts, so it was great to get good views of this small, aggressive falcon.

Merlin

Focus on: Roseate Spoonbill

The undoubted highlight of the weekend's birding was picking up a ROSEATE SPOONBILL at Lago Pelicanos.  As I reached this hidden wetland site, I spotted it straight away feeding with a Great Blue Heron and 2 Great Egrets.  

With their spatula like beak and their pink plumagae Roseate Spoonbill's are unmistakeable, and are surely one of the most beautiful and bizarre birds in the Americas.

Roseates sweep their bill side to side in the water to feed, picking up small insects and fish.

This is a first year bird, in a similar plumage to the one  I found at Presa Constitucion back in September (http://hileybirding.blogspot.mx/2012/09/presa-de-la-constitucion-san-gil.html). That was a 'first' for Queretaro.  Roseate Spoonbills are usually only found in coastal regions of Mexico. Could it be the same bird, spending the winter roaming around the wetlands of Queretaro?  That's definitely a possibility.  It could also be the case, however, that these visitors come to inland Mexico more frequently than previously thought.

To Kill a Mockingbird

A sunset walk up by the train tracks in Tequisquiapan provides some different birds from the typical wetland stuff.  It also guarantees some stunning scenery. 

This Northern Mockingbird perched obligingly for me to fire away a few shots...

Northern Mockingbird

Much less obvious is this tiny Blue-grey Gnatcatcher.  These little beauties roam around the desert scrub in small groups, much in the same way as Tits.

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

The Butcher Bird...Loggerhead Shrikes are common in Queretaro.  They feast on the abundance of grasshoppers and crickets that can be found at this time of year in the desert.  Shrikes get their nickname due to their habit of storing their prey on branches and barbed wire fences, thus creating a larder to return to.

Loggerhead Shrike

The wonderful thing about living here is that you are pretty much guaranteed a sunset like this every evening..

Forsters Terns and Ring-billed Gulls in Tequis

Presa Centenario contined its unbelievable recent form by throwing up some more great birds last night.  Without doubt the highlights were a group of 4 Forster's Terns hawking the reservoir (albeit probably unsuccessfully).  Views weren't great, and after one fly by I didn't see them again.  They could potentially currently be at one of Queretaro's other reservoirs, such as Constitucion or La Llave.  Managed a few record shots - another great bird for Tequis. 

Forster's Terns (top left and bottom right of picture)

30 minutes prior to the Terns, I had another fly by of 4 Ring-billed Gulls (inc. 1 adult).  This is my first gull species in Tequisquiapan, having previously seen Ring-billed and Laughing at Constitucion.

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull with Eared Grebes

Duck numbers and variety were still impressive.  Huge numbers of Shovelers and Ruddy Ducks were the most obvious, but the Ring-necked Duck flock remains, and yesterday harboured 3 Redheads (1 drake, 2 ducks), 1 Canvasback and 3 Lesser Scaup.  Also, 2 Buffleheads (1 drake, 1 duck) were still present as well as some American Wigeons and Gadwalls at the 'business end' of the reservoir.  Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals were again present in large numbers all the way around the edge, and there was a scattering of Pintails and Mexican Ducks.  Again, 13 species of Duck.  

Northern Shovelers taking off

Record shot of Canvasback (far left), Redheads (back centre) and Ring-necked Ducks (front)

I gave a bit more attention to waders and was pleased to notch up a good variety of species.  Most were at the 'business end' of the reservoir (furthest from the dam).  2 Wilson's Phalaropes were unusual this far into winter.  The Black-necked Stilts and Killdeers are regular, and were accompanied by 1 American Avocet.  At least 100 Long-billed Dowitchers fed in the shallows with a flock of over 300 Least Sandpipers, and Spotted Sandpipers are common all along the shoreline.  The pick of the lot, however, was a beautiful winter plumaged Snowy Plover.  This record is only the second one for Queretaro after an individual I had back here in May 2011.  This one posed for some nice close photos.

Snowy Plover (2nd for Queretaro)

Long-billed Dowitchers

Walking back along the desert scrub route at sunset resulted in me picking up the typical common birds of this type of habitat - Loggerhead Shrike, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Curve-billed Thrasher and Cactus Wren, for example.  I also saw my first Gray Flycatcher of the winter, which is normally the only Empidomax flycatcher to be found in these parts..

Buffleheads light up the Presa

Certainly as far as Ducks go, Presa Centenario was at its best today.  On an evening stroll (I only got less than a quarter of the way around the reservoir), I clocked up an incredible 13 species.  This count didn't include the Redhead and Fulvous-Whistling Ducks from last Friday, so there could well be 15 different types of ducks currently on Centenario - top stuff.

Here's today's tally:

Northern Shoveler - several thousand (most at the south end of the lake where i didn't reach)

Northern Pintail - 20 (but many uncounted at south end of lake)

Mexican Duck - 70+ (in a flock near the 'dog pen')

Green-winged Teal - 200+ in the shallows

Blue-winged Teal - 150+ in the shallows

Cinnamon Teal - 1 adult male near the dam, my first sighting here

Ring-necked Duck - the 300 strong flock remains

Lesser Scaup - 3 males near the dam

Ruddy Duck - several hundred

Canvasback - 3 within the Ring-necked Duck flock

Gadwall - 1 adult male near the 'dog pen'

American Wigeon - 3 near the 'dog pen'

BUFFLEHEAD - 3 adults at the dog pen, a new record for Queretaro.

Throw in 500 Eared Grebes and hordes of American Coot, and you've got a fairly decent selection of waterbirds there.

Here's some of the better pics (and a record shot of the BUFFLEHEADS

Blue-winged Teals, Presa Centenario

Green-winged Teal

Northern Shovelers

Ruddy Duck

Lesser Scaup

Canvasbacks (with Ruddy Ducks, Eared Grebe and Ring-necked Duck)

Eared Grebes

Bufflehead (if you look really hard)