Confirmed Hook-billed Kite Sighting!!

On November 4, a Hook-billed kite was seen by four of us. According to local ornithologists, this species has not been seen away from Michoacan's coast and is a very rare record. Given the elevation, habitat and diet of the bird, it shouldn't be here in the central volcanic area.

We were making our way up the mountain from Erongaricuaro to Zarzamora when we spotted a soaring dark raptor with a white tail band. Luckily one of our photographers was able to snap some shots.

Many thanks to Mark Stackhouse of Westwings and Dr. Fernando Villasenor Gomez of the University of Michoacan in Morelia for confirming the identification of this bird. And many thanks to Michael Morrison for the photography.

Observers were Victor Hugo Valencia, Robert Whitlatch and Michael Morrison (both of Boise, ID) and yours truly.

Los Azufres National Park

Years ago my husband and I drove through the mountainous pine forests a bit west of the Monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Although my Mexican friends told me about this geothermal park, nothing was written in any of the guide books at that time. Our curiosity prompted us to explore...and so we did. Los Azufres was lovely, especially sitting in a steaming hotspring for several hours, and I've been wanting to return ever since.

Thanks to a prompting by Mike Judd, three of us left Patzcuaro early September 17. We drove through Morelia's morning traffic snarl, took the autopista east and exited at the Los Azufres sign. We made a few stops (in the town of Jerahuaro) before climbing into the mountains. The woods were eerily silent, and we weren't able to coax a single trogon in. Nor anything else.

Near the crest and just before a CFE power plant, we managed to find La Gachupina, a presa (dam) that is also an ecological park. We spent most of our time combing this area.

The most amazing bird of the day, as least for me, was a very vocal Green violet-ear. It was territorial and vocalized non-stop. Amazing views, and I kept thinking "Too bad Bob from Boise isn't here with his camera."

We also studied a woodpecker for quite awhile. It's bill was very small, like a Downy's. According to Howell and Webb, Downy's are not a Mexican species. Unfortunately, by the time we retrieved our cameras, we were not able to relocate the bird to photograph it. Thus, we reluctantly listed it as a Hairy.

Hearing the rumblings of our bellies, we sought lunch at Adelita's. The meal was good, another eating establishment to remember for future trips.

Rather than turn back to the Autopista, we decided to make a loop by driving towards Ciudad Hidalgo and then through Mil Cumbres on Hwy 15. Of course, we stopped at El Fresno's El Clarin restuarant just in case there were any swifts in the area. We got lucky: White-throated swifts swirled above. Plus, we enjoyed cold beverages and botanas.

The loop from Patzcuaro to Los Azufres and continuing through Mil Cumbres and back to Patzcuaro is an nice day trip.

Birds seen/heard in order of appearance:

Western meadowlark (singing as we exited the autopista)

Rusty sparrow

Hepatic tanager

House sparrow

Common raven

Barn swallow

Wilson's warbler

Northern rough-winged swallow

Chipping sparrow

Canyon towhee

Black-headed grosbeak

Towhee species
Eastern bluebird

Yellow-eyed junco

Cassin's kingbird

Yellow-rumped warbler

Western sandpipers (11 of them)

Spotted sandpiper

House finch

Cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercer

Green violet-ear

Allen's - Rufous hummingbird

Red warbler

Olive warbler

Brown creeper

Black-throated gray warbler

Hepatic tanager

Common raven

Hairy woodpecker (with a very small bill....very similar to a Downy's bill)

Empid flycatcher (pine?)

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Russet or Ruddy-capped nightingale-thrush (didn't fly/didn't see the underwings, no vocals)

Northern pygmy-owl

White-throated swift

Brood parasitism with Groove-billed ani

The juvenile ani just after being fed by a Banded wren

It's true. The more time I spend in the field, the more I see and learn.

In late August, Mike Judd twisted my arm ever so gently to take his wife Cheri and two visiting birders to some of my favorite spots. The visitors turned out to be the executive committee of the Transylvania County Bird Club (Brevard, North Carolina) - Michele and Marvin Barg.

Mike, Marvin, Michele and Cheri


Company of the non-bird type at La Estacion

While birding Rio Corucha, just south of Tacambaro, on August 24, we saw a Banded wren slinking along the side of the road. Even though h/she wove in and out of the brush, we had good looks at the bird. Calling nearby was a large, blackish juvenile bird: a baby Groove-billed ani. Imagine my shock when the wren deposited food into the mouth of the ani. It was one of those moments when my mind kept reviewing all the field marks of both birds and I couldn't stop the words coming from my mouth...."Look at that wren. What the heck is that baby? Oh my, there it goes feeding that monster. Did you guys see that?" Mike says it was more fun watching me get excited than seeing the birds....but what can you expect from a social worker and herp lover.

In my life, I have seen plenty of Brown-headed cowbirds being fed by much smaller birds - one time even by a Bushtit! This observation equally shocked me and remains vivid in my memory. It was definitely a puzzling WOW experience.

Later that night I read through all of my books, searched the Web and sent notes to mentors (for example, Dr. Dennis Paulson in Seattle, Dr. Fernando Villasenor Gomez in Morelia, Rene Sada and Adrian Ganem Sada in Monterrey) and posted a notice on Mexico-birding@yahoogroups.com. Tim Brush, University of Texas - Pan American, responded to the post saying he agreed with Dr. Paulson that this was an unusual sighting. All of my sources said there was no evidence of brood parasitism with Groove-billed anis, and I should report it.

So, this blog entry is one of many reports I will be making.

Cold beverages at Arroyo Frio

Marvin and I

Birds seen over two days and in numerous spots:

Great egret

Little blue heron

Snowy egret

Cattle egret

White-faced ibis

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

Common moorhen

Northern jacana

Inca dove

Squirrel cuckoo

Groove-bill ani

An adult Groove-billed ani

Northern pygmy-owl

Black or White-naped swift (no vocalization!)

Golden-crowned emerald

White-eared hummingbird

Violet-crowned hummingbird

Berylline hummingbird

Mountain trogon (3)

Green kingfisher
Russet-crowned motmot -

One day I hope to buy a decent camera!

Acorn woodpecker

Golden-cheeked woodpecker

Northern flicker

Northern beardless-tyrannulet

Tufted flycatcher

Greater pewee

Black phoebe

Vermilion flycatcher

Great kiskadee

Social flycatcher

Cassin's kingbird

Violet-green swallow

Barn swallow

Spotted wren

Canyon wren

Happy wren

Banded wren

Blue mockingbird

White-throated thrush

Mexican chickadee

White-breasted nuthatch

Brown creeper

Mexican jay

Common raven

House sparrow

House finch

Black-headed siskin

Lesser goldfinch

Olive warbler

Hermit warbler

Red warbler

Slate-throated redstart

Rufous-capped warbler

Hepatic tanager

Blue-black grassquit

White-collared seedeater

Rufous-capped brush-finch

Rusty-crowned ground-sparrow

Hybrid towhee (Collared x Spotted)
Canyon towhee

Black-chested sparrow

Stripe-headed sparrow

Rusty sparrow

Chipping sparrow

Yellow-eyed junco

Black-headed grosbeak

Blue grosbeak

Great-tailed grackle

Streak-backed oriole

Yellow-winged cacique

Birding Bonanza with Les

Les studying sparrows at Rio Corucha (south of Tacambaro)

Another mighty tasty burger at Martin's on the south side of Patzcuaro

Les S. from Churinztio, a lovely little town a half day's drive from here, visited us for 3.5 days. Hugo and I met his bus in Zacapu early Monday Aug 24 and delivered him back in time for a midday bus headed home on Aug 27. Hotel Jardin in Erongaricuaro was his resting place when we weren't birding. Believe me when I say he hardly wrinkled the sheets - we saw 144 species!

Here's a new spot in Pedernales

BTW, in Zacapu, they still make ice cream in the traditional way - without vegetable oil that leaves an awful coat on one's palate - ick! I'd willingly drive to Zacapu, and bird along the way, to eat great ice cream in more than 31 flavors there. Just a tip for the foodies out there.....

Les and Hugo in the Tierra Caliente

Here's what we saw during our 3.5 days in the field:

Pied-billed grebe

Great egret

Tricolored heron

Little blue heron

Snowy egret

Cattle egret

Green heron

Black-crowned night-heron

White-faced ibis

Mallard (Mexican duck)

Ruddy duck

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

Cooper's hawk

Zone-tailed hawk (juvenile)

Red-tailed hawk

American kestrel

Peregrine falcon

Banded quail

Common moorhen

American coot

Northern jacana

Killdeer

Spotted sandpiper

Rock dove

Mourning dove

Inca dove

White-winged dove

Squirrel cuckoo

Groove-billed ani

Barn owl

Great horned owl

Black or White-chinned swift (in flight without vocalization)

Golden-crowned emerald

An Esmeralda mexicana, in Spanish

Broad-billed hummingbird

White-eared hummingbird

Violet-crowned hummingbird

Berylline hummingbird

Blue-throated hummingbird

Magnificent hummingbird

Black-chinned hummingbird

Calliope hummingbird

Broad-tailed hummingbird

Rufous hummingbird

Allen's hummingbird

Mountain trogon

Elegant trogon

Russet-crowned motmot

Acorn woodpecker

Golden-checked woodpecker

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Hairy woodpecker

Northern flicker
White-striped woodcreeper

Greenish elaenia

Pileated flycatcher

Tfted flycatcher

Greater pewee

Buff-breasted flycatcher

Black phoebe

Vermilion flycatcher

Great kiskadee

Social flycatcher

Cassin's kingbird

Thick-billed kingbird

Violet-green swallow

Northern rough-winged swallow

Cliff swallow

Barn swallow

Gray silky-flycatcher

American dipper

Gray-barred wren

Spotted wren

Canyon wren

Happy wren

Banded wren

Bewick's wren

House wren

Curve-billed thrasher

Blue mockingbird

Eastern bluebird

Brown-backed solitaire

Orange-billed nightingale-thrush

Ruddy-capped nightingale-thrush

Swainson's thrush

White-throated thrush

American robin

Blue-gray gnatcatcher

Bushtit

Mexican chickadee

Bridled titmouse

White-breasted nuthatch

Brown creeper

Loggerhead shrike

Mexican jay

Common raven

House sparrow

Plumbeous vireo

Golden vireo

House finch

Red crossbill

Lesser goldfinch

Olive warbler

Crescent-chested warbler

Yellow warbler

Grace's warbler

Black-and-white warbler

Louisiana waterthrush

Common yellowthroat

Gray-crowned yellowthroat

Red-faced warbler

Red warbler

Painted redstart

Slate-throated redstart

Rufous-capped warbler

Yellow-breasted chat

Hepatic tanager

Elegant euphonia

Blue-black grassquit

White-collared seedeater

Rufous-capped brush-finch

Rusty-crowned ground-sparrow

Collared x spotted towhee hybrid

Canyon towhee

Black-chested sparrow

Stripe-headed sparrow

Rusty sparrow

Striped sparrow

Chipping sparrow

Song sparrow

Yellow-eyed junco

Black-headed grosbeak

Blue bunting

Blue grosbeak

Varied bunting

Red-winged blackbird

Yellow-headed blackbird

Great-tailed grackle

Brown-headed cowbird

Streak-backed oriole

Bullock's oriole

Yellow-winged cacique

Another creature seen up close....and part of the trail we walked through.....

Success in Uruapan

The first sight of the waterfalls

Today Mike Judd and I birded La Tzararacua, the waterfalls located 10 km south of Uruapan. (I have mentioned this location previously, and you can look at that posting for additional information and photos.) Until today I wasn't able to get good enough looks to identify any of the swifts. Today I was lucky! More than two dozen White-naped swifts were found huddled and flying around the waterfalls.

After making our way down the stair-filled path to the main waterfalls to where American dippers were again easily espied, we hiked beyond the falls to the opposite side of the valley. Just short of a smaller waterfall known as Tzararacuita, several Grace's warblers entertained us.

That's me!

And me again...with both the big Sibley's and Howell & Webb in my back pocket.

It was a beautiful day - no rain, pleasant weather, few people in the park, no biting insects, cold beers, and afterwards a sumptious meal in town. I added two birds to my life list: White-naped swifts and Greenish elaenia. All birds seen today are listed at the end of this posting.

White-naped swifts were huddled on both sides of the upper falls

Mike photographing American dippers

We counted three dippers - two adults and one juvenile

Cold beers were thirst-quenching after climbing the stairs back to the car

As I mentioned, we ventured into el centro de Uruapan for lunch. OH MY GAWD, OUR MEAL WAS HEAVENLY. In fact, the best meal I've had in Mexico.

We both had Chile Costeno (not the English n), which was stuffed with shrimp, squash flower, onion and other goodies served on a tomato-flavored rice pilaf and surrounded by a puree of frijoles decorated with a zigzag of crema. Savored with a slightly chilled chardonnay, we thought we'd died and went to heaven. Then there was dessert, which we shared: flamed bananas with brandy and kahlua with a large dollup of vanilla ice cream. Our waiters (Carlos and Sergio) couldn't have been more professional. Price tag for the main course was $85 pesos and dessert was $40 pesos. According to Carlos who speaks English, the chef is exceptional. When pressed, Carlos couldn't recommend one dish more than another.

Neither of us can wait to return. Mind you, Uruapan isn't much to look at, and I probably wouldn't return unless to the cascadas (waterfalls) or the national park, but I will make a trip solely to eat at this restaurant.

The restaurant is located on the second floor of Hotel Plaza Uruapan, Ocampo no. 64, Central Uruapan. http://www.hotelplazauruapan.com.mx/.

So, any of you who think birding is dull, rest assured there is another side. We visit interesting places, see gorgeous birds, and eat sumptious meals as often as we can.

Bird seen (not in taxonomic order):
Inca dove
White-throated robin
Great-tailed grackle
Acorn woodpecker
Green heron
Spotted wren
Canyon wren

Bridled titmouse
Squirrel cuckoo
Spotted sandpiper
American dipper (Spanish name: mirlo-aquatico americano)
White-naped swift (Spanish name: vencejo nuquiblanco)

Photo by Bruce Cox, Patzcuaro

Rose-throated becard
Brown-backed solitaire
Lesser goldfinch
Greenish elaneia
Grace's warbler

Black vulture
Berylline hummingbird

San Miguel Audubon Comes to Patzcuaro!

View of Lake Patzcuaro from Yacatacas in Tzintzuntzan

The following is a summary entitled "Audubon Goes to Patzcuaro" by Carol Wheeler

In case you haven't heard, all Audubon trips are wonderful. The most recent one, to Patzcuaro and environs in July, was no exception. Participants included: Twenty lucky bird lovers, two skilled, devoted, bird guides, one all-knowing guide to the Purhepechan ruins, and startlingly, dozens and dozens of birds who came along for the ride as it were, including: the elegant euphonia, the gray silk flycatcher and even the turkey vulture, for example.

Amenities were rife. Not only was the hotel splendid--Casa Encantada may be the best bed-and-breakfast in Patzcuaro--certainly it has sumptuous breakfasts, spacious rooms and charming folk decor everywhere. But so was the transportation--commodious six-passenger vans that took us not only to Patzcuaro and back, but everywhere we went once we got there, and the food, which ranged from a gourmet dinner at Patzcuaro's best restaurant to perfect bag lunches for our visit to the ruins in Tzintzuntzan. This was birding for anyone eager to spot feathered creatures in the utmost comfort.

Our bird guide, former Alaskan Georgia Conti, was not only an experienced naturalist--she was also impressively high-tech, equipped with an i-touch that sang the calls of Michoacan's birds on request, to entice the birds to fly closer. Her co-bird leader Hugo (otherwise known as Victor Hugo Valencia Alberto), who grew up in the area, used his scope to make sure we all saw what he saw. Both Georgia and Hugo cared a lot about that. Hugo had learned birding right there in Erongaricuaro (a little village) from his father, a railroadman. The tracks his father had been in charge of were one of our birding sites, so he knew them well. In use no longer, those tracks were perfect for birding--no mud and a smooth, flat path all around us, all bordered by woods, hills, and the shells of houses the railroad workers lived in. But even that paled beside the next day's site: a waterside platform where the birds came to us, no walking required on our part. (They were also visiting tall trees, horse pastures, fence posts, and a lake.)

We Audubon travelers were in luck. In the course of our trip, Georgia and Hugo showed us most of the distinctive birds of Michoacan, including our guide Georgia's choice for most characteristic song, the brown-backed solitaire, along with the berylline hummingbird, the painted redstart, the black-polled yellowthroat, the hybrid towhee, the elegant trogon and many, many others.

Our ruins guide, another transplanted American called Didi Rose, was incredibly knowledgeable about the Purhepechan culture (the ruins we visited are known as Yacata, meaning pile of rocks, but were once the seat of the monarchs of Purhepecha, above the village of Tzintzuntzan, which was at one time the capital city of Michoacan). The ruins themselves are being sorted out by the Mexican government, walls rebulit, grassy areas cleaned up. She also led us through a beautiful ex-convento fringed by a placid, serene garden, also being restored by the government. Just outside was the famous Tzintzuntzan market--no egrets, no ravens, not even a cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercer (we'd seen those already), but yet quite a popular site for our group, this time searching for comals, straw cradles and flowered blouses.

Yes, we didn't only look for and at birds. We shopped and we partied; we visited museums and markets, and we got caught in the rain (but only in the briefest, pleasantest way, because if our cars weren't waiting, our hotel was just down the street). Often we combined several activities, as when we visited the home of Georgia and her husband, a modern aerie in the sky high above rolling farmland, with a privileged view of the world, plus several hummingbird feeders hanging from the patio roof, filled with the constant comings and goings of dozens of hummingbirds, close enough (almost) to touch (though if you tried, you might well fall off into that farmland, way way down below). Or when we spotted birds on our way to the art potter Nicholas Fabian's studio in his home in Santa Fe de la Laguna, a tiny, rustic Michoacan town. Fabian's work impressed us all; many of us bought pieces--one or a few--and then saw them later in town for three times the price. Always a nice surprise.

Not a surprise, totally expected but very nice nevertheless was the beautiful way Linda Whynman, Audubon's president, and her husband Saul ran the trip. They even thought to bring extra binoculars for those of us less well-equipped than we should be. And of course they provided the perfect place to talk over our daily sighting--the daily cocktail party.

Audubon is hoping to take off on another trip to Patzcuaro in the fall. And another, first-time, trip is scheduled for Mexico City's botanical gardens in October. If you become an Audubon member (go to our web site, audubonmex.org) you'll be one of the first to hear about our plans.
Birds seen (not in taxonomic order):

House sparrow
Rock dove
Canyon towhee
Cassin’s kingbird
Great-tailed grackle
Curve-billed thrasher
Orange-billed nightingale-thrush
Blue mockingbird
White-throated thrush
Chipping sparrow
Barn swallow
Slate-throated redstart
Painted redstart
Berylline hummingbird
White-collared seedeater
Cattle egret
Common raven
Cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercer
Acorn woodpecker
Spotted wren
Bushtit
Rufous-capped brushfinch
Hybrid towhee (Collared towhee x Spotted towhee)
Cooper’s hawk
House finch
Rusty sparrow
Pine flycatcher
Rufous-capped warbler
Bewick’s wren
Wilson's snipe
Canyon wren
Turkey vulture
Blue-throated hummingbird
Elegant trogon
Brown-backed solitaire
Eastern bluebird
Elegant euphonia

Elegant euphonia, male

Bullock’s oriole

Black-backed oriole
Red-tail hawk (both dark and light morph)
Gray silky-flycatcher
Black vulture
Great egret
Marsh wren
Sora
Northern jacana
Song sparrow
Black-polled yellowthroat
Cliff swallow
White-faced ibis
Little blue heron
Red-winged blackbird
Snowy egret
Bronzed cowbird
Vermilion flycatcher
Blue grosbeak
Mexican mallard

Great kiskadee
Yellow warbler
Yellow-breasted chat
Orchard oriole
Black-backed oriole
Great egret
American coot
Common moorhen
Snowy egret
Black phoebe
Rufous-backed robin
Curve-billed thrasher
Elegant euphonia (male and female)
Lesser goldfinch
Nashville warbler
Wilson's warbler
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Vermilion flycatcher
Killdeer
Song sparrow
Cassin’s kingbird
House sparrow
Lincoln sparrow
House finch
Inca dove
Cattle egret
Barn swallow
Canyon towhee
Brown-headed cowbird
Bronzed cowbird
Canyon wren
Gray silk-flycatcher
Mexican mallard
?? vireo
Yellow-headed blackbird
Magnificent hummingbirds
Berylline hummingbird
Broad-billed hummingbird

Hugo Valencia, Linda Whynman, and me

Mike Judd loves herpes as well as birds

Birds of Michoacan

I was recently given a gift: a digital version of "La Biodiversidad en Michoacan Estudio de Estado", which includes a chapter and list of the birds of Michoacan. This gift was from Dra. Laura Villasenor Gomez and Dr. Fernando Villasenor, who are siblings and ornithologists at the University of Michoacan in Morelia. Muchisimo gracias!!

The appendices (anexos in Spanish) are incredibly useful:

• a list the birds of Michoacan
• lists of species that are threatened (16 species), in danger of extinction (11 species), are under protection (49 species), and are extinct (only 1 species, the Imperial woodpecker)
• lists of endemic (43), semi-endemic (35), and quasi-endemic species (16).

I have transcribed the data into a spreadsheet. If you'd like to have any of these lists, email me at antep9[at]aol[dot]com. Meanwhile, I am trying to learn how to upload an Excel file to this blog....if you can help, let me know!

Bolillos, birds, bugs, and beauty in Tacambaro-Pedernales

Monday's outing was fabulous, and I cannot wax more eloguently than Bruce Cox who summarized the day in the following words (see photos at the end):

"A spectacular day, yesterday. Whether an ardent "birder" or simply a day-venturer, many of you may not yet know about one of the best kept secrets of Patzcuaro and central Michoacan: day trips with Georgia Conti and her co-leader Hugo.

Begun early, the day's first stop was a local bakery not far from Don Chucho's for steaming bolillos. We couldn't wait to savor with a crunch-crunch any longer than the bakery's street-front where Georgia offered butter and jams from the back or her SUV. Then off to the south and Tocambaro where we visited utterly wonderful and spectacular sites that offered us a number of area birds. The second site, a bit past Tocambaro and hidden in a box canyon, waterfalls streaming, was a balneario/restaurant where serveral of us, for the first time, repeatedly saw a Russet-crowned Motmot. Tasty tortas, cervezas, and chips... and lively discussions brought a wonderful trip to a finale........ no wait, more birds, another Motmot.......... and a raven seen from the highway back to Patzcuaro. Other feathers identified were: Happy wren, Blue-black, Sulphur-bellied flycatcher, Rusty-crowne ground-sparrow, juvenile Eastern bluebirds, and a Hepatic tanager.

Note: several of the most jubilant venturers had never been birding before..... and living and traveling in this area will never be the same for them. I think."

Birds of the day:

Hepatic tanager
Eastern bluebird
Barn swallow
White-breasted nuthatch
House finch
Acorn woodpecker
Olive warbler
Chipping sparrow
Grace's warbler
American robin
Black vulture
Blue mockingbird
Vermilion flycatcher
Blue-black grassquit
Golden vireo
Happy wren
Bronzed cowbird
Sulphur-bellied flycatcher
Russet-crowned motmot
Rufous-backed robin
Magnificent hummingbird
Berylline hummingbird
Black-vented oriole
Rock dove
House sparrow
Curve-billed thrasher
Canyon wren
White-throated thrush
Great kiskadee
Rusty-crowned ground-sparrow
Great-tailed grackle
Groove-billed ani
Blue-gray gnatcatcher
Cassin's kingbird
Inca dove
Common raven