2008 Tour Narrative
In Brief: “Very pleasant” was often used to describe this year’s “cold” weather in San Blas. But the weather didn’t adversely affect our birding and, as always, the combination of wonderful birds and a very comfortable setting with great food and hospitality made this a fabulous tour. With such variety of habitats in such a small area, San Blas is always full of contrasts, this time ranging from the confiding elegance of Fan-tailed Warblers and the flashy reds and pinks of Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Red-headed Tanager, and Red-faced Warbler to cryptic Northern Potoos and Colima Pygmy-Owl; from wide-open mountain vistas to other-worldly mangrove tunnels; from the primary colors of trogons to a surprise quartet of White-naped Swifts winging overhead; from shrimp burgers to thirst-quenching “limonadas” and refreshing siestas; from brilliant emerald-and-turquoise Mexican Parrotlets and “pájaro-loco” Golden-cheeked Woodpeckers to the elegance of Snail Kites and the sheer gaudiness of Painted Buntings. Almost everwhere were the songs of Happy Wrens underfoot and soaring Magnificent Frigatebirds overhead.
In Detail: Some of us arrived in time for a little birding near the hotel the first afternoon, and everyone arrived in time for the introductory meeting, dinner, and a good night’s sleep. The next day was a travel day, but with some early morning birding near Puerto Vallarta before making the drive to San Blas. Morning highlights included San Blas Jays, great views of Elegant Quail (which amazingly disappeared into “nothing”) and Mexican Parrotlets, and simply an appreciation for how “birdy” this area is in winter. After brunch we checked a parking lot loaded with fruiting trees (and Rufous-backed Thrushes, Mexican Caciques, iguanas, and other “stuff”) and headed to San Blas, arriving in good time to check in and visit the fort overlooking town for some birding, history, a cool drink, and sunset.
Our first morning in San Blas we walked from our rooms to areas around town. We started with a Rose-throated Becard that led to a puddle loaded with birds – Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, egrets, ibis, and Northern Jacana packed into a small area, and the birds kept coming. Construction at the sewer ponds turned us back early and we headed up to the fort where persistence was rewarded with a male Citreoline Trogon and male Varied Bunting. After lunch and a siesta we took a boat ride along the Río San Cristobal and then through mangrove tunnels (an amazing experience) to La Tovara, staying out after dark in search of the bizarre Northern Potoo – of which we had point-blank views. Birding from a boat is just fun, and you never know what you’ll see: “Is this crocodile country?” “Not really, oh, there’s one!” so we stopped and found a cryptic Bare-throated Tiger-Heron beside the small croc. A couple of minutes later our attention was drawn to an adult Common Black-Hawk sittting quietly (and overlooked) above the tiger-heron! Then a Northern Waterthrush flew in, and then a male Mangrove Warbler appeared… We also found a calling Collared Forest-Falcon, comical Boat-billed Herons, and the elusive Rufous-necked Wood-Rail. The next morning we traveled a little farther afield, inland to the village of Singayta where the palm forest produced a good variety of birds “as usual,” starting with Russet-crowned Motmot, canoodling Orange-fronted Parakeets, laughing Laughing Falcon, happy Happy Wrens, a handsome juvenile tiger-heron, and some amazingly confiding Fan-tailed Warblers. After lunch and a siesta we visited the ponds and grassland near town and out towards Chacalilla, where birds included a variety raptors, handsome Collared Plovers (in nice juxtaposition with Semipalmated Plover and Killdeer), and Gray-crowned Yellowthroats, before watching a spectacular sunset.
An early start the next day saw us on the lower slopes of Cerro de San Juan, in beautiful pine-oak forests with very different birds from San Blas. Highlights were many on this bird-filled day, and started early when our attention was drawn to Black-throated Magpie-Jays overhead as we were intent on Nutting’s Flycatcher and Golden-crowned Emeralds. At our stop for a roadside Blue Mockingbird and Russet Nightingale-Thrush we were treated to a male Bumblebee Hummingbird that fed right beside us! And then there were Mexican Woodnymphs, Spotted Wrens, Pine and Tufted Flycatchers, Gray Silkies, Red-headed Tanager, Red-faced and Rufous-capped warblers, and on and on. We pulled away reluctantly and headed to the Mirador del Aguila where we watched spectacular Military Macaws below us in a forested canyon while deafening trucks passed by behind us… ah, Mexico. After this “long day,” we took it easy the next morning with a quiet boat trip up the estero by the hotel before swinging “offshore” to Virgin Rock and some roosting Blue-footed Boobies and handsome Heermann’s Gulls. The variety of birds along the river included lots of Common Black Hawks and Ospreys, as well as good views of Purplish-backed Jays, a Crane Hawk and finally Great Black-Hawk. Lunch and a siesta were followed by the short trip across to Peso Island for a variety of birds and a pleasant beach walk, good studies of terns, an incandescent male Painted Bunting, side-by-side iguana comparisons, and, of course, those “Anthracite Cattle-Cuckoos” (aka Groove-billed Ani!).
Our last two days we visited two very different sites in the foothills. The first day we headed inland to El Limon and spectacular tropical semi-deciduous forest with lots of new birds (and, finally, hot weather), including Black-capped Vireos, Red-breasted Chat, stooping Short-tailed Hawks, a surprise fly-over Military Macaw, and an elusive Lesser Ground-Cuckoo. After lunch and a siesta we took a boat trip upriver to a bird-filled lagoon and a beautiful late afternoon, with swarms of whistling-ducks, plus Limpkins and much-desired Snail Kites. Our last full day we birded in humid, semi-evergreen “shade-coffee forest” near Tecuitata, where new birds continued to appear, including Colima Pygmy-Owl, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, stunning Rosy Thrush-Tanagers, Gray-collared Becard, a glowing male Yellow Grosbeak, and surprise White-naped Swifts. After lunch, and an ant swarm of Fan-tailed Warblers, we headed back by mid-afternoon with time to relax and pack (for the “civilized” contingent). An optional afternoon birding trip for the “hard core” to Peso Island produced good views of Elegant Trogons, and then it was time for a wonderful last night’s dinner at the hotel.
Flight times meant a late breakfast before we headed out, reluctantly, to Puerto Vallarta, and then all too soon it was time for return flights after a wonderful week of birds, beaches, mountains, and great company and cuisine.
Steve Howell
Updated: February 2008