David, thanks for posting this. Their wedding photos being passed around are heartwarming. I remember when I referred you to Eric Antonio a few years ago. I often collaborate with him, marvel that he and Jilly rarely miss identify birds on the monthly ABA photo quiz, and promote him and other young Mexican birders thru the website www.mexico-birding.com. I have been rooting for Rogue or Eric Antonio or one of the other incredible Mexican birders to hold the top spot for having seen the most birds in Mexico. Congratulations, indeed, to Eric Antonio and Jilly. In 2014 I plan to bird with them in their neck of the woods. If anyone wants to join me, drop me a note.

Georgia Conti
Lake Patzcuaro
Antep12 AT gmail DOT com

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 11, 2013, at 9:04 AM, David Hutchinson <flora.fauna at live.com> wrote:
>
> On Sunday Dec. 8th, the young and talented bird tour leader Eric Antonio Martinez was married to the Cuban botanist and mycologist, Jilly Rodriguez Mendes, in the ancient church of the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.Jilly, though a foreigner, was allowed to wear the bright red skirt and head-dress of the Zapotecs. Eric's father and uncles were there: his father, Hugo Antonio Santiago; his renowned bird guide uncle, Roque Antonio; and his weaver uncle, Leonardo Antonio, who drives the tour van through Oaxaca and Chiapas for Roque, when not weaving. Eric is a fortunate benefactor of a family tradition of bird study and ID in this mountainous region.
>
> The couple and their guests arrived at the church at 7am, led by a brass band and entered the freezing cold building through an archway of Calla Lilies. Among those guests were Sally Herman and her husband Adam, bird researchers from Sonora.After a short mass and wedding ceremony, Eric and Jilly came out into the sunshine to the rollicking downward song of a Canyon Wren. A singing House Finch on the church roof was poor vocal competition. However the male finches of the local race are handsome, with their red patches a pinot noir colour.
>
> Following the brass band back to the family house, a large throng of family members, farmers and weavers were treated to a traditional Zapotec breakfast of bread and buns to be dipped in cocoa, with chasers of mescal readily available. The band played all day and meals continued to be served seemingly without let-up. The local birds were not up to much, Bronzed Cowbirds, Great-tailed Grackles and House Sparrows, which could easily be called Adobe Sparrows. One small female hummingbird appeared, but this writer, with his usual incompetence, could not identify her.
>
> Teotitlan is not famed for its birds but its people and its crafts. Besides many of the common birds have recently occurred in Western Washington. However a quick tour of the arid scrub and riparian areas above the village revealed:
>
> Bridled Sparrow, White-throated Towhee, Gray Silky Flycatcher, Lesser Roadrunner, White-tailed Hawk, Mountain Trogon, West Mexican Chachalaca, Slate-throated Redstart and Rufous-capped Warbler. Eric and Jilly are leaving for short honeymoon, to be spent birding the Lake Catemaco and Sierra Las Tuxtlas area in neighbouring Vercruz.
>
> This report was brought to you by the extensive social media services of Tweeters.
>
> David Hutchinson, Owner
> Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
> Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
> 3213 West Wheeler St. # 6
> Seattle,WA.98199
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20131211/5c7cc8d6/attachment.htm