Bird Families of the World

5 Birding Days around Mexico City
February 2011 – Oz Horine

As an experienced accidental birder, I took advantage of a few working days in Mexico City and contacted Hector Gómez de Silva for advice. Hector planned an itinerary for 5 days according to my wishlist, and guided the first 3 days, using his vast birding knowledge and talent. His contribution was the main success factor of my trip. Rafa Calderon was driving the whole period and was a great help with finding and identifying, and probably will turn soon to an independent birding guide. Monica, Hector’s wife was part of the team as well, and was a great help  spotting birds. Following my 5 birding days in Southern California last December, this trip was a good chance also to complete some missing North American birds, and I was happy to tick a good number of American Warblers, Sparrows and others.

Day 1 – 12-Feb-2001
After 2 hours drive east to the Atlantic Slope crossing the endless urban area on the 20 millions habitants city, we started to climbed slippery donkeys’ paths of the drizzling cloud forest near Cordoba. The endangered endemic target species, Sumichrast’s (Slender-billed) Wren was on the right location near,
at least 3 individuals react for calls but not seen! Other nice birds for the first hours in Mexico were White-crowned & Redlored Parrots, Violaceous & Collared Trogons, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Fan-tailed Warbler, Red-billed Pigeon, Blue-black Grosbeak and Blue Bunting.

A short driving brake before dark contributed a few Yellow-headed Parrots flying to a roost. At the evening we were looking for hotel and restaurants in Veracruz area but could not find both in one place. All the hotels on our way were lovers’ motels. So we gave a try to a simple tortillas shop which its cocking facility located on the street and proposed different parts of cow on tortillas. The guests set on simple plastic chairs inside the basic shop. Surprisingly, this suspicious food was tasty and unharmed. Four of us shared for the night a simple room which was big enough although we all skipped the lousy shower.

Day 2 – 13-Feb-2001
We started the day early before sunrise at Cansaburro. We heard some Killdeers and… Ferruginous Pygmy Owl – another Heard Only bird… what is going on with these Owls??? Anyhow a nice verity of Flycatchers: Boatbilled F., Social F., Couch’s Kingbird, Great Kiskadeer. Some nice raptors as Crane, Gray & Cooper’s Hawks, Merlin and Red-lored Parrot.

Magnificent Frigate at the sandy dunes of Playa Juan Angel was a wish comes true. A nice view of Aplomado Falcon, but we could not find there the expected Double-striped Thick-knee.

Next point was la Mancha beach white a few more Magnificent Frigates, Franklin & Laughing Gulls. While driving north along the coast, we had a short astonishing break on the highway: A view from the bridge on Common
Black Hawk, Tricolored Heron, Ringed Kingfisher, Crested Caracara and a yellow crown of the Great Kiskadee, which is not easy to view.

We tried to check the south boundary of the endemic Tamaulipas Crow – we headed north on the Atlantic cost and scanned with no success electricity wires and roofs in the town of Tecolutla.
While driving back the long way back to Mexico City through Poza Rica, I was
able to add Plain Chachalaca to the list. The bird was feeding among
domesticated chickens on a simple village yard…

Day 3 – 17-Feb-2001
The 3rd birding day at Mexico west of MC started with a vain search of American Dipper at a stream below Temascaltepec. Later on, at the upper part of the town while the lovely song of the Brown-backed Solitaire all over, many new birds. On of the amazing spots was a few hundreds meter path contribute 4 endemics: Happy Wren, Blue Mockingbird, Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow & Golden Vireo.
Actually, Hector’s grandparents use to have a summer house near-by, and Hector gain here as a child his first birdwatching experience.

The highlight of Lerma marshes was the endangered endemic Black-polled Yellowthroat, as well as some waterfowl like Mexican Duck and others.

Day 4 – 18-Feb-2001
Early morning we headed south on the highway to Cuernavaca and at La Pera we tried to attract Ocellated Thrasher with no success, although the location contributed another endemics – Red Warbler & Black-backed
(Abeille’s) Oriole!
Turning to the dirt road was promising: Our first Painted Redstart was seen as we turn into it, the only Mexican Chickadee and a few others, but after a short time 2 policemen arrived. I could not understand their quite discussion with Rafa, and didn’t want to speak English with him during their very long embarrassing search on our luggage and car. Probably they were expecting a bride, but I wasn’t sure how to offer it. Finally they left without any harm, but this was defiantly the  unpleasant moment of the trip.
Another disappointment was the endangered endemic Sierra-Madre Sparrow. Its site at La Cima was burned. At least another endemic Striped Sparrow was shown easily at this site.
Climbing up La Cima hill was a great spot for two endemic Brush Finches: Green-striped BF & Rufous-capped BF as well as White-eared Hummingbird.

A walk on a wood path contributed Hooded Grosbeak & Common Raven. Another trouble we went into on that day was near Texcal. The target species was found immediately. As we park the car I heard a typical call and 2 Graybreasted Woodpeckers showed on a tree not too far from us. Luckily I took a record shot just in case, and we tried to approach. We saw another quick sight of one individual, but the endemic woodpecker disappeared. We put it calls but no reaction, and as we already learned from Hector, this woodpecker does not react for its calls. We returned to the car to be prepared for a short walk around before the sunset, to try for the Banded Wren, and maybe for the woody again. Rafa opened the trunk, and put the car’s keys on the tray, and after the relevant gear was out of the car, I volunteered helping by closing the trunk hood… Yes, all other doors were locked as well. Luckily, the nearby town was not too far, and after no more than one hour a local locksmith saved us from this unpleasantness. While I was waiting, as the light was vanishing I was able to spot the only Lesser Nighthawk of the trip. Again, we spent the night on a weird motel, but were too tired to complain…

Day 5 – 19-Feb-2001
We started the morning on Cañón de Lobos, which gave us opportunity to walk on the wild and see some goodies. Endemics like Black-chested Sparrow, Rufous-backed Robin and again, Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow. Also a few others like Yellow Grosbeak, Lucifer Hummingbird. A fruitless search for Wilson’s Phalarope in the Parque Ecologico de Xochimilco, city park of MC, added a few waders and other water birds to the list and gave opportunity to take a nice shot of the Curved billed Thrasher. Our last destination before heading the airport was the Botanical Garden of Mexico City University. The kind entrance guard, that first notify us that the gate is closed and will be opened tomorrow morning, accept the fact that these are my last hours in Mexico and let us in. The place is a real botanical beauty, and I was able to add a few more lifers for my list. Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker which I could not find in California, and even worth, I mist when Hector spotted one of the second day, when I was a bit away, showed itself perfectly. A beautiful Scott’s Oriole, Vaux’s Swift, Rufous-crowned Sparrow were a sweet finale of a great birding trip.