Friday August 29 Trip Plans

Mario's Road in the mountains above Erongaricuaro is the destination for this walk.

We'll meet in front of the Policia Federal (on the street behind the Pemex) in Patzcuaro at 9:00 AM and head to Zarzamora. If anyone in Eronga is planning to join us and needs a ride, let me know. If you're coming around the north end of the lake, let me know and I'll figure out a place to rendezvous in Eronga. Antep9@aol.com

See previous blurb for photos and information.

This is an easy uphill walk through a forest. My last visit to the area was a hike - this time we'll look for birds. Count on 2-3 hours in the woods.

We'll be on the lookout for this species: Pygmy nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

Afterwards those interested and hungry may join me for lunch at the pizza-baguette-torta restaurant on Eronga's square. The proprietors are Cristal and Mariano. She's one of the daughters of the owner of Campestre Aleman restaurant. The menu has lots to offer, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, and service is friendly and prompt.

Mario's Road - a new birding spot

Last week I came across a new spot that was crying to be birded. So, when Gail and Stephen, who were visiting from Pt. Reyes, California, asked me to take them hiking, I couldn't resist suggesting Mario's Road. We picked up Edna as we made our way up the mountain from Eronga (short for Erongaricuaro).

I know birds are lurking in this rich understory!

Most of the trees are being tapped for resin. Note the scarring.

Bird highlights for me were Pygmy nuthatches, Rusty-crowned Ground-sparrows, and vocalizing but not seen trogons. Although I kept my eyes peeled for the endemic woodcreeper, I didn't seen any.

Edna, Gail and Stephen with Lake Patzcuaro in the background.

Tacambaro Trip Report - Tuesday August 12, 2008

Yesterday it was Tzararacua near Uruapan. Today we visited Tacambaro, south of Patzcuaro in the Tierra Caliente. Wayne and Susan C. made the trip again from San Miguel de Allende and Bruce C. joined me for a rich day of birds, butterflies and dragon flies/damsel flies. Each of us added lifers to our lists, plus we simply enjoyed this hillside path/camino.

Neon skimmer - Libellula croceipennis

This dragonfly is found from Southwestern USA to Costa Rica

Photo by Wayne Colony

Birds seen/heard (not in taxonomic order):

Black vulture

Greater pewee

Golden-cheeked woodpecker

Blue-black grassquit

White-collared seedeater

Streaked-backed oriole

Stripe-headed sparrow

Yellow-winged cacique

Russet-crowned motmot

Black phoebe

Lesser goldfinch

Great kiskadee

Gray silky-flycatcher

Squirrel cuckoo (one of those unimpeded views a photographer would love - red eye and all - only Wayne had his nose focused on a butterfly elsewhere!)

Barn swallow

Inca dove

Violet-crowned hummingbird

Vermillion flycatcher

House finch

Black-headed siskin

Black-chested sparrow (lifer for me)

Lesser roadrunner

Blue bunting (another life)

Rusty-crowned ground-sparrow

Blue mockingbird

Grove-billed ani

Flycatchers - a Pileated and a few others - any flycatcher experts who want to help us focus on the finer aspects of these non-vocalizing birds?!

Wayne and Susan returned next day before heading back to San Miguel. They photographed at least 39 species of butterflies and reported Banded quail, a species I'd love to add to my life list!

Cascada de la Tzararacua - Report of Birds and Butterflies

As spectacular as this is, the falls to the right is even more magnificent!

This area is wowsers! Fifteen of us followed Bruce's lead to Ejido Jucutacato lands, the center piece of which is the Tzararacua waterfall. Welcomed were several new faces, including two Morelians. Wayne and Susan C. made another trip from San Miguel de Allende. And Erin's mother and aunt visited from the States.

Some of the last to leave Tzararacua, just as a heavy rain cloud moved in.

Butterflies seen:

White morpho - Morpho polyphemus polyphemus

Magnificent swallowtail - Papillo garamas garamas

Tailed orange - Pyrisitia proterpia

Juno - Dione juno

Variable cattleheart - Parides erithalion

Birds seen/heard were (not in taxonomic order):

Great-tailed grackle

Inca dove

Acorn woodpecker

Rufous-capped brushfinch

Curved-billed thrasher

Mexican duck

Bridled titmouse

Canyon wren

American dipper - adult and juvenile

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

White-naped swifts - we had brief looks at three swifts as they zigzagged in or out of the miniscule cracks in the rock face. Only one of us saw the white nape.

As we were getting ready to head up the many steps to the parking lot, one of the horse tenders mentioned that there are other species seen early in the morning and late afternoon. The Patzcuaro Birding Club will return again to study them more.

El Estribo - Friday, August 8, 2008

We were rained out the last time the Patzcuaro Birding Club tried to climb El Estribo, the highest vantage point with easy access near Patzcuaro. This time, Molly Diana and I, along with three doggies (Gypsy, Zira and Kiki), had a gloriously sunny day.
The following photos show the view from El Estribo from the east to the west.

It was a rufous or red kind of day. The majority of plants, mushrooms, and birds were colored the same. At the end, you'll find a list of birds seen during the hike. Many have rufous in their names.....

Can you identify this reddish plant?

We're on the downhill side of the hike, thank goodness!

As we headed up the hill, we encountered some mushroom or hongo hunters. Note the red-colored ones. The others are "amarillos".

Look closely and you'll find hongos among other goodies at the mercado in Patzcuaro.

Molly and I couldn't resist the temptation. At the end of our hike, we visited the mercado and bought some mushrooms for that evening's meal. I stir-fried mushroooms with chichen, broccoli, carrots, onions and peppers. Yummy, yummy. The following morning, I used the remainder of the mushrooms with scrambled eggs. Again, the meal was scrumptious.

Oh, I almost forgot about the birds. Here's what we encountered along the hike (not in taxonomic order):

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Canyon towhee

House sparrow

Canyon wren (heard)

Magnificent hummingbird

Black vulture (10 in a kettle)

Turkey vulture

Barn swallow

Bewick's wren

Sharp-shinned hawk

Lesser goldfinch

Orange-billed nightingale-thrush

Slate-throated redstart

Berylline hummingbird

Gray hawk

Acorn woodpecker

Rufous-sided towhee

Rufous-crowned brush-finch

Rufous-capped warbler

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Rufous-crowned sparrow

Yellow-eyed junco

Inca dove

House finch

Vermilion flycatcher

More Birding in Tacambaro Area

Tim, a visiting birder - geographer from bonny Scotland, wanted to see more birds, so Diana and I took him south to Tacambaro.

All of us had great birding experiences and life birds. Here's what we saw:

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

West Mexican chachalaca (hard to believe, but a lifer for me)

Mourning dove

Inca dove

Grove-billed ani

Golden-crowned emerald (lifer for me!)

Violet-crowned hummingbird

Golden-cheeked woodpecker

Northern-beardless tyrannulet (second lifer of the day for me)

Greenish elaenia (yet another lifer)

Greater pewee

Vermilion flycatcher

Cassin's kingbird

Barn swallow

Gray silky-flycatcher

Canyon wren

Curve-billed thrasher

Blue mockingbird

House finch

Lesser goldfinch

Louisiana waterthrush (I need this lifer for my ABA list)

Rufous-capped warbler

Blue-black grassquit

White-collared seedeater

Stripe-headed sparrow

Great-tailed grackle

Bullock's oriole

Total species seen: 28 (sorry, no swifts this time!)

Birding isn't all hard work. Bebidas frias can be purchased at the balneario.

UK birders-geographers wanted to see birds

Ah, such a view from Zarzamora!

Visiting geographers from the UK were in Patzcuaro recently. They contacted me through www.birdingpal.org. On their free day, Tim, Adam, and Derek joined me for a full day of birding at Rancho Madrono, Zarzamora, and the bridge to Jaracuaro. I couldn't have asked for better company, and I hope they return some day in the not so distant future. As we enjoyed beers and tequila at the end of the day, Derek admitted that we far exceeded his 30 species goal for the day. Piece of cake, I thought. Following is a list of what we saw or heard:

Great egret
Tricolored egret
Little blue heron
Snowy egret
Cattle egret
Cattle egret
White-faced ibis
Mallard
Turkey vulture
Common moorhen
American coot
Northern jacana
Black-necked stilt
Mourning dove
Inca dove
Whip-por-will (heard)
Magnificent hummingbird
Elegant trogon (heard)
Acorn woodpecker
Northern flicker
Tufted flycatcher
Greater pewee
Pine flycatcher
Black phoebe
Vermilion flycatcher
Cassin's kingbird
Barn swallow
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Gray-barred wren
Spotted wren
Bewick's wren
House wren
Curve-billed thrasher
Eastern bluebird
American robin
Bushtit
Mexican chickadee
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
Mexican jay
Common raven
House sparrow (a pair mated at least 8 times during our lunch stop)
Plumbeous vireo
House finch
Lesser goldfinch
Olive warbler
Crescent-chested warbler
Common yellowthroat
Black-polled yellowthroat
Painted redstart
Slate-throated redstart (Tim's favorite bird experience of the day)
Rufous-capped warbler
Hepatic tanager
White-collared seedeater
Canyon towhee
Song sparrow
Yellow-eyed junco
Black-headed grosbeak
Red-winged blackbird
Great-tail grackle
Bronzed cowbird
Bullock's oriole

Total species: 60 seen, 2 heard

Plants galore but no birds

Who knows where the birds were when the Patzcuaro Birding Club recently visited Finca Tusa in Zirahuen. They sure weren't showing themselves on this particular day. Thank goodness Sue Sill is back in town, and she joined us on this hike. Here we're studying the finer details of a plant, adding much to the pleasure of Molly and Diana.

We also had a close up look at the Acorn woodpecker's granary tree.

Field trip - Cascada de la Tzararacua

Cascada de la Tzaráracua - (Uruapan area)
Monday August 11, 2008
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Many of us have visited Parque Nacional Eduardo Ruiz in Uruapan. But, how many of us have discovered where the river goes that begins in the park? Fulfill that query by joining the Patzcuaro Birding Club’s next field trip. Downstream just a few miles south of Uruapan, the river gushes as if from nowhere into a spectacular canyon setting. Our destination is ten kilometers south of Uruapan where the Rio Cupatitzio falls 30 meters into two pools. Many thanks to Bruce Cox for suggesting and agreeing to lead us on this field trip!

Again, we will carpool from Patzcuaro. Meeting time is 9:00 AM at the Policia Federal office located behind the Pemex Station by the muelle (at the bottom of Av. Lazaro Cardenas, the tree-lined street that goes up the hill to el Centro). It will be a safe place to leave vehicles. For those unfamiliar with Patzcuaro, let me know if you need more information about this meeting place. Antep9@aol.com. Note: There are several Pemex stations in Patzcuaro.

Please RSVP by email so I can monitor how many drivers versus riders there will be.

There are two ways to reach the falls. One is to walk the trail both ways. The other way is a horse ride....(sorry, I don't know what the charge is for a horse ride)
Bring a picnic lunch or buy something tasty from the on-site eatery:















Our goal for the day is to identify the swifts found along the cascading waters: