TOP 10 SPECIES
Top 10 lists are voted upon by the participants at the completion of
each tour.
This year's Patzcuaro, Mexico tour combined culture, history, birds, and excellent food to make the perfect holiday getaway. After our flights to Guadalajara and a three-hour luxury bus ride, we were greeted in Morelia by our host and guide, Marilyn Mayo. Marilyn has lived in this part of Mexico for over twenty years and loves sharing her wealth of knowledge and the stories she has accumulated in this beautiful area. We loaded our vehicle and were off on the one-hour drive to the sixteenth-century colonial town of Patzcuaro. There was time for a brief tour of the plaza bedecked in its Christmas finery before we turned onto the cobblestone road and into the bed-and-breakfast that would be our home for the next five days.
At first light the next morning most of us were outside in Marilyn's neighborhood waiting to start our trip list. The birding was slow in the cool air at 7200 feet, but it picked up nicely as the sun rose. Berylline Hummingbirds were common in the ornamental flowers lining the road. Five species of oriole were present with Black-vented and Black-backed (recently split from Bullock's) being the most common. Brilliant Vermillion Flycatchers seemed to be everywhere, the males gleaming in the bright sunlight. Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers inspected the tree trunks as a Rufous-backed Robin skulked in the hedgerows. After breakfast we made our way to Santa Clara del Cobre. As the name implies, this colonial town is renowned for its production of all things copper. We were able to watch the shaping process as the locals used sledgehammer and eventually finer instruments to release beautiful pots, plates, and many other things from the orange glowing orbs of copper. From here we headed into the hills to an avocado ranch owned by close friends of Marilyn's. On December 28th every year they throw a fiesta for friends and family and we were lucky enough to be invited. In the glass-walled upper floor of Jose's home we had incredible views of the extensive property and the valley below. From here we dined on steak, salmon, stuffed chiles, tortillas, and, of course, copious quantities of guacamole and the finest avocados anywhere. Not to be forgotten, the birds also provided entertainment. Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crecsent-chested Warbler were just some of the rewards garnered by folks who could momentarily pry themselves from the food, music, and, for some, tequila.
Another early morning birding Marilyn's neighborhood was good for excellent scope views of Gray Silky-Flycatcher, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, and a flock of the black-eared form of Bushtit. Amongst the vendors and churchgoers we enjoyed our Sunday morning breakfast of corundas - the local, almost spherical tamales - in the plaza of Patzcuaro's sixteenth-century basilica. We then stepped further back in time by visiting the Tzintzuntzan Archaeological Site. Spotted and Canyon Wrens now call the pyramids and stone walls home and many migrants including vibrant Summer Tanagers make use of the grounds. After an amazing lunch of carnitas (tortillas with pork, guacamole, salsa, etc.) we drove around Lake Patzcuaro. This allowed us to peak into towns only recently connected to by road and see some of their spectacularly decorated Spanish Churches. Extinct volcanoes lined the horizon in every direction as we stopped to scan the lake for ducks, herons, and other waterbirds.
A small wooden fishing boat was our transport the following morning as we explored the canals and marshes of Lake Patzcuaro. A variety of herons and many Northern Jacanas patrolled the mudflats but the real prize lurked in the marsh grasses. There, among some Sedge and Marsh Wrens, a “Cinnamon-rumped” White-collared Seedeater, and many Common Yellowthroats, we found Black-polled Yellowthroat. This bird is endemic to marshes in the volcanic belt of central Mexico and we saw several of the distinctive males with their extensive black faces and caps (and complete lack of horns) during our excursion. That afternoon we visited a national park outside Uruapan. The birding was a little slow due to the holiday crowds but the numerable waterfalls made the trip memorable. We managed to locate one flock loaded with warblers and had a nice pair of Hepatic Tanagers come in for a close inspection.
The next morning we explored the forested hill known as Cerro Burro. It not only provided a scenic vista of the surrounding landscape but gave us an opportunity to find some highland species. A Green Violet-ear was singing and soon located after beginning our walk there. Not long after that some movement in a small fir tree on the road edge revealed itself as a Red Warbler. This spectacular Mexican endemic put on quite a show as we watched from close range. When it looked directly at us the large white cheek patches seemed to flare creating an almost comical appearance. We would find other highland warbler species as well as Mexican Chickadees in the large kinglet flocks that roamed the forest. Later, just as we were getting in our vehicle to head down the mountain, we heard a Mountain Pygmy-Owl calling in the distance. With some coaxing, the tiny owl eventually came in very close and perched long enough for everyone to enjoy extended scope views. We were ecstatic but the local White-eared Hummingbird did not share our joy as it made continual dives at the small diurnal raptor. A Pine Flycatcher also came in for some half-hearted harassment but the owl held its ground. After another incredible lunch in Santa Clara del Cobre we made our way to the property of Jane Dolan overlooking Lake Zirahuen. This long-time friend of Marilyn has a spectacular view and a nice assortment of birds visit her property including Magnificent Hummingbird, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, and Blue Mockingbird. For New Year's Eve a couple of us decided to enjoy the festivities in downtown Patzcuaro, but the parties tend not to start until 1 AM so we had to throw in the towel early.
We spent the first morning of 2003 climbing the roads up to Sierra Chingua. At about 11,000 feet we continued on horseback through immaculate fir forests. Looking up into the sliver of sky above the trail we could see more and more of what looked like orange snowflakes drifting above the treetops. After half an hour on the horses we set off on foot and the number of Monarchs continued to increase. At the end of our ten-minute walk the butterfly density reached its climax. Monarchs hung on the old fir trees, clinging to every branch and clinging to each other, forming a dense covering that rendered the trees themselves invisible. In the noon-time sun many of the butterflies were flying around searching for flowers so the sky was writhing with the wings of Monarchs, so much so that you could actually HEAR their wings. That night we stayed in Morelia at the amazing bed-and-breakfast of another of Marilyn's dear friends. Overlooking this city of one million we enjoyed our last Michoacan avocados and spoke of the inevitability of returning to this remarkably rich part of Mexico.