Chatters,
The holiday season found Kate and myself in the warmth and sun of Baja
California South, and then onto the Mazatlan area. Overall a fine time
was had, as we saw some excellent birds, one Humpback Whale and a few
groups of Bottlenose Dolphins at close range. Many herps were seen as
well. A very nice sighting was a Solitary Eagle seen north of
Mazatlan in the La Meseta Reserve. The bird was seen in both scope and
binoculars at about 20 meters away, perched in a clearing on a log. This
area is about 30-50 meters above sea level in a thorn forested area.
Sitting the bird was about the size of a Turkey Vulture. The bird had a
massive bill with an eagle hook to it. The wingtips reached to the end
of the tail that had a single broad medial band. This bird was also seen
by Alwin van der Heiden, a local bird guide who has seen both Common and
Greater Black-Hawks often. I would welcome comments from others since
this bird seems so out of range from the habitat that Howell and Webb
describe in their guide.
The rest of the trip had the usual ups and downs of any birding voyages.
We were buoyed by the sightings of Tufted Jay (seen twice, once on the
trail to the barranca, and then at kp 188 on the Durango Hwy), Russet
and Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush (on the trail to the barranca),
Craveri's Murrelet and Least Storm-Petrel (seen out of Loreto) and
Belding's Yellowthroat (first bird seen at Estero San Jose). We were
sorry to miss San Lucas Robin, Cape Pygmy-Owl and Baird's Junco after
climbing the road toward San Antonio de la Sierra and not having enough
clearance and ultimately enough time to find those species. White-naped
Swifts and 5 Striped Sparrows, and Eared Trogans were hoped for birds
that eluded us on the mainland. Overall though, the trip was a great
success.
Some possible helpful hints for those of you planning such a journey.
There appears to be a new hotel at El Palmito (kilometer 200) on the
Durango Highway. We didn't stop in, but from the outside it looked
decent enough and maybe comparable to the other choices in the area
(Daniel's at Copala and at Villa Blanca at La Capilla de Taxta) We
stayed at both of the hotels mentioned above and found both to be just
fine. Daniel's might have been better for us due to its distance from
the highway. Villa Blanca's proximity to the highway made for a very
noisy first night, which got better when we were placed in a room
farthest away from the highway. Once we got past the sort of tunnel
effect of walking through the corridor to our room at Daniel's, we were
greatly impressed by the room and the view that we were afforded. They
have a deal whereby if you stay 3 nights , your third night is free.
They were charging 2oo pesos a night (the same cost at Villa Blanca).
The pesos was being exchanged at 11 to the US dollar.
In Mazatlan we stayed at La Siesta in old town. Cost was $40 per night
and it was quiet enough. The Azteca in the hotel zone was no longer an
inexpensive alternative as was mentioned in a previous trip report. In
La Paz we stayed in town the first night (noisy) and then at the Oasis
on the outskirts of town. Very quiet and at 200 pesos a night well worth
it, in that it's more secluded and it gets you right back out on the
road quickly.
We rented our car from Alamo in San Jose Del Cabo. Add in insurance and
a drop off fee at La Paz and we were about $600 to the bad for our 8
days. In Mazatlan we rented from Budget for a 7 day period and that came
to $450 with insurance. What happened to the inexpensive Mexican
vacations that I used to know?
Here's the birds seen and the general locations:
Baja CS-- Estero San Jose (San Jose del Cabo), Miraflores,Cuaderno,La
Paz, San Antonio de la Sierra, Loreto, Bahia Concepcion
Mazatlan-- La Noria Road, La Meseta Reserve (north along the cuota
leaving at various turnoffs),Marmol (fishing village to the north)
Durango Hwy-- from Mazatlan to km180,the Barranca is at km201, Panuco
Rd, Copala

Least Grebe---La Paz Ladder-backed
Woodpecker---common
Eared Grebe--Loreto Arizona
" ---Barranca
Western " ---Marmol N. Flicker---San Antonio

Clark's " ---Loreto White-striped
Woodcreeper---Barranca
Least Storm-Petrel--Loreto N. Beardless
Tyrannulet---La Noria
Red-billed Tropicbird---Loreto Tufted Flycatcher---Barranca
Blue-footed Booby---Loreto Greater Pewee--- "
Brown Booby--- Loreto Hammond's Flycatcher- "
Am. White Pelican---Marmol Dusky "
--"
Brown Pelican---common Grey "
---"
DC Cormorant---Loreto Pine "
--"
Neotropic " ---Mazatlan Pacific Slope "
---"
Brandt's " ---La Paz Black
Phoebe---Durango Hwy
Magnificent Frigatebird---Mazatlan Say's Phoebe---Cuaderno BCS
Great Blue Heron---common Vermillion
Flycatcher---common
Great Egret---common Dusky-capped "
---Durango Hwy
Snowy Egret---common Ash-throated "
---common
Little Blue Heron---Marmol Brown-crested "
---Durango Hwy
Tricolored " --- " Great
Kiskadee---Mazatlan
Reddish Egret---La Paz Tropical
Kingbird---Mazatlan
Cattle Egret---Durango Hwy Cassin's "
---Cuaderno BCS
Green Heron---Estero San Jose Thick-billed "
----Durango Hwy
B-Crowned Night-Heron---Marmol Tree Swallow---Durango Hwy
Y-Crowned " " ---Marmol Mangrove " ---Marmol
White Ibis----Marmol N. Rough-winged
Swallow---Estero SJ
White-faced Ibis---La Paz Steller's
Jay---Barranca
Wood Stork---La Meseta Black-throated
Magpie-Jay---Durango Hwy
Black-bellied Whistling Duck--La Paz Tufted Jay---Barranca,Km 188
Durango Hwy
White-fronted Geese---La Paz Purplish-backed Jay---La
Meseta
Green-winged Teal---La Paz Scrub Jay---common BCS
N. Pintail---Marmol Sinaloa
Crow---Mazatlan
Blue-winged Teal---La Paz N. Raven---common
Cinnamon " --- La Paz Mexican
Chickadee---Barranca
N. Shoveler--- La Paz Verdin---Estero SJ
Gadwall---La Paz White-breasted
Nuthatch---Barranca
Ring-necked Duck---La Paz Brown Creeper----Barranca
Lesser Scaup---La Paz Cactus Wren---common
Surf Scoter---Bahia Concepcion Happy Wren---Panuco Rd
Ruddy Duck---Estero SJ N. House
Wren---Barranca
Black Vulture---Mazatlan Brown-throated House
Wren---Durango Hwy
Turkey " ---common Blue-grey
Gnatcatcher---common
Osprey---common California "
---Loreto
Sharp-shinned Hawk---Durango Hwy Black-capped " ---La
Meseta
Cooper's Hawk---San Antonio Orange-billed
Nightingale-Thrush---Barranca
Solitary Eagle---La Meseta Russet
" " --- "
Grey Hawk---La Noria Road Hermit Thrush---Barranca
Short-tailed Hawk---Durango Hwy Rufous-backed Thrush---La
Meseta
Zone-tailed Hawk---San Antonio Am. Robin---Barranca
Red-tailed Hawk--common Aztec Thrush---Barranca
Am. Kestrel---common Blue
Mockingbird---Panuco Rd
Peregrine Falcon---La Paz N. "
---common
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca-Durango Hwy Grey Thrasher---La Paz
Elegant Quail---La Noria Road Phainopepla---common BCS
Common Moorhen---Estero SJ Loggerhead Shrike---Marmol
Am. Coot---Estero SJ Black-capped
Vireo---Panuco Road
Black-bellied Plover---Loreto Plumbeous "
---Barranca
Snowy Plover--Loreto Orange-crowned
Warbler---common
Wilson's " ---Estero SJ Nashville
" ---Panuco Rd
Semipalmated Plover---Loreto Lucy's
" ---La Meseta
Killdeer---common Crescent-chested
" ---Barranca
Am. Oystercatcher---Loreto Yellow-rumped
" ---common
Black-necked Stilt---La Paz Black-throated Grey
" ---common
Am. Avocet---La Paz Townsend's
" ---Barranca
G. Yellowlegs---Estero SJ Spotted
Towhee---Barranca
Spotted Sandpiper---common California "
---Miraflores BCS
Willet---Estero SJ Lark
Sparrow---La Noria
Long-billed Curlew---Marmol Lincoln's " ---La
Meseta
Marbled Godwit---La Paz White-crowned
Sparrow---La Meseta
Ruddy Turnstone---Loreto Yellow-eyed
Junco---Barranca
Black " --- " Red-winged
Blackbird---La Paz
Sanderling---Loreto Western
Meadowlark---La Paz
Western Sandpiper---La Paz Brewer's
Blackbird---common
Least Sandpiper---La Paz Great-tailed
Grackle---common Mazatlan
Short-billed Dowitcher---La Paz Bronzed
Cowbird---common Mazatlan
Long-billed " ---Marmol Brown-headed "
--- " "
Bonaparte's Gull---Estero SJ Orchard
Oriole---Durango Hwy
Heermann's " --- " Hooded "
---Mazatlan
Ring-billed " --- "
Black-vented Oriole---Durango Hwy
California " --- "
Streak-backed " ---La Noria
Herring " --- " Bullock's
" ---Durango Hwy
Yellow-footed Gull---La Paz Scott's
" ---common BCS
Gull-billed Tern---Mazatlan Yellow-winged
Cacique---Panuco Rd
Caspian " ---La Paz House
Finch---common BCS
Royal " ---Marmol Black-headed
Siskin---Panuco Rd
Elegant " ---Loreto Lesser
Goldfinch---Panuco Rd
Foster's " ---Estero SJ Hooded
Grosbeak---Barranca
Black Skimmer---Marmol House
Sparrow---common
Craveri's Murrelet---Loreto
Rock Pigeon---common
Red-billed Pigeon---La Meseta
Band-tailed " ---Durango Hwy
White-winged Dove---common
Mourning " --- "
Inca Dove---Durango Hwy
Common Ground-Dove---Estero SJ
Ruddy " " ---Durango Hwy
White-tipped Dove---La Meseta
Orange-fronted Parakeet---Daniels Hotel Copala
Military Macaw (Heard only)---Panuco Rd
White-fronted Parrot---Noria Road
Lilac-crowned Parrot---La Meseta
Squirrel Cuckoo---Durango Hwy
Groove-billed Ani--- " "
Barn Owl---La Meseta
Mottled " --- " "
Pauraque---Marmol
Buff-collared Nightjar---Marmol
White-throated Swift---Durango Hwy
Golden-crowned Emerald---San Antonio
Broad-billed Hummingbird---La Meseta
White-eared " ---Durango Hwy
Xantus " ---Cuaderno BCS
Beryline " ---Durango Hwy
Cinnamon " ---La Meseta
Violet-crowned " --- " "
Blue-throated " ---Durango Hwy
Magnificent " --- " "
Black-chinned " --- " "
Costa's " ---Loreto
Broad-tailed " ---MP 185 Durango Hwy
Bumblebee " ---Barranca Durango Hwy
Citroline Trogan---La Meseta
Mt. " ---Barranca Durango Hwy
Elegant " ---La Meseta
Belted Kingfisher---Marmol
Green " --- "
Acorn Woodpecker---San Antonio
Golden-cheeked " ---La Meseta
Gila " ---common
Red-naped Sapsucker---Cuaderno BCS

Much thanks to Steven Mlodinov for the expert advice on Baja and the
trip reports from George West, Dick Palmer, David Powell and others. If
I can be of help feel free to contact me for more information.

Barry Levine
Seattle,Wa. USA
levineb at bsd405.org
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