2.1 - 2.5 San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico, and environs
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Yup, that's a NORTHERN POTOO above. We saw eight of these babies
on the dusk boat trip described below.
2.1
We arrived in Puerto Vallarta on 3pm
and immediately head to Punta Mita. GOLDEN-CHEEKED WOODPECKER,
ORANGE-BREASTED BUNTINGs and BLUE BUNTINGs are the highlights
of this stop, but only Hugh and I (?) manage to get on the Blue
Buntings. Further on, a flock of GROOVE-BILLED ANIs are easy
to see and cooperative at the side of the road and VARIED BUNTINGs
are numerous coming into roost in the thorn scrub. We drive mostly
in the dark to San Blas while I try to control my culture shock
of not having been in a third-world country in far too long.
Dinner at the Garza Canela is important to arrange tomorrow's boat trip with Chencho, but the food is expensive by local standards and not particularly remarkable. Our lodging at the Hotel Posada del Rey is a bit spartan and cozy to be sure, but not bad for Mexico (apparently). The beds are quite firm, but this is to my liking. The hot water does work in the shower, though with no shower curtain, it's more like a swimming pool area after a shower than a bathroom. The staff is friendly, speaks English and sells 100 peso Pacificos facilitating the relaxation process upon your return.
2.2
We're gone before dawn birding the
first 2.5 km of Lower Singayta. RUFOUS-BELLIED CHACHALACA are
easy to hear but quite hard to see, quite the opposite of the
Plain-bellied Chachalaca. Both RUFOUS and COMMON GROUND-DOVEs
are easy to find, and ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEETs and MEXICAN PARROLETs
are as well. CITREOLINE TROGON is fairy easy to find. TROPICAL
PARULA rapidly loses its excitement after we see several of them,
though we struggle to get good looks at MASKED TITYRA and TUFTED
FLYCATCHER. STREAK-BACKED ORIOLEs would comprise the bulk of
orioles seen. An empidonax identified by more than one person
as a WHITE-THROATED FLYCATCHER remains controversial due to incomplete
and partial looks at distance in bright, contrasty light.
Thereafter, we hit the "T-ponds", the ponds at the junction between Matanchen and San Blas, and then the shrimp ponds. A late lunch at McDonald's in San Blas is not much better than one at the eponymous and ubiquitous chain. Chencho's boat trip to La Tovara starts at 3:00 and his knowledge of the birds of the river is surpassed only by his knowledge of every bend and snag in the river. Eight NORTHERN POTOOs, many BOAT-BILLED HERONS and a BARE-THROATED TIGER HERON were among the highlights. Even today, I marvel how much a Northern Potoo looks like a Frogmouth. Competing for the most spectacular life form was GREATER FISHING BAT, which Chencho followed expertly through several bends in the river at good speed, navigating with one hand and holding the torch in the other. Apparently, fishing bats echo locate their prey as they break the surface to feed, upon which the bat catches the prey with its very large rear legs and then retires to a branch to feed.
While Chencho is trying to call in a FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL, we get great looks a COLLARED FOREST-FALCON. Chencho also found a Mangrove Cuckoo for us (without benefit of binoculars!), but none of the six of us managed to get on it (with binoculars!). Before dusk, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHes were easy to hear, though we all agreed that Chencho mistakenly identified them as Louisiana Waterthrushes. Also, we get nice looks at a 12-15' crocodile. Dinner at El Cocodrillo on the square in San Blas is OK, but the highlights are the Pacificos and the geckos on the walls.
2.3
We awake well before dawn and I notice
music wafting in from far away at 4:30 AM. I think it's someone
who's an early riser, but realize it's a marching band already
revving up for the festival! We head to Cerro de San Juan and
are there in time for the dawn chorus, the highlight of which
is the song of the BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE, surely a contender
for the prettiest on the planet. The birding is fairly slow for
the first half hour, but picks up noticeably thereafter. BERYLLINE
HUMMINBIRDs are easy to find, as are WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRDs.
Birding is good, but looks at birds are elusive and challenging.
Further up the road, we happen upon a nice clump of flowering
plants and a group of MEXICAN WOODNYPHs, the only place we would
find them. By 10:30, it's getting hot and activity is dying down,
but not sure what else one can do on a cloudless day. At the
summit, little other than a SAY'S PHOEBE tickles our interest,
though we have a blizzard of female/immature hummingbirds on
the winding descent on the far side that we finally identify
as all CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDs.
At El Mirador del Aguila, we wait patiently for the Military Macaws. The "highlight" of the wait was someone heading uphill that managed to stall his car with his wife and young daughter in it. After we realize that he can't get it started, we push his car into the pullout, directly across the oncoming lane on a blind curve. This was a stunningly dangerous thing to do given the large number of heavy trucks which frequent the road. Fortunately, we get the car to the shoulder without incident and he does manage to get it restarted. The MILITARY MACAWs were first heard, then spotted near the bottom of the canyon. I had great difficulty picking them up and only found them just as they were landing on the hillside. While the birds are indescribably beautiful, looks were less than satisfying, even in Jay's scope, and the tripod we brought for the Paul's scope wasn't capable of supporting anything heavier than a pencil.
The San Blas Sewer Ponds offer up nice looks at NORTHERN JACANA and I finally get a look at a swallow that I'm convinced is a GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN on the return. The smell is revolting.
Back in town, we found a very nice restaurant called La Familia and gorged ourselves. When heading out to the Super mini to restock for tomorrow, we notice the festival had erected a giant wooden figurine on the façade of the church which is all-too-reminiscent of Burning Man. The culmination of the festival was a fireworks display, including articulating various different appendages of the figurine. It was quite remarkable.
Sleep came quickly that evening, but I was awakened around 2:00 AM the next morning by music wafting in through the window. I look at the ceiling fan while listening to the eerily pretty music in a half-awake condition and then check the night stand to make sure there was no drug paraphernalia siting on it. It kept getting louder and louder and I finally realized it was the same band that we heard at 4:30 the previous morning, now marching directly in front of the hotel, some 22 hours earlier! Now, that's some party!
2.4
We're up again at dawn and heading
to La Bajada, a shade-grown coffee plantation. Kevin and I are
chomping at the bit to get up the trail, and we hear an owl calling
right at dawn. I immediately pull out Kevin's custom CDs which
he made at considerable time expenditure for the trip, and the
intonation, though not the cadence, is perfect for MOTTLED OWL.
The bird does not call again and not everyone hears the call,
let alone is convinced of the identification.
La Bajada is very birdy. We sort through reams of neotropical migrants, including boat loads of NASHVILLE WARBLERs and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERs. We bird until 12:30; the activity is much more prolonged due to the intact canopy afforded by the undisturbed habitat. We comment on the beauty and the sustainability of a shade grown plantation; we also comment on how hard the work is to harvest coffee beans in shade grown environment.
While thrashing through some coffee plants, Kevin finds a SPARKLING-TAILED WOODSTAR, showing the white on the flanks much like a Violet-green Swallow. Several COATI traipse across the road just in front of Kevin, who's leading the charge up the path.
One of the real highlights of the day is Kevin managed to find a COLIMA PYGMY-OWL sitting on a branch sitting easily 30 feet above the ground. As usual, I struggle to get on the bird, but we finally get good looks at the bird. There's some discussion about the identity, but structurally, the bird looks quite a bit different from either a NORTHERN (out of range) or FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL. It's rather plump and the tail is markedly shorter, giving the overall impression of a fluff ball of a bird with eyes, mirror eyes and very little tail.
Further up the road, we get nice looks at a SQUIRREL CUCKOO which I follow into a thicket. I then notice a bird which superficially resembles a Slate-throated Redstart, but it gets into the sun and the "dark" on the upperparts is actually blue! At this point, I realize that I don't know what I'm looking at and call for help. The best we can come up with is Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, but this bird would be way out of range and altitude. Since no else sees the bird, I let it go.
A contender for spot of the trip is Hugh's SMOKY BROWN WOODPECKER, impossibly high and far away in the canopy near the top of the trail. PALE-BILLED and LINNEATED WOODPECKERs are harder to separate than one might imagine; we need prolonged looks to separate the two. IVORY-BILLED WOODCREEPER would be the only woodcreeper we would have; not sure where the others were. Descending the path, Hugh spots a BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER well up from the trail. I play the song from Kevin's CDs and a pair obligingly flies into the canopy close by. It's still fairly birdy on the descent, but the real stars at noon are the butterflies. None of us even knows where to start to identify them and we don't have the time anyway.
At Matanchen, a few of us manage to get on a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and a few other neotropical migrants, but birding is slow and we head back to San Blas. We engage one of the local boats for the ride out to Peso Island. After a bit of struggle, we finally get good looks at PURPLISH-BACKED JAY, but COLLARED PLOVER is nowhere to be found amongst the many WILSON'S, SNOWY and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs on the ocean side of the island. On the way back, we hit a fresh water seep which affords excellent looks at many species including FAN-TAILED WARBLER and is hard to leave to get back to the spot for our return trip to San Blas. While waiting for the boat, Kevin finds a nice covey of ELEGANT QUAIL, coming out of the thorn scrub to feed for the evening.
The one real controversy is also on Peso Island. Everyone thinks we've seen a RED-BREASTED CHAT deep in the thorn scrub; it's only when we're back at the hotel that Kevin points out certain details that are inconsistent with the identification of a chat. After discussion, I realize that what I saw was also inconsistent with a chat; in particular, the upper tail had no white on the outer rectrices. Coupled with the apparent breast and face pattern, this is better for ROSY-CROWNED THRUSH-TANAGER, though the description by others is better for the chat. Make your own decision. Also, I manage to be the only to get on an out-of-range CANYON TOWHEE in thorn scrub, though I get a good look at a distance of no more than 20 feet.
We finish the day at the San Blas Sewer Ponds where Hugh finds a STILT SANDPIPER. We have another great meal at La Familia, with the slightly bizarre twist of having the outcome of the Super Bowl announced to us by one of the restaurant workers. Apparently, it was a pretty good game.
2.5
Susan and Jay head back to La Bajada
where they had a vagrant KENTUCKY WARBLER, possibly the rarest
bird of the trip, while the rest of us head back to Cerro de
San Juan. Today, there is some high overcast and birds are quite
a bit more active then they were on the the 3rd. We get great
looks at BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE, BLACK-CAPPED VIREO and a BLUE
MOCKINGBIRD sits out in plain view for easily 5 minutes right
at the edge of the road! A RUFOUS -CAPPED WARBLER works to within
10 feet of me while I stand motionless and a RUFOUS-CROWNED GROUND-SPARROW
finally shows itself along with a SINALOA WREN. This is the birding
we were waiting for!
Not far above this area I notice a seep where we didn't stop before. It's quite birdy with BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, BLACK-FACED SISKIN and a flyover yellow oriole that everyone is fairly comfortable with AUDUBON'S ORIOLE. Further up the road, where we had the BLUE-HOODED EUPHONIAs on the 3rd, we have GREENISH ELANEIA and CRESCENT-CHESTED WARBLER.
But the real treat is on the way back down as time grows nigh to return to Puerto Vallarta. Kevin spots a male RED-FACED TANAGER at a bend in the road. Sitting right behind him, I look out and see a male SUMMER TANAGER. We decide to get out and have the most incredible half hour of birding during the entire trip. We get four tanager species (RED-FACED, SUMMER, HEPATIC and FLAME-COLORED), Kevin has three GRACE'S WARBLERs in one field of view and the trees are positively dripping with birds in this spectacular mixed species flock. We're literally breathless when pry ourselves off the road and back into the car.
Kevin does a nice job of getting us quickly back to Puerto Vallarta, though at one point I can see the expression on the face on the bus driver heading straight for us while we're passing a slower vehicle. A stop at Laguna Quelele is unremarkable other than STRIPE-HEADED SPARROWs. Interestingly enough, Jay and Susan had a great day at La Bajada as well, so it seems that the productivity seemed to correlate with cloud cover more than anything else. We celebrate the trip with over-priced quesadillas and beer at the airport and disintegrate into our seats on the flight back to San Francisco.
Location codes
1 February: Arrive by plane, 3 p.m.
Puerto Vallarta (V), Punta de Mita (U); drive in dark to San
Blas.
2 February: Lower Singayta (S) all morning, T-Jct. Ponds (T),
La Tovara Boat Trip w/ Chencho (O).
3 February: Cerro de San Juan (C) most of day, El Mirador del
Aguila (A), Sewer Pond Trail (P).
4 February: La Bajada (B) all morning, Matanchen mangroves (M)
briefly, T-Jct. Ponds (T), Peso Island (P), Sewer Pond Trail
(W).
5 February, Susan & I: La Bajada (B) all morning; Drive to
Puerto Vallarta (V), w/ brief stop at Laguna Quelele (Q).
5 February, The others: Cerro de San Juan (C) all morning; Drive
to Puerto Vallarta (V), w/ stop at L. Quelele (Q).
all days… (X) = seen only while driving roads b/w stops,
or in town of San Blas.
small letters = seen by others and not by me.
Note the ambiguity across days for the annotated sightings
below, e.g. (B) is used for more than one day at La Bajada.
259 total bird species for group
Least Grebe (O)
Blue-footed Booby (U, P)
Brown Booby (U)
American White Pelican (S, T, Q)
Brown Pelican (U, O, W, X)
Double-crested Cormorant (u)
Neotropic Cormorant (U, S, T, O, X, M, T, X)
Anhinga (O)
Magnificent Frigatebird (V, U, S, O, M, P, W, X, q, X)
Reddish Egret (O)
Tricolored Heron (O, M)
Little Blue Heron (O, P, Q)
Snowy Egret (S, T, M, T, Q)
Great Blue Heron (T, O, T, q)
Great Egret (U, T, O, X, T, Q)
Cattle Egret (X)
Green Heron (O, m)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (O, T, p, q)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (s, O)
Boat-billed Heron (O)
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (O)
Wood Stork (S, T, T)
White Ibis (O, t)
White-faced Ibis (V, W)
Roseate Spoonbill (u, S, T, T, W, q)
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Q)
Green-winged Teal (W)
Blue-winged Teal (T, w, T, W)
Cinnamon Teal (S)
Northern Shoveler (T, Q)
Black Vulture (V, U, S, C, W, B, T, P, W, B, c)
Turkey Vulture (V, U, S, C, W, B, T, P, W, B, c, V)
Osprey (U, S, O)
White-tailed Kite (s)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (C, c)
Common Black-Hawk (T, O)
Gray Hawk (U, S, C, A, B, T, P, W, B)
Broad-winged Hawk (e) (C)
Short-tailed Hawk (S, C, A, B, B)
Zone-tailed Hawk (u, S, c)
Red-tailed Hawk (C, c)
Harris' Hawk (t)
Crested Caracara (s)
Laughing Falcon (O, w, B, W)
Collared Forest-Falcon (O, w, W)
American Kestrel (S, C, X, c, X)
Merlin (P)
Peregrine Falcon (S, O, w)
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca (S, O, w, B, P, W)
Elegant Quail (P, W)
Sora (T)
Common Moorhen (O)
American Coot (w, T, W, Q)
Northern Jacana (w, W)
American Oystercatcher (P)
Black-necked Stilt (T, O, X, T, P, Q)
American Avocet (T, X, T, Q)
Black-bellied Plover (P, q)
Semipalmated Plover (T, P)
Wilson's Plover (P)
Snowy Plover (P)
Greater Yellowlegs (t, T, P, q)
Lesser Yellowlegs (T, T)
Solitary Sandpiper (W)
Spotted Sandpiper (T, T, P, W)
Willet (U, t, P, q)
Wandering Tattler (U)
Whimbrel (O, Q)
Sanderling (P)
Western Sandpiper (t, P)
Least Sandpiper (T)
Dunlin (T, T)
Stilt Sandpiper (W)
Long-billed Dowitcher (O, w, W)
Heermann's Gull (U, P)
Ring-billed Gull (O, P)
Herring Gull (p)
Laughing Gull (O, P)
Gull-billed Tern (T, T)
Caspian Tern (O, P, q, X)
Royal Tern (P)
Rock Dove (V, U, X, X, B)
Red-billed Pigeon (O, B, B)
Mourning Dove (x)
White-winged Dove (O, C, B, W)
Inca Dove (U, C, b, B, q)
Common Ground-Dove (U, S)
Ruddy Ground-Dove (S, P, W)
White-tipped Dove (S, C, B, P, B)
Military Macaw (A)
Orange-fronted Parakeet (S, O, B, B)
Mexican Parrotlet (S, B, B)
White-fronted Parrot (B, B)
Lilac-crowned Parrot (O)
Squirrel Cuckoo (s, C, B, B)
Groove-billed Ani (U, S, W, P, W)
Barn Owl (W)
Colima (Least) Pygmy-Owl (B, B)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (O, b)
Mottled Owl (?)
Large Owl Sp., x, ?)
Northern Potoo (O)
Lesser Nighthawk (O, w, W)
Pauraque (O)
Vaux's Swift (C, W)
Swift Sp. (S)
Mexican (Long-tailed) Hermit (b)
Golden-crowned Emerald (B)
Broad-billed Hummingbird (U, S, C)
Mexican (Crowned) Woodnymph (C, c)
White-eared Hummingbird (C, B, c)
Hummingbird (C, B, B)
Cinnamon Hummingbird (S, c, B, w, B)
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (B)
Sparkling-tailed Woodstar (B)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (b)
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Sp., U)
Calliope Hummingbird (C, c)
Bumblebee Hummingbird (?, ?)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (c)
Rufous Hummingbird (C)
Citreoline Trogon (S, B, B)
Mountain Trogon (?)
Elegant Trogon (s, B, w, B)
Belted Kingfisher (T, O, T)
Green Kingfisher (O, m)
Acorn Woodpecker (C)
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (U, S, O, A, B, P, W, B, c)
Gila Woodpecker (e) (S, W)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (c)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (C)
Arizona Woodpecker (c)
Smoky-Brown Woodpecker (e) (B)
Lineated Woodpecker (B, B)
Pale-billed Woodpecker (S, c, B, B, c)
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (C, B, B)
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (S)
Greenish Elaenia (B, B, c)
Tufted Flycatcher (S, C, B, B, c)
Greater Pewee (C, B, B, c)
Western Wood-Pewee (way early) (p)
Willow Flycatcher (se) (S)
White-throated Flycatcher (s)
Least Flycatcher (?, b, B)
Hammond's Flycatcher (C, c)
Dusky Flycatcher (?, P)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (S, B, P, B)
Buff-breasted Flycatcher (c)
Empidonax Sp., U, S, C, B, P, W, B, c)
Say's Phoebe (just out of range) (C, c)
Vermilion Flycatcher (S, W, P, W)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (U, S, C, B, B)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (U)
Nutting's Flycatcher (U)
Brown-crested Flycatcher (U, s)
Tropical Kingbird (U, S, O, W, P, W, B, V)
Cassin's Kingbird (C, w)
Thick-billed Kingbird (U, S, C, B, P)
Boat-billed Flycatcher (B, B)
Social Flycatcher (S, X, B, P, W, q, X)
Great Kiskadee (V, S, O, W, P, W, B)
Gray-collared Becard (B)
Rose-throated Becard (S, B, P, B, c)
Masked Tityra (S, B, B)
Gray-breasted Martin (S, w, W)
Mangrove Swallow (O, w, t)
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow, S, C, W, B, P, W, B)
Bank Swallow (U)
Barn Swallow (s, W, W)
Bell's Vireo (u, P)
Black-capped Vireo (C, B, B, c)
Hutton's Vireo (C)
Golden Vireo (C, B, B, c)
Plumbeous Vireo (B, B, c)
Cassin's Vireo (C, c)
Warbling Vireo (S, C, B, P, B, c)
Loggerhead Shrike (t)
Green Jay (C)
Black-throated Magpie-Jay (S, A, W, B, W, B)
Purplish-backed Jay (P)
Sinaloa Crow (S, B, B)
Common Raven (A)
Happy Wren (S, W, B, P, B, c)
Sinaloa Wren (S, B, c)
House Wren (C)
Marsh Wren (t)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (C, b, c)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (U, S, O, C, B, M, P, W, B, c)
Black-capped Gnatcatcher (p)
Eastern Bluebird (C, c)
Brown-backed Solitaire (C, c)
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (S, B)
Swainson's Thrush (c, B, ?)
Hermit Thrush (C, c)
White-throated Robin (C, B)
Rufous-backed Robin (S, W, B, P, c, Q)
Blue Mockingbird (C, B, c)
Northern Mockingbird (t, P, w)
Orange-crowned Warbler (U, C, b, W, c)
Nashville Warbler (U, S, C, B, M, P, W, B, c)
Lucy's Warbler (U, S)
Tropical Parula (S, O, B, P, B, c)
Crescent-chested Warbler (c)
Yellow Warbler (S, O, P)
Yellow (Mangrove) Warbler (O, M)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (C)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (S, C, B, B)
Townsend's Warbler (C, c)
Hermit Warbler (c)
Black-throated Green Warbler (e) (c)
Grace's Warbler (C, c)
Black-and-white Warbler (O, c, B, P, B, c)
American Redstart (S, O, c, P)
Ovenbird (c)
Northern Waterthrush (O, M, p)
Kentucky Warbler (vagrant), B)
MacGillivray's Warbler (S, C, B, P, W, B, c)
Common Yellowthroat (W, w)
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (w)
Wilson's Warbler (S, O, C, B, M, P, W, B, c)
Painted Redstart (C, c)
Slate-throated Redstart (C)
Fan-tailed Warbler (S, P)
Rufous-capped Warbler (C, c)
Yellow-breasted Chat (S, o, P)
Red-breasted Chat (p)
Scrub Euphonia (S, B)
Blue-hooded Euphonia (C, c)
Flame-colored Tanager (c, B, B, c)
Hepatic Tanager (C, c)
Summer Tanager (S, B, B, c)
Western Tanager (U, s, C, B, B, c)
Red-headed Tanager (c)
Rosy Thrush-Tanager (P)
Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer (?)
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow (b, c)
Canyon Towhee (just out of range) (P)
Blue-black Grassquit (S, c, P, W)
White-collared Seedeater (s, C, w, B, P, W)
Stripe-headed Sparrow (S, W, P, W, c)
Lark Sparrow (S)
Chipping Sparrow (C)
Lincoln's Sparrow (S, C, W, P, W)
Yellow Grosbeak (C, b, B)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (C, B)
Black-Headed Grosbeak (S, C, B, B, c)
Grayish Saltator (S, B, P, B, c)
Blue Bunting (u, W, p)
Blue Grosbeak (S, P)
Lazuli Bunting (U, S, P)
Varied Bunting (U, C, B, P, W, B, c)
Painted Bunting (u, S, m, P, B, c)
Orange-breasted Bunting (e) (U)
Great-tailed Grackle (V, U, S, O, W, B, P, W, X)
Bronzed Cowbird (w, B, W)
Yellow-winged Cacique (u, S, O, W, B, P, B, c)
Streak-backed Oriole (u, S, O, c, B, P, W, B, c)
Hooded Oriole (B)
Baltimore Oriole (e) (B, c)
Bullock's Oriole (C, B, B, c)
Orchard Oriole (S)
Audubon's Oriole (e) (c)
House Finch (C, c)
Pine Siskin (c)
Black-headed Siskin (C, c)
Lesser Goldfinch (C, c)
House Sparrow (X, X, X)
NON-AVIAN VERTEBRATES
American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (O)
Iguana: most likely Spiny-tailed (Ctenosaura similis) (C, p)
Gecko Sp. (Mediterranean, Hemidactylus turcicus???) (X)
Small lizard Sp(p). -- various locations/days
Coral Snake: most likely Micrurus distans or M. proximans (B)
Mexican Milk Snake, Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (w)
Turtle Sp., large (O)
Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana -- 1 seen by others (location/day??)
Greater Fishing Bat, Noctilio albiventris (O)
Other Bat Spp. (X, O, W, b, W)
Squirrel: Sciurus Sp. (S, C, B, B)
Mouse Sp(p).
Northern Raccoon, Procyon lotor (O)
Coati, Nasua narica (O, b)
Various Fish Spp.
BUTTERFLIES (Were very many, esp. at La Bajada;
virtually none were identified.)
Adelpha Sp.
Doxocopa Sp.
Diathrea Sp.
Dryas iulia
Philaethia dido
Heliconius charitonius
Heliconius Sp. like melpomene or erato
Danaus gilippus
Danaus plexippus
Opsiphanes Sp.
Clear-wing Sp.
Many many other spp.
2.11 Anderson, CA, Sacramento NWR and environs
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe
PELICANS
American White Pelican
DUCKS, SWANS, GEESE
Ruddy Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
PHEASANTS, GROUSE, QUAIL AND TURKEYS
Ring-necked Pheasant
RAILS AND COOTS
Virginia Rail
American Coot
SANDPIPERS
Greater Yellowlegs
Long-billed Dowitcher
Dunlin
AVOCETS AND STILTS
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Killdeer
GULLS AND TERNS
Ring-billed Gull
WOODPECKERS
Northern Flicker
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Black Phoebe
CROWS AND JAYS
Western Scrub-Jay
Yellow-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
WAXWINGS AND SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
Cedar Waxwing
THRUSHES
American Robin
WRENS
Marsh Wren
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
SISKINS, CROSSBILLS AND ALLIES
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
House Finch
BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, TANAGERS, ALLIES
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Savannah Sparrow
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, ORIOLES
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
////---- STATISTICS ----/////
Species seen - 60
2.28
- 3.1 Seattle and Environs
YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Blaine (Feb
28)
CANADA GOOSE x GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at Oroville (Feb 27)
700 Gray-bellied BRANT at Samish Flats (Feb 28)
RED-TAILED HAWK (CO-ON) at Hungry Junction & Faust (Feb 26)
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE at Cawston, B.C. (Feb 27)
AMERICAN DIPPER (CO-CN) at Teanaway River (Feb 26)
11 BOHEMIAN WAXWING at Bridgeport Bar (Feb 27)
WILSON'S WARBLER at Snohomish (Mar 01)
8 COMMON REDPOLL at Withrow (Feb 26)
2 COMMON REDPOLL at Twisp (Feb 27)
15 COMMON REDPOLL at Skagit Wildlife HQ (Feb 28)
104 species seen:
Common Loon (11, 37)
Yellow-billed Loon (37)
Pied-billed Grebe (16, 26)
Horned Grebe (18, 26, 37)
Red-necked Grebe (37)
Eared Grebe (15)
Double-crested Cormorant (23, 35)
Pelagic Cormorant (37)
Great Blue Heron (35)
Greater White-fronted Goose (33, 45)
Canada Goose (5, 7, 14, 15, 24, 45)
Brant (38)
Trumpeter Swan (38, 45)
Tundra Swan (42, 45)
Gadwall (26)
Eurasian Wigeon (38)
American Wigeon (24, 26, 37, 45, 47)
Mallard (5, 24, 37, 45)
Northern Shoveler (47)
Northern Pintail (7, 24, 37)
Green-winged Teal (37, 38)
Canvasback (15)
Redhead (26)
Ring-necked Duck (47)
Greater Scaup (15, 26)
Lesser Scaup (15)
Surf Scoter (37)
White-winged Scoter (37)
Long-tailed Duck (37)
Bufflehead (15, 26, 33, 45)
Common Goldeneye (15, 26, 45)
Barrow's Goldeneye (26)
Hooded Merganser (33, 47)
Common Merganser (16, 18, 27, 33, 45)
Ruddy Duck (15, 26)
Bald Eagle (5, 18)
Northern Harrier (21, 35, 38, 41)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (28)
Red-tailed Hawk (2, 6)
Rough-legged Hawk (6, 19, 35, 38)
Golden Eagle (30)
American Kestrel (9, 12)
Peregrine Falcon (43)
Prairie Falcon (17)
California Quail (8)
American Coot (11, 15)
Black-bellied Plover (38)
Killdeer (7, 38)
Greater Yellowlegs (37)
Dunlin (38)
Red-necked Phalarope (24)
Mew Gull (37)
Ring-billed Gull (25, 33)
Herring Gull (18)
Glaucous-winged Gull (1, 35, 36, 37, 45)
Rock Dove (1)
Eurasian Collared-Dove (34)
Mourning Dove (12)
Burrowing Owl (13)
Belted Kingfisher (5, 45)
Downy Woodpecker (32, 45)
Northern Flicker (8, 45, 46)
Northern Shrike (22)
Steller's Jay (2, 29, 45)
Black-billed Magpie (5, 24)
American Crow (1)
Northwestern Crow (37)
Common Raven (1)
Horned Lark (9)
Tree Swallow (41)
Violet-green Swallow (41)
Barn Swallow (41)
Black-capped Chickadee (28, 32, 41, 45)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2, 29, 32)
Bewick's Wren (41, 46)
Winter Wren (41)
Marsh Wren (3, 41, 44)
American Dipper (4)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (41, 46)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (41, 46)
Mountain Bluebird (31)
American Robin (2)
Varied Thrush (39)
European Starling (2)
American Pipit (41)
Bohemian Waxwing (24)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (41)
Wilson's Warbler (45)
Spotted Towhee (24, 40, 46)
Sage Sparrow (10)
Song Sparrow (3, 20, 24, 44)
White-crowned Sparrow (24, 41, 45)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (41, 45)
Dark-eyed Junco (2, 32)
Red-winged Blackbird (3, 24, 35, 46)
Western Meadowlark (24)
Brewer's Blackbird (36, 38)
House Finch (2, 24)
Red Crossbill (32)
Common Redpoll (21, 28, 41)
Pine Siskin (28, 41)
American Goldfinch (28)
Evening Grosbeak (2)
Accipiter sp. (2)
Locations:
1) I90 (Feb 26)
2) Cle Elum (Feb 26)
3) Hwy 10 (Feb 26)
4) Teanaway River (Feb 26)
5) Hwy 10 (Feb 26)
6) Hungry Junction & Faust (Feb 26)
7) Look Rd. (Feb 26)
8) Ellensberg (Feb 26)
9) Old Vantage Hwy. (Feb 26)
10) Quilomene (Feb 26)
11) Columbia River @ I90 (Feb 26)
12) I90 (Feb 26)
13) George exit off I90 (Feb 26)
14) Soap Lake (Feb 26)
15) Lake Lenore (Feb 26)
16) Blue Lake (Feb 26)
17) Jct. 2 & 17 (Feb 26)
18) Banks Lake (Feb 26)
19) Hwy. 17 (Feb 26)
20) Waterville Plateau (Feb 26)
21) Withrow (Feb 26)
22) Bridgeport Hill Road (Feb 26)
23) Brewster (Feb 27)
24) Bridgeport Bar (Feb 27)
25) Bridgeport (Feb 27)
26) Pateros (Feb 27)
27) Methow River (Feb 27)
28) Twisp (Feb 27)
29) Loup Loup (Feb 27)
30) West of Okanogan on Hwy. 20 (Feb 27)
31) Tonasket-Havallah Road (Feb 27)
32) Molson (Feb 27)
33) Oroville (Feb 27)
34) Cawston, B.C. (Feb 27)
35) Trans-Canada (Feb 28)
36) Sumas (Feb 28)
37) Blaine (Feb 28)
38) Samish Flats (Feb 28)
39) Samish Island (Feb 28)
40) Skagit (Feb 28)
41) Skagit Wildlife HQ (Feb 28)
42) Skaqit (Feb 28)
43) Samish Flats (Feb 28)
44) Ebey Island (Mar 01)
45) Snohomish (Mar 01)
46) Lower River Road (Mar 01)
47) Elliot & Fales Roads (Mar 01)
You can contact me via email.