For those who asked, hopefully this will be a more readible format than
the last attempt.

The great Kate Tillotson and I had a fabulous nine day trip to Chiapas
(12/21-12/30/2004) We were able to combine a lot of birding with
sightseeing and some cultural events.
We has absolutely zero problems with security (for those of you are
concerned). The few military checkpoints we saw waved us through with
nary a stoppage.

Our first stop was at Tuxtla Gutierrez. We visited Sumidero Canyon
twice, The Tuxtla zoo, and the grounds of the Camino Real Hotel. All 3
sited were very good considering the time of the year. One BELTED
FLYCATCHER was seen at the site mentioned in Howell. We stayed at the
nice Hotel Arecas (Best Western) for a pricey $60. Nice in that you can
get in and out of town easily. I would not recommend staying in the city
center (cheaper), but a bear to get out of due to congestion.
Birdchatters Doris and John Waud, who are living in Tuxtla for the year,
invited us to join them for an evening at Las Pinchachas Restaurant. A
really wonderful place that has traditional dancing and food. Thanks
again Doris and John.

Out of Tuxtla we headed for Arriaga (Hotel Ik-Lumaal decent enough for
$20)and Puerto Arista. We spent 3 hours the first afternoon and 1/2 hour
the next morning before we saw GIANT WRENS near the junction of 190 and
Boca de Cielo Road. Had a nice experience with a man who lives in the
first house north of the Boca de Cielo Road at the junction of 190. He
invited us into his backyard to see a pair of nesting LINNEATED
WOODPECKERS and to talk about birds. He hunts them as well as admiring
them, by the way. He was very friendly and let us park our car in his
driveway while we birded the area. We then went across the junction and
birded the lagoon mentioned in Howell. It was hopping. Easier access
would be to go north on 190 to the first left hand turn. That would
allow you to bypass the village. You could also take the next road north
if you want to try the other side of the lagoon. From there we headed
back toward Tuxtla easily finding ROSITA'S BUNTING in the steep turns of
the gallery forest.

Our next stop was the wonderous San Cristobal (the so-so Media Luna
overpriced at $35). S.C. is as great a good place as we have visited in
Mexico. Very cold mornings and evenings at this time of the year though.
Here we birded the Ocosingo Road site (mentioned in Howell) and
PINK-HEADED WARBLERS were very present here and many other roadside
spots nearby. An UNSPOTTED SAW-WHET OWL was great fun to see at 5 one
morning. We birded a very quiet Cerro Huitepec one afternoon and tried
the microonda tower on the other side of the mountain the next morning.
Not much there as it was cold, windy and foggy. Best directions to the
tower are to take the road that goes off to the right (if you're heading
from SC-Tuxtla on the main highway) at kilometer 78. There will be 4
yellow arrow signs at this junction. Then you'll pass a small village
and in a short while, you'll see a road heading off to your left signed
microondas Huitepec II. It's actually a 2 tracked cement driveway that
takes you a few miles up to the tower.

In town don't miss the world class Amber Museum and make sure you visit
the village of Chamula on a Sunday morning. Contrary to what you might
have read, you can do this on your own, but make sure you don't take
pictures. The locals view this as stealing their souls and will attack
you and either take your camera, or rip out the film. Serious stuff.

Ocosingo was our next destination with a stop along the Chanal Road to
look for BLACK-THROATED JAYS. We eventually found the jays in a small
viallage off to the south side of the road. A very shy and curious group
of women followed our every movement. Made for a very unique experience.
In Ocosingo we stayed at the Hotel Central. Fine location and at $18,
with a parking garage included, just about right. We ventured to the
picturesque Tonina ruins for both late afternoon and early morning
birding. One of the truly lovely places we have seen in Mexico. Birding
is good at the ruins and is excellent along the road out to the ruins.
Particularly nice is a bridge over a small river. The road is now paved
all the way to the ruins.

We were fortunate to have a local turn on to a shortcut to our next
destination-Comitan. We took a road through Altamirano that was birdy
throughout. We got tricked by a hummer that had it's head covered in
pollen. Thought we had seen a bird that hadn't been documented before.
Pretty dodgey. We used Comitan (Posada Virrey, not very good for $33)as
a base to explore the Montebello area. This area has been greatly
degraded and I would not recommend it unless you are looking for
specific species. Here we did find UNICOLORD JAY and PREVOST'S
GROUND-SPARROW at the Howell location. Interesting was a field in the
general vicinity that had over 200 Lincoln's Sparrows. The lakes by the
way are picturesque.

On our way back to Tuxtla we stopped at the wondrous El Chiflon Cascade.
At 11 in the morning the butterflies abounded. I'm guessing the birding
would be very good earlier. This is a place well worth visiting.

Below is a list of all birds seen. Thanks to Howard Pine, Kraig and
Kathy Kemper, Marcus Roening, Bob Sundstrom and all trip reports that
made our journey so great


Least Grebe Green-Throated Mountain-Gem
Plumbeous Vireo
Pied-Billed Grebe Amethyst-Throated Hummingbird
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Am. White Pelican Garnet-Throated Hummingbird
Hutton's Vireo
Brown Pelican Magnificent Hummingbird
Warbling Vireo
Neotropic Cormorant Slender Sheartail
Brown-Capped Vireo
Anhinga Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Yellow-Green Vireo
Magnificent Frigatebird Mountain Trogon
Blue-Winged Warbler
Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron Rufous Sabrewing
Golden-Winged Warbler
Great Blue Heron Blue-Crowned Motmot
Tennessee Warbler
Great Egret Acorn Woodpecker
Nashville Warbler
Snowy Egret Golden-Fronted Woodpecker
Crescent-Chested Warbler
Little Blue Heron Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow Warbler
Tricolored Heron Golden-Olive Woodpecker
Magnolia Warbler
Cattle Egret Guatemalan Flicker
B-Throated Blue Warbler
Reddish Egret Lineated Woodpecker
Myrtle Warbler
Roseate Spoonbill Pale-Billed Woodpecker
Audubon's Warbler
Wood Stork Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner
Townsend's Warbler Muscovy Duck Tawny-Throated
Leaftosser Hermit Warbler
Black Vulture Strong-Billed Woodcreeper
B/Throated Green Warbler
Turkey Vulture Ivory-Billed Woodcreeper
Golden-Cheeked Warbler
Osprey Spot-Crowned Woodcreeper
Yellow-Throated Warbler
Grey-Headed Kite Barred Antshrike
Grace's Warbler
Hooked-Billed Kite Mexican Anttrush
Orange-Crowned Warbler
White-Tailed Kite Greenish Elaenia
Prothonotary Warbler
White-Breasted Hawk Yellow-Olive Flycatcher
Black and White Warbler
Roadside Hawk Belted Flycatcher
American Redstart
Short-Tailed Hawk Common-Tufted Flycatcher
MacGillivray's Warbler
Red-Tailed Hawk Greater Peewee
Common Yellowthroat
Crested Caracara Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher
G-Crowned Yellowthroat
American Kestrel Least Flycatcher
Hooded Warbler
Great Currasow Hammond's Flycatcher
Wilson's Warbler
Plain Chachalaca Pine Flycatcher
Red-Faced Warbler
White-Bellied Chachalaca Buff-Breasted Flycatcher
Red Warbler
Common Moorhen Say's Phoebe
Pink-Headed Warbler
American Coot Vermillion Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Black-Bellied Plover Dusky-Capped Flycatcher
Slate-Throated Redstart
Collared Plover Nutting's Flycatcher
Golden-Crowned Warbler
Wilson's Plover Great-Crested Flycatcher
Rufous-Capped Warbler
Semipalmated Plover Brown-Crested Flycatcher
Golden-Browed Warbler
Killdeer Flammulated Flycatcher
Yellow-Breasted Chat
Black-Necked Stilt Great Kiskadee
Olive Warbler
Greater Yellowlegs Boat-Billed Flycatcher
Y-Throated Euphonia
Lesser Yellowlegs Social Flycatcher
Red-Crowned Ant-Tanager
Spotted Sandpiper Tropical Kingbird
Hepatic Tanager
Western Sandpiper Couch's Kingbird
Summer Tanager
Least Sandpiper Western Kingbird
Western Tanager
Pectoral Sandpiper Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
Flame-Colored Tanager
Stilt Sandpiper Rose-Troated Becard
Common Bush-Tanager
Long Billed Curlew Grey-Breasted Martin
Blue Bunting
Marbled Godwit Tree Swallow
Indigo Bunting
Laughing Gull Black-Capped Swallow
Orange-Breasted Bunting
Caspian Tern Ridgway's Roughwing Swallow
Varied Bunting
Royal Tern Steller's Jay
Rosita's Bunting
Rock Pigeon White-Throated Magpie-Jay
Painted Bunting
Red-Billed Pigeon Green Jay
White-Naped Brushfinch
Band-Tailed Pigeon Brown Jay
C-Capped Brushfinch
White-Winged Dove Black-Throated Jay
Prevost's Ground-Sparrow
Mourning Dove Unicolored Jay
Spotted Towhee
Inca Dove Northern Raven
Blue-Black Grassquit
Common Ground-Dove Bushtit
White-Collared Seedeater
Plain-Breasted Ground Brown Creeper
Ruddy-Breasted Seedeater
Ruddy Ground-Dove Band-Backed Wren
C-Bellied Flowerpiercer
Pacific Parakeet Spot-Breasted Wren
Rusty Sparrow
Green Parakeet Plain Wren
Chipping Sparrow
Barred Parakeet Southern House Wren
Lincoln's Sparrow
Brown-Hooded Parrot Rufous-Browed Wren
Rufous-Collared Sparrow
White-Crowned Parrot Nightingale Wren
Chiapas Y-Eyed Junco
White-Fronted Parrot Giant Wren
Red-Winged Blackbird
Squirrel Cuckoo Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
Eastern Meadowlark
Groove-Billed Ani White-Lored Gnatcatcher
Melodious Blackbird
Mountain Pygmy-0wl Eastern Bluebird
Great-Tailed Grackle
Unspotted Saw-Whet Owl Orange-Billed Nightingale-Thrush
Bronzed Cowbird
Lesser Nighthawk Black-Headed Nightingale-Thrush
Orchard Oriole
Mexican Whip-Poor-Will Swainson's Thrush
Black-Vented Oriole
Vaux's Swift Wood Thrush
Yellow-Backed Oriole
White-Throated Swift Black Thrush
Altamira Oriole
Great Swallow-Tailed Swift Clay-Colored Thrush
Baltimore Oriole
Canivet's Emerald White-Throated Thrush
Yellow-Winged Cacique
White-Eared Hummingbird Rufous-Collared Thrush
Red Crossbill
Azure-Crowned Hummingbird Gray Catbird
Black-Headed Siskin
Berylline Hummingbird Cedar Waxwing
Black-Capped Siskin
Buff-Bellied Hummingbird Grey Silky
House Sparrow
Green-Fronted Hummingbird Blue-Headed Vireo

Barron Stuart Levine
Ecology/Biology Teacher
Newport High School
4333 S.E. Factoria Blvd.
Bellevue.Wa. 98006