Pedroinspain
Active member
My wife and I escaped from Spain for four winter weeks in November 2017. The first half was spent based out of Akumal, mainly snorkelling with family but also sneaking off early on alternate days to go birding. On our trip to Coba we got the feeling that all was not going as we had hoped. Although it was just after 8am there was little movement and almost no sound. I understand that forest birding is often difficult, but this was odd. We fared better at the Muyil side of Sian Ka'an, but it was not exactly stellar either; no signs of any trogon and only the most common woodpecker. San Gervasio on Cozumel was much better with activity lasting through until 10am. Not a single marine bird seen on the ferry crossing.
From the Mayan coast we went to Oaxaca for 5 days. The city is a real gem with its low-key colonial architecture, lively markets, walking streets and excellent restaurants. On all four usable days we left well before dawn. The birding was abysmal to say the least, with the exception being the lake above Teotitlán del Valle. In particular Yagul was an avian desert at 08:30, with the only activity being in the lowlands - the hilly cactus scrub was almost empty. Cerro San Filipe (locals seem not to know what El Cumbre means) was equally bad. Only a solitary (why?) Stellar jay showed itself, plus a few flycatchers and hummingbirds - sparse pickings indeed in the chilly morning air. At Monte Alban we walked the access road for an hour before the 8 am gate opening. Granted it was gloomy at first and distinctly coolish, but other than a few grackles and kingbirds, it too was dead. The ruins themselves picked up after opening but within not more than about 45 minutes all was quiet again. At 10 the mobs arrived and we departed. We met a Belgian bird-photographer in the parking lot. Had he fared better? "Total waste of 8 days" was his response.
Puebla - we did this guided by a local PDF publication. The lake around the ferry was productive but the remaining shore had only a few least grebe and coots. We were early on the southern bank. The thorn scrub has been irresponsibly over-grazed. A few flycatchers and some vireos and we called it a day. The encroachment on the volcanic flanks has been enormous north of the city, and where buildings have not sprung up, firewood collecting has trashed the remaining vegetation for a long way up the flanks. Gulleys are choked with rubbish. In fact the best birding of all was paradoxically in a low-income apartment jungle in the south of the city at Laguna de Chapulca. The old city, however, was a cultural delight which saved this leg from mediocrity.
Finally to Puerto Vallarta, using the city only for dining and accommodation. Each morning we left well before dawn, braving 'topes' made barely visible by on-coming drivers refusing to dim their lights, and insane folk entering at speed into the highway traffic from barely visible side roads. Predicting such inroads on birding time we had wanted to spend most of our Pacific visit at Rancho Primavera, about on hour south of the city (NW of El Tuito), but a gremlin had intruded on my attempts to make a booking there. I still remained puzzled because when we arrived Bonnie Jáuregui ([email protected]) informed me that she had received none of my early emails and that they had ample spare accommodation. This made me even more frustrated, but that was soon dispersed by Bonnie and here mom's kind invitation to stay a while even though we were not booked with them. The bird list climbed rapidly as gluttonous avian diners breakfasted on the feeders and increased even further at the lakeside. These were augmented by a walk down the entrance road. The varying habitats within a restricted distance (even though we were unable to do the ridge hike) made Rancho Primavera the stand-out location during our Mexico trip. And Bonnie's restaurant recommendation in El Tuito was spot-on. Thank you so much Bonnie and Pat!!!
The trip total (granted only 50% of days were 'birded) was a party 107. Compared to a trip list of 239 in Thailand in the same month two years earlier, with a similar mix of birding and other interests, and a similar (lack of) familiarity with local birds, I was disappointed to say the least.
A question for the seasoned travel members: Is post-migration early winter usually this unproductive in American sub-tropical areas? Unlike 2-3 hours or even more, in Africa with frost on the Bushveld ground, the morning birding 'window' in nippy Mexico seems to be an hour at best. Were we just plumb unlucky?
From the Mayan coast we went to Oaxaca for 5 days. The city is a real gem with its low-key colonial architecture, lively markets, walking streets and excellent restaurants. On all four usable days we left well before dawn. The birding was abysmal to say the least, with the exception being the lake above Teotitlán del Valle. In particular Yagul was an avian desert at 08:30, with the only activity being in the lowlands - the hilly cactus scrub was almost empty. Cerro San Filipe (locals seem not to know what El Cumbre means) was equally bad. Only a solitary (why?) Stellar jay showed itself, plus a few flycatchers and hummingbirds - sparse pickings indeed in the chilly morning air. At Monte Alban we walked the access road for an hour before the 8 am gate opening. Granted it was gloomy at first and distinctly coolish, but other than a few grackles and kingbirds, it too was dead. The ruins themselves picked up after opening but within not more than about 45 minutes all was quiet again. At 10 the mobs arrived and we departed. We met a Belgian bird-photographer in the parking lot. Had he fared better? "Total waste of 8 days" was his response.
Puebla - we did this guided by a local PDF publication. The lake around the ferry was productive but the remaining shore had only a few least grebe and coots. We were early on the southern bank. The thorn scrub has been irresponsibly over-grazed. A few flycatchers and some vireos and we called it a day. The encroachment on the volcanic flanks has been enormous north of the city, and where buildings have not sprung up, firewood collecting has trashed the remaining vegetation for a long way up the flanks. Gulleys are choked with rubbish. In fact the best birding of all was paradoxically in a low-income apartment jungle in the south of the city at Laguna de Chapulca. The old city, however, was a cultural delight which saved this leg from mediocrity.
Finally to Puerto Vallarta, using the city only for dining and accommodation. Each morning we left well before dawn, braving 'topes' made barely visible by on-coming drivers refusing to dim their lights, and insane folk entering at speed into the highway traffic from barely visible side roads. Predicting such inroads on birding time we had wanted to spend most of our Pacific visit at Rancho Primavera, about on hour south of the city (NW of El Tuito), but a gremlin had intruded on my attempts to make a booking there. I still remained puzzled because when we arrived Bonnie Jáuregui ([email protected]) informed me that she had received none of my early emails and that they had ample spare accommodation. This made me even more frustrated, but that was soon dispersed by Bonnie and here mom's kind invitation to stay a while even though we were not booked with them. The bird list climbed rapidly as gluttonous avian diners breakfasted on the feeders and increased even further at the lakeside. These were augmented by a walk down the entrance road. The varying habitats within a restricted distance (even though we were unable to do the ridge hike) made Rancho Primavera the stand-out location during our Mexico trip. And Bonnie's restaurant recommendation in El Tuito was spot-on. Thank you so much Bonnie and Pat!!!
The trip total (granted only 50% of days were 'birded) was a party 107. Compared to a trip list of 239 in Thailand in the same month two years earlier, with a similar mix of birding and other interests, and a similar (lack of) familiarity with local birds, I was disappointed to say the least.
A question for the seasoned travel members: Is post-migration early winter usually this unproductive in American sub-tropical areas? Unlike 2-3 hours or even more, in Africa with frost on the Bushveld ground, the morning birding 'window' in nippy Mexico seems to be an hour at best. Were we just plumb unlucky?