Photo ABCs

Day of the Dead, Mexico City Style V

On the last night of my stay in Mexico City, I ventured to the town center of Coyoacán, where there was an enormous Day of the Dead festival.

I was more than a bit fatigued from my week in Mexico City, especially my last two days of early morning birding and late nights photographing Day of the Dead!

Though I only managed a few decent photos, I was pleased with them.

A young girl enjoys a carnival ride:

A face in the crowd:

The most spectacular catrina I saw during the week:

I'm already planning next year's Day of the Dead trip. It won't be to Mexico City... Though I'm glad I went, I won't be enduring Mexico City crowds and traffic any time soon!

Stay tuned about this time next year for more photos!

Day of the Dead Mexico City Style IV

On November 1 I traveled to San Andrés Mixquic, a small town located about ten miles south of Mexico City.

San Andrés Mixquic is said to be one of the towns used to model the church and cemetery in the wonderful movie Coco, so it was the place I most wanted to visit during my week in Mexico City.

I did not find it as magical as the movie. The cemetery had no family members around the graves as one would find in Michoacán or Oaxaca. Basically, half of Mexico City was there shoulder to shoulder for a Day of the Dead experience. Of course, that was also why I was there!

Here are a few scenes from Mixquic:

Claudia models a phenomenal outfit, complete with lights, in front of the church.

Allison:

Eli:

The marigold, or cempasuchil, of course, is the traditional flower of Day of the Dead.

They were abundant in Mixquic's cemetery:

 

 

Day of the Dead, Mexico City Style III

Xochimilco is on the southern outskirts of Mexico City and is a popular tourist spot with its canals.

I headed to its town square on October 31, where Day of the Dead festivities were occuring.

Here is Alma, heading out of the costume shop where she was transformed into a magnificent calavera: (calavera means skull, but has come to mean the entire skeleton, as first characterized in Jose Guadalupe Posada's caricatures of the vain rich)

Renata:

Her sister Rebecca:

Claudia:

Day of the Dead, Mexico City Style II

A few years ago the James Bond movie, SPECTRE, featured a huge Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City.

This parade was NOT a Mexico City tradition. Since the movie came out, the parade is NOW a new tradition!

Mexico City has approximately 25 million people.

I'd say 24,999,999 must have been lining the five-mile parade route!

I arrived three hours early, yet the crowd lining the route was already more than six people deep.

Three hours before the event, this mob of people streamed towards the Zócalo, Mexico City's central square, where the parade would end:

There's always time for a selfie:

Here comes the parade, get out your cell phone!

This lovely young lady was a hostess at a restaurant along the parade route:

A girl named Maola, in the Zócalo after the parade:

Halloween and Day of the Dead have become somewhat mixed in recent years. Here is "Daddy's Lil Monster" after the parade. Throughout Mexico City many storefront security doors are painted by talented artists. This one made an interesting backdrop:

Heading home after the parade:

Day of the Dead: Mexico City Style I

I spent the week surrounding Day of the Dead this year in Mexico City.

Day of the Dead takes place on November 1 and 2, however, it has evolved into a week-long celebration in many parts of Mexico.

The San Angel neighborhood of Mexico City has an art market each Saturday, which draws a large crowd. Saturday, October 29 drew many in their Day of the Dead finest!

Here is Daniela, midway through her face-painting:

Miranda:

Maria José:

Luis:

Mélani:

Fernanda:

I'll be posting more photos of Day of the Dead for the next few days, stay tuned!

Birding Near Mexico City II

More photos from the morning of November 2, in the hills southwest of Mexico City near the town of Milpa Alta.

The Hooded Yellowthroat looks nearly identical to the Common Yellowthroat, but my guide Anuar assured me that this bird's calls matched those of the Hooded Yellowthroat. The Hooded Yellowthroat, as well, is found in the dry highlands of central Mexico, and this bird was not near water, where the Common Yellowthroat is typically found. The Hooded Yellowthroat was one of the birds I most wanted to see!

Did you know that there are six separate yellowthroat species in Mexico?

Perhaps someday I will see all of them!

A Painted Lady butterfly:

Greater Pewee:

Least Flycatcher:

The Crescent-chested Warbler is found only in Mexico and three Central American countries.

I was thrilled to see another life-bird!

A Canyon Towhee rests upon a Nopal cactus:

Thanks again to Anuar López for two memorable mornings of birding!

Birding Near Mexico City

On the morning of November 2 my birding guide Anuar López took me to a protected natural area near the town Milpa Alta, in the hills southwest of Mexico City.

I was particularly hoping to see a few species I had never seen before, that I had noticed on a poster of Mexico City area birds.

Arriving to the nature preserve, the first birds we saw were my favorites, Bushtits!

Bushtits in Mexico are colored a bit differently than Bushtits in California, and these Bushtits were rather skittish compared to ours, as well. I was thrilled to see them.

The Grass Wren and the Sedge Wren were once considered the same species, but were split in 2021.

The Grass Wren is found in Central Mexico south to the southern tip of South America, whereas the Sedge Wren is found mostly in the eastern United States. This was one of the birds I had been hoping to see.

A Pine Siskin:

I believe this flower is the Verbena Amarilla, or Bidens ferulifolia:

More to follow!

A Morning in Xochimilco II

More photos from a morning in Xochimilco Ecological Park (see yesterday's post).

A  number of Tropical Kingbirds were raising a ruckus:

Throughout Mexico, the Vermilion Flycatcher livens up any day:

A Chipping Sparrow:

Northern Shoveler:

The male and female Mexican Duck look pretty much like a female Mallard. The best field mark I can tell is that the Mexican Duck's feathers contain more brown and less orange:

More photos tomorrow!

A Morning in Xochimilco

I recently spent a week in Mexico City, visiting museums and photographing Day of the Dead festivities.

I rarely take a trip, though, without spending at least some time birding.

I hired a professional guide, Anuar López, to take me to two birding spots in the greater Mexico City area.

Mexico City is built on the site of former Lake Texcoco, where the Aztecs constructed their great city.

What remains of Lake Texcoco exists at Xochimilco, on the southern edge of Mexico City.

Xochimilco is best known for its trajineras, colorful boats which are used for excursions through the many canals that crisscross the area.

It is also the site of the Xochimilco Ecological Park, where we spent our first morning.

Anuar saw or heard over 80 species of birds at the park. I may have seen half of them! Here are a few:

A Black-crowned Night-Heron fishes from one of the colorful trajineras:

A Snowy Egret, ready to take an excursion:

Anuar spotted this Sharp-shinned Hawk high in a distant treetop. Note the unusual white blotches on the bird’s back. I have no idea how it got them.

The hawk takes flight:

A Slate-throated Redstart greets the morning with song:

A Marsh Wren:

More photos from Xochimilco to follow tomorrow.

Varied Bunting

A female Varied Bunting, photographed along the banks of the Fuerte River in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, in February, 2019: