Photo ABCs

Military Macaw

The owners of Rancho Primavera rehabilitated this bird. It stayed on their property, semi-domesticated, for a time, but later rejoined a wild flock.

Photographed in El Tuito, Jalisco, in March, 2014.

Reviewing these photos makes me want to make a return visit soon!

Here is a photo of a Military Macaw leaving its nest, in a location south of Puerto Vallarta. I posted this photo 8 years ago, but it's worth posting again. Thanks to guide Alex Martinez for leading our group of birders to see this bird.

This threatened species is found mostly in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit. I saw many flying above in my recent trip to Sinaloa.

To learn more about the Military Macaw, the dangers posed by poachers, and the efforts to save them, please watch this film produced by Alex Martinez, which features the photography of birding guide, photographer, and ornithologist Greg Homel:

Elegant Trogon

An Elegant Trogon, photographed at Rancho Primavera in March, 2014.

Unfortunately this view doesn't show the brilliant red front of the bird, but nevertheless it's pretty spectacular!

Here's the front of a Mountain Trogon, photographed in the mountains east of Puerto Vallarta during the same week.

Gray Hawk

An immature Gray Hawk, (which is not yet gray!)

Photographed near Puerto Vallarta in March, 2014.

Orange-fronted Parakeet

It's nice to review old photos sometimes.

I'm finding quite a few interesting shots from my March, 2014 trip to the Puerto Vallarta area.

Here is an Orange-fronted Parakeet:

Sinaloa Wren

It turns out the Sinaloa Wren I saw on my recent Mexico trip was not a life-bird after all!

Here is one holding nesting material, that I photographed near Puerto Vallarta in March, 2014.

 

Mottled Owl

A Mottled Owl, photographed in March, 2014 at Rancho Primavera, in El Tuito, Jalisco.

Rancho Primavera is one of Mexico's premier locations for birding. It is a 200 acre ranch which has been restored as a bird sanctuary.

Thanks to super-bird-guide Greg Homel for finding this owl.

La Familia de Don Santos

The highlight of my entire birding trip through Sinaloa and Nayarit in May of this year was the two lunches I had at the house of Don Santos Vasquez, the caretaker and birding guide at the Tufted Jay Preserve in El Palmito, Sinaloa.

Since I had my camera, the many children (and adults, and pets!) at the house were more than happy to pose, and I consider these shots the most memorable and meaningful of all of the photos I took on my trip.

I have forgotten exactly who belonged to whom in the family, but the children are either grandchildren or grand-nieces and nephews of Don Santos.

At least one has already expressed great interest in becoming a naturalist, like their grandfather.

The wife of Don Santos:

Cooking over an open fire:

These enchiladas with a homemade green sauce had the most delicious flavor of any dish I have tasted in my hundreds of days spent in Mexico. In addition to the open-fire stove, they had this gas stove:

Great Grandma:

 

 

This lovely girl showed me her field guide to the butterflies of the region:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-throated Magpie-Jay

The Black-throated Magpie-Jay is one of Mexico's more flamboyant birds. It is only found in northwest Mexico.

Here is one I photographed near the town of El Quelite, Sinaloa, in May of this year.

Laguna Santa Maria del Oro Birds, cont.

I treated myself to a nice stay at the Santa Maria Boutique Resort for my last night of my birding trip. It was well worth it. The lovely and birdy grounds:

The idyllic room with Zen-like simplicity and harmony:

The infinity pool overlooking the volcanic lake:

A few more birds seen on my last morning:

Rufous-bellied Chachalacas are common (and noisy!) in their limited range in western Mexico:

Yellow-winged Caciques have hanging nests similar to orioles:

A Rufous-backed Robin:

A toast for a birdy trip!

Laguna Santa Maria del Oro Birds

My last stop on my May 2022 birding trip through Sinaloa and Nayarit, Mexico, was Laguna Santa Maria del Oro. (The posts for this trip begin on July 2 if you wish to read them in order).

This volcanic lake is one of the most picturesque spots in all of Mexico, and one of my favorites!

I had one short morning to look for birds, and came across these:

The Masked Tityra ranges through much of Mexico, Central and South America. It is usually found in tropical and subtropical forest and adjacent semi-open areas with taller trees, which is exactly where this bird was found.

Though I was no longer in Sinaloa, it was here that I caught a glimpse of my life-bird Sinaloa Wren before it flew away:

The Red-billed Pigeon can be seen in the Rio Grande Valley, but is otherwise found only in Mexico and Central America. According to the Merlin app, it "tends to be fairly shy." I had seen them before during a previous trip to Laguna Santa Maria del Oro, but had not managed a photo. This bird perched high atop a tall tree, so I managed a distant photo:

The Lineated Woodpecker is a spectacular woodpecker of Mexico, Central and South America: