Birding Barra 1 (1 Viewer)

[SueO]

Don't know if I'll be up to birding every day till we leave on the 30th, but I'll try to post on the days I do go out. Today was absolutely stellar! I put my hiking boots and jeans on and went for a proper walk in the hills behind the hotel. We are on a small, high peninsula, with a lagoon on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. There is a climb up from our lagoon side hotel, and then a steep hill down to the ocean. I was out for about four hours. I didn't go all the way down as I was low on water and there was so much activity that getting halfway took some time. The air was so fresh, I felt a little high. It was so great to be out. We need to try and come down more often. I saw many of the birds I posted yesterday, so I won't repost those, but I am adding some really good birds today. I was thrilled to see a Pale-billed Woodpecker again. I heard the raucous call first, and spotted his bright red head. I just got the bins on him and he took off. I was thinking I didn't know if the Pale-billed was the only big woodpecker we had in the area. I was pretty sure I didn't have any others on the Barra list, so I wasn't sure what it was. Lineated? Pale-billed? I didn't see the bill. I saw that he had gone around the corner I was about to turn on, so I hoped I could find him again. Sure enough, I turned the corner, and there he was, big as a Gobblersnapper! I got the bins on him--Pale-billed. Just then a huge, loud truck came by, and the bird flew off again. Damn, I wanted some photos. He flew across the road, so I looked in that direction and found him again. Such a beautiful thing!

4/22/22 List:

Black-vented Oriole
Bronzed Cowbird
Yellow-winged Cacique
Red-breasted Chat
San Blas Jay
Rufous-backed Thrush
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet
Pale-billed Woody
Happy Wren
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Warbling vireo

 

[opisska]

Google maps knows several "Barra" places, bur none of them is anywhere near the Pacific Ocean, nor do they have these obvious new world species. So where is this place exactly?

 

[SueO]

Google maps knows several "Barra" places, bur none of them is anywhere near the Pacific Ocean, nor do they have these obvious new world species. So where is this place exactly?

So sorry, opisska, I meant to post a satellite image, forgot to. I used to be able to right click google maps and post. Not so anymore it seems. Tried last night. While I was out today, I remembered I had some images on my blog (which I closed down). It is in Mexico, about 120 miles south of Puerta Vallarta. Here is an old google map image.

 

[SueO]

The lat and long is at the bottom of the image, very small. Here's the lat and long from our instruments aboard Peregrine:
19*11.7 mins N
104*41.0 mins W

 

[delia todd]

It sounds like a great place and you seem to have had a wonderful time Sue. Thanks.

LOL though, when I saw your title, I thought you were planning a visit to Scotland - Barra (an Outer Hebrides island) is beautiful and great birding out there too.

 

[SueO]

It sounds like a great place and you seem to have had a wonderful time Sue. Thanks.

LOL though, when I saw your title, I thought you were planning a visit to Scotland - Barra (an Outer Hebrides island) is beautiful and great birding out there too.

Guess I shouldn't have gotten lazy. I've been putting Barra de Navidad down every time but this last time. Seems to have created some confusion! Wouldn't mind seeing Scotland. There's another Island in the Outer Hebrides that sounds good too--my maiden name is Lewis. I think I would like the Scots. Are all of them like the people in Monarch of the Glen? LOL I LOVED that show. When we were moored in the Bay of Islands in NZ, we befriended a Scots couple. I'm having an oldtimer's moment and can't remember the boat name. He built the boat--it was a tank! The woodwork below was stunning.

 

[delia todd]

Are all of them like the people in Monarch of the Glen? LOL I LOVED that show.

LOL I guess so.... you could even find the odd "Hector" in places!!

The Outer Hebrides truly are beautiful Sue. You really should try and visit.

 

[KC Foggin]

I love that Paled-billed Woodie!!

 

[Lisa W]

Splendid photo of this woodie.

 

[SueO]

I love that Paled-billed Woodie!!

Isn't he something? Campephilus, like our extinct Ivory-billed. For a minute I thought I may have made a mistake on the ID. I checked to see if any other large woodpeckers were in range here, I found that Lineated was also in range. I also noticed that it has a pale bill! I'd forgotten that. I have not seen a Lineated in Barra. The last one I saw was in Hualtulco, Mexico in 2013. However, the ID is correct, this is a Pale-billed. Lineated (Dryocopus) has a black face and an open white 'v' on the back. I am posting a photo of one I took in Hualtulco to show the difference. I am also posting 2 more of the Pale-billed. They are both such great birds! In Panama, we had Lineated and Crimson-crested, another large and magnificent bird (also a Campephilus). Now I know to keep an eye out for Lineated here.

 

[SueO]

Splendid photo of this woodie.

Thanks, Lisa. I was really happy to see him again.

 

[opisska]

Thanks, now the whole story makes much more sense Good birds!

 

[3Italianbirders]

LOL though, when I saw your title, I thought you were planning a visit to Scotland - Barra (an Outer Hebrides island) is beautiful and great birding out there too.

I had the same thought Delia! And I am with you: the Outer Hebrides are great for birds!

 

[SueO]

I'm posting a couple of photos to show some of the habitat. The road into the Hotel Grand Bay/marina is manicured and irrigated. Once you get away from the hotel, the forest is in a more natural state. Right now is the dry season. The road I walked on yesterday goes from the hotel/marina to a golf course and a beach on the Pacific. The golf course is a great place for birding. Some really big iguanas stroll the lawns too! Yesterday, I only went halfway, to about the summit. From there you can see the lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other. The road is a bit steep at times, but it is an easy walk otherwise. You don't have to climb natural hills or go on goat trails to see the birds. Most of the time, I walk a shorter road that goes from the top level of the hotel and takes a loop to end up down at lagoon level again. It's an easy walk; perfect for the morning before it gets too hot. It also offers natural environment and I have gotten some good birds on that walk, just not as many as the longer walk.

 

[SueO]

It just dawned on me why I couldn't copy a new google map. I hadn't downloaded Google Earth onto this computer. So now I have some images that will help show what the walks look like. I have highlighted the routes in blue. On the long walk, I stopped the blue about where I walked yesterday, but you can see the road and where it goes.