West Mexico: Volcan de Fuego - La Cumbre

A great day began with a drive along some dry forest and fields and this resulted eventually in a good sighting of the endemic Black-chested Sparrow singing from a perch on the grassy slope above us, after a bit if a runaround. They aren't the best photos in the world but the views were pretty decent and thats what matters...

Black-chested Sparrow - another Mexican endemic

I was amazed at the number of Orange-breasted Buntings here too and we also saw Stripe-headed Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, and along the river Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Neotropic Cormorant and a Ringed Kingfisher. 

Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire)

Then we drove up to the recently and apparently continuously erupting Volcan de Fuego where along the lower slopes (the upper roads were closed) we thoroughly enjoyed our crippling views of a group of Spotted Wrens. 

Spotted Wren - Mexican endemic

Moving up and we discovered a fruiting tree with several Brown-backed Solitaires and Gray Silky-Flycatchers feeding. 

Brown-backed Solitaire

We also saw Cassin’s Kingbird, Cooper’s Hawk, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and a showy Canyon Wren. A side road really produced the goods with some confiding and stunning Vermillion Flycatchers we spent some time with, and a flowering tree held loads of common warblers as well as our first Slate-throated Whitestart and further up a few West Mexican Chachalacas as well. But I cannot tell you the exhilaration when, after some searching, Bill exclaimed “roadrunner, roadrunner, roadrunner…”. Holy Cow it was a Lesser Roadrunner sitting on a rock some 30 metres away calling back at my ipod. We lapped up the views, fired off a few photos and high-fived.! Perfect! 

Lesser Roadrunner - oh yes...!

After a lengthy lunch with live music and pretty girl singers we explored the lowlands and found a pair of Rufous-naped Wrens and a Laughing Falcon along with Hammond’s Flycatcher and Cassin’s Vireo. 

We ended the day watching the sunset at La Cumbre before calling in a Balsas Screech Owl that showed very well for a minute before flying off. And we were off too…!

The Mexican endemic Balsas Screech-Owl

West Mexico: Playa de Ora Road - Colima

This was a slower day as we birded the famous Playa de Ora Road that transects some interesting dry thorn forest but these days the road is almost impassable and it took some neat manoeuvring to get our two vehicles along it. Around the fields at the base of the hills a cracking male Orange-breasted Bunting appeared, along with the usual high numbers of Nashville Warblers, and a few Stripe-headed Sparrows. An Olive Sparrow showed well, as did Citreoline Trogon, a few Warbling Vireos, a flock of White-throated Magpie-Jays, and another Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl before we eventually nailed the endemic Flammulated Flycatcher. 

Flammulated Flycatcher (Mexican endemic)

Then we drove down to the beach where a huge flock of Blue-footed and Brown Boobies were fishing way offshore. Along the beach we saw American Kestrel, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Northern Mockingbird, and a female Blue Grosbeak.

Driving back up across the hills, we saw a Swainson’s Thrush feeding along the road, and eventually a White-bellied Wren before setting out on the 90 minute drive to Colima and along the way we saw a Roadside Hawk. We arrived at the motel at 5pm and took the opportunity for a rest before dinner.

West Mexico Tour: Day 3

Breakfast was at 7am and then we headed towards the coast and a quiet country road that took us through rolling forested hills and into the thorn forest that is home to some very special birds. Along the way we stopped at an overlook where Lilac-crowned Amazons flew around us, Acorn Woodpeckers scolded from dead trees and cute little Tropical Parulas dazzled us in the morning sunshine. 

Tropical Parula

A burst of activity created by our owl tape brought in Berylline, Broad-billed and Cinnamon Hummingbirds, with our first Violet-crowned Hummingbird being particularly well received. Lower down the road and a pair of Military Macaws flew over calling raucously, a Bright-rumped Attila tried its best not to be seen despite calling constantly, and our first Happy Wren was seen pretty well. Our next stop proved to be a belter as we called in a Colima Pygmy-Owl and this bird came right in and perched up right beside us and continued to stay with us for ages, even when we became engrossed with scope views of Coppery-tailed Trogon – the split from Elegant Trogon. 

Colima Pygmy Owl (endemic to West Mexico)

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Next up was a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl just a little bit further along the road and then I was so pleased when Julie called the stunning Red-breasted Chat. 

The Mexican endemic Red-breasted Chat

What a performance we had as two males and a female appeared and over the course of the next 20 minutes we worked on getting better and better views. You might say we were pleased to see this bird!!! Even a very obliging Happy Wren failed to distract us from this vision of crimson and white dancing around the bushes in front of us. One last stop of the morning was also a corker with several Citreoline Trogons, Dusky-capped, Nutting’s and Brown-crested Flycatchers and Lucy’s Warbler, with White-tailed Hawk & 3 Grey Hawks flying overhead. 

Grey Hawk

Oh and one final, and I mean it, stop proved a fitting climax to an already amazing morning’s birding with a male Orange-breasted Bunting – and what a bird that is! A Pale-billed Woodpecker and Common Black Hawk were practically ignored as they just cannot compete with this vision of blue and orange!

Not a place for a lunch stop!

Lunch was at a beachside restaurant, complete with Royal Terns, Great Blue Heron, and American Oystercatchers. Leaving here we set off on the drive south to Barra de Navidad, seeing West Mexican Chachalaca and Vaux’s Swift on the drive. Some roadside wetlands were great as well on this route. The first one had a flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, a few Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Green Heron, Tricoloured Heron, Anhinga, Northern Jacana, Blue-winged Teal, Least Grebe and Ruddy Duck. The second one had a few Stilt Sandpipers, Western Willet, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mangrove and Tree Swallows, Steak-backed Oriole and a showy Pacific-slope Flycatcher. What a great couple of list building sessions. We eventually reached our hotel at 6.30pm and enjoyed some cold beers and margaritas over dinner.

Puerto Vallarta Day 2

After an 8am breakfast we drove maybe 15 minutes to a dirt road that took us up into the hills. Here amidst nice mixed pine-evergreen forest we spent an enjoyable couple of hours in perfect temperatures watching a real excellent cast of desirable species. We began with a pair of Rusty Sparrows, Tropical Parula, Black-headed Siskin, Acorn Woodpecker and an extremely obliging Grace’s Warbler that gave cripplingly close views. 

Black-headed Siskin- endemic to Central America

Grace's Warbler showed really well this morning

Driving higher the next stop was timely as we entered woodpecker heaven with Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a pair of Arizona Woodpeckers, Lineated Woodpecker and at least 3 Grey-crowned Woodpeckers. Some flowering bushes held Bullock’s Oriole, along with a number of previously seen warblers and we also saw Squirrel Cuckoo and called in a Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.

Arizona Woodpecker

Grey-crowned Woodpecker

By now it was mid-morning and we decided to return to the Botanical Gardens as there were still a couple of birds we needed there. It was hot by the time we arrived so we made our way to the restaurant to view the feeding station, but it was all quiet. So we walked around the gardens hoping for Mexican Hermit and during our time here a few people in the group managed to catch a glimpse of it. But we did get a couple of Short-tailed Hawks and an immature Red-tailed Hawk flying over, and over the course of lunchtime a pair of San Blas Jays came in, along with a White-throated Thrush. 

San Blas Jay - a Mexican endemic

White-throated Thrush

There were further reappearances of Plain-capped Starthroat, Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow and MacGillivrays Warbler. 

Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow again...

Once we were done here most of us returned the short distance to our lodge for a rest, whilst Gary & Trevor remained behind and they managed a view of the hermit, along with a Lucy’s Warbler and an Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush.

Back at the lodge and a cracking male Blue Bunting showed well, as did a Sinaloa Wren that allowed some decent photo opportunities. 

Blue Bunting (male) - only found from Mexico to Nicaragua

Sinaloa Wren - a Mexican endemic

A last check around the gardens before dinner resulted in a pair of Black-vented Orioles and a White-collared Seedeater. 

White-collared Seedeater

Our first night-birding session drew a blank due to cool temperatures, light rain and low cloud! Go figure! But a Common Pauraque was found on its roosting branch in the lodge gardens before we retired for the night.

Common Pauraque