After a nine-person birding blowout every week earlier than, I discovered myself birding alone final Monday. Of late, I haven’t felt all that bold on days after I hen alone. So I solely traveled the ten miles (16 km) to one in every of my favourite close by websites, the tiny city of Laurelito. Technically, this city is a part of the municipality of Morelia, inhabitants a million plus. However its really feel and ecology is a world away.
In October and November, on the finish of our wet season, Laurelito is a unbelievable spot for hummingbirds. And like all of Michoacán, our species counts climb considerably whereas migratory birds are right here. However in Might, and alone, I used to be solely in a position to complete 38 species at Laurelito. That’s fairly typical for the location and date. Northern birders may be stunned to know that that could be a low quantity right here in central Mexico.
Developing with a shock or two can also be typical on any given day. What was not typical, nevertheless, was that I walked away from Laurelito with 5 new species for the yr. Of those 5, the large shock for the Yellow-eyed Junco was that I hadn’t seen one months earlier. How did it get away from me for therefore lengthy? The Black-headed Siskin is one other hen I’d have anticipated to see sooner, however nowhere close to as simply because the Junco. I used to be not significantly stunned that the Elegant Trogon, Black-chinned Sparrow, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow had performed hard-to-get for therefore lengthy this yr. They’re much extra elusive species.
It was not an incredible day for photographing these 5 birds, however I did get photographic proof of every of them. For some, I’m providing up a a lot better second photograph from some earlier encounter.
Right here’s a greater Yellow-eyed Junco, from a day way back at Laurelito.
And a greater, earlier Black-headed Siskin from a special website.
My time out did give me a satisfactory photograph of this Elegant Trogon.
My greatest photograph of one of many Black-chinned Sparrows was barely adequate to verify the ID. So right here’s a greater shot from a earlier yr and completely different website. Black-chinned Sparrows are my favourite Mexican sparrow.
I’ve undoubtedly proven the above photograph earlier than on 10,000 Birds. Nevertheless it’s a great’un.
This week’s Rufous-crowned Sparrow photograph wasn’t too dangerous.
Once I first get to Laurelito, I all the time park close to a tiny church, underneath many tall pines, with no underbrush. This can be a good place to see Brown Creepers — however not today. Nevertheless, Grace’s Warblers (the one Wooden Warblers that choose pines over oaks) have been round. And my hope of seeing some White-breasted Nuthatches was abundantly glad. Nuthatches rock.
I walked previous the presently barren Salvia patch in entrance of the tiny city itself, and dreamed of all of the hummingbirds that can quickly feed and battle there. A barely decrease pine woods failed to supply any Crimson Crossbills, a tough species that I not often see wherever however Laurelito. However past that stretch are the open grasslands with eucalyptus bushes and oaks, and that was the place I noticed my year-bird Juncos, Siskins, and two Sparrows. A couple of Warbling Vireos and Yellow-rumped Warblers have been the one migratory birds that had not but headed north. Endemic Transvolcanic Jays flew noisily overhead. The Buff-breasted Flycatchers that have been there are additionally endemic, with the added (and massive) advantage of being the one Empidonax flycatchers that don’t appear like all different 13 Empidonax flycatchers. Many Jap Bluebirds have been additionally there, which is typical for this website.
This Jap Bluebird was not very colourful; most likely a teenager.
After strolling by means of the open woodland/grassland part, I reached the darker woods on a northern-facing slope. Right here our resident Crescent-chested Warblers and Slate-throated Redstarts made their dependable look. This was additionally the place the Elegant Trogon proven above lastly made its look, after making its barking name from far-off for a lot of the morning (together with a second, unseen particular person).
38 species is just not a big complete for a morning in central Mexico, even after many winter species have flown north to breed. So on the finish of the morning, I headed over to the close by reservoir of San José de las Torres for one final hour. Formally, I wished to take a look at its restoration from having been dredged a yr in the past. However I’ll have additionally wished, just a bit bit, to pump up the day’s species numbers with some water-loving species.
The reservoir had a minimum of two Pied-billed Grebe nests.
In reality, I added 11 extra species to my listing, for a day’s complete of 49 species. There, that’s extra typical for a day in Might birding in central Mexico… In case you could have considered coming to central Mexico and want to know what to anticipate.
A Black Phoebe, celebrating life.
